tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12325136593868202262024-03-13T03:04:46.879-07:00Only Admit OneCherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-84605887271803223772010-09-11T12:23:00.000-07:002010-09-11T12:23:17.983-07:00As Christians...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TIvWumshqMI/AAAAAAAABAI/drjX20Mgrf0/s1600/911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TIvWumshqMI/AAAAAAAABAI/drjX20Mgrf0/s400/911.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-64698624405060841702010-06-21T12:00:00.000-07:002010-06-21T12:02:17.335-07:00Humble Orthodoxy<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TB-2J79ZtzI/AAAAAAAAA_4/pPHaLo2L-S8/s1600/tozer-1956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ru="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TB-2J79ZtzI/AAAAAAAAA_4/pPHaLo2L-S8/s200/tozer-1956.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>An exerpt from "Born After Midnight" by A.W. Tozer written in 1959<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Chapter 18--Let's Be Humble About Our Orthodoxy</span><br />
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"Christianity is rarely found pure. Apart from Christ and His inspired apostles probably no believer or company of believers in the history of the world has ever held the truth in total purity.<br />
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One great saint believed that the truth is so vast and mighty that no one is capable of taking it all in, and that it requires the whole company of ransomed souls properly to reflect the whole body of revealed truth.<br />
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The light has shone upon men and nations, and (God be praised) it has shone with sufficient clarity to enable millions to travel home in its glow; but no believer, however pure his heart or however obedient his life, has ever been able to receive it as it shines from the Throne unmodified by his own mental stuff. As a lump of clay when grasped by the human hand remains clay but cannot escape the imprint of the hand, so the truth of God when grasped by the human mind remains truth but bears upon it the image of the mind that grasps it. Truth cannot enter a passive mind. It must be received into the mind by an active mental response, and the act of receiving it tends to alter it to a greater or less degree.<br />
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As the sun’s rays are bent when passing through a prism, so has the light of God been bent when passing through the hearts of men. Sin, temperament, prejudice, early education, cultural influences, prevailing vogues: all have worked to throw the eyes of the heart out of focus and distort the inward vision.<br />
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Of course I refer here to theological and religious truth. How pure this truth is in any place at any given time is revealed by the moral standards of those who hold the truth and by religious practices among the churches generally. Spiritual truth (by which I mean the disclosures of the Holy Spirit to the human spirit) is always the same. The Spirit always says the same thing to whomsoever He speaks and altogether without regard to passing doctrinal emphases or theological vogues. He flashes the beauty of Christ upon the wondering heart, and the awed spirit receives it with a minimum of interference. Wesley and Watts were worlds apart in their theology, but they could and did love and sing the same hymns of pure worship and adoration. The Spirit united them to worship even though their respective views of truth separated them doctrinally.<br />
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Each age has interpreted Christianity after its own fashion. The religion of the barnstorming American revivalists of the nineteenth century was certainly something different from that of Luther or the medieval mystics or the apostolic fathers. The bishops who met at Nicea in the fourth century to defend the faith of Christ from the attack of the Arians surely differed radically from the scholars and saints who stood to defend that same faith from the attack of the higher critics in the early twentieth century.<br />
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Theology has a tendency to run to modes just as does philosophy. The Christian teachers of the Middle Ages bore down hard upon the vanity of life and the innate wickedness of the body. In the early days of America the prevailing doctrine was hell, and the popular preachers of those times revealed more details about that terrible place than were known to the inspired writers of the Scriptures. In more recent times it was discovered again that God is love, and the love of God for mankind became the chief theme of sermons and song throughout the evangelical world.<br />
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Right now we are in another period of transition, and blessed is the man that knows where we are going. Whatever direction the theological wind may set there are two things of which we may be certain: One is that God will not leave Himself without a witness. There will always be some who hold the creed of Christ, the inspired outline of Christian doctrine. Saving truth will never be completely hidden from the sight of men. The poor in spirit, the penitent, will always find Christ close at hand ready to save them. The other is that the Holy Spirit is the true conservator of orthodoxy and will invariably say the same thing to meek and trusting souls. Illuminated hearts are sure to agree at the point where the light falls.<br />
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Our only real danger is that we may grieve the blessed Spirit into silence and so be left to the mercy of our intellects. Then we shall have Christian scholars in abundance but we’ll be short on adoring saints. We’ll have defenders of the faith who can overawe their opponents with their logic and their learning, but well be without prophets and mystics and hymnists. Well have the bush, pruned and trimmed and properly cultivated, but in the bush there will be no fire.<br />
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Truth is forever the same, but modes and emphases and interpretations vary. It is a cheering thought that Christ can adapt Himself to any race or age or people. He will give life and light to any man or woman anywhere in the world regardless of doctrinal emphasis or prevailing religious customs, provided that man or woman takes Him as He is and trusts Him without reservation. The Spirit never bears witness to an argument about Christ, but He never fails to witness to a proclamation of Christ crucified, dead and buried, and now ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high.<br />
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The conclusion of the matter is that we should not assume that we have all the truth and that we are mistaken in nothing. Rather we should kneel in adoration before the pierced feet of Him who is the Truth and honor Him by humble obedience to His words." A.W. Tozer<br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-13193677570197984162010-06-14T11:35:00.000-07:002010-06-14T11:35:58.523-07:00Preach ChristSorry for my lack of posting recently. I've just gone back to work full-time and have been quite busy. Lots to read here in the archives though. So make yourselves at home. These are the verses I have been mulling over for the past few days...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TBZwOrb11XI/AAAAAAAAA_w/3c0KJo581FU/s1600/sword_and_cross_bragaglia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TBZwOrb11XI/AAAAAAAAA_w/3c0KJo581FU/s400/sword_and_cross_bragaglia.jpg" width="295" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"And this is my prayer: that your <span style="color: #990000;">love </span>may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to <span style="color: #990000;">discern what is best</span> and may be <span style="color: #990000;">pure and blameless</span> until the day of Christ, filled with the <span style="color: #990000;">fruit of righteousness</span> that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to <span style="color: #990000;">advance the gospel</span>. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in <span style="color: #990000;">chains for Christ</span>. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been <span style="color: #990000;">encouraged to speak the word of God</span> more<span style="color: #990000;"> courageously</span> and <span style="color: #990000;">fearlessly</span>.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is true that <span style="color: #990000;">some preach</span> Christ out of <span style="color: #990000;">envy</span> and <span style="color: #990000;">rivalry</span>, but others out of <span style="color: #990000;">goodwill</span>. The latter do so in <span style="color: #990000;">love</span>, knowing that I am put here for the <span style="color: #990000;">defense of the gospel</span>. The former preach Christ out of <span style="color: #990000;">selfish ambition</span>, not sincerely, supposing that they can <span style="color: #990000;">stir up trouble</span> for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, <span style="color: #990000;">Christ is preached</span>. And because of this <span style="color: #990000;">I rejoice</span>. Yes, and <span style="color: #990000;">I will continue to rejoice</span>..." Philippians 1:9-18{my own highlights in red}</span><br />
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I have been thinking a lot about and plan on writing more about what it means to "defend/contend for the faith". Trying to find the balance between kingdom living and theocracy. The balance between physically waging war and not fighting against <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">fle</span>sh and blood. The balance between relevancy and apathy. <br />
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So I hope to continue with these thoughts as I have the time. Like I said check out the archives on this blog. There is quite a bit to see and read...<br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-6795671005822022622010-06-06T14:39:00.001-07:002010-06-06T14:39:41.968-07:00Live The Truth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAwVacw4Y2I/AAAAAAAAA_o/t_8ovLY7xlQ/s1600/change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAwVacw4Y2I/AAAAAAAAA_o/t_8ovLY7xlQ/s640/change.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-70682948875651630372010-06-04T11:01:00.000-07:002010-06-04T11:01:14.905-07:00Lord Save Us From Your FollowersJust rented this movie last night. I defiantly recommend it. Lots of great things to think about as a Christian. Here is a sample of the movie and an interview with Dan Merchant who made the film. Enjoy...<br />
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<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DCsxiMBa-nA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DCsxiMBa-nA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-73286970629698323632010-06-02T09:38:00.000-07:002010-06-02T21:47:07.563-07:00A Reminder of His LOVE"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">{These are some photos I have taken over the last year or so. I have been amazed to consistently find the "heart" of God in his creation...reminding me of His love and my call to love.}<br />
