The Air I Breathe 

There is nothing like a cool   summer breeze. The ocean air by the beach comes in a fresh wind. Its like it clears out your mind and renews a fresh sense hope. Sometimes itvis so hazy, hot, and humid that the air can become so unbearable to breathe, that we long for the coolest or the coldest place that has air conditioning to find relief.

Paul the Apostle preaching in Athens renounced the idolatry of the false gods and unknown gods to this cultural abyss. Although it looked religious and even a formnof spirituality it was way off base and there was no life. There was no  breathe or oxygen spiritually, but a bunch of hollow rituals that only left the people empty.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. [23] For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. [24] “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. [25] And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. [26] From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. [27] God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. [28] ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:28 NIV

Paul reminds us, that in Him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being.”

The truth was that the temples, building and praying to idols could not save them things that were built by human hands. Religion always has to have a zing or some form of manipulation to woo and persuade the crowds. Religion cannot save anybody even though things look spiritual. Secularism, materialism, or the economy as for wealth cannot save you. People thought they were gods, even in Genesis 11 the people tried to build a temple to heaven, but God confused them and their languages. There is no rebellion or pride against the True and Living God that will ever win. Even the great OZ of the wizard of OZ was exposed as a great phony, only instilling fear within the people to offer a false hope! Toto Dorothy’s dog pulled the curtain only to see OZ was just another man trying to take advantage of naive people seeking hope.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2 Message

The true spritual life and air we breathe is found in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer. Like any vehicle we all need a tune up and a fresh oil change for God to breathe a fresh wind of life into our hearts. May you search out your heart and ask the Lord to show you the areas that are not pleasing to Him to make things right. Confessing sin and praying to live a genuine life through the power of the Holy Spitit. Not an external phony life by trying to impress others.

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to You O Lord my Redeemer.

May you have a great day and coming week my friend.