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Divine Expectation Centers on Moral Behavior Rather Than Ritual

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Dall·e 2025 02 04 17.41.48 A Photorealistic Image Depicting The Theme 'divine Expectation Centers On Moral Behavior Rather Than Ritual.' The Image Shows A Serene, Sunlit Outdoor

As skies over New Jersey grow increasingly turbulent with unexplained phenomena, many are beginning to question not just what is happening above but also what is occurring on the ground. Reports of mysterious UFO sightings and the unsettling presence of unidentified drones have left communities on edge, sparking a deeper awakening among those who sense that these events may be connected to more than just technological anomalies. The growing suspicion is that these disturbances in the skies mirror a spiritual unrest, revealing the presence of demonic rituals and deceptive religious practices taking root in modern society. According to insights from Drones of the Divine and Demons, these aerial manifestations might be linked to a broader spiritual battle—one that is not just fought in the heavens but also in the hearts and minds of people on Earth. It becomes even more crucial to revisit what the Bible teaches about genuine faith.

The Bible makes it clear: genuine religion isn’t just about what you believe or the ceremonies you follow—it’s about how you live and how you care for others. This powerful message comes through loud and clear in James 1:27, which defines true religion as caring for orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself unstained by the world. It’s a call to action, not just contemplation. This idea isn’t isolated either; it echoes throughout Scripture. In Micah 6:8, believers are reminded of what God truly desires: “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly” with Him. It’s a verse that strips away the excess and zeroes in on the heart of divine expectation—living a life marked by justice, kindness, and humility, rather than empty rituals. When you piece it all together, the Bible’s message is crystal clear: true religion is a living, breathing faith, expressed through compassion, justice, and service. It’s not about rituals or appearances; it’s about reflecting God’s love in real, tangible ways. Belief is the foundation, but action is the structure that holds it all up.

Jesus Himself drives this point home in Matthew 23:23, when He confronts the religious leaders of His time. They were meticulous about following ceremonial laws, like tithing even the tiniest spices, but they completely missed the bigger picture—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These, Jesus says, are the weightier matters of the law, the things that truly matter to God. The message? Outward religiosity means nothing if the heart is absent.

James 2:14-17 takes it even further, warning that faith without deeds is dead. It’s not enough to say you believe; if that belief doesn’t lead to action—feeding the hungry, clothing the poor—it’s meaningless. This is echoed again in 1 John 3:18, which urges believers to love not just with words or speech, but with actions and truth.

However, the distinction between true religion and empty ritual is not always recognized, leading to misunderstandings and practices that stray from biblical teachings. Ashley Hays, in a recent X post, emphasized how the enemy leads many away from Christ by promoting man-made religion over a personal relationship with Jesus. She argues that religion, when distorted by human traditions and rituals, becomes a tool of the enemy to detour believers from genuine faith. Hays points out that many people mistakenly believe their religious deeds will secure them a place in heaven, overlooking the core biblical truth that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Hays strongly critiques practices such as the belief in purgatory, calling it a denial of the complete and finished work of Christ on the cross. She argues that the concept of purgatory suggests that Jesus’ sacrifice was insufficient, which contradicts biblical doctrine. According to Scripture, as seen in passages like Hebrews 10:14, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy,” Jesus’ death fully atoned for humanity’s sins. Hays also highlights the biblical prohibition against carved images and idols, citing Exodus 20:4, where God commands, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath.” She asserts that participating in such practices aligns with the demonic realm, as it directly opposes God’s clear instructions.

Ashley Hays in her X post says: “The enemy is leading so many in this world away from Christ. Religion is from Satan, made by man to detour us away from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a false truth. This is one of the most heartbreaking things for me, because people deeply involved in religion think all the things they ‘do’ will get them into heaven. Listen, I never mean to offend anybody, but when we speak the truth from God’s word, a lot of times it is going to step on some toes. And the truth is, is that this is satanic idol worship. Just because this is rooted in tradition, does not excuse it from what is happening here. This literally looks like the entrance to the underworld. This is the brotherhood of the remedy of souls in which they pray for souls in purgatory. Now, as a Bible-believing spirit-filled Christian, I am going to tell you the truth. And the truth is, is that there is no such thing as purgatory. Foundational doctrine of purgatory is that some believer sins still need to be paid for. They still need to be atoned for. And that 100% just denies the complete and finished work of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. To say that we somehow still need to help pay for our sins is saying that what Jesus did, the suffering He went through on that cross, is somehow inadequate. This is also clearly involving carved images and idols which God directly tells us not to do. Exodus 20 verse 4, you shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in earth beneath or that is in the water underneath the earth. Religion is from the enemy. Religion is man-made and religion takes you away from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This stuff is normalized in the world today in religion but God’s word clearly instructs against it. There is no such thing as purgatory. We do not atone for our sins. We cannot pay for our sins. That’s why Jesus Christ came and died and suffered for us. The work that He did, the blood that He shed on that cross, paid in full for our sins. We cannot pray to, speak to, or pray for the dead and we are not to have any kind of image or idol. God is very clear about these things. So when we participate in these things that God instructs us not to, we are entertaining the demonic realm. There is only God versus Satan. There is only good versus evil. So if you are directly going against something that is written in God’s word, you are entertaining the demonic realm and that is exactly why God instructs us not to do it.”

The Bible indeed warns against rituals and traditions that replace sincere faith and obedience to God’s word. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their outward religiosity while neglecting the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Similarly, Paul warned in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

The Bible’s consistent message is that true religion is not about rituals, ceremonies, or human-made traditions. It is about living a life of faith, characterized by compassion, justice, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When religious practices become detached from these principles, they risk becoming tools that lead believers away from the truth of the Gospel. Genuine faith is reflected in actions rooted in love and obedience to God’s word, not in rituals that offer a false sense of spiritual security.