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"Love without Truth breeds deception, and Truth without Love breeds arrogance." Tim Ohai</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaFQZVGCEI/AAAAAAAAA_A/TSXS44KwVU8/s1600/hearts1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaFQZVGCEI/AAAAAAAAA_A/TSXS44KwVU8/s400/hearts1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">"To love as Christ loves is to let our love be a practical thing and not a sentimental thing." </div> Sir Charles <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Villiers</span> Stanford<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaFtxV_FGI/AAAAAAAAA_I/vH4ELqIaApY/s1600/heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaFtxV_FGI/AAAAAAAAA_I/vH4ELqIaApY/s400/heart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Love is an act of endless forgiveness." Jean <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Vanier</span> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaF_LNDfzI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/Hr0TSmeG9jY/s1600/hearts5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaF_LNDfzI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/Hr0TSmeG9jY/s400/hearts5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"The sword of the peaceful warrior is love." Gary <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Amirault</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaGceAKCcI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/p-_Zs4iYeAk/s1600/hearts3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaGceAKCcI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/p-_Zs4iYeAk/s400/hearts3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">"A Christian should always remember that the value of his good works is not based on their number and excellence, but on the love of God which prompts him to do these things." John of the Cross</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaHhbjXzeI/AAAAAAAAA_g/fLVnKpMlopQ/s1600/hearts4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAaHhbjXzeI/AAAAAAAAA_g/fLVnKpMlopQ/s400/hearts4.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">"If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example, justice without love is legalism; faith without love is ideology; hope without love is self-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">centeredness</span>; forgiveness without love is self-abasement; fortitude without love is recklessness; generosity without love is extravagance; care without love is mere duty; fidelity without love is servitude. Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love." </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> Fr. Richard P. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">McBrien</span></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/333/628FD7EB203B8354BD54003BBF898365.png" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0pt; border-left: 0pt; border-right: 0pt; border-top: 0pt;" /></a><br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-81043831844359508172010-05-30T11:04:00.000-07:002010-05-30T11:04:08.283-07:00Light in the Darkness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAKoX_pGMSI/AAAAAAAAA-4/rbIZ98JXjSk/s1600/bonhoeffer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="435" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/TAKoX_pGMSI/AAAAAAAAA-4/rbIZ98JXjSk/s640/bonhoeffer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-18234884824769374972010-05-24T12:26:00.000-07:002010-05-24T12:26:01.189-07:00Open Door<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_rSmb9lSaI/AAAAAAAAA-w/cTcD5hCsZbs/s1600/bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="536" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_rSmb9lSaI/AAAAAAAAA-w/cTcD5hCsZbs/s640/bacon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-54405980514718016322010-05-22T11:29:00.000-07:002010-05-22T11:29:16.237-07:00Cross Before The Crown<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_gh5hge3CI/AAAAAAAAA-o/HsjhmCrkPYI/s1600/21539xl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_gh5hge3CI/AAAAAAAAA-o/HsjhmCrkPYI/s400/21539xl.png" width="262" /></a></div>"Meanwhile the cross comes before the crown and tomorrow is a Monday morning. A cleft has opened in the pitiless walls of the world, and we are invited to follow our great Captain inside. The following Him is, of course, the essential point. That being so, it may be asked what practical use there is in the speculations which I have been indulging. I can think of at least one such use. <br />
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It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbour. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. <br />
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It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly temped to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. <br />
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All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. <br />
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There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations---these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit---immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. <br />
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This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ /vere latitat/---the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden." C. S. Lewis--The Weight of Glory<br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-78779917035499302432010-05-20T15:55:00.000-07:002010-05-20T16:04:32.536-07:00Coming Down The Mountain<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_W81EM16iI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/IDZutOUggLc/s1600/fire2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_W81EM16iI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/IDZutOUggLc/s320/fire2.jpg" /></a></div>I love worship! I am a horrible singer, I don't play an instrument but I love worship! I haven't always been that way. In fact for a long time I couldn't figure out what all the hub-bub was about. I had been raised in a climate of great worship and loved dancing to the music as a kid. But as a teen you would find me sitting in the back of the service, mouth closed and arms crossed. Then one day about twelve years ago I was in a worship service in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Lausanne</span>, Switzerland. {This was during a year of re-dedication for me. I did a 6 month discipleship school and a 3 month biblical studies course} It was during my first couple weeks there my attitude for worship changed. During this one particular meeting they had moved all the chairs to the back of the room so that people could dance and really let loose; you know like King David. However I found a chair in the back and sat in it...so not ready to "let loose", you know like Michal{2 Sam 6:14-16}.<br />
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As I sat there I began to ask God why I was not able to worship like everyone else. Everyone else was just going for it without a care about how they looked or sounded. Total abandon. Yet I so wanted to experience what they were experiencing. Then God spoke very clear and very simple to me. "I can only fill you to the capacity that you give Me. I want all of you. Are you ready to give all of you to get all of Me?" I thought about that for a minute. Thought about all the craziness I had been through in my teenage and young adult years. I knew God was right{as usual}. I knew I was holding back because of fear and that fear was the enemy keeping me from experiencing God they way I needed to.<br />
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So I stood up and began to worship. First very quiet, hands at my side. Then I closed my eyes and forgot about everyone around me. The singing got louder, my arms stretched higher and tears began to flow. I can't remember the song. All I remember is that I got louder and louder and began to call out to God in total abandon and total desperation for Him to take ALL of me. I remember my whole body feeling hot with the fire of God. And then I dropped to the floor face down. I couldn't move. The Spirit of God was so heavy I couldn't even lift my head. Oh and I was no longer speaking words that I could understand; my worship had turned to tongues. That had never happened before! I remember two of the leaders Darlene and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Geeta</span> coming over and beginning to pray for me. Can't remember the actual prayers but I remember hearing "more" and "new" over and over again. <br />
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So there I was in front of everybody face down on the floor unable to move. Crying out to God in this crazy language, face red and swollen from the constant tears, mucous running out of my nose down my face, clothes wet from the sweat, voice cracking and hoarse...total abandon! It was AWESOME! I have never been the same since. A heart for ardent worship was birthed in me that day. A new found tool for prayer, intercession and contending was birthed in me that day. A burden for others to experience God in His fullness was birthed in me that day. I have held close to those things for the past twelve years. In fact about a year after that experience I was led to do a three month school of intercession, worship and spiritual warfare in Israel because of what was birthed in me that day. Every time I let loose God is faithful to meet me there. I love being in the presence and glory of my God.<br />
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The trick for me has been learning how to mobilize that glory and presence of God to go with me wherever I go. For a while there I was spending all the time I could in prayer and worship, private and corporate, just to have that same experience. And God met me there every time. Awesome most every time. But what I started noticing is that I was frustrated with life and the world "outside" the prayer and worship time. I wanted to just stay in the awesome, powerful, warm, safe, hidden, renewing presence and glory of God. I would really have thoughts about how I couldn't wait to get to heaven where I could just worship at the feet of Jesus...forever, no interruptions. I was like Moses coming down the mountain the first time instead of Moses coming down the mountain the second time. Let me explain...<br />
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First Time<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_W9KIzzlcI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/8roiDMW9r5o/s1600/fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_W9KIzzlcI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/8roiDMW9r5o/s400/fire.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="color: #990000;">"And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written... So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. " Ex 32:15,19</span></div><br />
Second Time<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God...Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai." Ex 34:29,32</span><br />
