RELIGION & LIVING

THIS IS CHIEF TECUMSEH of the Shawnee Nation!

At first glance he looks rather fierce and arrogant. He writes this -

'So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion;

 respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.   Love your life, perfect your life.  Seek to make your life long and its purpose the service of your people.  Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.   Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.   Show respect to all people and grovel to none.   When you arise in the morning  give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.    If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only yourself.   Abuse no one and no thing for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its  vision.    When it comes your time to die be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their times comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.  Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.'

Tecumseh lived approximately from 1768 to 1813 and is considered a national hero in Canada.      He also said - 

 'Let us form one body, one heart,

and defend to the last, our homes, our liberty,

and the graves of our fathers.'

WHY have I introduced him here?    Because he represents a minor religion, yet at the same time represents a way of LIFE.     A way of life based on GOD and the practice of the presence of God.      In him this 'life' saw the intrinsic value in every man, and caused him to work for a common cause that would benefit all.    What is more remembered - his 'religion' or his way of life?      Definitely his way of life.

PRESIDENT OBAMA addressed the Arab Nations from Cairo University this week.     Quite early in his Speech he said - '

I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors.   There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another, and to seek

common ground.   As the Holy Quran tells us, 

Be conscious of God and speak always the                                                                    truth.'....

Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience.   I am a Christian.  But my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims"     

Is he apologising for being a Christian, offsetting the possible offence by citing Moslem ancestors?   Why would he need to do that I wonder.    IS Religious affiliation important more than one's relationship with God and what is Godly?       Chief Tecusmeh knewlittle or nothing of the Moslem or the Christian or the Jew - yet it is obvious he had discovered what pleased God.......

The President is at pains to bridge the gaps, not so much in culture but in RELIGION.     However it is a fact that our cultures have all been influenced and affected by RELIGION.     Regretfully Religion has been used to dogmatically exclude those of another view or persuasion from reaching out to God.        The President mainly considered the differences and conflict induced by the BIG THREE - Judaism, Christianity and Islam,     However, we cannot leave out Hinduism in all its forms, Buddhism and many many others.      ALL of these Religions have been founded by a personality of one kind or another, upon whom has been built ritual and ceremony and religious law.      Even WITHIN these religions conflict and difference have arisen and produced splits and denominationalism - all built on the human opinion of one and another.

GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD;    He does not approve of the Honour, Praise and GLORY due to Him going to another.     He is not interested in factions and parties brought about through petty leadership.

HOW AND WHY DOES IT HAPPEN THEN?     Perhaps because Man does not want to listen to GOD but to himself, his own view or explanation of what God is saying - a result of Satan's Question - 'Has God really said?'

THIS FRIDAY, on Testimony School Parade I spoke on the topic CHILDREN OF GOD.   I asked the Question 'Who ARE the real children of God?    Then I quoted from the Bible, words found in Galatians 3v26

'You are all children of God by faith in Jesus Christ;

for as many of your have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ

THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK,

there is neither bond nor free, male or female

FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST.

and

IF YOU ARE CHRIST'S

then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the Promise.

JESUS CHRIST says that He came to reveal, to lead us, to the ONLY God.       He went on to say that He only spoke the words He heard God say, and only DID those things He saw God do.    He did this in order that we might catch sight of exactly how God is - and to follow HIM.      Jesus actually said 'Follow Me!'    But in fact in saying this He was encouraging to be like Him in his fixed habit of being exactly like God, to the very best of our ability.

He said BEGIN again (be BORN again) and follow ME.         Be baptised as a sign you have come to your senses and repented of going YOUR way without reference to God, and that you have BEGUN a new and different LIFE.     Admit your error, and claim my life for your own.        Jesus was not a CHRISTIAN He was the THE EXAMPLE of a REAL Child of God.           When we stand in front of God IN THE NAME OF JESUS - that is when we stand in front of God representing and displaying ALL that we have seen and heard in Jesus required of a true child of God, THEN God will hear us and do for us whatever we ask.

THIS IS NOT RELIGION it is a Way of LIFE and LIVING - the only way truly pleasing and satisfactory to GOD, the God of Abraham.    ANYBODY CAN DECIDE TO REACH OUT FOR THIS LIFE.    There are NO exceptions, but when you do you will not be a Christian or a Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist - you will be a Child of God.       You will all be unified by the Life Christ came to demonstrate, offer and GIVE to any that believe for it.

President Obama said in his Cairo speech that we all need to see ourselves the same as one another - no divisions or race or religion.      It is a good and desirable vision.    But without the LIFE that Christ alone can give living in us, there is NO WAY we will accomplish it.       We need to come to Christ - NOT TO CHRISTIANITY - asking Him to give us HIS life, and with that Life a new HEART and Spirit.

When each of us comes to stand before God we shall not be asked what Religion we have served, but WHAT LIFE we have LIVED.      God will ask - 'Have you lived the life of a Child of Mine.      Have you lived the Life My Righteousness came to give you - the life of the One called JESUS?

ARE you a Child of God - really and truly ?    Can you demonstrate it without turning to RELIGION?   Can you live toward others as God lives toward you, with long suffering, forbearance, justice,compassion, Mercy, and forgiveness.    CAN you actually do to others what you might hope they would do to you?     President Obama was applauded when he trotted out this phrase.      I have heard it said that 'He who kills a Christian or a Jew does service to God'.      Can it really be held by a CHILD OF GOD, someone with a heart like God's that it is service to Him when we kill another - whoever and whatever they are?

THE BIBLE SAYS, in the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel chapter 18 verses 31-32 

Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed;

and make you a new heart and a new spirit;

for why will ye die O People of God?

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God:

Wherefore turn yourselves and live ye!'

((((((((((())))))))))

TURN TO JESUS FOR HELP

TURN TO JESUS FOR LIFE

TURN TO JESUS FOR PEACE, COMFORT, AND FORGIVENESS.

and then

BE ACCEPTED AS A CHILD OF GOD.

ssssssssssssssss

THE LORD OUR GOD, has kept His Hand upon us through this week, and as a new month dawns we are glad to be able to say that He has Kept us and Provided against our needs.       We want to THANK all those who may have felt led to help in His Name during this last month and recent days.    All our College kids are now safely back to work in their various places of learning and rejoicing at the mercy of God.      One of those who completed their training a year ago and is now working as an Accountant with a Bank, called in this week and left 250 Sterling (Ksh.25,000/-) to help pay for the College Fees of another living in the Homes,   Very encouraging and worthy of praise.

Keep living the Life,  you will be unstoppable.

With our Love in Him

John and Esth