Thoughts
that have come from various quotes taken from the book, "Victor - Breaking
Free From a Victim Based Society" by John H. Hovis. Click here to link directly to
the audio file.
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"I believe God despises religion. "
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 67.
A few years ago there was an Internet video war that took place over the issue of God and religion. On one side was a young, hip looking, well spoken and enthusiastic man denouncing the relationship breaking aspects religion has allowed to happen for so many years now. On the other side were established, robed, well spoken, passionate and honored professional ministers bestowing the praises of religion.
There were some excellent points made by both sides of this Internet video war. Unfortunately, like almost any other issue where more than one view can be debated, sides were drawn in a way that brought about needless and unproductive disunity. Even though I've entitled today's talk "God Hates Religion" I don't in any way believe God has taken sides when it comes to this little Internet video war.
I do believe that God has no use for man's religion at all. I also happen to believe that both sides of this Internet video war were correct. God is just as proud and just as much part of the systems, structure and traditions of organized religion as long as those systems, structures and traditions don't get in the way of the individual coming into the fullness of whom God made them to be.
Where religion crosses the line, as far as God is concerned, is when we lean more fully on our own abilities through systems, structures and traditions to draw closer to him. When we put anything in place that requires the victor to perform in order to draw closer to their God we flirt with victim thinking results that work to get us so far off track.
Today's bible reading sums up the foundation from which religion is either praised are condemned by God.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
Freedom is what God wants for us all. Any organization, including a religious organization, that puts in place obstacles and somehow deters that freedom for the members of that organization is something that God does can stand. The spirit of the lord can be in the most organized, systematized and tradition filled organization just as much as it can be in the most disorganized, unsystematized in traditionless one. Just like people, you can't judge an organization by what it looks like. Freedom has to be the hallmark of any system of religion in order for that religion to be something then I believe God is behind.
It is when we allow ourselves to be judged based on our ability to perform in certain ways when victim thinking can creep into our lives. Our relationship with God has nothing to do with performance. We are who we are because what he is done for us and who he sees us to be.
The religion that God hates is one that makes us feel anything less than the fullness of what God sees us to be. The religion that God loves is one that does all it can to help us realize the victor status he paid such a high price for us all to have. That religion uses anything, including organization, systems and tradition to help the individual find freedom in their God given identity.
I believe the same goes for everything that we are involved in. Every organization we're part of, our family, our work, our community, especially our church turns into religion when performance is used as the basis for determining and promoting identity. We may recognize that that is happening in some of the organizations we're part of today. Religion might be creeping in. The fact is we may not be able to stop the negative side of religion from influencing the groups that we're part of both secular in non-secular like. This doesn't mean but we have to abandon that group. It just means that we need to focus more fully on who God has made as to be.
Take time today to do our religion check in your life. Are you involved in organizations that are demanding your identity the shaped by how well you do things for that organization? If so, you may not be in a position to change out of that organization or to change the way the organization operates but you are in a position to operate in your true identity. The fact that God sees you as a victor no matter how well you perform can make a difference in how you operate within the organization's you find yourself part of today.
**********
"I believe God despises religion. "
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 67.
A few years ago there was an Internet video war that took place over the issue of God and religion. On one side was a young, hip looking, well spoken and enthusiastic man denouncing the relationship breaking aspects religion has allowed to happen for so many years now. On the other side were established, robed, well spoken, passionate and honored professional ministers bestowing the praises of religion.
There were some excellent points made by both sides of this Internet video war. Unfortunately, like almost any other issue where more than one view can be debated, sides were drawn in a way that brought about needless and unproductive disunity. Even though I've entitled today's talk "God Hates Religion" I don't in any way believe God has taken sides when it comes to this little Internet video war.
I do believe that God has no use for man's religion at all. I also happen to believe that both sides of this Internet video war were correct. God is just as proud and just as much part of the systems, structure and traditions of organized religion as long as those systems, structures and traditions don't get in the way of the individual coming into the fullness of whom God made them to be.
Where religion crosses the line, as far as God is concerned, is when we lean more fully on our own abilities through systems, structures and traditions to draw closer to him. When we put anything in place that requires the victor to perform in order to draw closer to their God we flirt with victim thinking results that work to get us so far off track.
Today's bible reading sums up the foundation from which religion is either praised are condemned by God.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
Freedom is what God wants for us all. Any organization, including a religious organization, that puts in place obstacles and somehow deters that freedom for the members of that organization is something that God does can stand. The spirit of the lord can be in the most organized, systematized and tradition filled organization just as much as it can be in the most disorganized, unsystematized in traditionless one. Just like people, you can't judge an organization by what it looks like. Freedom has to be the hallmark of any system of religion in order for that religion to be something then I believe God is behind.
It is when we allow ourselves to be judged based on our ability to perform in certain ways when victim thinking can creep into our lives. Our relationship with God has nothing to do with performance. We are who we are because what he is done for us and who he sees us to be.
The religion that God hates is one that makes us feel anything less than the fullness of what God sees us to be. The religion that God loves is one that does all it can to help us realize the victor status he paid such a high price for us all to have. That religion uses anything, including organization, systems and tradition to help the individual find freedom in their God given identity.
I believe the same goes for everything that we are involved in. Every organization we're part of, our family, our work, our community, especially our church turns into religion when performance is used as the basis for determining and promoting identity. We may recognize that that is happening in some of the organizations we're part of today. Religion might be creeping in. The fact is we may not be able to stop the negative side of religion from influencing the groups that we're part of both secular in non-secular like. This doesn't mean but we have to abandon that group. It just means that we need to focus more fully on who God has made as to be.
Take time today to do our religion check in your life. Are you involved in organizations that are demanding your identity the shaped by how well you do things for that organization? If so, you may not be in a position to change out of that organization or to change the way the organization operates but you are in a position to operate in your true identity. The fact that God sees you as a victor no matter how well you perform can make a difference in how you operate within the organization's you find yourself part of today.
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