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The first time Moses came down from the mountain he only brought the instruction{testimony} that God had given him. He didn't bring the glory that he had experienced for forty days. He left the glory{experience} on the mountaintop. So when he interfaced with the real world and the real problems he lost it; smashed the testimony. I have had this so many times. Especially now that I have two little kids. I would be deep in a worship time driving in the car, kids sleeping. Totally in the presence of God, warm tears gliding down my face at the beauty of Jesus. Then from the back of the car, "MOM! I need to go to the bathroom." <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ahh</span>...talk about ruining the moment! Tablets smashed, glory denied...<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">lol</span>. So what was the difference on that second trip up the mountain? Moses asks for a personal experience of the glory God to take with him along with the testimony. In fact he tells God that he and the people will not move unless God's glory and presence goes with them. Both the testimony and experience of God. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people. And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” Ex 33:13-16 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you...Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">lovingkindness</span> and truth; who keeps <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">lovingkindness</span> for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin..." Ex 33:18-19, 34:6-7 </span><br />
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We know if we read further that God was faithful to his promise. He moved as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night wherever the people went. The glory and testimony of the Lord rested in the tabernacle and later in the temple among the people. The great testimony and glory of the Lord was made known consistently through the old testament not only to His people but also the nations. The testimony and the glory of God worked together to create a nation of witnesses. So now it wasn't the nation asking "Lord show me your glory." It was God saying to the nation "You show me my glory." <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory..."You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me..."It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God." Is 43:7,10,12 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me...He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory." Is 49:1,3 </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_W9W8ueF-I/AAAAAAAAA-g/4rY5Z3W-oDg/s1600/fire4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_W9W8ueF-I/AAAAAAAAA-g/4rY5Z3W-oDg/s320/fire4.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Unfortunately by the end of the Old Testament the nation has gone back to the first trip down the mountain. They had the testimony of God but they no longer have the the glory or experience of God. We read in Ezekiel that the glory of God had left the temple. They are really left with just a dry, crumbling tablet of testimony. That is really what I am wanting to get at in this post. Testimony without the glory and experience of God is dry and crumbling. On the other hand experience and sitting in the glory of God without testimony is well...selfish. Neither one on it's own is a effective witness. God gave his testimony and showed his glory as a catalyst for his people to act; to be his witnesses. Let's fast forward to the New Testament and another mountain of glory. </div> <br />
<span style="color: #990000;">"About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus...Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said...A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."...The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him." Luke 9:28-31,33,35,37</span> <br />
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Now why did Jesus need to take these guys up the mountain to "experience" his glory? Because he needed to not only tell them who he was, he needed to show them who he was. Why? So that they would listen to him and be his witnesses. Testimony{word}+Glory{experience}= Effective Witness. What is cool is that Moses was there representing that written word{law}, Elijah the spoken word of the prophet and Jesus the fulfilment of both. All three in the experience and glory of God to witness the truth. Awesome. Notice Jesus came back down the mountian too. Jesus was the glory of the Lord that went with them down the mountian. The disciples just hadn't quite figured that out yet. The glory was walking with them.<br />
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So the real lesson for me in all of this was learning that you have to come down the mountain. But when you do come down the mountain bring the glory of the Lord with you so that you might be His witness. I would love to stay at the top of the mountain most days. Just like the disciples I think "This feels good, let me just set up a tent here and stay in the glory of the Lord forever, uninterrupted." But the thing is is that there is a lost and dying world at the bottom of the mountain waiting for us to come and show the testimony and the glory of God. Am I saying that prayer and worship meetings are wrong? Absolutely not! We need to go to the top of the mountain so that what we do at the bottom of the mountain is more effective and moves in the power of God. We need to keep our testimony drenched in the Spirit of God so it doesn't get dry and cracked. So let the glory of the Lord and those experiences in the quiet place be a bolster for the lost and dying. Not to keep it for ourselves but to have God give us a heart that all would experience Jesus as we have. Moreover that all we do in every part of our day would be out of a heart of worship and to the glory of God. Let your face shine in all things not just for your own experience but to be a witness to the testimony and glory of God in Christ Jesus. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. " 2 Cor. 3:18 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God....even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." 1 Cor 10:31,33</span><br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-4289805648149670802010-05-18T10:28:00.000-07:002010-05-19T10:28:12.620-07:00Love Is A Beautiful Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_LMWxi5jNI/AAAAAAAAA9g/wnhvskcY9h0/s1600/daddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_LMWxi5jNI/AAAAAAAAA9g/wnhvskcY9h0/s640/daddy.jpg" width="640" wt="true" /></a></div><div align="center">{This is part of a letter written in 1967, by my then 24 yr old dad, from the mission fields of the Pacific, home to his parents in the States.}</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-62818597887343391322010-05-17T09:40:00.000-07:002010-05-17T09:40:47.345-07:00What Is Truth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_FwHebW7KI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/x1W0-Jz3hno/s1600/truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S_FwHebW7KI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/x1W0-Jz3hno/s640/truth.jpg" width="640" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
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For more information on the documentary "Furious Love" <a href="http://www.furiouslovethemovie.com/">click here</a>. This movie is a MUST SEE for every Christian! I've only had my copy for 48 hours and I have watched twice. So much good, solid, Christ-centered truth in this film. It will change the way you view the world and hopefully the way you see yourself.<br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-51245014952472587072010-05-14T20:50:00.000-07:002010-05-18T16:57:10.273-07:00Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes Oh My! {Part Two}<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-4ZV6w9DLI/AAAAAAAAA8o/27RmkI0vqL4/s1600/index3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-4ZV6w9DLI/AAAAAAAAA8o/27RmkI0vqL4/s400/index3.jpg" width="282" wt="true" /></a></div><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://onlyadmitone.blogspot.com/2010/05/pharisees-sadducees-and-essenes-oh-my.html">Click here to read Part One...</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' " Luke 10:27</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar." 1John 4:20</span><br />
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So in the last post I gave a little mini history of the three religious groups that were around during the time of Jesus. Now what I want to do is identify the negative spirits that some of them moved in so that we can avoid them in our own lives. First I want to start with the simple concept of loving God and loving neighbor. Jesus said that there was no other commandment greater than these. I see no where in Jesus' teaching that these commandments were separated. They always went together. In fact the above verse quit plainly tells us that if we do one without the other we are liars. Lack of the second commandment negates the first...period. But the religious groups during the time of Jesus had separated them. Let me explain.<br />
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If you only love you neighbor{mankind} and don't love God you are a humanist. This is what the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> had done. They had taken God out of the whole picture. They didn't believe that God was involved in their lives at all, man could do what he pleased, man was his own god. God had become an abstract, non personal God. They did not believe in the super-natural {angels & demons} at all. They didn't believe in the afterlife or resurrection. The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> had swayed more to the philosophical side of things, being the most <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Hellenized</span>{Greek thinking} of the three groups. Remember they were the rich and elite and with that sought of began to worship themselves. When you don't believe that there is a higher power other than yourself, you become your highest power. Their main concern was the material things of this world and how it affected their personal kingdom. Materialistic Humanism.<br />
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At the other extreme we have only loving God and not loving your neighbor{mankind}. This is called monastic mysticism and this was the Essenes. They had taken the neighbor out of the picture. They had totally separated themselves from the world, not just spiritually but physically as well. They lived with strict apocalyptic ascetics in a monastic manner in the wilderness. In a quest for higher holiness they counted all material things and pleasures as evil. Everything was God centered to the point of being wholly deterministic. All they did was pray, read, interpret scripture and minister to each other. Their goal was to usher in the messiah that would find only them as the true and most holy elect. They were deeply religious, extremely devout, fiercely loyal and obsessively self-disciplined. But they ministered only to God and themselves and forgot their neighbor. Monastic Mysticism.<br />
