It's a Relationship, not a religion!

Too often we focus on the religious aspect of church instead of a relationship with God.  We go to church, sit there and listen to the songs and preaching, and then leave, forgetting what the sermon was even about.  This isn’t what we need to be doing.  We need to develop a relationship with God instead of just being religious.

How often do you read your Bible?  Every day?  How much do you read a day if you do?  A few verses?  We need to get in the Word and stay in the Word!  It needs to be in and on our hearts, our lives.  We need to live in the love of God – forgetting the traditions of man.

Mark 7: 5-9, 13

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.   For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.   And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition….Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

We cannot rely on men to make our lives better!  How much better to live in the love of God, to live a relationship with the almighty than to focus on our earthly and worldly lives?  What can that life bring us that God can’t abundantly give us?  Absolutely nothing – nothing but heartache and pain. 

This is what happens to us when the things of man are in our hearts: Mark 7: 21-23

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

These are what come out of hearts if God isn’t what’s occupying our hearts.  We need to push all of this aside and focus on what God wants for us to do.  He wants us to love Him, not just like Him on Sundays, to lay aside all earthly feelings, doings and focus on Him.     

We need to actively seek a relationship with God.  Talk to Him.  Love on Him and let Him love on us.  We need to wake up every morning, talking to God and knowing that without Him our life would be nothing.  We don’t want to live in what Mark 7: 21-23 says we will if we don’t have God in our lives or hearts.  We want to be blessed, and if we actively seek that relationship with God, we will. 

Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The other night, Eddie James came to visit our church.  He sang a song, Nazarite Cry, on his new CD Shift, which I strongly suggest buying.  When I heard it and as I was worshiping to it, I had this thought:  We need to love God as much as a lover loves.  We need to be a lover of God.

Here's that song:  I think it goes well with this devo.  Take some time to listen to it and let it soak in.  Focus on God and worship him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuh_pUUr6-0