Blindly Following

The other day I was going to the store.  I really don't like to drive here (they don't know how to drive lawfully).  So I took public transportation.   I forgot I needed to exchange some money (dollars for Ukrainian currency).  In order to do that, I needed to cross the street, because the one closest to me did not have anymore greven (Ukrainian currency). At this point, I was little frustrated.  I went to the cross walk waiting on the light to turn green. Good, it was time to go because the whole group of people started to move across the road to the median.  But, it wasn't until then that I realized the light was still red.  But because I was not focused, I went with the flow, and followed the crowd.  Boy did the Lord show me something's through this. And yes, I did wait till the light turned green to finish crossing the road.

I started to think about how people, follow the crowd.  Because it is the easiest thing to do.  You won't stand out, you don't have to do a lot of thinking, you just do what everyone else does.  It makes things less complicated.  But just because someone else does wrong, it doesn't make it right for you.  I was thinking about my boys, and how there at that age they'll do about anything to fit in a certain group or crowd.  They may not intend on doing something they know is not right, but they don't realize it till it is to late, like me crossing with everyone else on a red light.  That could have been very dangerous for me.  What if all those people didn't see the drunk driver coming, the one that didn't care if there are people in the road, he would still knock them down like bowling pins.

It also made me think about saved people.  How they also tend to follow the crowd.  To blindly follow their Pastor and other's in the church because that's how it's always been done.  Reminds me of the Pharesses during Jesus' day.  During all those years under the law, they started to transition to traditions.  Now some of these traditions got their start from those who were trying to keep people from breaking the law. 

Like if you tell your child, don't go out in the road.  That was your commandment to your child.  But then grandma comes and tells your child, "I know your mom said to stay out of the road, I think it would be best for you not to go past the sidewalk."  Then later the Aunt comes along and says, "I know what your mom and grandma said, but I think it would be best if you don't leave the grassy part of the yard".  Do you see?  It was through the care and concern of the family that caused them to add extra conditions that the mother did not give. They wanted to keep this child safe and to keep him/her from going out in the road.

All the traditions for the Jews where the same way.  They were "adding" to the law, as Jesus put it, For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Matt. 23:4  It's the same way in church.  Not only do they live by the Word of God, but they add traditions and personal opinions to it.  For example, (and I have heard this with my own ears), pastors wife's or preacher wife's should not wear open toe shoes and they should always wear panty hose....?!?!?!  O....K..... or a Preacher can not preach if they wear colored dress shirts or have facial hair (other than eye brows, I'm pretty sure they allow eye brows).  Do you see where I am going with this? 

Paul, in Acts, spoke of this.... Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Acts 15:10. 

They were arguging about weither they should be circumcised or not.  I know sometimes it's done with good motives, but to begin with, the Pharisees started with good motives behind what they did....but Jesus spoke against it!!!

 

Paul also said in Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 

These people, the "more noble" ones, they received the word with an open heart, BUT also searched the scriptures to make sure that what was being taught was truth.  God's Truth. They were more noble, they were ABOVE the BEST because they double checked God's Word to make sure what they were hearing was true.  It's not wrong to study behind your preachers or teachers.  And any preacher or teacher worth their salt would not object.  They want you to know the absolute truth about the Bible.  The only one's that do not want you to study the Bible for yourself is the one's who do not want you to know the truth.  The Amish, the Catholics, nor the Orthodox, want their people to learn the Bible, because if they did, they would find something that contradicted what they were teaching. 

So don't blindly walk across the street just because everyone is.  Seek God and His Word for yourself.  Ask God to Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.  Ps. 119:18  Don't just take people's word for it, ask them, "Show me in the Bible".  Not just one verse.  God told us to compare scripture with scripture.  If it is something that has a Biblical basis, they will have more than one verse to back up what they are teaching!  Keep an open heart, but don't blindly follow.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1