My Religion Is Not Old Fashioned

The Apostle John records;

Rev 1:10

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

(KJV)

God has never spoken to me quite that way. But I was in the Weiglestown SureFine (Pennsylvanians will recognize that as a grocery store) on the Lord’s day when a song that I have not heard in years came rolling back. When that happens often God wants to get my attention and show something to me. Sometimes it is to show a concept that has been correctly followed in the church and sometimes it is to show me how we have followed our own ways.

“My Religion is not Old Fashioned, but it’s real genuine.
Two and two make four together, As it did in my Lord’s time,
Modern days don’t make a difference, You can’t alter truth or time,
My Religion is not Old Fashioned, but it is real genuine.” Writer: Stuart Hamblen

And I began to wonder about this. Even with the credentials of Stuart Hamblen; and they are impressive, when I hear a song, a teaching, a sermon, a book, I “check it out with the word.” In case you don’t know, that is the Word of God, the Bible. If I can’t find a couple of scriptures that CLEARLY support the song in proper context, I stow it. If I find one that CLEARLY contradicts it, I dump it. That goes for songs, teachings, internet postings, sermons, books, prophecies, utterances of apostles. Nobody alive has the credentials to bypass this check. Not Billy Graham, not the pope, not anyone.

And I started to mull over in my mind Hamblen’s words. Yes, my religion is not Old Fashioned. Sure it is close to 2000 years old. But it is as viable today as it was when after speaking in tongues Peter got up on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2 in case you didn’t notice) and declared that our sons and daughters would prophecy. It kinda blows the “no women in ministry” teachings, doesn’t it? I have seen that. It is as alive today as it was when the Apostle Paul stood before King Agrippa and said, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” (Acts 26:19)

It is as real as the day Peter saw the sheet lowered and was told to eat the food once forbidden him as unclean. (Acts 10:11) Yes, “my Religion is not Old Fashioned, but it is real genuine.” And it is as real as the day that Paul and Peter divided the church, Peter to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles. (Yes, Paul is the father of the Gentile church, not Peter. Read the letters they wrote to the churches.) (Gal 2:7) My religion is both timeless and timely.