How "religious" are you really?

[Semachiah]

Shalom,Scripture references are from,the SET (Stone Edition Tanach) or the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) for the OTand the PNT (Power New Testament) for the NT unless otherwise specified.17:22. And after he stood in the middle of the Aero Pago, the High Council, Paul said, “Men, Athenians, I observe that in every way you are very religious. 23. For as I was going around examining your objects of worship I even found an altar on which was written, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What then you worship without knowing it, I proclaim this to you. 24. The God Who created the world and everything in it, this One, Who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in sanctuaries made by human hands. 25. Neither is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He gives life and breath and everything to everyone. 26. From one man He made every nation of men to settle upon all the face of the earth, after He determined fixed times and the boundaries of their habitations. 27. God is seeking to find whether they would even seek after tokens of Him and find Him, and truly He is not far from any one of us. (Ps 145:18, Jr 23:23)28. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being,’ as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also the offspring.’ (Aratus, Phaenomena 5)29. So, since we are offspring of God we ought not to think that the divine is like gold or silver or stone, a mark of skill, or thought of man. 30. So then, although God has overlooked a time of ignorance, now He is ordering people everywhere to repent for everything 31. because He established a Day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man Whom He appointed, when He gave assurance to all the faithful by having raised Him out from the dead.” 17:32. And after they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began mocking, but others said, “We will also hear you again concerning this.” 33. In this way Paul went out from their midst. 34. But some people were on his side and believed, among whom were Dionysius of the High Council and a woman named Damaris and others with them.Paul now finds himself in Athens, Greece checking out the town, the sites, the restaurants and the babes, waiting.... Well, okay maybe not the babes but you get my point... he is killing time waiting for Timothy and Silas to catch up with him but he is not just sitting idly by, whittling his time away. He has checked things out and by the leading of The HOLY SPIRIT he then begins to witness as to the true YHVH of the Heavens and the earth. He has observed and points out as a way of introduction that he has observed the value they place on their "religion." He explains that he has 'examined' their "objects of worship" to illustrate that he has not simply glanced at what they have and cast it aside. No, he has "examined", he has looked with a curious depth for the purpose of understanding at least to some degree who, what, why and how they worship. In doing this he came across what he will use as his entry point to open a discussion with them about what they believe in order that he might persuade them as to what he believes. What he came across was that after all of the things they worship they have found that they still have some unanswered questions that they simply lump under the cover of an "unknown god." This is their janitor god. Everything that does not fit under the hands of control of one of the other gods is then placed under this one. This one cleans up all of the uncovered things. Basically under this one goes all other unexplainable things of life. It is at this point that Paul will introduce them to YHVH through Y'SHUA. In their capital city. In their most holy city named after their goddess Athena, he will introduce them to the one and only true GOD.First he points their thinking to this "unknown god", this janitor god so that he can add a name and/or a face, if you will to this otherwise unknown. He declares that this god is The GOD under whose eyes all things have been created. He declares that this janitor is really the most powerful and important of all those called gods because it is this one who has actually made all things. Thus the god that was most likely the least of all gods in Greece is now being elevated to being actually the most important of all. In one swift reversal Paul has garnered their full attention, for these truly are "religious" men.Paul then continues to lead them in their understanding and he shows them why they have not really been able to pin this one down and name him or give him a face by telling them that he is simply to great to live in places made by men or to need anything in the way of offerings made by the hands of men. That this one is simply too important for men to "bottle" in some form or to place within the constraints of some type of box. That he is simply too much for them to handle or explain. Today we need to hear what Paul has stated here! Pastor, assembly, denomination... YHVH is too great for you to define!Your doctrines, your statements of faith are too limiting. Your beliefs that YHVH has done this or that in times past but that HE does not do them anymore is without foundation! YHVH is the same yesterday, today and forever and ever so shall HE be regardless as to how you try to define and/or limit HIM. The Athenians had relegated this god to be their least, their unknown, their janitor god but Paul was showing them that this was the greatest of all other beings in the entire universe. That there was no other god before or above this one true GOD. That all others paled in comparison. That this one was limitless regardless as to the constraints they attempted to place upon HIM. That HE was only limited by their beliefs...Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. KJVWhat about you?Have you become "very religious" too?Do you catch yourself not believing that things YHVH has done in the past HE is still doing today?Have you said that you don't believe that this or that teaching is true because "YOU" have not found what you consider to be creditable evidence to support this or that claim of YHVH doing things in the midst of HIS people as HE has in the past?Then your god is too small!You have placed YHVH in a box. You have placed HIM in a bottle. You have made HIM of no effect by your "traditions" and many such things that you do. You have fashioned HIM with your hands. YOU have become "very religious!"Acts 17:28. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being,’ as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also the offspring.’ (Aratus, Phaenomena 5)29. So, since we are offspring of God we ought not to think that the divine is like gold or silver or stone, a mark of skill, or thought of man. 30. So then, although God has overlooked a time of ignorance, now He is ordering people everywhere to repent for everythingNow is the time to "repent of everything!" Now is the time!YHVH is forgiving, HE is understanding and HE is offering you this opportunity to repent of everything!What will you do?Acts 17:31. because He established a Day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man Whom He appointed, when He gave assurance to all the faithful by having raised Him out from the dead.Through the life, death and resurrection of Y'SHUA, a man appointed by YHVH, HE has established a day in which HE is going to judge the world... How will you be found?Have you relegated HIM to be your "janitor god" or is HE truly the one and only true YHVH of the Heavens and the earth?Have you limited HIM? Have you put HIM in a bottle?Have you boxed HIM in, limiting what you will allow HIM do and/or not?How "religious" are you really?