See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
“If you want to make money, start a religion.” A struggling science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard, said that in 1948 and Scientology was born. It worked. If Hubbard lived in the first century in Colossae, these words of Paul would have been meant for him. There were deceitful human philosophies then as now. It seems that there were also worshipers of elemental spirits and scholars disagree on what they were but it conjures up the New Age practitioners of today, who worship trees and crystals instead of the Creator of those elements. It reflects a recent Barna poll that says more people are open to spiritual things. The problem is that the market is glutted with false teachers and charlatans. The seeker must beware of imitations, lest they be led astray.
This is also a call to believers to combat deceivers and thwart their intentions by getting there first, to the street, to the doorstep, and to the ears of those who see a world in chaos and are looking for something to make sense of it. May we rescue captors of these empty philosophies, devoid of wisdom, and bring them to the throne of the King so they can see the fullness of this life, even in crisis. If you want to make money, start a religion, if you want to make disciples, start a relationship.
Dear Lord, thank you that you have revealed yourself to us as undeserving sinners. May we not be found as “underserving” recipients of your grace but distributors of your truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church