Archive for works

Statement of Faith

Posted in #PaulthePoke with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2026 by paulthepoke

The Bible, ALL of it, is the Word of God. ALL of it is for our benefit. God’s Word finishes us as humans and makes us whole. God is the source of knowledge and revelation.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.

God exists in three eternal, individual personalities: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each is equally God. They are one essence, perfect harmony.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

~

Jesus Christ is the central figure and person in human history.

Jesus is God in human form. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, means “He saves.”

Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

Jesus is eternal.

1 Peter 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.

John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus, born of a virgin

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).

Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23

Jesus is the “Good News”, the Gospel message.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

Jesus is currently alive and at the right hand of God the Father.

Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

1 Peter 3:22 Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him.

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

~

The church is not a physical building. The church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. -Jesus

Romans 12:4-6a For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

~

All of humanity who has physically died, all of the bodies will ultimately be resurrected. The question is the destination.

Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

Revelation 20:15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

~

Pre Tribulation Rapture: At a designated point in time before the beginning of the seven year Tribulation or the Day of the Lord, the entire body of the church of Jesus Christ will be caught up into the clouds to meet Him in the air.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

https://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Bride-Redeemed-Paul-Lehr-ebook/dp/B073Q4Z1RL

~

The church will physically return to earth to rule and reign with Jesus Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He will also deny us…

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

~

Believers can respectfully proclaim God’s truth and love people who disagree with or live outside of God’s laws and precepts.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

~

Human life is sacred from conception to its natural end. God is the Creator of life from before time.

Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

Job 31:15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?

~

God sovereignly and purposefully creates each person biologically male or biologically female.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

~

Marriage is between a biological man and a biological woman.

Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. -Jesus

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

~

Humanity has inherited a sin nature from the fall of Adam. We are all in need of forgiveness and redemption from our individual sins.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned…

1 John 4:9-10 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

~

Salvation is by Faith alone apart from works. One cannot work, earn, or buy their way into eternity with God. He will not accept the fallen individual’s effort or payment.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law.

~

Satan is a real personality and angelic being.

Jesus personally encountered Satan in Matthew 4:1-11.

1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

~

Hell is a real physical place. No one in the Bible teaches more about Hell than Jesus.

Revelation 20:14-15 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Matthew 25:41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

~

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Leave a comment »

This Week in Prophecy: Trump & Heaven; Greater Israel; 3rd Temple; Peace & Security; Quakes

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Earthquakes/Volcanoes, Gospel, Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 24, 2025 by paulthepoke

Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

“I just want to end it. If I can save seven thousand people a week from getting killed, that’s pretty good. I want to get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I hear I’m at the bottom of the totem pole. If I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.” -President Trump

Touting peace credentials before the LORD is not going to help your eternal heavenly cause…

Romans 3:27-28 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

One cannot work or earn their way to Heaven no matter what one does. This has always been the plan before creation. There is no act or deed we can do to merit eternal life.

2 Timothy 1:9 He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

One’s great deeds will not get them into Heaven and eternal life with God.

See also Titus 3:5, Romans 4:4-5, Romans 11:6, Philippians 3:9, Romans 3:20, Galatians 5:4, 1 Corinthians 1:29-31, Romans 9:11-12, John 6:28-29, Isaiah 64:6, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Romans 4:2.

I don’t know what President Trump ultimately believes. Does he believe in Jesus’ work on the cross and His payment of sin for his personal salvation? That is between the Donald and our Creator.

Can God use a non believer to achieve His will? Yes, See Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar as well as others.

Did God spare Donald Trump’s life from a bullet in Pennsylvania?

Encouraging President Trump’s spiritual advisors to have a sincere discussion with him. His current advisors include Paula White-Cain, Jennifer Korn, and Jackson Lane.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/president-trump-announces-appointments-to-the-white-house-faith-office

Paula White-Cain is his lead advisor. Count me suspicious of the President getting wise counsel with her history of pedaling the Prosperity Gospel on TV.

Prosperity gospel preachers teach their followers that the way to gain riches is to give more money to the kingdom, especially by giving to their churches and ministries. The quantity of material and financial prosperity one expects to gain is in proportion to what one gives.

https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/field-guide-on-false-teaching-prosperity-gospel

Material wealth, health, and happiness are the will of God and can be obtained through faith and positive thinking. The Prosperity Gospel assumes that material prosperity is a proof of God’s grace.

