From Israel to India and More

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37).

In the Jewish culture of biblical times, people's faith was considered a part of everything they did. They would have never understood the concept of separation of church and state. Their religious leaders were also the government leaders until Rome came along and forced them to accept their rule. Even then, the Roman emperors were supposed to be of the gods or gods themselves.

I found the same true to some extent when I went to India and saw how they practiced Hinduism. While I was there, I went to the Ganges River at Varanasia to watch the sun rise. The Ganges is sacred to Hindus, and it's often spoken of as the Mother of India. They believe that washing in the river will wash away sins and purify them. Many Hindus choose to have their ashes sprinkled there after cremation. Knowing all this, I expected a shrinelike atmosphere. Nothing could be further from the truth. People were doing their morning exercises on the banks; hawkers rowed boats around, trying to sell their souvenirs; and people even brushed their teeth. I came away wishing more people would make Christ part of everything they do.

There was a time in our history when we came closer to doing this. If we as Christians have failed our children, it's been in that we've taught them to go to church and obey the Bible, but we haven't taught them to put God above all else in their lives and have an intimate, personal relationship with Him. We haven't taught them to put their faith in everything they do and have a heart for Jesus. Christianity isn't a vital, vibrant, powerful way of life for them, and that's why many of them are deserting it all. If we haven't already, let's begin today to make God our All in All and share this with others.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord; and not unto men; (Colossians 3:23).

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