Cults, doctrines, beliefs, Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Conservatives, Liberals, exegesis, theology, dispensationalism, orthodoxy, premillenialism, post-modernism, . . . religion!  On the whole, in our American culture, that final word sets many a mouthful of teeth on edge.  I don't doubt that God despises that word.  Religion.  How awful!
     
Relationship.  Now here is a word we need to embrace with gusto!  It's not very difficult to articulate or spell; it has just one more syllable and four more letters.  And yet those small differences are like making a single chromosome change to a DNA chain - an entirely different creature is the result.
      
Truly, the message of the Bible can be boiled down to "Jesus is coming!"  From the somewhat obscure initial prophecy of His incarnation and task in Genesis 3:15, to the next to the last verse in Revelation which quotes Jesus Himself emphatically claiming, "Yes, I am coming soon."  Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil - the sins, temptations and lies he spreads (1 John 3:8).  He came to save the world (John 3:17).  That's all!  How do we make it so complicated?  In two statements we have it in macro form.  "Stop the bad guy," and "Save the world."
    
Hollywood has made billions on movies that employ that same basic template.  Why then, can't Jesus' church learn to keep it as simple?   Granted, to actually make things as simple as possible and still properly function is a challenge.  We humans are much more adept at unnecessarily complicating life.  This is precisely what our Western/American culture has done to a simple relationship with the "good guy", Jesus.  We have turned it into an ugly concoction labeled "religion."  But relationships do exist, and are more or less evident to all.  Observe.
   
"Johnny, do you have any good friends at school?"

"Yes mommy, Tommy and Joey are my best friends."
   
Can you see that the relationship of Johnny, Tommy and Joey is simple, and that there is no cause nor basis for contention between them?  These three boys have a relationship, a friendship, and they are the better for it.  Simple!  Not so with religion.  Observe the result of religion intruding on these boys.
   
"Why Johnny, did you know that Tommy is Jewish?"

"No mom, but . . ."

"Yes son, it's true.  I don't think you should spend any more
time with him, what with you being a Baptist and all.  It would
just cause problems in the long run."

"Aw mom, I don't care, besides . . "

"And another thing.  Joey's family belongs to some Pentecostal
church. What if you and he start discussing whether or not you
can lose your salvation?  Why I'm sure an argument would be
the result, and your faith might suffer.  We can't have that."
    
And so we see a healthy, vibrant and unifying relationship become horribly transformed into a disjointed, separatist disease we have named 'religion.'  Why do we make it so complicated?  Why can't we keep it simple?
   
Simply Simple:
Let's briefly analyze the background and training of Jesus, His disciples, and Paul.  In order to keep it simple, we will only look at what scripture tells us.  Any book that has 66 books inside of it has enough "stuff" for me to use and learn great magnitudes of more "stuff" besides.
   
Jesus was born in extraordinary fashion in Bethlehem of Judea, but He grew up mainly in Nazareth of Galilee.  Luke informs us that He "grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him," and that He "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men," (Luke 2:40, 52).  Further, John tells us that Jesus was given the Holy Spirit "without limit" to live in Him and advise Him of God's instructions, advice and plans, (John 3:34).
   
So this child grew and attended the local synagogue in Nazareth while learning the skill of carpentry.  Once, when He was 12 years old, He spent three entire days in the temple courts asking questions and listening to the teachers of the Law.  Scripture tells us that "everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers," thus testifying to His knowledge of scripture and the wisdom He possessed (Luke 2:41-49).  In addition, John 7:15-16 further reinforces His skill at amazing others with knowledge.  In this passage, the Jews exclaim, '"How did this man get such learning without having studied?"  Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own.  It comes from Him who sent Me."'  So Jesus learned by listening to God!  How novel!  Luke 4:16 reveals His custom of Sabbath day visits to the synagogue, thus indicating He regularly attended church.  Luke 5:16 tells us what we find throughout the Gospels, that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
    
And so we see the pattern of preparation for His ministry.  It consisted simply of study at the local church, reading of scripture, and prayer and communion with God.  No seminary training, no advanced theological degrees, no sermon preparation courses. Simple.  Remember this later.
   
It is evident that Jesus' disciples also had no formal theological training.  In fact they stand out as a remarkable group for their lack of training.  At least half of them were simple fishermen, and yet Jesus appointed them as apostles.  For three years they received both on-the-job training and personal instruction from Jesus Himself.  Acts 4:13 reinforces the fact that these apostles were "unschooled ordinary men," but with the distinction that  "these men had been with Jesus."  Jesus was simple.  His training was simple.  His disciples were simple.  Remember this later.
   
Paul was an exception.  He was raised and trained in the finest Jewish tradition of higher education (Acts 22:3).  He was steeped in the 'religion' of his day - and that was the problem.  It took a startling meeting with the simple risen Jesus (Acts 9) to change Saul forever.  Like the minor relocation of a solitary chromosome in a DNA chain, a totally new and different creature was born (born again!).  Saul's heart of stone (a bi-product of 'religion') was removed and replaced with one of flesh; and he became Paul, a completely 'new man' (Ephesians 4:24).  He met Jesus and began a relationship with Him.  His religion was gone and his life was vastly simplified.
   
