Work with me here....This is going to be part testimony and part shock and awe for this blog post!
But did you see that title?
This was essentially my mentality for as long as I could remember. Not that I never believed in God, far from it. I knew God existed my entire life but something always struck me when it came to organized religion. Something seemed off....
How could so many people that believe in the bible and read the same books....Have so much division and conflict between each other?
I grew up knowing that we all went to church on Sunday, we prayed to God at Christmas time and that was the extent of my knowledge of the Christian religion. Maybe I was lazy and didn't look into it enough but overall, I detested religion. I said it was the reason so many people suffered in the world and thought human beings always mess up a good thing.
And looking back, sadly, this is the truth.
Fast forward to around 2014-ish and I remember the night vividly....
My wife, her good friend, one of my best friends and I were driving home from a night of drinking and partying. I was the designated driver, and was in the middle of a heated debate between my wife and my friend. The topic?
Religion!
Oh boy, did I ever mention how much I hated this stuff? They kept going back and forth about stuff I never knew about, and I was just driving home listening to their arguments but once we got home...Something stirred in me.
Here was the love of my life and one of my best friends on planet earth, speaking about stuff that I knew nothing about and every time they asked my opinion on stuff, I told them...I didn't know. Claims from both sides of the argument and the best answer I could give was...I don't know.
That changed that night. I wanted to learn more, and discover what I 'hated' for so many years....
My wife started throwing prophecy at me in my attempt to learn more and honestly, at first, that didn't interest me at all.
The world is ending....You don't need religion to see that happening.
It was until I discovered this verse, where everything changed for me...
The prophecy stuff my wife was constantly trying to pitch to me had to do with the visions in Daniel 2. And once I started to study it I discovered the HISTORY of it and how everything lined up. It was the history that I could no longer deny....
And then Daniel 7:25 hit me like a freight train....Who is he? How will he wear out the saints? What times and laws will he attempt to change? And what was this time prophecy of....Time, times and a dividing of time?
These questions absolutely drove me to my bible like nothing I can ever describe. And combined with the secular history books that man has confirmed, I just couldn't deny the bible and God any more.
Obviously, I'd have to spend a few blog posts going over the interpretation of the book of Daniel and all the prophecies that it contains, that's not the point of this blog post...
This post is more directed at everyone who hates religion. Who has had major issues with how religion is perceived in this world....Because I get it, I truly do. I felt the exact same way for over 30 years...
But then when you dig in for yourself...And you let God work on your heart, the truths will be revealed to you. It's never too late to let God into your heart and let Him speak to you through his Holy Word!
And as always, if you have any questions about my faith, what I believe, and what I don't believe in.....Let me know, I love the discussions!!
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Presently, I don’t care so much about religion. All I care about is God and I worship Him accordingly
That's what it all comes down to...Worship :)
I try to avoid such tense debates about religion among friends. We have a good phrase;
What you believe is inside you and has nothing to do with others
I dont mind the discussions, as long as it's respectful. Which is always a challenge lol
Personally, don't care for religion; too many ugly things done in the name of religion... faith and God is a whole different thing, at least for me.
Mostly soured on religion because of the notion that having "a close personal relationship with God" somehow requires me to go through an intermediary — also known as a priest/pastor/preacher/bishop — in order to have that relationship.
Of course, religions as community organizations can be a positive in the lives of those who need that.
=^..^=
Yup!
Which is why when you start reading about history and how the 'church' decided what was acceptable and what was not when it came to God....Things really start to make sense.
Daniel ,what a great Bible' book
One of my favorites in the bible for sure along with Revelation.
I really appreciate the honesty and vulnerability in your story, It's not easy to admit when something we've held onto for so long begins to change.
Your exploration of Daniel and the prophecies is fascinating, and I can see how diving into the history and connecting it with scripture would be eye-opening.
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Agree with this. With the word "religion" from Latin of "religare" has been said to mean to retard, or hold back. Depends on how such religion is used. Respect people's choice, but don't like some ideas of organized religion that may push on some of these concepts of division.
Yeah the problem is always the attitude of you are wrong and I'm right. People can't sit down and debate with respect for each other. It turns into rage very quickly.
Very much agreed. Have studied and read a lot and can have a lot to say. I stay reserved unless I see a/the opening to go deeper. We all have our unique view and understanding which may or may not agree and overlap and intertwine as many do as well. Maybe I'll just go with "frog".. lol :)
nothing wrong with frog!!! lol
Change times and laws... I think we're all going to be shocked just how much "times and laws" have been changed - and even accepted by many sincere believers. Rarely with religious schisms is there a reform of times and laws, but rather reforms over specific doctrines or practices that are not even in scripture. Most "religion" presumes that believers will accept the "acceptable" times and laws within their doctrine, or else they're not considered "believers" at all. Any individual who attempts to reform times or laws will often be labeled a "dangerous heretic". But who is the original "dangerous heritic" who did change times and laws from the days of Messiah?
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Ooooooooh!
Opening up a can of worms, I love to see it :)
Yeah man, completely agree...It shook me to my core when I discovered it.
You are not the only one who have this problem, brother. Many of us have the same worry.
Why can't we be united as an army for Christ? I despite what conclusion we could draw from this, the problem is selfishness and personal interest. When we see ourselves as a family and count others better than us; when we truly love each other, there won't be such conflicts anymore.
It all comes down to pride.
I know better than the next man, so I'm right, and everyone else is wrong.
The spirit of satan sadly.
Also hate "religion"! But not God!
yup, that was always my thinking as well!
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