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Finally in the middle we have the well intending Pharisees. It seems they at least had the right idea with angels, the afterlife, resurrection and the balance of freewill/providence. I believe that their heart had been in the right place to try to put "a hedge around the Torah". But the hedge had grown to such impossible proportions that God and neighbor got shut out too. They turned both relationships into legal transactions. They turned a real God into a paper law. They turned neighbor into some one to be watched carefully. In their minds God was the letter, the traditions and the doctrine instead of someone they could have relationship with. The more interpretation they made the more they lost the personality and character of God. This grew to the point that God was on the same level as the "traditions of the elders". Their own wisdom was just as binding as the wisdom of God! So they weren't loving God they were loving the God they had interpreted him to be. This affected the way they related to each other as well. People were bound to their interpretations, their law, their judgements and their punishments. I think this is why so many times in the gospels we hear the word "hypocrite" because they said they loved God and neighbor when really all they loved was the traditions and the law. Penal Legalism. {This taken to the extreme is Theocracy and Zealotry}<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-4ZmwdgmRI/AAAAAAAAA8w/7oeiB2e2G5Q/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-4ZmwdgmRI/AAAAAAAAA8w/7oeiB2e2G5Q/s400/index.jpg" width="327" wt="true" /></a></div><span style="color: #990000;">"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14</span><br />
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Then <span style="background-color: white;">Jesus came to show us how to love God and love neighbor. What is interesting to me is that in this religious climate of elect, holiness, righteousness and law abiding they did not recognize him. If anything that should tell us how off they were. Those that were broken and in need recognized him. The demons recognized him. But the religious who supposedly knew God did not. Which is a good reminder to us that we should always view God through the lens of Jesus since they are one in the same. If you see Jesus and don't see God than you are no better off than the blind religious establishment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">So Jesus countered the authority of the elders with the authority of God. Jesus countered the pride and self-righteousness of the religious with a spirit of humility and brokenness. Jesus countered the attitude of needing to be served with title and prestige with the spirit of service and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">servanthood</span>. Jesus countered the abstract, rigid non-emotional law with himself; a real, nurturing, gracious person. Jesus countered the spirit of fear with a spirit of love. Jesus countered the spirit of judgement, binding and death with the spirit of forgiveness, loosing and life. This drove the religious establishment crazy! They had become so concerned with right and wrong they forgot about love. Jesus didn't always do what was "right" according to the law, but he always did what was most loving.</span><br />
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More specifically to the spirit of the materialistic humanist Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one gets to the Father but by me."{John 14:6}. He turned over the materialistic money tables of the temple {Matt 21:12}; he told the rich to sell everything and give it to the poor {Matt 19:21}. He warned that it is impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God{Matt 19:24} and against storing riches on earth{Luke 6:24}. He called them out on their lack of knowledge of the afterlife and power of God{Matt 22:29}. But still they loved man and the riches thereof instead of God and cried out "We have no king but Caesar."{John 19:15}.<br />
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To the spirit of the apocalyptic, monastic mystic Jesus said "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."{Matt 24:36} So in the meantime what you do for the least of these you do to Me "...for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me."{Matt 25:42-43}. He warns against false prophets that seek the hidden and mysterious “So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it."{Matt 24:26} He told them not to hid the light "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." {Matt 5:16} He told them that everything from the Father has been made known in Him; there are no mysteries.{John 15:15} He warned holiness does not make you the greatest but <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">servanthood</span> does{Mark 9:35}. He told them to stay in the world "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one."{John 17:15} Moreover to go into all the world as testimony of Him{Mark 16:15}.<br />
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To the spirit of theocracy and zealotry Jesus said to respect even the most volatile government "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."{Matt 22:21} To love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you and your beliefs.{Matt 5:44} He said not to take up arms "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword."{Matt 26:52} "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."{Matt 5:9} He made clear his kingdom was not of this world so we don't fight like it is "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting..."{John 18:36} But instead His kingdom peace has already overcome so that we may be at peace within the world. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."{John 16:33}<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-4ZwdNEUAI/AAAAAAAAA84/EVIkugt0WZs/s1600/index1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-4ZwdNEUAI/AAAAAAAAA84/EVIkugt0WZs/s400/index1.jpg" width="322" wt="true" /></a></div>To the spirit of penal legalism Jesus broke all the rules of the elders to bring healing and freedom! He called them out on their interpretations "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?"{Matt 15:3} He did not answer to the authority of men{Matt 21:27}. He broke the sabbath law by healing{Matt 12:10} He touched the unclean{Mark 1:41}. He ate unclean food{Mark 7:19} He hung out with sinners{Matt 11:19} He called them out on their binding laws{Matt23:4} on their pride{Matt 23:5-6} on their deciding who is worthy of the kingdom{Matt 23:13} on their lack of witness{Matt 23:15} on their lack of justice, mercy and faithfulness{Matt 23:23} on their self-righteousness and lack of humility{Matt 23:25,28} Jesus called them to a higher kingdom righteousness over their law righteousness that forced them to love and forgive neighbor...do not murder was now do not be angry...do not commit adultery was now do not lust...do not break oath was now do not swear oath at all but yes be yes and no be no...eye for an eye was now turn the other cheek...love your neighbor was now love your enemy also.{Matt 5:17-48}<br />
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The spirit of penal legalism that was stoning people to death in the first century, is the same spirit that was burning people at the stake in the middle ages. Today penal legalism isn't stoning people or burning them at the stake but it is most certainly alive and well. We just right books against each other, call each other heretics and preach disdain for "certain" theology from the pulpit...same spirit different time. Even Jesus' own disciples displayed this corrective, penal legalism at times. Notice how Jesus responds...love and tolerance. I have a feeling if Jesus were physically present for some of the theological and doctrinal arguments we have today, his response would be just the same.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side." Mark 9:38-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">40</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."" Luke 9:53-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">56</span></span><br />
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When you read through the gospels and Acts you really begin to see the spirit of penal legalism in the way that Jesus and his followers were treated. Remember that penal legalism depersonalizes and makes people into the<span style="background-color: white;"> lawyer or the lawbreaker. The</span> accused or the accuser. The clean and unclean. The righteous and the sinner. The wise and the unwise. It always creates two opposing sides...right and wrong. So there is this overwhelming spirit of judgement and argument that is relentless. They don't feel OK unless they have corrected something or someone. <br />
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This spirit plots destruction{Matt 12:14}, it forces proof {Matt 12:38}, pushes man made doctrine{Matt 19:3, 22:17, 22:23}, it follows after man instead of God{John 9:28}, it seeks to entangle{Matt 22:15}, it disputes{Mark 8:11}, cross examines{Luke 11:53}, watches close to find fault{Luke 6:7}, it scoffs and mocks{Luke 16:14}, it seeks false testimony{Matt 26:59}, it threatens{John 9:22}, it spies{John 11:46}, it rebukes{Luke 19:39} it causes fear{John 7:13} it abuses{Acts 23:2} it binds in chains{Acts 9:21} it is jealous{Acts 13:45} it is riotous {Acts 17:5} and murderous{Acts 7:59}. They never rejoiced when someone was healed, they weren't happy that lost were being found, and found it difficult that the unworthy were being forgiven and shown mercy. This only caused them to be even more judgmental, confrontational and relentless. Robin Watson sums it up like this, "Any system that is governed by rules will ultimately fail. Only in the New Testament and in the teachings of Christ do we see that it is "the mercy of God which leads us unto repentance." <br />
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So it all comes back to loving God and loving your neighbor. You cannot have one without the other. If you love man and not God you are a humanist. If you love God and not man you are a mystic and a liar. If you love the law more than God and man you are legalistic. We need to take a good look at these attitudes and how they have found their way into the church. We need to guard against these negative spirits that seek to kill, steal and destroy. But we also need to give each other the benefit of the doubt, be loving, be gracious, be forgiving, be civil to one another. Listen to how Paul tries to find some common ground with doctrinal differences. Much the same as in the verse above, "whoever is not against us is for us." We should first and foremost be for Christ...period. So act like it!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. And So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." Acts 11:16 </span><br />
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Finally the wisdom of Gamaliel... <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." Acts 5:38-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">39</span></span> <br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-13630403860302905782010-05-12T17:17:00.000-07:002010-05-17T09:33:06.007-07:00Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes Oh My! {Part 1}<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-tFaDpLGGI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/cfvRF4STFCY/s1600/Nerone_Flavius_Josephus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-tFaDpLGGI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/cfvRF4STFCY/s400/Nerone_Flavius_Josephus.jpg" width="287" wt="true" /></a></div>So I had a question the other day as to how I could possibly think that Jesus was tolerant during his time here on earth. The statement was that Jesus used strong language and did things like knock over the tables of the money changers in the temple. My response was that if you read through all four gospels you will notice that the only people Jesus ever had strong words for were the religious establishment of the day. Interestingly enough he had strong reaction to them because they were NOT being tolerant of people. <br />