In Philippians 3:8 Paul speaks of the worth of his past (including his 'religion') when he says that he has considered "everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ."  Can you see that?!  He cleansed his religious house, tossed it all aside, and replaced it with only his relationship to Jesus.  He simplified his life.  How simple.  Do you see the pattern yet?
Why Do We Make It So Difficult?
The Goodsoil Discipleship Ministry
By Bro. Andy Madonio
October 9, 1997
Introduction:
The inspiration for this message was born out of sadness and frustration at those in the Body of Christ who worship scriptural knowledge -- "Bibolatry", instead of their Savior.
 
It seems an unfortunate paradox that for many of these 'Christian Intellegentia', the deeper they pursue the "truth" of the original manuscripts, the more they are "led astray from the sincere and pure devotion to Christ."  It is a doubly-sad fact that many of these "Bibolaters" occupy staff and teaching positions at revered theological seminaries throughout our land.
   
They also fit a fairly consistent mold; they discount or altogether deny the existence today of sign gifts, miracles, tongues and interpretation, prophecy and interpretation, etc.  Basically, anything uniquely Pentecostal.  Their beliefs are, they insist, founded only upon careful, detailed and painstaking analysis of the original manuscripts.  And yet their pre-disposed positions belie that altruistic claim.  You simply couldn't dissect the passages they do and come up with the beliefs they espouse as pure, without knowing what you hoped to find before you began.  It's called bias, prejudice, error and deception.

It is so sad that these are the ones who are training up a generation of shepherds for our churches.  Is it any wonder the American church, as a whole, has so little real spiritual power left?  True, pockets of revival are igniting all over, but it will take much fervent prayer for God's truth to be revealed in this nation.  Pray that it begins, as it must, in our churches.
Knowledge and Intimacy:
Today, we exalt ourselves as learned creatures of vast and complex knowledge.  Seminaries train men and women and send them into the world as ministers, teachers and professors with advanced degrees in theology.  They have learned exactly how big the speck of sawdust was, what size the plank was, and what kind of tree both came from.  But somewhere along the way, too many of them seem to have run out of room and so dispatched with Jesus in order to make more available.  There He stands on the road of their lives, watching them trudge on, loading up on 'knowledge' as they leave behind the Reason for Life.  Without knowing it, they worship knowledge, even the Bible itself.  As a result, too many of our 'shepherds' have forgotten their first love, and sadly, the flock follows suit.

We are no longer simple as we once were when we sought out our precious Jesus and knelt before Him in humble submission.  For many of us, our relationship with Him has degraded into a putrid blob called religion.  Why do we make it so complicated?  The Pharisees of Jesus' day had the Mosaic Law.  Eventually they twisted it into a cancer-like convolution of 365 'negative' commands and 250 'positive' commands.  615 laws!  Jesus, on the other hand, when pressed for His opinion as to which of these 'Laws' was preeminent, needed to call on only two of them.  Love the Lord with all you had and love you neighbor as yourself.  615 vs. two.  Oh how simple it can be!
   
The Law required the taking of a life to tally up a violation, there was no middle ground.  I guess that's why Paul said that "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  Jesus took that murderous course and truncated it at it's source - man's heart.  He said that if anger ever arose in that place, the violation had already occurred.  "An impossible proposition," you say?  Not when He helps.  He supplies the means, which greatly simplifies things for us.  Simple.  Amazingly simple!

Children and Simple Ones:
"Life is complicated," people say.  "Knowing God's will is so difficult," believers bemoan.  But 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that "everything we need for life (natural) and godliness (spiritual)" comes through intimately knowing Jesus.  Simple!  In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that He came to give us a full, vibrant and abundant life, and 2 Peter 1:2 gloriously states that we have "grace and peace . . . in abundance." How?  Again, "through the (intimate) knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord."
    
"Intimate" is parenthesized above because of it's deeper meaning in both passages from 2 Peter.  The word "knowledge" here derives from the Greek word for "know", which describes the intimate union of a man and a woman in which a child is conceived (Ref. Matthew 1:25 KJV).  We might say then that possessing an "intimate knowledge" of Jesus constitutes a "relationship" with Him!  A close, personal, living relationship, as one has with a best friend!
     
In Matthew 18:3 we read Jesus saying "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." Remember Johnny, Tommy and Joey from earlier?  They were pals; they enjoyed all the benefits of a simple relationship, a friendship.  Hmmmmm.
    
So all we need for life, godliness, and abundant grace and peace is a relationship with Jesus!  Simple.  What more could you ask for?  Why don't you ask Jesus into you life - again, or for the first time.  And please, ask Him to help you to keep it simple.  Seek Him first (Matthew 6:33) and He will never drive you away (John 6:37), or make it too complicated.  God never intended His Word to become complicated or difficult or elitist.  That's why He so often chose simple shepherds to be His fearless prophets and even Kings!  That's why He chose fisherman to deliver His message to the world.  God wants us to have childlike faith, because He likes to keep it simple.  After all, He chose the foolish things of the world to shame the (worldly) wise.  Simple faith; simple trust; simply wonderful!