I am certainly interested in revealing truth - and for the Truth to be victorious- which requires objectivity, and more than superficial examination and analysis, which i present for others to judge, but when the other party asserts we need to be subject to Rome, even though the prophecies he publicly promotes have no official sanction, and dismisses reproof by his own, and requires his interpretation and choice of Bible be accepted even when the church he promotes does not, then it appears he is the one who sees himself right regardless, and is the supreme judge.
I hope you didn't expect a miraculous attitude change after lo, these many years. . . . the most apt Scripture I can think of is I Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
New Living Translation (©2007)
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
With some RC's it seems that the addiction to worshiping idols is as tenacioiusly, dogmatically held to as the addiction to stubbornness and arrogance. Though certainly plenty of Proddys in noxious places give them a good run for their idol fondling as well as their stubbornness and arrogance.
We can laugh at the absurdity of Ricky's prayer, but our laughter may have an edge of irony if we realize that we, like Ricky, try to make God into someone we can relate to--someone we can !!!CONTROL!!! and use for our benefit. To the extent that we "dumb God down" and create our own image of him {a la the example of the 1400 years of the RC Magisterical Power Mongers brazenly majoring in just that}, we miss out on the joy and the adventure of having a relationship with the REAL GOD. One of the most poignant moments in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia is in the first book ... The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Mrs. Beaver tells Lucy about Aslan, the elusive lion of Narnia, who is a symbol of Christ in Lewis's stories. Mrs. Beaver tells the little girl of Aslan's power and majesty, and how he sometimes appears just in time when people need Him most desperately. Little Lucy feels overwhelmed with the thought that she might someday actually face the awesome beast. She asks timidly, "Oh, no, derie." Mrs Beaver laughs at the thought. "He's not safe. But He's Good." When Jesus stepped onto the planet, He didn't make everybody feel warm and comfortable. He accused His enemies of hurting the people they were supposed to protect, and these leaders were often furious with Him. And Jesus challenged His followers to give up their selfishness and devote themselves more fully to God than they ever thought possible. They were undoubtedly inspired, but often, also quite perplexed. Jesus' goal wasn't to win a popularity contest, His message was at the same time the most comforting and the most threatening ever heard. Wherever He went, no one took Him for granted. He was--and still is--the dividing point of history. Paul says that He came to bring freedom.^1 Jesus said it was His mission to bring life.^2 However, we have to take up our cross and follow Him.^3 To devote ourselves leads to life. And to experience His grace changes everything. Knowing HIm risks everything we thought we could !!!CONTROL!!! in our lives. Amazingly, it is the best and highest risk that we should ever take, for it is the difference between life and death, now and for all eternity. A God-centered life is soaked daily with an understanding and awe of Grace. In the Gospel story of the prodigal son we mentioned earlier, the younger brother's selfishness and sin is obvious. He wasted all he had on "wild living." The elder brother, though did everything right. He worked hard, sweated in the fields, and "never disobeyed" his father. At the end of the story, however, the younger brother was enjoying his father's love and acceptance at a lavish feast, while the elder brother bitterly remained outside. Obedience, then, isn't the highest virtue for a believer; it's faith. Throughout the Scriptures, we find people who did the right things but for the wrong reasons. In their self-sufficient pride, theyd din't want to admit that they needed a Savior. Instead, they tried to be their own saviors, giving until it hurt, attending services all day every day, praying for hours on end, {{Qx: fondling endless beads and statues}}, and sacrificing time, energy and resources to prove that they were "good and acceptable to God." Their obedience and hard work only fed their {{Qx: my}} pride and pushed them {{me}} further from God's heart. This is the great paradox of Grace. Sooner or later, we have to realize that we can never measure up to God's standard of perfect holiness.
Am reading GOD ATTACHMENT by Dr Tim Clinton and Joshua Straub . . . [Quixicated emphases added]
Came to this passage . . .
BROKENNESS BEGS FOR HEALING. Bondage begs for freedom. Addiction is only satisfied by grace.
From the opposite ends of the literary spectrum, we find observations about our relationship with God. Irish playwright . . . George Bernard Shaw noted with wry wit, "God created us in His image and we decided to return the favor."
It is impossible for flawed, finite human beings to truly grasp the transcendent nature of Almighty God . . .
Some of us it seems, don't even try. In Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Ricky prays,
the gifts that Christ gives
to His beloved
is that of overcoming
self. --Francis of Assisi
WE'RE NOT.
Life with God is a pure gift, not a grind that we have to endure day after impossible day.
We may do a lot better than "that other guy," and that measure of comparison makes us feel good about ourselves--but that's not the way of Grace.
Genuine humility flowing from our recognition of how impossible it is for man to earn his way to God is the first step in grasping God's Grace. To illustrate this point, Jesus told a story:
{{The Pharsiee & the tax collector}} Luke 18:9-14
. . . In the story, the mark of Grace is seen in the tax collector's humble confession of sin, but the hard-hearted Pharisee believed he was better than everybody else because HE HAD DONE SO MUCH FOR GOD.
{{Qx: He had followed the organizational Magicsterical soooo faithfully . . . He'd jumped through all the hoops, landing adroitly almost always in the laps of the proper statues so properly . . . }}
Jesus' listeners that day would have been astounded. The prostitutes and tax gatherers were thrilled that God's Grace extended even to them, but the Pharisees would have been furioius that all their good deeds, loyalty, and giving amounted to nothing {{actually, as Isaiah 64:6 says our works of righteousness--amounted to used Ktx}}.
To experience God's Grace, we have to give up on ever trying to earn it. IT's a gift--nothing less and nothing else.
.
Reading that section has been a renewal challenge and encouragement . . .
HE IS HOLY
I'M NOT.
HIS HOLINESS is imparted to me via Christ's Blood. I could never remotely possibly earn it regardless of how many Magistericals I pleased or complied with.
Faith in Christ's Blood . . . so essential. So sufficient for Salvation.
What can wash away my sins . . . nothing but The Blood of Jesus, as the old hymn exalts so truly and majestically.
All else at least risks, if not wallows well over the lines of stubbornness, arrogance, idolatry, witchcraft.