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So who were the religious establishment of the time of Jesus? We learn quite a bit about the Pharisees and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> from reading the gospels. <span style="background-color: white;"> There were also sub-groups such as the scribes, the elders and the zealots. Finally a group called the Essenes, though not mentioned in the NT the historian Josephus tells that they were around during the time of Jesus. What I want to look at is the attitude or the spirit in which these groups operated. It wasn't just what they did legalistically or religiously it was the spirit in which they did it. So I don't want this post to be against certain groups of people, but against the negative spirit that Jesus seemed to frequently encounter with these groups. These same negative spirits and attitudes are easily found in the Christian church today. So we need to identify them so that we don't fall into the same mistakes.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I have been surprised in my limited research on this topic how many Christians call themselves Pharisees with pride. Most seem to do so in identification with the apostle Paul or a particular doctrine. That would be OK if their identification were on the positive aspects of the the Pharisees{yes, there are some}, but most seem to cling to the negative. That is dangerous territory folks. I personally don't want to identify with the very people and spirit that Jesus had such strong rebuke for. I don't want to identify with people and spirit that helped crucify him. I don't want to identify with the spirit that persecuted the early church. I don't want to identify with any religious group or apostle; I want to identify with Jesus! So while there were positive aspects to both the Pharisees and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> ultimately most of them rejected the Son of God.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"For there are three philosophical sects among the Jews. The followers of the first of which are Pharisees; the second, the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span>; the third sect, which pretends to a severer discipline, are called Essenes." Josephus, Jewish Wars</span><br />
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So first I will give a mini history of each group and how they differed from one another. {Again, this is a limited study from simple resouces like Wikipedia, the writings of Josephus and my Bible dictionary}. There seems to be more info about the Pharisees than the other two groups. In the next post we will discuss the interaction of these groups in the gospels. Remember we are focusing on the negative on purpose so that we can identify attitudes to avoid in our own lives. I believe there were many <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">righ</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">teous</span> men in all these groups that maybe even became followers, but that is NOT who we are discussing in this post.<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">PHARISEES-HISTORY</span><br />
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The name Pharisee means "separated ones". Descendants of the Hasidim known as the "pious ones". They thought that they were spiritually superior and more spiritually enlightened or knowledgeable than other Jews.<br />
They were the largest of the three groups we will be discussing. They were mostly non-priests, hard working, middle-class but held much sway over the masses. It is my understanding any Jew could become a Pharisee. They were e<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">xtremely</span> legalistic in keeping the sabbath, tithing and purification rituals. They f<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">elt</span> a higher calling to holiness and purity.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Thes</span>e are a certain sect of the Jews that appear more religious than the others..." Josephus, Jewish Wars 1.5.2</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"...[The Pharisees] became themselves the real administrators of public affairs; they banished and reduced whom they pleased; they bound and loosed men at their pleasure; and, to say all at once, they had they enjoyment of the royal authority..." Josephus, Jewish Wars 1.5.2</span><br />
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They held to both the written law and the oral law. The oral law was their interpretation of the written, although they made it obligatory and binding as the written. This oral law was also known as "the tradition of the elders". Interpretation was only open to the competent; the scribes. In other words you had to be as wise and knowledgeable as they were and they were the ones that decided if you were in fact wise and knowledgeable. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"For now I wish only to explain that the Pharisees transmit to the people some rules in line with the fathers, which were not written in the laws of Moses. And because of this, the line of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> reject these things. They say that it is necessary to hold those rules that have been written but it is not (necessary) to observe what is (only) from the fathers' tradition. And, as a consequence, controversies and great disagreements have occurred between them." Josephus, Antiquities 13.10.6</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Because of these ideas, (the Pharisees) are the most persuasive among the citizens. And all the sacrifice and prayer offered to God happens to be according to their exegesis (of scripture)." Josephus, Antiquities 18.15</span><br />
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The "scribes" frequently mentioned in the gospels were the ones that made the scriptural interpretations. They were also known as lawyers. This combination of religion and law sort of made them the "religion police". If you didn't agree with their interpretation you got into big trouble.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-tFodU3lUI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/VQbciZTUHMg/s1600/hebrew+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-tFodU3lUI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/VQbciZTUHMg/s400/hebrew+text.jpg" width="252" wt="true" /></a><span style="color: #990000;">"Be deliberate in judgment; Raise up many disciples; and Make a hedge for the Torah." <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Mishna</span>, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Aboth</span> {Oral Law}</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>The Pharisees selectively opposed the Hellenization of their religion while still being open to doctrinal developments in keeping things relevant. Although Josephus did compare the Pharisees being a kin to the Stoics{person of a certain intellectual perfection is indifferent to pleasure and pain}. They b<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">elieved</span> in angels, demons, resurrection and the "afterlife". They also b<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">elieved</span> in both the freewill of mankind and "fate"{providence of God}.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"...I returned back to the city, being now nineteen years old, and began to conduct myself according to the rules of the Pharisees, which is of kin to the sect of the Stoics, as the Greeks call them." The Life of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Flavius</span> Josephus</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"They assert that everything is accomplished by faith. They do not, however, deprive the human will of spontaneity, it having pleased God that there should be a mixture, and that to the will of fate should be added the human will with its virtue or baseness" Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.3</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Now for the Pharisees, they say that some actions, but not all, are the work of fate, and some of them are in our own power, and that they are liable to fate, but are not caused by fate. But the sect of the Essenes affirm, that fate governs all things, and that nothing befalls men but what is according to its determination. And for the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span>, they take away fate, and say there is no such thing, and that the events of human affairs are not at its disposal; but they suppose that all our actions are in our own power, so that we are ourselves the causes of what is good, and receive what is evil from our own folly. However, I have given a more exact account of these opinions in the second book of the Jewish War." Josephus, Antiquities 13.5.9</span><br />
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The zealots of the time of Jesus were mostly extreme Pharisees or extreme separatists. They didn't believe in paying taxes or giving any allegiance to anyone other than the Jewish nation and would fight to keep it that way. Opposed to peace with Rome; opposed to use of the Greek language in Palestine. Their patriotism and religion was one in the same. They were prepared to resort to violence to insure their religion was not violated by others.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"[Zealots] Believed that total obedience (supported by drastic measures) must be apparent before God to bring in the Messianic Age." Holman Bible Dictionary</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"[Zealots] agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kinds of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man lord." Josephus, Antiquities 18.23</span><br />
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The Talmud named seven plagues of the Pharisees...<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">1) The “shoulder” Pharisee wore his good deeds on his shoulder so everyone could see them. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">2) The “wait a little” Pharisee who begs for time in order to perform a meritorious action.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">3) The “bruised” Pharisee shut his eyes to avoid seeing a woman and knocked into walls, bruising himself. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">4) The “humpbacked” Pharisee always walked bent double, in false humility. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">5) The “ever reckoning” Pharisee always counting up his good deeds so to offset his failings.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">6) The “fearful” Pharisee keeps the law in fear of the wrath and punishment of God. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">7) The “God-loving” Pharisee with a heart after Abraham who lived in faith and charity.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">THE <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">SADDUCEES</span>-HISTORY</span><br />
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The name Sadducee most likely means "righteous ones". Believed they were the line of the high priests of Zadok who was high priest under King David. They were the of the high priest party though not all <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> were priests. They were closely related to the goings on of the temple, ritually, politically and monetarily. In fact the were so bound to the temple that after its destruction by the Romans their group ceased to exist. They were high society, aristocracy, rich and elite. You could only be a Sadducee if you were born to a Sadducee. This was the group that thought of themselves as socially superior to the other groups.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"...of the sect of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span>, who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed..." <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Josep</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">hus</span>, Antiquities 20.9.1</span><br />
