Fine China or Paper Plate?

Before reading this opinion, read the truth: John 4

Yahweh: Fine China or paper plate? 

I recently asked myself this question. Is God something to be put up and only used during special occasions such as a funeral or a celebration?  Is God versatile, like a paper plate, able to contain a sloppy joe or chicken casserole. Yahweh can be reused or provide a clean slate when necessary (for those of you who are particular about your food). 

The Jews were sternly instructed to be very careful of Yahweh because if they came in the presence of God, he would break out against them because of their defiled hearts. Not just anyone could run into the Holy of Holies and try to give God a "five" and ask God, "How have you been?" There were rituals and laws that provided for the careful guidance of entering God's presence. We have several occasions when the Israelites slipped up and people lost their lives because of a lapse in judgment. 

Keeping that in mind, can you picture how the Jews would've felt when John wrote about the "Word was God", "Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us" (John 1) and "touched with our hands the Word of life" (1 John 1). John is speaking of the same God who warned the Israelites about coming into his presence, much less touching him. Yet, John is proclaiming to have seen, embraced, and heard God! Can you imagine how a conservative Jew would've thought about such a blasphemous statement? You'd receive a similar reaction, if you went home right now and started throwing your mom's fine China around like a football.

John is saying to the Jews (in my words of course): "Stop going to the Temple to find God because He ain't there, He lives in you!" Before I pick on the Jews too much let's take a look at our mixed signals. Remember the song "Tip Toe in God's House", (don't get me wrong I loved over-exaggerating the tip toes) what does that tell our kids? 

1. BEWARE, God is going to get you!

2. God's presence resides at "enter your church address here" and that is where He belongs.

3."If I could just get my "heathen" friends in that church building, I know they'd be what "I" wanted them to be!

First of all the song has good intentions but it promotes a respect of God that is unbalanced. Too much fear without enough love makes us too scared to truly seek out God's heart. We can't find God's heart until we seek his presence. We can never find God's heart if we lock Him up in the church building after services are over. This is why my "heathen" friends never saw the inside of the building because they didn't see the true church (God's presence/kingdom) living in me. They certainly could be like me without going to church.

So really we are just as bad about locking God down to one spot as anyone. So is God, China or a paper plate? Is he an everyday deity or an every once in a while kind of deal? Before you give me the answer I want to hear (read or etc.), THINK and let your actions reveal the answer  to you! 

Story time: An elder was asked once, "Where is your church located?", he looked at his watch and replied "One is delivering the mail, one is teaching second grade, and another is driving a bulldozer."

(Just in case you didn't follow instructions)

The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 

John 4:19-24 (NASB)