Preach this line of thinking to persecuted believers, brothers, and sisters in Christ in places like Rwanda, China, or Iran.

The Prosperity Gospel is a cruel lie.

~

Genesis 15:18-21 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”

These are the ultimate borders of nation Israel per God. They have yet to be realized.

This calls for the geography of Israel to stretch from the Nile River in Egypt to Euphrates River in the east. One could argue rather this implies the Arabian Peninsula or not.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made waves on a TV interview with i24 News.

In the newly published interview he said he is on a “historic and spiritual mission” and expressed strong attachment to the vision of a Greater Israel, which is a longtime reference to Israel encompassing parts of Jordan, Egypt and Syria – along with the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/netanyahu-says-he-backs-greater-israel-drawing-outrage-arab-states

It would appear the Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran is paying attention.

~

Isaiah 2:2 In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

This is from Middle East Eye, an Arab publication that is sympathetic to Islam. The tide has turned. They know the Third Jewish Temple is coming.

~

1 Thessalonians 5:3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Peace and security are hard work, just ask Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

~

Quakes in various places… -Jesus

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Leave a comment »

All the Way Up! Rodna Epley

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Rodna Epley with tags , , , , , , , , , , on September 30, 2020 by paulthepoke

John 16:28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.

Jesus went to be with the Father where He is today at the Father’s right hand—as the Father’s right hand. He is the King of glory siting on the throne of glory in the Kingdom of Glory—the Kingdom of Heaven. Everything that Jesus did along the way to His destination, the Father, was all a part of the Father’s plan to restore us to Himself by placing us in Christ.

Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6). He came down from the Father and went back up to the Father. He finished the work the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4). He lived a perfect, sinless, obedient life as a Man born under the Old Covenant (John 8:46). He restored the glory of the Old Covenant and released the glory of the New Covenant which is greater. He proved the Father sent Him and was working through Him by the words He spoke and the works He did.

As the Lamb of God, He took all of our sins and sicknesses upon His own body as He was crucified until death on the cross. He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. He ascended to heaven as our High Priest presenting Himself to the Father as the Wave Sheaf offering. He preached the kingdom of heaven on earth for forty days afterward. And then He ascended in His glorified body to the Father to sit at the Father’s right hand where He is now. Those of us who put our faith in Jesus are there now too with Him where He is. Not if or when we die, but now.

From the position of the Father is where Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father upon us and gave the same glory He had with the Father since the foundation of the world to make us One with the Father as He is One with the Father (John 17:5, 22-23). When we know that we are seated in Christ and Christ is with the Father, we can operate in “greater works” which come from the Father. We do the works that we see Jesus do and greater works because He is with the Father (John 14:12).

Our minds are being transformed into the image of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are promoted from one level of glory to another level of glory as we overcome one suffering to another turning all darkness that we face into light as we are taught and led by the Holy Spirit in each experience (Romans 8:18). So, learning to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and to “separate the precious from the vile” is extremely important (Jeremiah 15:19, 2 Timothy 2:15).

Leave a comment »

Straight Talk, Glory Kitchen Menu Specials… Rodna Epley

Posted in Rodna Epley with tags , , , , , , on October 26, 2018 by paulthepoke

Rodna LightNow imagine for a minute if any of us in the church could only do the first part of what Jesus said in John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Just think of anything Jesus ever did. And that’s what He said we would do. After grasping that, we could move onto better understanding the greater works which should sufficiently blow your imagination wide open if you consider the menu list of the former. While I could have made a separate menu for the greater works, for this example I simply added it as the last item on the menu. I wanted to focus on the easier stuff first, like raising the dead and walking on water.

Remember, items on this Menu are all things that you will be able to do. Doing is eating in the Father’s House at the Father’s table. Pick out your favorite choices so the servers in heaven can have them on the table for you when you sit. Doggie bags are available so you can take food home for others who have nothing prepared.

