This morning I continued in my read through Ezekiel, with his harsh rebuke of Isreal and wrathful portrayal of God's judgement given all that was happening during this window of exile.
It would seem that this faithful God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had abandoned this tribe of Judah with whom once so faithful and loving, at least per the Psalmist.
I specify Judah as opposed to the whole of Isreal because "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;" Genesis 49:10.
My years of journey through scripture have always sustained a wonder as to its progressive nature and in turn religion's aggressive pursuit toward fixation and framing this wonder, so as to control the outcome.
The best of men and women of God, sorely influenced by ego, seem to have a need to valiantly aid this Being whom we call God, as if the Creator of the galaxies needed our help. Not beating up on humans, cause I am one! In fact, my wife often references me as a "pot calling the kettle black." We all have an ego!
It seems that still yet, from Abraham to Moses, Moses to David, David to the prophets, Jesus to Antioch, Antioch to Constantine, Eastern to Western, Catholic to Protestant, now 45,000 denominations, God continues the unveiling of Divinity despite religion.
From Abraham's faith expression as captured in Moses' writings, his stories leaking grace and the occasional reference to the Christ, an example, the lifting up of the serpant on a tree.
Then later, the mention of a birth in Bethlehem as foretold by the prophets, who soon became the Lamb that was slain, eliminating the need for the long practiced priestly sacrifice. That Lamb, God become flesh, was the greatest ever demonstration of His Name, which was Love. Hear the progression.
Yet within a few years, we see Paul, once a devoted Judaizer struggling with those already "bewitched" by religion and legalism, per the language in Galatians. His counter proposal would be Galatians 2:20:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Scripture further reinforces the objective of "Christ in us,the hope of glory!"
In fact, we are now the very Body of Christ, though not the same as the organizational institution, which less and less seems representative of the Christ, rather an institution early on infected and empowered by way of politics per Constantine!
It seems that this relentless spirit of religion is somehow deep in our genes, almost sin-like in its final product relative to who Jesus was.
I spent a good portion of the morning thinking through some of the ramifications of the actions of the Councils, i.e. The Nicene only 300 years after Christ. The power players involved already determining who was in, and who was out as this institution was further framed.
So, where is all this going, given the scores of next generation followers who are abandoning much of what my Boomer generation accepted at face value? Is this "the great falling away" or in reality another moment of progression in the generational maturation of the collective Body of Christ? "Weak signals" is the term my futurist friends would use!
The mounting tension within a deeply divided political America and its penetration of the Institution's value system is a little frightening. Compounded by the No-Win scenario developing in Isreal, this moment has great potential for another major shift in Christianity as we have known it.
Whether that implies the soon return of a bodily Christ, as preached by those who have long accepted the 2-3 doctrinal approaches to Dispensationalism or, emphatically points toward a moment that when looked back upon will be considered as epic as was Luther's Reformation.
Perhaps, a future point in history is emerging, when the Ecclesia finally realizes that the original goal was not the man, Jesus and some desire that He be worshipped, but rather the model of Christ in man, as was so obviously and radically demonstrated by this God-man, Jesus?
That moment then thrusting mankind into a period of flourishing ideation and technology that has the potential for a "New Heaven and a New Earth" though slightly different than John the Revelator might have understood. One driven by love rather than politics and greed, perhaps clearing the way for habitation of the heavens, the galaxies as we now know them!! Those who have gone on before, then joining us in reunion! That may be when we meet Jesus?
Selah.
If new, scroll forward for more reads, approximately 1000 posts since 2009.
Feel free to share, even check out books on the home page.
Grateful!
Hope you and the Mrs. Have a good weekend