"Four things?" (You might ask.)
Yes , four.
Well, it says "four" but there's only three in his numerically bulleted list.
That's odd.... (you would think there's be four.)
That is strange! Maybe someone made a typo?
What is even stranger, (this is from a Biblical perspective,) is that the "pastor" neglects to mention anything about Jesus as any of his "four" .. (or rather three,) things you "need to do" to "get back" to God.
And what are they? (According to Rick)
First, according to the devotionals, you need dissatisfaction. He says that you need to say,
“I don’t like this. I’m tired of being stressed out all the time. I’m tired of being frustrated all the time. I’m tired of being overworked all the time. I’m tired of feeling distant from God.”
Really?
(It is no wonder that the bible teaches Christians to be content in every circumstance, for dissatisfaction will have you listening to people like Rick. It's easy to be dissatisfied.
Then he quotes the Message novel, saying, "Jeremiah 29:13 says, “When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed”"
What he quotes here is not a translation of the bible, it is a paraphrase,
one which makes God sound ike He's some salesman.
And one would think God was going to wait until you
"get serious" before you can find him.... meanwhile it was
while we were still sinners that Christ died for us.)
God made the first move toward us.
(Question: Why this isn't number one on the list?)
The bible says that sin separates us from God. This is true and Rick mentions that, but then he diverts the conversation by saying that if you don't" feel" close to God, it is because you moved. He says that once you "own up to your sin," you can have a right relationship with God.
Under number three, Rick says, you must offer yourself up to God. He says "True transformation happens when your heart moves from self-centeredness to God centeredness." and then asks, " Are you there yet?"
There is no number four on his list.... and there is no mention of Jesus. /he does add,
"True transformation does not happen overnight" and he tells his readers that "God is going to work on you your entire life." and " But there is a decision that starts the process."
He then quotes Romans 12:1a from the NIV.....
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice”
That's odd. No Jesus and instead we are being taught/told that we must make a decision to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God.
But there's more. There are some "Talk it Over" questions.
And again... no mention of Jesus.
" Why do you think it is sometimes difficult to let go of the things that stress us out?"
" What does it mean to repent? "
" What does it look like practically to offer yourself up to God?"
If the truth were to be told, we would hear about Jesus and how by believing upon him we could be saved from sin and death.
If his goal was to show you the Path... or the way to God, he would show you Jesus, Because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Rick doesn't.
This webpage here neglects to tell people the truth about Jesus Christ. It does however, tell you about being "transformed" as if you can do that on your own........ and you will probably need Rick's book to do it.
His book is not free though.... at the very least you will have to make a donation.
God's gift of salvation is.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ephesians
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
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