“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
As many are searching, and so many it seems, looking for God and using every means. Some bow to the east; and some to the west; some have their very own guru and they believe the very best; some worship a rat; others worship the cow; others have to pay big money to find out how. Ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. Some only look when they are old; others look in their youth.
Religion is frustrating—man’s vain attempt to reach God—the burden is heavy and many are tired. Stumbling around in the darkness, you can truly lose your way. Lost, following another man’s theory; crying out night and day. Over the centuries, men separated, castrated and amputated; all trying to get close to a god in the sky; waiting for their deliverance in the sweet by and by. Camels and virgins; promises are made; to sit at the right hand; or so it’s been said.
History repeats itself—religion takes on many forms—like a chameleon it changes to whatever it’s on. It comes to bind up, to kill and destroy, for no matter what man does he cannot fill the void. Some read the Bible; the Koran; the Torah too; some read the book of Bhagavad Gita; looking for interpretation and following a system; wondering how it will all end and how it all began. Some are Methodist, Buddhist or Islam; some are Baptist and some just live on a farm; Presbyterian, Charismatic and Pentecostal as well. Some believe in a heaven; others believe in a hell; others believe you have to pay penance; others believe you are okay; others believe all will go to God and all will be well. Some will come back and live a few more lives, so that they can find that place of karma—that place in their mind.
Heaven is what you make of it; there is no place called hell; if there was a God, He would not send you there: religion will tell. Many ways have been tried throughout history—from crucifying oneself to mutilation; people have starved themselves and lived without speaking for years; lived in seclusion in remote places; prayed and chanted and wrote many pages; gave their money to the poor and their body to be burned; but when they died, they all died alone. Some went on a Great Crusade; others a Holy War; their muscles ached and their body was sore; some were tortured and some were killed; some were sawn in two and others fled. Many a quest for the Holy Grail, or the Ark of the Covenant, and many would fail to find the fountain of so-called youth.
Futility of futilities, all would lose the battle of life, would come to an end and they would die alone, with not even a friend. As they breathed out their last breath, with great uncertainty of what lay ahead and what of eternity—where would they go and what was the truth that had been looking for all of their youth? The truth of the matter, some would say, “Well who is right and who has the way?” Many never knew the truth was in one book—all they had to do was find it and look! For it is written in God’s Holy Word, according to the scripture, He sent His Word and the Word became flesh and came to the earth, born of a virgin, to give us New Birth. He, the Son, came to show us the Father, that we could live eternally in the hereafter. What many did not understand—it was not about religion, but about God reaching man—He, only Jesus, is the only way for man. It’s not what we can do that makes the difference, for He has done it all and that’s not religion.