Give me that old time religion,
Give me that old time religion,
Give me that old time religion,
And it’s good enough for me.by Charles D. Tillman 1889
The protectors of the Jewish religion had been guarding that “old time religion” for about 1500 years when Jesus came onto the scene. God handed down the Old Testament to the Israelites just after they were released from 400 years of slavery in
They were admonished by God to remember His teachings:
“So commit yourselves completely to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Through the next 1500 years devotees to the Jewish religion did their best to protect the truth and to teach those words to the people of
When the Author came back to check on how they were doing, neither He nor the leaders were very happy with the resulting encounters.
The protectors of the Christian faith have held sway for roughly 2000 years. Many of them have been faithful guards, but there have been quite a few who have found it necessary to “clarify” the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. Just look at the hierarchy, teachings, and practices of some of the larger Christian denominations and you’ll easily recognize the same kinds of patterns which Jesus encountered. Many of the additions to Christ’s teachings have been cumbersome and they have weakened the impact and power of His message.
Do you think it’s time to throw off the yoke of the religious “protectors” and find Jesus for yourself? What would that look like? How would you do it safely? The risk is that you or I might come up with something really “out there,” like Jim Jones or David Koresh. The reward is that we might really find Jesus and His revelation for our lives, and truly begin to live in His power.