This week's Reflection is a follow up to the past 2 Reflections, ("LCMI & Rule Family Update", and Chuck's article, "Offering Our Best"). I would like to continue this dialog with you so please feel free to write and tell me how God is challenging you through these Reflections. Shalom! Mike

The Spirit of Religion
By Mike Rule

Greetings again my friends,
I wanted to follow up on my note from 2 weeks ago, and share one of the responses I got to the challenge, “Can you take up the challenge to stop pointing your messages at the people, and start pointing people to Jesus? We don’t do this by directing the message at what people are doing or not doing. We do this by preaching about what Christ has done, is doing, and will do! It should always build up, encourage, and inspire.

Here is one response from a Pastor in Kenya:

“Hello Mike,
I am knocked down and refined with what I got about preaching... Personally I have been preaching (what I claimed to be) Christ-centered messages, but 93% has been men centered. When I got this, I taught it, the church was not excited. In Kenya most people are moved and rejoice at messages pointed to them.”

Once again I am struck by how we as religious Christians CLAIM to be Christ centered, but when we truly shift the focus to Christ, the message becomes VERY unpopular. I was writing another article today in which I mention that “so often we forget that Jesus did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34). Jesus brings division, there is a contrast. Brother will turn against brother, father against child, and children will turn against parents, (Matthew 10:14-28) This division is understandable. What do we, the children of light, have to do with the children of darkness? Darkness hates the light and religion is of darkness. All religions are the same, whether it be Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, or even Judaism & Christianity. Religions are designed by the enemy and by man to throw people into the realm of trying to please God, trying to reach out to God, and trying to become acceptable to God. This is the very essence, the spirit of the antichrist.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits to see if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the antichrist you heard is coming, and even now is already in the world. You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us. The one who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1Jo 4:1-6)

Many ask me if the antichrist is already here in the world and to me it is obvious. Scripture also makes it clear that he is, and has been since the beginning…

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist. (1Jo 2:22)

Is there any greater way of denying Christ than to point to something OTHER than Him? Religion at its very CORE is antichrist.

Many months ago Becky wrote an article called Religion (click to here to read it). In it she points out that the word religion means “Man’s desire and effort to bind himself fast and secure to the Great Spirit of the Universe.” At its very core, religion is antichrist because in Christ, God has bound Himself fast and secure to US! In Christ He has expressed His love for the world, and expressed His commitment to seeing us safely home.

As our brother from Kenya so aptly pointed out, 93% lands at man’s feet, 7% at the feet of Jesus. He is not alone, and the majority of believers fall into that very trap. But, if I stay at pointing out the problem without offering a solution, I am the greatest offender of all! I praise God that HE causes ALL things to work together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) God is not fighting religion, He is using it. The flesh of man needs this to strip us of everything we trust in other than Christ. The purpose of religion is to bring us ALL into captivity. Listen to Isaiah 28: 12&13.

This is a resting place, let the weary rest, this is a place of repose, but they would not listen. So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: Rule on rule, rule on rule,do and do, do and do, A little here, a little there until they fall back are capture injured and snared.

Paul sums this very same thought up in Galatians.

Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to those to whom it had been promised, being ordained through angels in the Mediator's hand. But the Mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the Law then against the promises of God? Let it not be said! For if a law had been given which could have given life, indeed righteousness would have been out of Law. But the Scripture shut up all under sin, so that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under Law, having been shut up to the faith about to be revealed. So that the Law has become a trainer of us until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But faith coming, we are no longer under a trainer. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ. There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:19-29)

Another translation says, “The law is put in charge to LEAD us to Christ!” The law is mans attempts to reach God – i.e. religion. If we preach something other than Christ, we are legalists, pure and simple. It does not matter if you preach law, obedience, authority, submission, love, grace, mercy, or anything else… the moment we point things at people instead of pointing people to Christ we are legalists, and we are falling under the spirit of the antichrist.

But really this IS good news! Even this is an expression of Love from God towards man. He gives us what we THINK we need and want so that we will get sick of it, and be prepared to let go and receive what He has to give! He is not fighting it, He is using it. This is part of our journey in the wilderness by which we too are stripped of everything we trust in other than Christ.

If you recognize that you have fallen into this trap, rejoice! If you recognize that God has freed you from this trap, rejoice. If you are offended by this article, rejoice! God is in control, He is leading, He is guiding, He is working. He is the one who is growing our faith, He is the one who has given us ALL things pertaining to life and Godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)

Let’s rejoice at all the Father has done in and through Christ to bring us to the place where we are at today. Let us continue to look unto Jesus who truly is the Author and Finisher of our faith! (Hebrews 12:2) Amen??? AMEN!!!!