I have had the phrase “synthetic religion” running through my head today.
Synonyms
Synthetic, of course means “man-made”, and perhaps that is the issue. Perhaps synthetic in this context means man’s sincere efforts to reach God…
The other quote that has come to me more than once is one from Mike Tyson…
Perhaps the moment that most people get to find out if their religion is true or synthetic is when life punches you them the face!
From my perspective I was actually thinking about the difference between true Biblical Christianity and the fake version of tradition, stained glass, vestments and made-up doctrines.
I have been following the online attempts of certain so-called “apostolic” denominations that actually preach a mauled gospel and wanting to warn people about it for a while.
Perhaps this will give a sense of where I’m at @Ripcord
Yes, Jesus had to remind people that we don’t need the clowns of ‘organised’ religion..
The early Christians got it right..:)-
“There is one mediator between God and men,- the man Jesus Christ” (1 Tim 2:5)
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:2)
“There is no other name under heaven that can save us” (Acts 4:12)
The moment you know it’s true is when you die. That is the punch in the face. Best to read God’s word and study it carefully then you will find out the indisputable truth. Thousands of prophecies, many of them unfolding as we speak.
“To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant” is a famous maxim by St. John Henry Newman, a 19th-century theologian.
I completely disagree - I would contend that to be deep in history is to understand what Protestants were protesting about!! In a sense, all people undergo a “personal reformation” as they open the Bible and ask the Lord to illuminate His word to them.
I have only come across the work of Tony Costa this week, and already I can see I will be watching more of what he has to say…
This 40 minute talk gets straight to the point and I would commend the true gospel to anyone!
Jesus rejecters claim “All Paths lead to God”, but the truth is all nonchristian paths can be jointly labelled as-
And-
Sadly George Harrison rejected Jesus and went with that Harry Krishna baloney, and after he died his ashes were slung into that open sewer called the “sacred” River Ganges, he’s a real nowhere man now-
As for Lennon, he’s a real loser too for writing the sickening-
“Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky”-
Satan has duped almost everyone here on Earth into believing that their particular “synthetic” religion is somehow superior to all the others, when God has repeatedly CONDEMNED them ALL throughout Scripture, along with their satanic priests, pastors, rabbis and imams, etc. (“the blind leading the blind”).
Classic, satanic divide and conquer strategy.
Very, very few consider the FACT that ALL organized religion is the broad path that MANY choose, instead of The Strait and Narrow Way that very, very few will find (2 Esdras 9:15-16; Matt. 7:13-14; Rev. 7:4-9; Rev. 14:1-4).
The longer I have gone on, the simplicity of reading the word and trusting the Holy Spirit for understanding has been the best bit of advice I could give to anyone…
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:10-17 NKJV
Today there are reportedly somewhere between 4-5 billion people on Earth that call themselves “Christians” and “Muslims”, i.e. the two largest organized religions on Earth.
“Christianity” has been divided into THOUSANDS of different sects, cults, demonic denominations, etc., all of which were invented because they thought all the other ones were wrong, and all of which have been repeatedly condemned as satanic (e.g. Matt. 7:13-14; Matt. 23; Acts 7:48).
“Islam” has also been divided into multiple sects (e.g. Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Wahhabi, Salafi, Takfiri, etc.), even though they are told in the Koran/Quran that all sects are satanic (Sura 6:159; Sura 11:17).
What does it repeatedly tell us throughout the Old Covenant/Testament, New Covenant/Testament and the Koran/Quran? The exact same thing: follow Christ.
Exodus 23:20-23
23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in The Way (ch. 18:20; Deut. 11:28; 31:29; John 14:6), and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice (Mark 9:7), provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for My name [is] in him.
23:22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
23:23 For Mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am The Way, the Truth, and the Life: NOT one man cometh unto the Father, EXCEPT by me.
Sura 3:55. Behold! God said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee SUPERIOR to those who reject faith, to The Day of Resurrection: then shall ye all return unto Me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.
It’s so simple: keep God’s Law/Commandments ONLY, just as Christ did and does. Make them your own, as Christ has (John 14:15). Enforce no other rules, as Christ COMMANDS (Deut. 4:2; Deut. 12:8; Matt. 5:17-20; Sura 61:6-7). Learn to crucify the “self” (ego) DAILY, as Christ teaches by word and example (Matt. 10:38; Matt. 16:24-26; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:26-27; Thomas 6:9; Gal. 2:20; Sura 6:162; Sura 87:14-15; Sura 92:18-21).
Everything else is synthetic (man-made) and satanic (in opposition to God and His Christ).
Satan has had amazing success with all of his religions and so-called religious leaders, with which he has deceived the entire world. Satan routinely gets them to fight one another, both within their own organized religious factions and against one another, just as Satan currently has the counterfeit-Jews teamed up with the “Christians” to fight the “Muslims”.
Mass-murdering one another under the guise of fighting a holy war, when murder is a capital crime under God’s Law (Exod. 20:13; Num. 35:30-31).
The stupidity is literally breathtaking.
