Magicians get the upperhand of their audiences by distracting with their left hand while their right hand is attracting with the featured illusion. Rabbits out of hats and streams of eggs from nowhere come to audiences by means of harmless deceit. It is no harmless trick to say “Christ is LORD” and introduce an audience to someone else. It is a delusion most deadly and one that is on the menu every day via television and radio. Many books and booklets perform this sleight of hand trick. It a case for a u-turn in reflection on the realities of . Our favourite visionary or author might is irrelevant if we expect a genuine experience of the spiritual life. There is no comparison between Christ and any other person in the universe. No prophet, priest, king, judge, military strategist, warrior, counsellor or vigilante, can be mistaken for the Saviour of the world.

Synthetic religion, built by the adversary

All the comparisons of religious practices may result in a sense of solidarity, but synthetic religion or spirituality is a trap because a lot of religious pracice has nothing to do with values that transcend culture and tribe. By religious practices I do not mean procreating, pursuing carreers, building economies, and finding a new planet to call home. I do not mean placing human life at the bottom of our priorities. If every person cannot have undivided respect from people employed to protect and save lives the religious practice is the brainchild of an adversary to humanity.

Legit activities that cover up spiritual emptiness

A truly virulent example of covering up the truth comes out in an observation of the prayer habits of the scribes. They use a dedicated process or experience to change what people think about their obsession. Scribes and priests were interested in property and the evidence of this was the transformation of the temple from a hoiuse of prayer into a marketplace for enriching themselves. The practice of hiding instead of being accountable and honest is as old as humanity (Genesis. 3:6, Genesis. 3:7, Genesis. 3:8).

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces (Mark. 12:38)
and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, (Mark. 12:39)
who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Mark. 12:40)

Guilt proven beyond a shadow of doubt

Thoughts and prayers from hogtied politicians

The thoughts and prayers of idle politicians while citizens are being murdered must revolve around (i) the revenue that homicide with guns generates (ii) the incitement of individuals who relish the ability to commit mass murder and escape judgment by killing themselves (iii) the votes funnelled towards the party most vocal about the right to bear arms and (iv) the capacity to terrorize people with unnecessary and excessive policing.

Even some of the oldest practices are lying distractions not spiritual values

• “replenish the earth”
• observing schedules of harvest
• memorials of national history
• values based on hard work
• “let’s go home” does not mean cemetery-bound

We are sure that Christ saves people from death and that fact cannot be twisted into an existence of uncertainty. Saved people are SAFE (sesosmenoi) [Ephesians 2:8]. The horrors of saying one thing and meaning another jumps at us when we hear “Taser, taser, taser” and the follow-up is Glock and death. We, witnesses to the Word-made-flesh, hear “life, life, life” all the time and keep cringing when the follow-up turns out to be death and condemnation via the law of sin and death. If only we would remember WHO is doing the saving and HIS record of never losing a patient.