No properly BEHAVING Bible Believing Christian worships the ink on wood pulp.
However, Bible Believing Christians in and out of the RC edifice do all kinds of things . . . crazy UnBiblical things.
We are human.
We are flawed.
God is in the process of cleaning up those who earnestly follow Him.
Some of us still smelly our pants and burp all over our siblings with great abandon and some even have the audacity to think such is cute.
No one individual; no one congregation; no one particular Christian club brand
has/have a monopoly on flawed, sinful 'Christian' behavior and none have a monopoly on saintly living.
Staying confessed up, repented up, prayed up, ready to go up is STRONGLY advised for those really wanting to make Heaven Home.
Relaxing in; wallowing in; exalting in arrogance, pride, narrow-rigid-UnBiblical-parochialism; self-righteousness; idolatry; rebellion; . . . is extremely hazardous regardless of Calvinist or Romanist sensibilities.
I read recently where one of the most esteemed amongst us wrote that [memory paraphrase] when spiritual events, activities, phenomena . . . become
INSTITUTIONALIZED . . . they die . . . even become deadly.
God is a LIVING GOD. HE REQUIRES that we WORSHIP AND RELATE TO HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
The letter brings death. The SPIRIT brings Life.
THE SPIRIT is always dynamic, forward throwing vs anchored in 'been there, done that.' That is HE IS ALWAYS about throwing us forward to an advanced state of healing, wholeness, purity in our relating to God.
Given that we are creatures of habit and chronically stubbornly so--He often has to jar us loose from our fossilizations in order for us to grow--sometimes even to grow slightly.
Usually major growth takes major leaving the wharf--often requiring the wharf to be blown to smithereens, if not the boat, as well.
"Launch out into the deep, let the shoreline go," the old hymn says.
Most Christian individuals have at least one time or another tried to camp on the Mount of Transfiguration and build tabernacles there . . .
and pretty soon the tabernacles of branches become clapboard frame structures.
And soon after that, the clapboard frame structures become kiln fired red brick structures taller and wider with red carpeting here and blue carpeting there and purple carpeting over there.
And pretty soon that gives way to granite stone edifices with plush and grandeur here and plush and grandeur there and gold gilt here and gold gilt there and pomp and circumstance everywhere.
And the rules, customs and habits change accordingly.
And God gets pushed further and further out the door in favor of the habits and customs and rules written and unwritten--further and further out the door--in favor of the
TYRANNY AND IDOLATRY OF THE TANGIBLE.
Moses, you speak to God. We are afraid. Forget this Tent of Meeting business. God can let you do it, Moses or go back to playing with brimstone on Mt Sinai. We are afraid. Besides, we'd chronically get it wrong and just end up zapped to ashes so you do it, Moses. You have the training. You have the hang of it. Yeah, better you do it, Moses.
And God says COME UNTO ME ALL YOU WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN.
And the serfs in the pews say--yeah, right--let the professionals do it. We haven't washed up sufficiently, yet.
And the professionals feel so accomplished. So many serfs applaud so frequently and loudly. The MUST be doing it right. Haven't seen any anointing nor any miracles around recently but maybe God's on vacation. We MUST be doing it correctly. After all look at all the gilded !!!!TRADITION!!!! Who can argue with !!!!TRADITION!!!!
. . . errrr . . . uhhhhhh . . . besides God?
HIS MERCIES ARE FRESH EVERY MORNING. HE REQUIRES THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM BE FRESH EVERY MORNING AS WELL.
None of this leaning on Grandma's faith. None of this leaning on Pastor Priggy's pseudo-righteousness. None of this leaning on Fossilized Edifice I, II or III or 1600.
None of this leaning even on your own formerly productive faith of your youth, or last decade or last year or last month.
TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.
TODAY IS THE APPOINTMENT AT YOUR TENT OF MEETING.
TODAY IS THE DAY TO HEAR HIS SPIRIT
AND WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS WRITTEN AND SPOKEN INSTRUCTIONS TO !YOU!
TODAY IS THE DAY OF YOUR EDIFICATION NEEDED FOR TODAY'S CHALLENGES.
TODAY IS THE DAY OF YOUR MIRACLE NEEDED FOR TODAY'S OVERCOMING.
TODAY IS THE DAY OF THE LOVE DANCE WITH DADDY NEEDED FOR HOPE SUFFICIENT FOR TODAY'S CHALLENGES.
TODAY IS THE DAY TO SAY, "YES! LORD!" HEARING HIS VOICE, FOLLOWING HIM AND NO OTHER . . . NO OTHER THING . . . NO OTHER !!!TRADITION!!! . . . NO OTHER GROUP . . . NO OTHER ANYTHING BUT THE MASTER.
I really wish you had posted that before my second beer. Now I must wait to decode it.
To God be the glory!
Good post, Quix.