Nehemiah 8:10 Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Menu template

Glory Kitchen Menu Specials:

  1. Turn water to wine (John 2:1-11)
  2. Heal the sick / oppressed (Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:32-34)
  3. Cast out evil spirits (Mark 1:21-27, Luke 4:31-36)
  4. Catch fish miraculously when no fish are around (Matthew 5:1-11)
  5. Make the paralyzed walk (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-2)
  6. Stretch out withered hands (Luke 6:6-11)
  7. Calm raging storms on the sea (Mark 4:35-41)
  8. Heal blood issues (Matthew 9:20-22)
  9. Raise the dead (Matthew 9:18,23-26)
  10. Make the blind see (Matthew 9:27-31)
  11. Make the deaf hear, the mute speak (Matthew 9:32-34, Mark 7:31-37)
  12. Feed way over 9,000 people with only a few fish and several loaves of bread (Matthew 15:29-39; John 6:1-15)
  13. Walk on water (John 6:16-21)
  14. Pull money out of a fish’s mouth to pay taxes (Matthew 17:24-27)
  15. Heal dropsy, leprosy, being crippled (Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; 17:11-19)
  16. Anything else you want! A blank check! The greater works! (Matthew 18:19; 21:22; Mark 11:24, John 14:13, 15:7, 15:16, 16:23-24; James 1:5, 1:17; 1 John 3:22, 5:14-15)

 

Disclaimer: All ingredients and spices used in all recipes are totally organic, non-allergenic, non-racist and all that stuff. They include: peace, joy, love, hope, faith, favor, willingness to yield, treating others above ourselves, humility, wisdom, revelation, knowledge of God (aka, knowledge of the glory), et al.

Leave a comment »

Straight Talk, A Diet of Works… Rodna Epley

Posted in Rodna Epley with tags , , , , on October 17, 2018 by paulthepoke

Rodna LightJohn 4:32-34 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work…”

Now let me tell ya about the food! You will forget protein shakes ever existed once you taste the food! Food in the kingdom of heaven is a full course meal where the kitchen is always open 24/7 for anyone who is hungry and knows how to GPS the location. FYI: the GPS location is very similar to the wedding garment because once you put it on…you’re there.

The Father’s kitchen has a name too. Well it does now that I named it. It’s called the “Glory Kitchen”. The food in the Glory Kitchen has already been paid for by the King (Jesus) and it’s anything you want.

Food Revati Upadhya

Photo: Revati Upadhya

Food in the Glory Kitchen is doing the Father’s works. Don’t slap the menu away just yet. That may not sound tasty to you until you hear what those “works” are. Jesus showed us what they are when He was on earth.

John 14:12-13 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

 

 

 

Leave a comment »

Straight Talk… The Vine, Rodna Epley

Posted in Rodna Epley, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2018 by paulthepoke

Rodna LightThis revelation came in to me recently by the Holy Spirit about the Vine pattern in the Word itself. It takes stepping back and looking at the Word as a whole. There is a much bigger picture that God has for us although all the contextual parts are also very important for focusing in on specific areas. I can see many topics that have this vine pattern from the holistic perspective, but since I love the glory topic and it’s the very purpose of the Gospel according to 2 Thessalonians 2:14 my focus here is the glory!

2 Thessalonians 2:14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Vine&Glory Rodna

From Yahweh in the old covenant to the prophecy in Isaiah, God would share His glory with only one other – The Messiah…

to Jesus demonstrating for all of us how to operate in the glory through the Father’s works He performed…

to Jesus giving us the same glory He was given by the Father before the world was, so that we could be restored to the Father through Himself…

to know the Father’s love…

to become one as a church…

to believe the Father sent Jesus, so that we could do the works He did including raising the dead, casting out demons, healing the sick, etc., and “greater works” than those too because “we abide in Him and His Word abides in us we can ask whatever we desire and it will be done” according to Jesus. Part of these greater works is taking dominion over creation itself which are the works of His hands.

And this all gives the Father glory Jesus said.

I love the Word ❤️. It’s simple and very complex at the same time. The knowledge of God is inexhaustible. The Lord has been working on opening up my imagination lately. This is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said we all must become like little children. While we continue to grow in the knowledge of God, knowledge of His glory, we wholeheartedly believe that all things truly are possible. Learn to do the works that Jesus did and “greater works”. This is what it means to be part of being in the family of God, to be in His kingdom. His kingdom is saturated with the Presence of the Father’s Glory.

