contemplativeWhen I was going to church (I went to church for 35 years) I met no one who reads books like "Becoming the Gospel" even ministers. The average visible American church is filled with people who would pride themselves on not reading any serious Christian literature. Even in your average American church people hardly read and study the Bible. I consider myself a typical white American male middle-class Christian. I believe it should be normal for a Christian to read and study the Bible daily. In my judgment we are living in the End Times. We are living in the period of Great Apostasy. "Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come" Hebrews 13:12-14.
I stop going to church several years ago because it was not meaningful. I received no deep spiritual fellowship with other professing Christians. I could find no one who wanted to dig deep into the Bible or have intense spiritual fellowship. I found church to be a lonely depressing place on Sundays. So I left to seek the Lord alone since I was already alone in the Church world. I want the Communion of the saints, but it is not to be found in the American Wasteland.
I do tell people to go to church, because for most people it is the only place they will hear some Bible teaching and meet religious people. Everybody is different and some people can get blessed going to a church building on Sundays. What is meaningful for me spiritually is not spiritually meaningful for other professing Christians. We all have to answer to the Lord on the Last Day.
So my day goes by normal. I have been dozing and reading, "Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission" by Michael J. Gorman.
"[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
[5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
[8] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
[9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
[10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
[11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
[12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
[13] But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" Second Thess. 2:1-13