Lost In Preconceptions

Preconception: An opinion or conception formed in advance of adequate knowledge or experience, especially a prejudice or bias.

If you are raised up in a home, where your Parents are Hindu, you were most likely taught the Vedas and the Upanishads. Many teach their Children the Principles of Dharma (ethics,duties), Samsara (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and the various Yogas (paths or practices). Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, monism and even atheism. It is sometimes considered as henotheistic (devotion to a single “God” while accepting the existence of other gods), but such a view may be considered an oversimplification of the complexities and variations of belief.

If you are raised in a Muslim Household, you were taught Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad. They believe that the verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel on many occasions between the years 610 and his death on July 6, 632. They also believe that Judaism and Christianity distorted the messages of prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others, over time either in Interpretation, in Text, or both. Some take the at least 109 verses of the Quran that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule so seriously, that they will murder people who do not believe as they do.

If you are raised in a Japanese Home, you were most likely taught Shinto which has influences from Buddhism and other Chinese religions. It recognizes no all-powerful Deity and is mostly a diverse set of Traditional Rituals and Ceremonies. Shinto recognizes a variety of gods (kami) which are the powers of nature primarily associated with such things as Animals, Trees, Mountains, Springs, the Sun, and sometimes even Ancestors.

Jewish? Judaism is among the oldest Religious Traditions still in practice today. Jesus Himself was born a Jew. They believe that Judaism started with a Covenant between God and Abraham, the Patriarch and "Father" of all of the Jewish people. They follow and hold the Old Testament with Reverence, and follow the Traditions that were set therein. They do not believe that Jesus was God, Son of God, or, anything more than a Prophet. Some do not even go that far. A Teacher at best.

Atheist? There is no God. There is no afterlife. We are here by accident. We are no better than any other Animal walking the Planet. When you die, that's it. Game over. So live as you will. Religion, all Religion, is nonsense and for ignorant people, and it is stupid to follow 2000 year old dead men that were attempting to control peoples lives. Pretty simple to understand?

Christianity. Now this is where it get's complicated. There are reported to be approximately 41,000 Christian Denominations Around the World. Some Numbers? 1 Catholicism - 1.2 billion, 2 Protestantism - 600–800 million, 3 Eastern Orthodoxy - 225–300 million, 4 Oriental Orthodoxy - 86 million, 5 Anglicanism - 85 million, many more. Most are formed as break offs or offshoots of others due to disagreements over certain Tenets. Protestant offshoots of Christianity believe that Salvation comes from the belief in God alone, whereas Catholic and Orthodox Christians belief that Faith, combined with Good Works is required for Salvation. Many such things, Gifts of Healing, Speaking in Tongues, Miracles, Eating Meat, Drinking Alcohol, just to name a few.

What's the point you ask? The point is this. You receive a Preconception of who God is, or isn't, before you even know what the concept of God is. As a Child growing up, you learn through observation, hearing, and being taught outright, your Families conception of who God is, by what they do, how they act, and what they actually tell you.

Picture this. Here you are, say 20 years old. Say 30. Perhaps 40. You have been taught your whole life, "Follow the Law." This means, Have no other God before God. This means to not Commit Adultery, Murder, Theft. It means you "Follow the Law" and Rules of your Religion. Do not eat with unwashed hands. Do not do anything on the Sabbath. Do not associate with anyone that is not following the Law, or you are nothing more than an unclean animal, and you deserve to be excommunicated, and you are worthy of death itself. Most importantly, God will reject you, and you will spend an eternity in Hell.

Here comes this man. Walking with, talking with, eating with, Sinners. Those unclean animals. Not only do you see Him walk into a field that is not His, pluck grains of Wheat, that are not His, and eat them, but He does so with unwashed hands. On top of all that, He does so on the Sabbath. According to your Traditions, and the Traditions of your Fathers, your Religion, and {in your Mind} even the Bible, this man is a vile pig. Then when He tells you, you are the Sinner? Seriously!?!?

Let's look at this. Jesus tells us, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."{Mark 2:27} He also asked, "Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?" {Luke 13:15} He also asked this, "I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?"{Luke 6:9}Jesus makes it clear acts of Spiritual Service in Worship, and Service to God, were not a violation of the Sabbath.

OK OK but He STOLE!!!!!!! "If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain." {Deuteronomy 23:25} Nope. Wait. What? Yup. According to The Law laid out in

Deuteronomy 23:

24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.

25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.

Now the correct Translation is Grain. Not Corn. There was no Corn at the time, in that region. But at any point, you get the message. God does not consider it Theft. But what about eating with Unwashed Hands? Jesus said....

"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." {Matthew 15:4-6}

You see, Man, as we have done with many other things, have added a whole complex system of Traditions about Sabbath Observance. Much of this was intricate and detailed; but above all it was based on their own ideas, not on what God's law really says. We see, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" {Ephesians 5:18} and create a "Law" that says do not drink Wine. But that is not what it says. If Jesus Himself Drank Wine, which was another bone of contention, then how is drinking Wine a Sin?

What about those unclean animals. Those heathen that do not follow your Religion. You have been a good {Insert religion here} your whole life. You follow the Traditions of you Fathers. You are the Holy one. Not these Dogs, and Pigs.

Acts 10:

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

"What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." Peter was doing the right thing. According to his Religion. Yet God said I do not care about your Religion. I am God. What I make clean is far more important than what you think. Peter was then asked to go to a Non-Jewish House and teach a Gentile about Jesus, something he would NEVER do.

Remember the story of Ananias?

Acts 9:

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Can you imagine being in a one on one relationship with God, so close, that He can say call you by your name and you say "Here I am?" Then proceed to have a conversation with Him? Ananias had such a relationship. He thought he knew all that was to know about God, and all that was to know about Good and Evil. Yet, here is God telling him to go heal this Murdering Monster. WHY? We know why now. But at the time?

You see, you can get so lost in your preconceptions of God, and how He operates, that you fail to even hear Him. Peter could have waved off the Vision. God would never do such a thing. Ananias could have blown off the conversation with God. God would never do such a thing. You could get so lost in your preconception of a God, sitting on His Throne, waiting for you to mess up just once, so He can condemn you and send you to Hell, that you totally miss the strange guy walking down the street, telling you that God loves you so, He came and died for you, so you do not have to go to Hell. You can become totally blind to the one coming in His name, to do His Will, that you completely miss God Himself.

The next time you think to yourself, God would never do that, you may want to take just a second and perhaps, ASK HIM. You may want to take time and get to know HIM. You may want to stop learning from the Creation, and start learning from the Creator. Do not get lost in your preconceptions of who God is. Get to know WHO God is. The only way to do that is to stop listening to people who tell you about God, and actually spend time with HIM. He will show you exactly who He is.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}