I feel a need to set the record straight. Well, remind you that God has set the record straight. There are so many people that feel they are right with God because of some intellectual ascent to their own human reasoning. I hear the “great spirit” or “man upstairs” or  “god”  being mentioned as some distant “oz” they have concocted.

These folks are always the most loving people I have ever met, almost euphoric in their positive energy and yogalike demeanor. They find good in everything. They pray to this great spirit or man upstairs and ask blessing of the divine spirit upon those whom they love.

It’s their god……… ok……it’s their one true god. There is no other. Sounds good, but…. how did they come to know him?

We all do this, don’t we? We take what we were taught as children or heard from friends and whatever the source, we form a belief. Let’s look at religion. Some were taught that we should not eat meat on Friday, others were taught that baptism by water brings salvation, others say we must speak with tongues to prove we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  Some teach we must stop sinning to receive salvation, (stop being human), we must forgive to be forgiven, if we miss church, it’s a mortal sin. Another teaches we must do good deeds, while yet another teaches we must kill family members if they leave their belief. Meanwhile, some  teach that only through Jesus Christ and His finished work at the Cross brings reconciliation  to our creator. The list goes on and on. We  could fill pages of “beliefs”

I think all of us are seeking to know the one true God and are seeking His truth.

Polls show that 90% of people believe in a higher power.  I believe it’s more.

Those who identify with the “ great spirit”, “man upstairs”, etc.  are SEEKING to know the creator of the universe and all things in it.

Some say all roads lead to Baltimore.  True, but you must travel in the correct direction. Route 66 west does not lead to Baltimore. What is meant here is that all roads are connected  and if properly plotted will eventually lead to any destination.

This human metaphor doesn’t hold up for the simple fact that roads end at the seashore and barricades are presented along the way. I can not take US Route 95 to Rome, it’s just not true. Same as if our destination is eternal life in heaven; all roads (religions) don’t  go there,  There is no truth in it, regardless of how you try to press your belief system into it. Why not? Because of the law of non-contradiction, something can’t be and not be at the same time. You can’t have ETERNAL LIFE if you can lose it, you can’t be forgiven totally but then have conditions to it, you can’t love and then kill someone for not loving who you want them to love.

It all comes down to truth. Well what is truth? Answer: that which is.

A friend at bible study recently told me that truth is different for each of us and he gave this example: you and I are watching a parade and three horses, one white and two black pass by but you say there was one donkey and two brown horses, so where is the truth? Philosophers tell us that we only see through perception, we don’t see what’s  there, we see ourselves. It’s an “anything goes” mentality, no absolutes.  This kind of thinking leads to confusion, subjectivity, alienation, condemnation, selfishness, hate, geneside, racism, murder and war, just to name a few. You know, what religion does.

But the reality is, there are absolutes, there are laws and there are truths in this world we live in.

The laws of physics, the laws of nature, mathematics, thermodynamics, look around, life for the human is a beautiful symphony.  This symphony is for us! We are positioned perfectly in the cosmos for human existence, a perfect distance from the sun so as not to fry or freeze, rotating and responding to laws of gravity. It’s all spinning and rotating in an amazing symphony, order, intelligence, power and beauty.  Trees emit what we require and we emit that which they require, a glorious cycle. It rains and then evaporates back to rain again, plants are watered and the earth stores what we need, plants grow from the soil to feed us and animals that become life to us, all a beautiful symphony. Why? Love! We take so much for granted. Every time we eat or drink, breath, or fall in love, we are being told “ I LOVE YOU” . Just stop and look at the composition of a flower or the human eye or the brain. Stop …and look at new life of any kind, a bud in spring that flowers, a puppy, a child, you can’t help but LOVE.  We love because we are loved. We humans didn’t invent love. God is love, He doesn’t do love or think love, He is love.

Now, some would say we have problems here on earth and life is not a symphony. True, but not because God doesn’t love us. We were placed in paradise at the beginning and sin, disobedience to God, causes us problems. Sin separated man from God, don’t ever forget that. Even in our sin though, God wishes that none would parish.

