Well put.
In most respects . . . and usually in absolutely all respects . . .
God is not about to share HIS GLORY WITH ANYONE MORTAL.
The Jewish magicsterical 2000 years ago were
NOT
JUSTIFIED
by their . . .
1. lineage
2. theological education
3. Scripture memorization
4. Self-righteousness
5. Self-aggrandizing committee meetings
6. Roman or other armed guards
7. Ancestors
8. Moses
9. Their pretend IN-GROUP once having known God
10. Long flowing robes
11. Polished committee vetted prayers
12. Market place prayers with trumpet announcements and fanfares
13. Pomp and Circumstance
14. !!!!TRADITIONS!!!! of Moses, of man, of demons, even of Scripture
15. The prayers of Moses et al
16. RELIGIOUS RITUALS, customs and habits ad nauseum
17. Their political clout
18. The size of their families
19. The size of their egos
20. The size of their cheekiness
21. The size of their bank accounts
22. The enormity of their arrogance
23. The enormity of their social manipulations
24. The enormity of their idolatries
RELIGION has ALWAYS been man reaching up to God according to man's terms and/or man's mangling of God's terms.
Authentic Christianity and Judaism has always been about GOD REACHING DOWN TO MAN IN RELATIONSHIP strictly according to God's terms.
Religion has always set in--throughout the Old Testament era and now for 2000 years in the NT era--shortly after every AUTHENTIC new revival; new move of God; new revelation; new miraculous manifestation of God and His Glory . . . God has PERSISTENTLY had to come down and shake up all the fossilized, calcified, encrusted, ritualized, INSTITUTIONALIZED, !!!!TRADITION!!!! bound hideocies pretending to be routes to HIM.
The Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had not left the miracles of Egypt and the Red Sea very long before they were clamoring for TANGIBLE AIDS TO WORSHIP--yeah, right--a golden calf. And the earth swallowed a good chunk of them up--as it will again.
God has made abundantly clear in His Word . . . that the hills of Rome will be less than mole-hills.
His Holy Mountain--Mt Zion--will be the highest point in a list of ways.
WHATEVER Rome/The Vatican was AD 300-400 or represented then or now . . . or Canterbury . . . or Springfield . . . or Milwaukee . . . or Mecca . . . or Lhasa . . . or Salt Lake City . . . or . . .
Will be long blown away dust.
Folks would be wise do focus on God and HIS priorities and HIS WAYS vs RELIGION if they want to avoid being part of that blown away dust.
GOD ALONE
CHRIST ALONE
CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED
HIGH AND LIFTED UP
HIS TRAIN FILLING THE TEMPLE!
BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.
Truly, Christ came to fulfill the religion that He established, not to destroy it.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. – John 3:6-7
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:12-13
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: - Romans 8:15-16
There is only One Great Commandment. We must love God surpassingly above all else. Nothing else must even come close, including love of neighbor, religion, etc.
Amen, excellent. My pastor says this to us all the time. Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.
Amen and amen. Molehills-LOL!
Excellent, Quix.
God, and God alone, is fit to take the Universe’s Throne. Let everything that lives reserve its truest praise for God and God alone.