Streaming Thoughts

Here's something a little different. Usually I write something only after stewing on it for a long time. That process begins with prayer. In between it includes lots and lots of notes on things God's Spirit directs me to in His Word or things He wants me to think about and then extract from His Word. Often these notes come in torrents. Once bathed in prayer, Bible study, and coherence, they come out as blogs or books. Such a process started this morning. Below is the result.

This first bit started as a conversation in my head, one often heard from folks I talk to.

Why "Christian Mythology"? Who are you to tell me?
Whose authority?
How can the whole church be wrong?
What about pastors, teachers, deacons?

We teach truth and false doctrine but not always all the truth. Who decides what we believe and teach? Who is responsible for deciding what is taught and believed?

You know something is wrong but...
You say it's not really all that bad to stir up such a fuss.
Then what should we do with those parts that are wrong? What are we responsible for? What will God hold us accountable for?

How do you know something is wrong? Who told you? Has the church admitted it's own guilt? Did you conclude this by your own experience? Or did God tell you? What are you required to do with this knowledge?

What happens when we become the Church and worship exactly as God prescribed? What happens when we don't? What happens when we try to interpolate and do/teach/believe things that we think are not in the Bible, thus providing us with the liberty/freedom of interpretation and expression? Do such areas exist?

What if you're right? What should I do? Don't follow me. It is God waking you up. Follow Him. Obey the promptings of His Spirit as He guides you in His Word to learn the truth.

A little later on this stream started after I heard that the linen wall in the Old Testament Tabernacle was woven from a single weave. This represents the righteousness of the saints today. I want to investigate this.

If we indeed live in the church age of Laodicea, how can this be reconciled with this present representation?

Worship - where God chooses to put His Name (Deuteronomy 12, esp. 4-5) sacrifice, rejoice, eat -
Tabernacle
Temple
Jerusalem
John 4:21
God seeks another - John 4:23

Phrase - "Prepare our hearts to worship" - Where does it come from? What does it mean?

Yesterday someone mentioned to me again (I hear this a lot) that they think the actual percentage of folks in church who are saved is quite small, from 10-20% max.

If 80% of the church are unsaved then:

1) they should be easily identified by the other 20% and
a) they should be cast out
2) they are not identified by the other 80% because these are asleep and assimilated not knowing the difference and
b) nothing happens

And finally, this stream was put to paper:

Suppose these are the only words you ever hear from Jesus. What would you do? Suppose this is the only act you ever see Jesus do. How would you respond?

Most of His Words and acts were performed to unique and singular audiences, sometimes many, sometimes, one. And they never see or hear Him ever again. What did they do? How did they respond? How about you?

They had no Bible. No books. No internet. No phones. No mass communication. No relative hindsight.

Devotional?