Freedom verses religion

On October 31 1517 a young monk by the name of Martin Luther took his Ninety-five Theses up the steps of Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany nailing it to the door for all to see. In short what it stated was that we are saved by grace not works and no riches on this earth could buy a ticket to heaven the way had all ready been paid for us by the death of Jesus. The churches response was to try to shut him up, why because they would lose control of the masses should the truth be known.

In the 1800`s a young Dutch missionary by the name of Vincent Willem Van Gogh was having great success among the miners at Wasmes in Belgium introducing them to a real relationship with their creator, but the church did not like the fact that Vincent lived ate and shared the poverty of the miners. In their view Vincent was above them, so he was asked to step down. Vincent was devastated, left the church and as we all know took up a paint brush.

1500 years before Vincent another God fearing man by the name of Patrick landed on the shores of Ireland around 431 to preach the truth of the gospel until about 461. Patrick brought unity to a country that had long been divided. Patrick an Englishman loved the Irish so much that he became one. The Church that backed Patrick took the same view as Vincent’s bunch of old religious relics by trying to shut him up, but Patrick ignored them dying an Irishman with a strong love of his creator and his Irish family.

A young Jewish man by the name of Saul was on his way to arrest believers in a new sect called Christians when he was blinded by a light from heaven and knocked of his horse. As a result of this experience Saul becomes a believer in Jesus. He then becomes known as Paul, becomes one of the greatest missionary’s of that time. However the then church is content to stay in Jerusalem arguing over religious beliefs then help Paul. So he sets of on his own with no support, nearly starves to death but out of his love for his God the truth of the gospel is spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Today not a lot has changed, we have Thousands of religious denomations fighting among each other like kindergarteners over milk and cookies, all claiming to be right but alas building Empires on sand. All God wanted in the beginning was a simple relationship, what have we given him religious mind controlling institutions. If Jesus died to set us free, where’s the freedom? Every problem on this earth is a relationship dilemma but in order to get these issues right we first have to have a real ( not religious) loving relationship with our creator , then , only then will the unconditional love of the cross be an unstoppable powerful force, what amazing freedom that would be!!!