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The rejected the "oral law" of the Pharisees and accepted only the Torah. Some say that they honored some of the oral but did not hold it as legally binding. With the Torah they were rigid, strict and interpreted it literally. They did not believe in angels or demons. They did not believe in the afterlife or the resurrection. The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> also held to freewill of man only. They did not believe in "fate" or the providence of God.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"But the doctrine of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> is this: That souls die with the bodies; nor do they regard the observation of any thing besides what the law enjoins them; for they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent: but this doctrine is received but by a few, yet by those still of the greatest dignity. But they are able to do almost nothing of themselves; for when they become magistrates, as they are unwillingly and by force sometimes obliged to be, they addict themselves to the notions of the Pharisees, because the multitude would not otherwise bear them." Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.4</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-tFzPzd4yI/AAAAAAAAA8g/vilcbUf-0TI/s1600/greek+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-tFzPzd4yI/AAAAAAAAA8g/vilcbUf-0TI/s400/greek+text.jpg" width="293" wt="true" /></a></div><span style="color: #990000;">"...the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men's own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades...The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducees</span> one towards another is in some degree wild, and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them." Josephus, War of the Jews</span><br />
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The the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Sadducess</span> were very strict with the Torah they seemed pretty lax on other things. They worked more closely with the political parties of the day{Romans and Herod}. They were more prone to the Hellenization and Greek philosophy of the times. In this way they were more liberal than the Pharisees and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Essens</span>. One scholar stated it like this "Theirs was a rational religion, placing high value on logic and reason, and they were more preoccupied with matters of current expedient interest than in eternal truths." <br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">THE ESSENES-HISTORY</span><br />
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Uncertain as to the meaning of their name. They were the smallest of the three groups and the most "separated" even to the point of being monastic. Many believe they were a New Testamnet time relative of the Old Testament Nazirites{Numbers 6:1-21}. In fact some say that the term "Nazarene" is a combination of Nazirite and Essene. The Essenes had very strict ascetics. They believed that all pleasure was evil, they were mostly celibate and adhered to strict self-discipline and holiness. They thought themselves to be the most righteous of all the other Jewish groups. To be successful at this one had to remove himself completely from "the world" including what they thought was a corrupted Jerusalem temple. They believe they were the true and elect people of God. Their time was spent wholly on studying, interpreting and copying the law; prayer and meditation with emphasis on the prophetic and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">ap</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">ocaly</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">ptic</span>. They believed in the afterlife, especially revered angels and thought the end times were very near.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"The doctrine of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Essens</span> is this: That all things are best ascribed to God. They teach the immortality of souls, and esteem that the rewards of righteousness are to be earnestly striven for; and when they send what they have dedicated to God into the temple, they do not offer sacrifices because they have more pure <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">lustrations</span> of their own...It also deserves our admiration, how much they exceed all other men that addict themselves to virtue, and this in righteousness; and indeed to such a degree, that as it hath never appeared among any other men...and neither marry wives, nor are desirous to keep servants; as thinking the latter tempts men to be unjust, and the former gives the handle to domestic quarrels; but as they live by themselves, they minister one to another..." Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.5</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"God... raised for them[the Essenes] a Teacher of Righteousness to guide them in the way of His heart" (CD 1:9-11). The Teacher claimed to have the proper understanding of the Torah, being the one through whom God would reveal to the community “the hidden things in which Israel had gone astray” (CD 3:12-15). He also claimed to be an inspired interpreter of the prophets, as the one “to whom God made known all the mysteries of the words of his servants the prophets” (1QpHab 7:5)." Damascus Document, Dead Sea Scrolls</span><span style="color: #990000;">"...a number of men living in Syria and Palestine, over 4,000 according to my judgment, called 'Essæi' (ὂσιοι) from their saintliness (though not exactly after the meaning of the Greek language), they being eminently worshipers of God (θεραπευταί Θεον)—not in the sense that they sacrifice living animals (like the priests in the Temple), but that they are anxious to keep their minds in a priestly state of holiness. They prefer to live in villages and avoid cities on account of the habitual wickedness of those who inhabit them, knowing, as they do, that just as foul air breeds disease, so there is danger of contracting an incurable disease of the soul from such bad associations" <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Philo</span> of Alexandria</span> <br />
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Any Jew could become a part of their group but only after a three year probationary period. Then he had to give all his possessions to the group and undergo several ritual baptisms. Once an Essene you were held to the strict rules with your life...literally.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"To those who are eager for their school, the entry-way is not a direct one, but they prescribe a regimen for</span> <span style="color: #990000;">the person who remains outside for a year, giving him a little hatchet as well as the aforementioned waist-covering and white clothing. Whenever he should give proof of his self-control during this period, he approaches nearer to the regimen and indeed shares in the purer waters for purification, though he is not yet received into the functions of communal life. For after this demonstration of endurance, the character is tested for two further years, and after he has thus been shown worthy he is reckoned into the group." Josephus, Jewish Wars 2.8.7</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">" Those they have convicted of sufficiently serious errors they expel from the order. And the one who has been reckoned out often perishes by a most pitiable fate. For, constrained by the oaths and customs, he is unable to partake of food from others. Eating grass and in hunger, his body wastes away and perishes. That is why they have actually shown mercy and taken back many in their final gasps, regarding as sufficient for their errors this ordeal to the point of death." Josephus, Jewish War 2.8.8</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Now with respect to trials, [they are] just and extremely precise: they render judgment after having assembled no fewer than a hundred, and something that has been determined by them is non-negotiable. There is a great reverence among them for—next to God—the name of the lawgiver, and if anyone insults him he is punished by death." Josephus, Jewish Wars 2.8.9</span><br />
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So with all that said....in the next post we will discuss how these attitudes came into conflict with Jesus in the gospels. How we need to identify them and get them out of our own lives. Stay posted...<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/333/EE8EC56E6B2DCDC98600F46E473DDCA1.png" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0pt; border-left: 0pt; border-right: 0pt; border-top: 0pt;" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-35026113592776233972010-05-04T11:58:00.000-07:002010-05-04T11:58:57.272-07:00Our Job To LOVE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-BuDDKd0OI/AAAAAAAAA8A/nEOfNTe2syw/s1600/my+job.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S-BuDDKd0OI/AAAAAAAAA8A/nEOfNTe2syw/s400/my+job.jpg" tt="true" width="331" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-87614657808159734402010-05-03T08:38:00.000-07:002010-05-03T08:46:41.318-07:00The Voice of GodA dear friend sent me an email yesterday with a video by this man, Graham Cooke. I had never even heard of him...lol. I started watching some other videos by him and came across this one. It was hard for me to hold back the tears while watching. This video is such a confirmation about what I feel the Lord is speaking right now. This video is such a confirmation as to what I know personally of the character of God and how He speaks to me. This is THE MESSAGE the church needs to hear! This is a message I needed to hear and just at the right time! Enjoy...<br />
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<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/At_cZWDQ1jA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/At_cZWDQ1jA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-15776317358336369332010-05-02T13:33:00.001-07:002010-05-02T13:34:39.479-07:00The Real JesusOne more fantastic post from Dr. Gregory Boyd...<br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3_76SlSwZU8&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3_76SlSwZU8&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-73916795447662528392010-05-01T17:37:00.000-07:002010-05-02T13:34:25.673-07:00Religion vs RelationshipI don't usually promote specific teachers but this is really good. I put clip #3 of 5 just to give a little teaser. The rest of the sermon is on YouTube---Evil of Religion by Greg Boyd.<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2SDY4aD7N7I&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2SDY4aD7N7I&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-77953976114235755242010-04-30T18:44:00.000-07:002010-05-02T12:30:24.212-07:00Suffering Sucks!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9uF-c5QdlI/AAAAAAAAA64/9_TGYREUoq0/s1600/Caravaggio-Crucifixion_of_Peter.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466109880698959442" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9uF-c5QdlI/AAAAAAAAA64/9_TGYREUoq0/s320/Caravaggio-Crucifixion_of_Peter.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 247px;" /></a> So I want to just quickly touch on two more points about suffering. We have talk about the idea of tolerance being an endurance and that endurance being a form of suffrage. {Click <a href="http://onlyadmitone.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-world-of-tolerance.html">here</a> and<a href="http://onlyadmitone.blogspot.com/2010/04/not-of-this-world.html"> here</a> to read those posts.} We <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">liv</span>e in a world that we are no longer citizens of is always going to be strange and uncomfortable. We learned that to s<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">uffer</span> means to be affected by people. How do we respond to the people that affects us? Are we part of the remedy or part of the disease? Are we Christ like--always loving, always forgiving, always tolerating? So I would say tolerance is an indirect suffering . Basically it goes with the territory of being a Christian. We are commanded to tolerate and love one another.<br />