Leave a comment »

Please… Please Listen to Grace

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , on June 10, 2018 by paulthepoke

Grace is the operating principle of how God interacts with believers in and through His Son. For those who have not accepted the gracious gift of Jesus Christ, they are still under God’s Law regardless of what they believe. Prior to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, humanity was under the Mosaic Law. We are not saved under the Law. The Law points out the fact we are flawed sinners. The standard of the Law defines the fact we are in sin.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

With the cross work of Jesus Christ, things changed. He paid the price for sin. With the cross, there was a new program. And that program is grace. The undeserved gift is eternal life. We don’t deserve it. We cannot earn it. The grace of Jesus Christ is a free offering to anyone who will take it. The free gift is grace. Grace and free gift are synonymous.

Romans 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

Grace is an interesting and intriguing concept. Grace makes no logical sense. The more one accepts and uses grace, the more grace multiplies and increases. The sting of sin pales in comparison to the power of grace. Sin is no match. Grace wins in a land slide. Accept grace…

Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…

1 Timothy 1:14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

In 1 Timothy 1, grace is described as overflowing or ὑπερπλεονάζω/huperpleonazó. The prefix “hyper” is used to describe the amount of the number of grace. One cannot measure grace. It is so plentiful, grace cannot be counted. Grace is super, exceedingly abundant. Grace is hyper “cannot be counted”. Definition provided by Strong’s Concordance.

Grace wins…

 

Grace is the difference maker, not the individual. We are granted grace by God. It is not about us. Don’t get cocky.

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Don’t forget, grace is a gift. There is no amount of good deeds or work anyone can do to earn grace. One can not work for an eternity to earn grace. God is not impressed with your effort. Humble yourself. Get over it because you are not that good. And you are not going to be good enough not matter what you do. Spare God your pride and arrogance. You did not die on a cross to pay for all the sins and transgressions (past, present, and future) of all humanity.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

 

1 Comment »

Isaiah 1:10-15 God Hates Religion

Posted in Isaiah with tags , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2010 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 1:10-15 Listen to the Lord’s word, you leaders of Sodom! Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, people of Gomorrah! “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?”says the Lord. “I am stuffed withburnt sacrifices of rams and the fat from steers. The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats I do not want.When you enter my presence, do you actually think I want this –animals trampling on my courtyards? Do not bring any more meaninglessofferings; I consider your incense detestable!You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations, but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way;when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.

Religion is going through a ritual or performance. Religion can take many forms. Religion thinks these acts are going to score points with God or impress God. One can see God is not impressed with the religious acts of the Jews in Isaiah 1:10-15. Yes, the Jewish people were required to sacrifice according the Scriptures, but look at their attitude and their actions above. God makes it perfectly clear in  verse 14, “I hate …” Make no mistake, in the Hebrew the word means hate.

Look at the cynicism and sarcasm in verse 10. God refers to the leaders of Jerusalem as comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah. The level of sin had reached the point of their destruction.

Observe the list of “works” as noted by God in these verses. They include burnt sacrifices, offerings, burning of incense, new moon festivals, observance of the Sabbath, and prayer. Yes, even prayer can be “religious” and hated by God. In the next study, the origin of these “religious works” and specific verses will be discussed and defined in their appropriate context.

What is that motivates somebody to do something for “religious” purposes? Is one trying to impress others? Is one trying to draw attention to self for their glory?  Is one trying to get God’s attention or impress God? God is not impressed with “works”. He does not need them. One cannot work their way to Heaven. These Jews were doing what they were supposed to do. They were going to the synagogue on Saturday and burning incense. Does this sound familiar? The problem was ritual and they were going through the motions.

Fast forward to the New Testament, things had not changed much in the church in I Corinthians 11. People were showing up for the Lord’s Supper drunk. Yes, communion is a wonderful thing, but not if you have a bad attitude.

I Corinthians 11:20-22 Now when you come together at the same place, you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper. For when it is time to eat, everyone proceeds with his own supper. One is hungry and another becomes drunk. Do you not have houses so that you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show contempt for the church of God by shaming those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

So what should our attitude be? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. This is having confidence of knowing that what the Bible says is real. Knowing when God says that we should love one another (1 John 3:11b) that it is the truth. It is having the resolution and the confidence that God knows what is best for us. We are to do these works because God has deemed what is good and what is right. God created these good works for us to complete before the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10). We do these works because we relate and respond to His Word. James 2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. So, if one’s works are not based in faith… pointless religion.

In today’s world, God is still not interested in misguided works. He is interested in relation and response to His Word. The world may say, “Well, that works for you.” And the answer is, “Yes it does”.  It is also true that God’s Word can work for all of us.

2 Comments »