‘I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10. What is religion, and what is life? Are they different? Looking into the glass houses of most churches, we can’t seem to notice any difference between the two. People have made ‘church” an event that happens, maybe once or twice a week, and to some, a daily ceremony. They perform the same ole things over and over making all of what they do into a nothingness, having no heart for the oneness with the Father that Jesus came to bring to us. We adore our ceremonial activities above living by the Spirit of God, giving way to the flesh pampering words of men, instead of the hard-hitting truth of God’s Word spoken by those who are anointed in the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing conviction upon all the hearts of those who are hearing what the Lord is speaking through the one speaking in the stead of God. We think if we follow the patterns set by man that we will please God enough that He will then, give us whatever we desire. He becomes nothing more than our little “Jennie in a bottle.” We do nothing for him, but we seek him for all we desire. We desire not the things of God, but more of the things of this world, and thanking God that He so loves us. How shameful we have become! Just as Israel became shameful before God, becoming more like the world around them, and less like the God who by His grace and power, brought them out of the land of their bondage, giving them a life to be one with Him. This was not good enough for them, because they never cut the flesh from around their hearts, cutting away all the wicked desires of the old Hebrew people living in the bondages in Egypt. And so too, we see that the churches are filled with people whose hearts are not cut from the evil desires they had when they lived by their fleshly desires, even though they may proclaim they have repented.
When the Israelites were wondering through the wilderness, and God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle for Him as a place where the people could meet with Him, He gave Moses very detailed instructions on what to use, how to form things, how to bring every detail together. And He told him that he was to build all things exactly as He had given it unto Him. And then, when He called out those that were to build this tabernacle, it says very clearly that “He gave them the Holy Spirit that they may have the wisdom and knowledge on all things He has instructed.” Exodus 31:
31 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalelazelel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner ofworkmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle— 8 the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base— 10 the [a]garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”
This was the example of what was to happen when Jesus came to live as a man upon this earth. He was the Word of God, in the flesh of a man. And when the time came for Him to start showing the people what it meant to be a son of the Kingdom of God, He was first baptized in the Holy Spirit. Yes, even Jesus, born from the Spirit of God, had to be first baptized in the Holy Spirit, just as he, Bazelel, which means, “The shadow of God,” had to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. You see, a shadow does only what is done by the one creating the shadow, and it is God that is creating the shadow. This was what Jesus was referring to when He told them that the Holy Spirit would guide them in all truth, that we may be a the Shadow of all that God is doing. Jesus came from the Word of God to teach us the very pattern of what the people of God were to be as they took the kingdom of God into the whole world. and we were to follow His plans exactly as he had shown them unto us. But that is impossible, for we did not see what He did, that is, impossible for them that live in religion, not being one with the Father nor baptized by the Holy Spirit. That was why Jesus made it so clear to His disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit, for He knew it was only the Holy Spirit that would enable them to have the Wisdom, Knowledge, and skills to do what He was giving unto them to do. And because we have so many that think we can do it by our own wisdom and understandings and talents and givings, we have seen through the years in history that the true meaning of the word, “church,” has fallen into a powerless gospel, and powerless people, and a congregation of sinners who never get set free from sin, who long more and more for the things of this world, and forfeiting the glorious life we are to have, one with the Father. We have allowed our water to become the bitter waters of Marah. What should have been the sweet waters from the rock of our Lord, became water of bitterness, and the people would not drink it. We gave up the Holy Spirit power within us that we may live by our own religious ideas and works. We gave up the best from God for the worst of man’s own doings.
So, look out at the many church building built all over the world and see how many are doing the very works of Jesus. See who are out there among the people, preaching the Word of God. Who are those that are following the exact blueprint of what it means to operate in the Kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit’s guidance and working through them? No, Jesus never came to establish a new religion, for He was well aware of how useless religion truly was. Instead, He came that we may once again, as we were created in the beginning to live one with the Father, one in spirit, and now, with the power of the Holy Spirit, be able to bring down the forces of darkness that were upon the earth, even before mankind, and take authority in the salvation of God taht is ours, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that we may go about in all God’s wisdom, knowledge, and strength, that we may take back from the demonic realm what they have stolen from us. We can not do this in our own strength, our won wit, not our own convictions. We must seek the Holy Spirit from God, so we can do it His way, and His way alone. Look and see how powerless the :church” has become and know it is not because the Holy Spirit has lost His power, but it is because we have rejected Him from our lives. In the early church, it wasn’t just the apostles that received the power of the Holy Spirit, but it was given unto all the believers. We are called to be baptized unto Jesu, and His baptism is of the Holy Spirit and fire. Settle for nothing less, for if you do, you forfeit what God has designed for you to be in the Kingdom. We are to be the ‘sons of God in His kingdom, here on earth, just as it is in heaven. And Jesus said that the Father would also give the Holy Spirit to all who asks, Luke 11:13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” be not a house that is only clean and in order, but is left empty, for if you do, the one who was forced from you house will come back with many more, and overtake you, and you latter will be worse than your former. You must, once you have cleansed you body of the evil spirits of sin, ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit, that when they come back to get you, you will have the power needed to overcome them. We can not understand the Holy Spirit in any other way than the “Power of God.” For Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” It is the Holy Spirit of God that is the power of God, and if you claim you have the Holy Spirit, but are not showing evidence of it by the power of God operating through you, then there is only one conclusion to this; you truly do not have the Holy Spirit. These are not my words, but the Words straight from the mouth of God. And when we walk in this, we are walking in abundant life, where religion has no place. Let us yearn more everyday to be Kingdom-minded people instead of church going servants, walking in the power and authority we have in Christ Jesus. The whole world is groaning for the manifestations of the sons of God. It is only the Gospel of the Kingdom that will bring the truth into the hearts of the people who are desperate for His Spirit indwelling them, setting them free from the power of sin and death. Religion will never do this, nor will the type of christianity that is prevalent in most church buildings today. Let us rise up and be the sons of God we were created in Christ Jesus to become. Amen? Amen.