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The other more direct suffering we are commanded to do is "suffer the flesh". Now this is a phrase that I personally believe has been grossly misinterpreted. We must get one thing straight when it comes to suffering and that is...God does NOT cause suffering. If you want to believe in a God that is the author of suffering there are a bunch of other religions out there that have malevolent gods. God does not cause death, disease and misery just so He may be glorified. He doesn't cause death, disease and misery to test us. He doesn't cause death, disease and misery to purify us. I've never heard anything more twisted in my life! God's plan for you always has been and always will be fullness and life. Anything that happens in your life that is not life and fullness is NOT from God. God has NOT called you to a life of pain!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"The Lord said, "Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress." Jer 15:11<br />
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“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness{prosper,welfare} and not for evil{harm,calamity}, to give you a future and a hope." Jer 29:11<br />
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"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10</span><br />
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What God does do is work existing suffering as a result of being now strangers on this fallen planet, for his good and glory{Rom 8:28}. There is a huge difference. Sin, evil and the devil are the author of suffering, God is the facilitator for working a good result from the suffering. In that way he is glorified because the plan of the enemy to destroy has been defeated. Warfare! That is why we are called to rejoice in suffering because in doing so we are thwarting the devils plan. He has no hold over us.<br />
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When we read in the famous suffering book of 1 Peter he is talking about three different types of suffering. {read the whole book for an interesting take} One is the tolerance that we have already discussed. Two and three is to suffer the flesh. There are two types of suffering flesh...1}we do to ourselves 2} others do to us. So lets start with the first; another command in suffering.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11<br />
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"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24<br />
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"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries." 1 Peter 4:1-3</span><br />
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What these verse are saying is that we are to suffer our flesh of sin. We are to starve the flesh and feed the Spirit of our new creation. Just as Jesus starved his flesh and did not sin, so we are called to "suffer our flesh" not to sin. These verses have nothing to do with physical suffering. This suffering is turning from our former way of life. This suffering is no longer following the crowd. This suffering is following Jesus and uprooting any sin that may be in the way. These verses are NOT having cancer for Jesus. These verses are NOT self flagellation for Jesus. These verses are NOT starvation for Jesus. Do you see my point. This isn't something Jesus is doing to you, this is something you are doing spiritually in your walk with Jesus. So starve the old flesh{creature} desires and feed the Spirit or new creation desires. Again "starve" being metaphorically not actual starvation ok?...lol.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified." 1 Peter 4:12-13</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9uGqPHSZhI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/COAhUwlVv4U/s1600/Dirce.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466110632913954322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9uGqPHSZhI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/COAhUwlVv4U/s400/Dirce.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 194px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a>This is suffering directly and maliciously caused by others...aka persecution. The book of 1 Peter was written in about 65AD during the reign of the infamous Ceaser Nero. It is believed that Peter was actually in Rome when he wrote this letter to the other believers scattered all over the Roman Empire. It is also believed that he was crucified there in about 67AD. Nero was considered the first Roman emperor to really turn up the heat on the persecution of the Christians. Torture and death were very real consequences for the people reading Peter's letter. Hatred was a given. Here is Roman historian Tacitus' take on the scene of that time.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Therefore, to stop the rumor [that he had set Rome on fire], he [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were [generally] hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius, but the pernicious superstition - repressed for a time, broke out yet again, not only through Judea, - where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and disgraceful flow from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and where they are encouraged. Accordingly first those were arrested who confessed they were Christians; next on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of "hating the human race.<br />
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In their very deaths they were made the subjects of sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights. Nero offered his own garden players for the spectacle, and exhibited a Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in the dress of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot. For this cause a feeling of compassion arose towards the sufferers, though guilty and deserving of exemplary capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but were victims of the ferocity of one man." Tacitus {c. 55 -117 AD}</span><br />
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So again this is not suffering caused by God this is suffering caused by the enemy via man. Persecution is a bit foreign to us here in the western part of the world; in fact almost totally foreign. But there are still millions of people around the world that face death for their faith in Jesus. It is just as real and serious to them as it was for the Christians in the Roman Empire. So as a person living in the ease of western society lets not patronize our brothers in Christ who <em>are</em> actually suffering persecution by saying that we are as well. Because we aren't. Plain and simple.<br />
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On that same note don't feel that because you are not suffering persecution that you are letting God down. God doesn't call people to a life of persecution. Persecution may be a result to where you have been called, but not the initial calling. Persecution is a enemy reaction to your new life and testimony of fullness in Christ. God is not glorified in the torture and death of persecution. But you say..."the apostles counted their torture as glory to God." Yes, but it was in the overcoming of the persecution that God was glorified. When they were not beaten to death they glorified God that they had overcome death and could go on preaching. When they <em>were</em> actually put to death the glory was that they weren't actually dead, they were seated with Christ in life everlasting.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9uG8pEPmuI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/ZKouMlRtmSg/s1600/221519.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466110949118155490" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9uG8pEPmuI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/ZKouMlRtmSg/s400/221519.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 257px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a> What I am trying to get at is that we don't glorify suffering, we glorify God. Did you know that the ancient Greek drama/tragedy was started as worship to the god Dionysus? Dionysus was the god of wine. He was known to inspire ritual ecstasy or inflict ritual madness and despair. The Greek word <em>tragoedia</em> means goat-song. Goat refers to the half man /half goat satyrs like the god Pan. This is how in very ancient times the actors would dress while offering their <em>tragoedia</em> to the god. At the same time actually sacrificing goats to the god. The offering of <em>tragoedia</em> later developed into contest between three playwrights to see who could offer the most suffering to Dionysus.<br />
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The<em> tragoedia</em> always consisted of a spiritual conflict between a god and a mortal. When the mortal had gotten too prideful or successful the god would inflict suffering to put him in his place. It was called a reversal of fortune, what was high was brought low, a twist of the fates. The pity and fear inflicted on the hero was to cause empathy in the audience in hopes of producing a cathartic experience or emotional purging due to witnessing such suffering. In the end the tragic hero was made hero by accepting his fate and living with his "unhappy ending". Accidental misfortune was thought as meaningless. Misfortune inflicted by the god was cathartic and therefore glorified the god---usually Dionysus{ie. the devil}.<br />
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So I personally believe we as Christians need to be very wary of not worshipping tragedy and suffering in our lives as a means to glorify God. We don't worship Dionysus. We glorify God by facilitating his grace and power in OVERCOMING our tragedies and sufferings that He had no part in initiating. Are we called to suffer? A loaded question. My personal answer...yes and no. We are called to suffer as citizens of the kingdom of God living in this world. Meaning that we must tolerate{suffer} people that have different political, religious, sexual etc views than us. We are called to love, tolerate, be affected and intercede for these people without any expectations. We are also called to suffer our flesh. Meaning to starve the flesh of the old creature and feed the Spirit of the new creation. Turn from the sins of the person we used to be. To be holy as Christ is holy.<br />