I have been a Christian for over 40 years now and I think I can gently but firmly disagree with you here…
I have gone to Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Methodist churches where the same essential gospel has been preached.
Conversely, I haven’t agreed with everything taught in any of the above, but each have tried to ground their understanding in the Bible. Everywhere I have attended has been what you might call “confessional” as in the emphasis for salvation has been on what you truly believe rather than trusting in ceremonies and offices of a particular “approved” church structure.
I would like to think that I have at least some charity (or Christian love) to those in denominations I don’t agree with. Perhaps it is possible for some to catch an understanding of the true gospel even in a sacramental, high church setting (even if it does nothing for me).
I know that Richard Hooker tried to tread this line with respect to the Roman Catholic Church.
If anyone truly trusts in the finished work of Jesus for them on the cross, and have grasped the life-changing truth that the “just shall live by faith”, they are my born again brothers and sisters, whichever particular denomination they may feel comfortable with.
Those who are members of any organized religion (including Christianity) will disagree with the truth that’s been shared about them being condemned throughout Scripture, because their egos won’t allow them to consider the possibility that they’re wrong.
Christ told everyone through the mouth of Jesus NOT to go to church, because only heathens and hypocrites go to churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, etc. (Matt. 6:5-8). God doesn’t dwell in churches made with human hands (Acts 7:48; Acts 17:24), ALL of which are satanic places of business that whore the Word of God for filthy lucre.
This is shared with great love for all Christians, all of whom have been deceived. The Israelite tribes migrated to the English-speaking countries and became the Christian nations of the world. And yes, there are many nice things about “Christians”, but there are likewise many religious traditions and superstitions that make a mockery of Christ’s Sacrifice (e.g. the pagan Yuletide/Saturnalia rebranded as “Christ-mass”, Ishtar/Easter, Babylonian sun-worship on Sun-days, the pagan “trinity”, etc.
This is exactly why Christ warned any would-be “Christians” that they MUST come out of their organized religion to avoid the coming destruction that awaits them all.
Matthew 7:21-24 (specifically addressed to “Christians”)
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into The Kingdom of heaven; ONLY he that doeth the Will of my Father which is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in That Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in THY NAME done many wonderful works?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work inequity.
7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and DOETH THEM, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a Rock (the Truth):
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, COME OUT of her, MY people, that ye take not part in her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues (punishment).
Yes, Jesus is very easy to understand and we shouldn’t lose our focus on him by getting bogged down too much in intense study of the whole bible, that’s why Paul had to remind people-
“I am worried lest you be led astray from the simplicity of Christ” (2 Cor 11:3)
“..stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work..” (1 Tim 1:3/4)
And to whom was Paul speaking?
The people in the various communities who were trying to start their own synthetic/man-made religions, instead of simply following the example Jesus+Christ set.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am THE Way, the Truth, and the Life: NOT one man cometh unto the Father, EXCEPT by me.
Galatians 1:6-10
1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel (“christianity”):
1:7 Which is not another (because they “call” it “christianity”); but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the [True] gospel of Christ.
1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you (to be “True to The Covenant” - “Covenanters”), let him be accursed.
1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
1:10 For do I now persuade men, or [does] God [through me]? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet PLEASED men, I should NOT be the servant of Christ.
Augustine (who sometimes said some good things) once famously stated “The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed”.
This means Christ and His redemptive work are mysteriously embedded throughout the Old Testament in promises, patterns, and physical manifestations—often awaiting the light of the New Testament to be fully explained.
I don’t always love AI summaries but I thought this one was pretty good.
>-------
The ways Christ remains concealed but actively present in the Old Testament fall into four primary categories:
**Theophanies (Pre-Incarnate Appearances):**Visible, physical appearances of God in the Old Testament are often understood as the pre-incarnate Christ. This includes the “Angel of the Lord” who interacts with Hagar (Genesis 16), wrestles with Jacob (Genesis 32), and speaks to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3).
Types and Shadows: Old Testament figures, events, and institutions act as prophetic blueprints for Jesus.
Melchizedek: A mysterious king-priest of Salem who prefigures Christ’s eternal priesthood (Genesis 14).
Isaac: Offered as a sacrifice by his father on Mount Moriah, serving as a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice on the cross (Genesis 22).
The Passover Lamb: The unblemished sacrifice whose blood saves Israel from death, pointing directly to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (Exodus 12).
Direct Prophecies: The Hebrew Scriptures contain hundreds of highly specific predictions regarding the Messiah’s lineage, birthplace, life, and suffering. Key examples include His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), His birthplace in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and the vivid description of His crucifixion (Psalm 22).
Theophanic Titles: Mentions of the “Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5), “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6), and “Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13) are early revelations of His divine nature.
As Jesus explained to His disciples on the road to Emmaus, all the Scriptures—from the Law of Moses to the Prophets and the Psalms—ultimately point to Him.
One of my favourite books right now is Hebrews as it connects the Gospel with the people who really should have understood it. On the other hand, it assumes an OT context to grasp the analogies used.
This passage in particular seems to set out the full Gospel in very clear terms:
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:11-15 NKJV
