The TRUTH Behind RELIGION?
RELIGION: 'That which man in his ignorance tries to do to make himself acceptable to God' is a simple but accurate definition, describing millions of deceived human beings, both in this country and around the world. Religion gives man something to do for his conscience's sake, i.e. TRY to live a good life, TRY to love his neighbour, TRY to keep the Ten Commandments, TRY to pray, TRY to understand the ritualism and formalism that goes on every week in the so-called 'Church', all in the name of Christianity!

TRY, TRY, TRY - "Ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3 v.7). "FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED" (Galatians 2 v.16). "The natural man does not understand the things of the Spirit of God, They are foolishness to him... because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is a true saying... "RELIGION WILL EASE YOUR CONSCIENCE TEMPORARILY, BUT DAMN YOUR SOUL ETERNALLY!"

To the Human Race, "BORN IN SIN" (Psalm 51 v.5), and lying under the judgement of a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS GOD, religion offers NO HOPE - "For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God"(Romans 3:23), and 'The wages of sin is Death" (Romans 6 v.23).

FOR THE RELIGIOUS MAN THERE IS ONLY ETERNAL GUILT AND CONDEMNATION!
Religion, like the Law of Moses, only serves to show us how SINFUL we are, and how much we need to be set free from the curse of death - WHICH IS SIN (Galatians 3 v.19-24). Go into any RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT as a "miserable sinner", and you will most certainly come out the same way!

QUESTION - Upon whom was the righteous anger of the Lord Jesus Christ unleashed during His earthly ministry?
Was it not upon the religious? Did He not say, "Woe unto you, SCRIBES and PHARISEES - HYPOCRITES? You make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness" (Luke 11 v.37-54). HYPOCRITES love the praise of MEN more than the praise of GOD (John 12 v.43.)
Make no mistake about it - God Hates Man's RELIGION. Those who follow these religions, "... deny the Lord Jesus Christ who bought them (died for their sins) and through covetousness shall they with feigned (false, deceiving) words, make merchandise of you" (2 Peter 2 v.1-3).

The modern false message which is being preached more and more in mainline religious institutions, is paving the way for the greatest atrocity in the history of the world! - The rise of the ANTI-CHRIST himself (the man of sin, 2 Thess. 2 v.3) and his total domination of the human race through the 'ONE WORLD ORDER' - SOON TO BE ESTABLISHED.

People wonder what the end results will be. The Anti-Christ, known as the Beast (Revelation 13 v.1-11) will reign for only seven years. At the end of the seven years he will cause the armies of the world to meet together at Megiddo north of Jerusalem in Israel.This will be Armageddon. (Revelation 16 v.16) The Bible gives us the clear warning, have you made preparation!
THIS IS NO JOKE - IT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
We write this tract with God's love - TO WARN YOU.
"Be not decieved, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap" (Galations 6 v.7)
The choice is yours for as long as you live, and God urges you to make the right one - "For God wills that No man perishes but that All should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3 v.9). "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3 v.16).
 

RELIGION IS WHAT MAN, IN HIS IGNORANCE, TRIES TO DO TO MAKE HIMSELF ACCEPTABLE TO GOD:
CHRISTIANITY IS ACCEPTING WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR MAN (Luke 8 v.39). This is the Gospel.
Religion comes in many forms and is very subtle - some of these names may surprise you:-- Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam (Mohammedanism), Baha'ism, Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, Satanism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Spiritism, Moonies, Masonry, and any denomination preaching Humanism, Modernism, Ultimate Reconciliation etc., and denying man's need of repentance and regeneration through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. There are literally thousands of religions, and at this point you may be tempted to ask, "Surely they can't all be wrong? Don't all these ways lead to God anyway?' Yes they are all wrong -  we reply to this sincere question in the words of Jesus Himself - "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14 v. 6). If Jesus is right (and He most certainly is), then all other ways ARE WRONG! Religion cannot save you. It is merely outward form and ritual.

CHRISTIANITY is the inward reality of love, joy and peace, found only in a LIVING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST! God did not create the religions of the world - MAN DID! (With great help from the devil of course.) A MAN WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE REAL THING MUST MAKE DO WITH A SUBSTITUTE.
Of course they all have different ideas of what we must DO. How angry they get with each other! How much war and slaughter is caused by rival religions, and what misery is caused by the demands that religion makes upon people. Religion has only made this world worse. False Christianity is no better. Much blood has been shed in warring against what they call heresy.

God has revealed Himself in His Son. The Son of God who is equal to God the Father became a Man so that we could be saved. When He came He told us something that no religion has ever thought of, and which contradicts the basic principle of all religions. He said, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God".

To Nicodemus, a religious leader He said, "Ye must be born again". Nicodemus could not understand this and asked how a man could enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, but Jesus was referring to spiritual and not physical birth. (John 3 v.1-7).

When you die your spirit or soul - which is the real you - will leave your body as an empty shell, and, if you are born again, go to live in heaven with the One who has saved you. But if you rely upon your own merit, then you are not born again and you will come under judgement and will be sentenced to everlasting punishment.

All sinners must be saved or they will perish. Do you know the one who died on the cross for you?
Jesus said to Nicodemus (a sincere but religious man). "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God". (John 3 v.3). Jesus said that He is the only way to God the Father, and the new birth is the only way to heaven. What did He mean? He meant a spiritual birth whereby a person is able to confess his sins to Jesus Christ, accept Him as Saviour, and receive a new life. This is the Gospel.

Out of Religion, and into Christ!
May we suggest this prayer as your first step?
TO BECOME A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN:
'Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that You died for me. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Please come into my life and forgive my sins. And save me. Amen."

For further information contact ANDY AND JANET (01502) 732727
Also a Warm Welcome to Tonning Street Hall,Lowestoft. Meetings every Sunday at 6.30 pm. (01502) 511273.

www.findtheanswer.net
9-Jul-07