All who seek this intelligence, power, and presence seek  Yahweh, Jehovah, The Great Spirit, The Man upstairs, God. We all want to know!!!!!!!

I asked an atheist friend of mine if he would want to know and commune with this amazing all knowing, all powerful, omnipresent creator of all things? He turned to me with passionate, yearning eyes and shouted “YES! YES! YES! HOW?”

My response was “ the same way we learn everything else –  observation, practice and study.”

We seek, study, read, listen, we hypothesize,  reason and deduce, observing that this all knowing, all powerful,  everpresent Spirit  (God for the rest of this writing) is greater than us and  the beginning of wisdom.  We see this displayed in the universe. We humans can’t make a human eye, a star or a symphony as mention above. Duh, we get that.

So we see the evidence of God all around us everyday. Ok, I want to learn more. Remember we are seeking to know, communicate and commune with God, the how. Do I just enjoy it and take advantage of it?  Well yeah, but listening to and enjoying Beethoven doesn’t put me in touch with him. What if I learned and played all of his music? Nope, still wouldn’t know him. You see, religion is man’s attempt at knowing God by creating things to do, if I pray this many times a day, eat this wafer, point to this mountain, say this many rote sayings, if I don’t eat this or drink that, if I rub this idle or ………you get my point! Nope, still don’t know him. Religion is being on that road to Baltimore attempting to get to a destination, turn here, right, no left, no make a u-turn, drive in a circle, oh, and what happens when I want to get to Baltimore from Rome? The road ends at the Mediterranean. It just stands to reason, THE ROAD DOESNT GO THERE. Religion will never lead to a relationship, the rules get in the way or, the interpretation of the rules, or the exceptions to the rules. Do you think for a second that a human is intelligent enough to find a way to the God of the universe? You’re intelligent enough to know you’re not! So what to do? Do you think God even wants to commune with us? Well…. yeah, look at what he does for us on a daily basis, look at that yearning you have to know Him. Hmmm. Doesn’t it stand to reason that He is wooing us, nudging us, calling us? BUT HOW?

Do you think God would leave the “HOW” up to us, given our track record? You know “our” history. It stands to reason, NO.

God comes to us……He meets us on whatever road we’re on, in whatever condition and circumstance we are in. That needs repeating. In whatever circumstances we ARE in. No human is good enough to meet God, but he will come to anyone and…promises never to leave us.  God doesn’t send you on a wild goose chase on a road that has barricades and ends at the seashore, He promises to meet you on the road whereever you are, He promises to take away the fear of being lost, alone and afraid. He takes your burden of trying so hard to take a road that may not even be heading in the right direction. He takes away your confusion, and gives you His peace. He promises to travel on that road wherever you are going, but now you are free from having to seek Him, He is always there, as close as your breath. All we do is open the DOOR. He is knocking, always knocking.  Just open the door…

You will not find Him in religion, you will find Him in a personal relationship.

This is the God of the Bible.  The God of the Bible is the only place you will find the God that promises to enter into humanity the way you and I entered into humanity, through the womb of a woman. But God being God could not come the human way, because He is sinless. Wouldn’t you expect that? God speaks (WORD) and the universe is created ( call it the Big Bang if you like) God speaks (WORD) and His Spirit is in the womb of a virgin. Divinity enters humanity as the virgin bears a son, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God allows man now to have a personal relationship with Him. No religion offers this.

The one who has created 100 billion galaxies could do this couldn’t He?

People are hung up on the Jesus Thing. They ask how could God do this, it doesn’t make sense. Of course not, it doesn’t make HUMAN sense. We don’t have the capacity in our human minds to think like the creator of the mind. Of course it doesn’t make sense.  Indulge Him for this thought: we know how humans come to earth, and puppies, and trees, and on and on, after the seed of their own kind. Man places his seed into the woman and what do you have? Man.  God speaks (that’s how God works) His Spirit into the womb of a virgin and you have what?  God.  People attempt to figure that out; is it a son, is it God, how can the Father be a son and get themselves all worked up. It’s the Son of God because it is the physical manifestation of the Great Spirit God. God is Spirit and Christ is God in Flesh. Some would say you now have two beings. No, same God, don’t put Him in a box of human logic. Don’t apply human logic to God logic. Just change some words around. God IS Love, Remember. Love placed His Spirit into the woman and what do you have? Love. Not a love or the love but Love. The Jesus Thing.

