Re: GOD versus religion - my 2c worth

When you mentioned the people who PREY on fragile persons, you hit it right on the nose (I call them PREDATORS, more politely called "ZEALOTS" like Barrabas the political INSURRECTIONIST Luke 23:18). That name is a bit rough, so I don't say that to anyone because they don't realize what they are doing and if I said it to one of them, they would hear "HATRED", they wouldn't understand (or care) that they actually cause pain, they couldn't (Have you ever noticed that evil and lack of thinking go together? they're a package deal. Evil cannot be carried out if intelligent thought is COMPLETED because EVIL IS NOT LOGICAL. Evil NEEDS faulty thinking in order to thrive (be committed). I would not say to them that they are being EVIL, meaning I wouldn't ACCUSE them, not just because they don't know what they"re doing, but because it is only HUMAN NATURE, like God says "Human nature is human folly". Predators are in no way confined the pious and religious, you'll find them in all of society, it's the NATURE of human beings to want to be lazy, greedy, selfish, and BETTER THAN each other (condescension). I've dealt with Predators all my life in the place where you'd least expect to find them,...FAMILY, whenever someone has low self-esteem, they will look for a kind and gentle person (contrite heart) to PREY on (the pain is caused by being poor in spirit, but remember Matthew 5:3 "...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"). The predator will seek you out in order to FEEL as though they are better THAN you. You will also find that they are generally uncomfortable (uneasy) around you (they resent and are jealous of your nobility (good character). Condescension is also the only REAL reason for hating a PERSON (as opposed to their deeds, you see the UNINTENTIONAL evil that comes from the spirit of man?). People NEED to feel BETTER THAN each other (if I did some of the things that some people do, I'd have low self-esteem too). I learn from the experiences from God and become BETTER FOR THE EXPERIENCE,... NOT better THAN anybody). ALL IS VANITY (Ecclesiastes).
The first century church must have been very profound and tight-knit. Meeting secretly in each other's houses because of persecution from the Roman government must have made their dependence on The Lord and each other (spiritual church) a very intense experience because they were better able to disregard the materialist effects of the spirit of man (religion). Romans 14:22 "The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God..." (not religion, YOURSELF). Let Him live in your heart, not in a religion. It is the PERSONAL relationship with Jesus that must be nurtured. Tweet