Growing up in a Orthodox Religion, is o.k. just as growing up in a Catholic Religion, they both do not deny Jesus, as Savior, and the Son of God.
HOwever, this is the thing.
Jesus wanted to make it personal.
Closer
MOre intimate
in our relationship with him
in our prayers to the Father
through him.
Many of us just grew up, or were baptized as infants, as I was once, but is it the way that the scriptures teach.
John the Baptist, Jesus Cousin, his mother called Elizabeth, were a few months
apart in age, as He, and Jesus.
It went on that JOhn lived in the wilderness, and yelled a lot saying
REPENT, REPENT
the kingdom of God is at hand,
one of whose shoe laces I am not worthy to tie.
It's funny but they wore sandles, a lot, and most likely shoes also.
John baptized those who repented, of there way of living as they choosed to do, and went on to live as Christ would want us to do.
Then came the repent and be baptized.
So who is to say who's right and who's wronge, as in religion.
There is the bible verse, and it goes to say this;
"I know who I have believed in, and am persuaded that neither, death, nor life, will seperate me from the Love of God."
To those as I was once in just "religion" instead of in "a personal spiritual relationship" with a love affair, with the Lord.
This might be not understood, and as jiberrish, or what?
But to those who have a testimoney as mine, which you could read here,
Christ is very real, and he not only wrote the bible, with words in red,
but had followers, disciples, who wrote the bible as well, many of these are called the saints, and not only are they remembered in Italy, as profound pillars, in statutes, and names of them on crosses, but as martyers, of their faith in the Lord.
There names will be on the 12 gates in heaven, as said in the book of Revelation.
Together with the 12 Tribes of Israel.
The Old Testament/ New Testament have a thread
binding them together, in proychesies of the coming of the Lord Jesus as written in the book of Isaiah.
It however out rules the book of Leviticus, and the Torah which are the first 5 books of the old testament, according that those Laws 613 in Leviticus, were done away with, at the crucification of our Lord Jesus Christ, which then
impended, and executed a New Testament, and a new commandment.
To love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.
Meaning.
Don't hate
Neighbors could be on the other side of the world, they are called the people of this earth, which God values, and said, in the book of
James.
You curse man with the same tongue that you say you bless God with, this should not be, for both
Bitter, and
Sweet waters
cannot come out
and do not come out of the same fountain, or the same spirit.
For as a man thinketh in his heart so he is.
This is the new commandment Jesus said, he gave us.
The old way of the Old Testament was to stone others, kill them with hatred, and with your words,
Matthew 22:37
Which says, you shall love God with all your being, and others.
Repent, for today is your day of salvation, and a time an appt. for everyone to stand before the creator, Yahweh, who is not a man that he should lie, for it is said, "HIs word will not return void unto him."