1 Corinthians 1:27 KJV
[27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Scripture tells us that Jesus is the face of God, the image of God (Colossians 1:15) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Do you see this? Jesus is the visible face of the Great Spirit, the man upstairs, the Lord, the higher being that you all believe in and want to know!

He is the firstborn of all creation because He came to show us what we can become by simply trusting HIS way, His plan, His gift.

Since the cross, there is a new generation of human born anew unto God by faith,not under sin in Adam, we have been thrown an eternal life ring, we don’t even have to grab it, just say yes and it is placed around you, never to leave you. The Jesus Thing.

It cost us nothing and Jesus everything. He gave His life so you could have life. God life. He who knew no sin became sin and traded His righteousness to you. That’s who He is. Love. No greater love hath a man, than to lay down his life for another.

My friends, God became humanity to trade His life  for ours. He tells us that He will no longer live in temples made with hands, but that he will come and live in us, we become the temple where God dwells. How good is this? God is telling us the way of religion is past, I want a personal relationship with you. You don’t have to see me from afar or go somewhere, I’m HERE WITH YOU!

All who seek God, the great spirit or the man upstairs, Muslim, Buddhist, or Jew, I ask that you do an honest assessment of your belief. Is it Gods way? Or your way? Are you free from religion and free to just be his son or daughter. I believe the God of the Bible because it liberates fallen man from his sin, relieves us of the burden of trying to please Him. We please Him by trusting HIS WAY. His way is promised from Genesis to Revelation, His way was to come to us in the person of Jesus Christ promised at the beginning (Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between the seed of a woman and You satan) and all throughout Jewish history (Isaiah 7:14 a virgin will bear a son and His name will be God with us) and then in the fullness of time the WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELLED AMONG US (John 1:14). Humanity could never please a sinless perfect God. God knows this, you know this. So whatever you’re doing to please Him ask yourself is it good enough? Do you want to know about Him or do you want to know Him?

My friends, the new covenant, was ushered in by the shed blood of the perfect lamb. This covenant of blood put an end to religion and offered every human being Grace, undeserved favor. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

Jesus said…… I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME. (John 14:6)

Jesus Christ is God’s last will and testament. It is finished, (John 19:30)
It was His plan from the beginning. (Genesis 3:15) It’s His plan, not ours. Man’s plan is religion. His plan is that we have a relationship with Him through Christ. Divinity becomes human so humanity could become divine. There is no religion that claims that.

He is life to fallen man. To live is Christ.

Many people believe in God. Even the demons believed and trembled.(James 2:19)

Many believe in God, it’s “the Jesus thing” that causes them problem. Don’t get hung up on it, continue to seek and God will show you the way.

As I’ve written before, if the Bible isn’t true, I’ll be the first to chuck it. If it is, and I believe it is, I have a God that knows I can’t climb to the top of some righteous mountain, but a God that comes down and gets me.

The great Spirit is the Spirit of God that raised Christ from the dead and will raise the one that believes this. (Romans 8:8-9) Christ said “it is for your good that I go away, for when I go away, I will send the Holy Spirit”(John 16:7) This is the great Spirit.

Jesus was the physical image of God on earth(Colossians 1:15) He could not physically be with all of us, but now through the Spirit, He is.

My friends, the entire bible from Genesis to Revelation is about “the Jesus thing“

We are all on this road together, some attempting to find God, some enjoying Gods company as they cruise along and some resting and letting God drive.

Your seeking Him in what ever way you are will not come back void. Ask the God of the universe to reveal this truth to you. He hears you wherever you are on the road.

I pray that you will read this love letter God has given us in the Scriptures. I trust it will deepen your relationship with our creator.

Im just one starving man sharing with you where to find bread.

I love you all and look forward to seeing you “on the road”

He’s as close as the SINNERS PULPIt.