Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Real Deal

One of the most famous characters in the movie industry was Charlie Chaplin.  He was a comedian, actor, director, and producer who earned world wide fame in the silent movie era.   At one time there was a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest being held and, always the practical joker, the real Chaplin decided he would enter. After deliberating long and hard, the judges unwittingly awarded Chaplin the third prize behind two impostors.

So you often can't tell the fake from the real by outward appearances.  In Jesus day the Pharisees were the religious leaders. They knew the Bible cover to cover; that is, the Old Testament portion as the New Testament hadn't been written then. They knew their doctrinal teachings by heart. They had all the outward trappings of religiosity. But for many of them it was an outward show. Furthermore, they loved their doctrines more than they loved people and used them to control people. Jesus not only knew the same Scriptures, but he was real and saw through these religious play actors--and didn't mince words with them regarding their phoniness.

Sad to say, there is no shortage today of play-acting teachers, phony religious leaders, counterfeit Christians, and those who love their religion more than they love people-and use their religion to control people.

It is time to remove the masks and be the real thing.

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