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We are not called to persecution per se. In 2 Timothy 3:12 Paul says the you will face persecution <em>because of</em> your godly life in Christ. Remember that Paul and Peter were writing these letters to people with an acute understanding of actual persecution. Persecution is a response from the enemy via man for our righteousness. Christ is glorified in persecution because of the overcoming of the schemes of the enemy. Just as Christ overcame death on the cross so man over comes death in persecution. His being willing to suffer unto death is testimony and glory to the power of the Holy Spirit in him. So in living with lives rooted in Christ we will face the attack of the enemy which is sometimes displayed via persecution. If your life lacks persecution you are no less worthy to God.<br />
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Finally the suffering of disease, misery, distress, despair and death are NOT calls from God. I don't see how anyone could believe that our loving, merciful God would do that to one of his children. When a father inflicts pain and suffering on a child to "teach them a lesson" it is called abuse. That is not our God! Our God does however work all things for good. That is his grace and his mercy. So can a person have a deeper intimacy with God through the pain of cancer? Absolutely, but God didn't cause the cancer just for the intimacy. Can the death of a young missionary testify the gospel? Absolutely, But God didn't cause that death just so he could be a witness. Can a natural disaster shake the spiritual climate of a nation? Absolutely, but God didn't cause the natural disaster to do so. He uses the things that the devil has initiated to destroy to work His good and glory. It it when we see this that we ourselves overcome and live this life in the victory that Jesus purchased for us on the cross and facilitated in His resurrection!<br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-1474944595430318732010-04-29T18:14:00.000-07:002010-04-29T18:14:04.734-07:00Furious Love-The Movie<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YyfH3T8HXZg&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YyfH3T8HXZg&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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DVD Release scheduled for May 4, 2010. Click for <a href="http://www.furiouslovethemovie.com/store.html">website link and purchase.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-30602274118094790932010-04-28T15:28:00.000-07:002010-04-28T15:31:07.575-07:00Not Of This World<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9iaav8C0XI/AAAAAAAAA6g/JXCvyHG3vfY/s1600/nebulas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9iaav8C0XI/AAAAAAAAA6g/JXCvyHG3vfY/s400/nebulas.jpg" tt="true" width="340" /></a></div><strong>"If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world." CS Lewis</strong><br />
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<strong>“Paradise is our native country, and we in this world be as exiles and strangers” Richard <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Greenham</span> </strong><br />
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<strong>"Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight...You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." John 18:36-37</strong><br />
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So I started into another word study yesterday after doing my post on "tolerance". I started thinking about how tolerance can be a little uncomfortable sometimes. I think that is exactly for the quotes above. Once we as Christians experience Jesus we have a totally different worldview. In a way we do become strangers on this finite planet because we now live with an understanding of the infinite and eternal. We have an understanding of absolute truth in a world where truth is always changing. For this very reason how can we hold someone who has not had this experience accountable to our worldview? We can bear witness and testify the truth, but not all will hear the voice of truth. Jesus was OK with this, as should we be. Remember not fighting, only making known.<br />
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The concept that we looked at yesterday is that of endurance. To tolerate people that are different from us is sometimes a test of love and endurance. We discussed how Jesus was extremely tolerant as he walked among us here on earth. The almighty God in the flesh most holy and pure made it a point to interface with the most sinful and lost. At no time condemning or judging{he saved that for the religious leaders that should have known better...why?...because their experience of God should have changed their worldview}. To the lost and unclean Jesus always had compassion and ministered to them regardless whether they followed him or not. The Greek word for minister is<em> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">diakoneo</span></em> meaning "to attend to anything that may serve <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">anothers</span> interests"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9igiFccrzI/AAAAAAAAA6o/rhg0n0WxHf4/s1600/pascho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9igiFccrzI/AAAAAAAAA6o/rhg0n0WxHf4/s400/pascho.jpg" tt="true" width="340" /></a></div>Now the other word I cam across in my reading yesterday is the word "suffer". We often think of how Jesus suffered on the cross for us. But have we ever thought of how he suffered during His ministry? The first word I want to look at is the Greek word <span style="background-color: white;"><em><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">pascho</span></em></span> which is a verb meaning "to suffer". Take a look at the Strong's definition on the right. All it really means is to be affected. So in this sense Jesus did most certainly suffer during his ministry! He was affected by everyone because he was pure and clean and we were unclean and stained. So in a way He suffered in his righteousness to interface with our unrighteousness. He came from the kingdom of God and light to the kingdom of the prince of this world{the devil} shrouded in darkness. The beauty of it is that He chose to do this. Because of His great affection for us He chose to come to us and suffer our unrighteousness in the hope of releasing us from the bounds of this world into His righteousness.<br />
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Now who does this tie in with us? What does it mean to share in the sufferings of Christ? Well given what we have discussed in the last two posts I personally think part of our suffering is endurance in toleration. This world is uncomfortable to us. Why? Because we are no longer citizens of this world. We are citizens of the kingdom of God. But we live in this world and have to endure those with a different worldview than us. But in this "suffering" the key is how we let it affect us. Again we must look to Jesus and see how he let it affect him; keeping in mind His final act of affection on this earth was death on a cross for all mankind. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"> "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." Matt 9:36</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:37</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." Matt 18:27</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9ipr4bPocI/AAAAAAAAA6w/JsbpxzDruRI/s1600/pathy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9ipr4bPocI/AAAAAAAAA6w/JsbpxzDruRI/s400/pathy.jpg" tt="true" width="340" /></a></div>In our affections or sufferings we can either use them for good or for bad. That is to say we can either use them to be a remedy or a part of the disease. The Greek word above is where we get our English suffix <em>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">pathy</span>; </em>take a look at the definition. <br />
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Antipathy is hostility or enmity, while sympathy is a sharing of feelings;compassion or pity. These are our choices. Do we tolerate our sufferings with those different than us with a heart of compassion or the indifference of hostility? And don't say "I can't have compassion on someone or identify with someone so different than me". Because Jesus in His divine holiness really had nothing in common with us either. But He took on our cause out of love and out of the desire to see light overcome the darkness. To see the strongholds of death and injustice destroyed. So in that sense you have everything in common with everyone on this earth! For once you were in darkness and now because of Jesus you are in the light.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' Matt 18:33</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." Heb 5:2</span><br />
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Ask God to change your heart if need be. Ask him to show you His heart for the lost and hurting. To see how it grieves the heart of God that so many have lost their way. We must learn to be affected with compassion and not hostility. People are making wrong choices because they are lost. They don't have an understanding of the truth. They don't have a correct worldview. They have no concept of the Kingdom and what that means. So we must tolerate where they are at in their own minds. That doesn't mean to be condescending. Jesus never did that. He always met people where they were at. He also accepted the fact that some rejected him and stayed where they were at.<br />
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Look guys this world is no more depraved than it was during the time of Jesus and the 1st century church. We as Christians are not having to face anything in the way of cults, sexual immorality, bad politics, drugs/alcohol, crime, poverty etc that the early church wasn't facing in their society. They counted it as their suffering to be living as a citizens of heaven in a world of despair. They were happy to do it! Let alone the actual physical death and suffering they faced by way of persecution. But they never tried to dominate they always were there to serve as Jesus had served. This was sometimes actual interface with people and sometimes prayer and intercession for people. I believe they sought out those who welcomed them and steered clear of those that didn't. Always keeping their eyes on the call as a follower of Jesus to be a light, to live the truth, to endure, to minister, to be a friend, to feed, to clothe, to heal, to visit, to loose, to lend, to have compassion and to tolerate everyone. <br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-1578425835149500722010-04-27T16:46:00.000-07:002010-05-03T09:11:57.490-07:00In a World of Tolerance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9dc_WjyQgI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/RRKJ-490FP0/s1600/tolerance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9dc_WjyQgI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/RRKJ-490FP0/s640/tolerance.jpg" tt="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"Of all religions, the Christian should of course inspire the most tolerance, but until now Christians have been the most intolerant of all men." Voltaire</span><br />
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We hear so much of the word "tolerance" these days. The 60s and 70s were all about "love". The 80s were all about "me". The 90s were "whatever" and now in 2010..."Tolerance". Is it possible for Christians to be tolerant without compromising the truth? I say yes. I also say that we are commanded by God in His word to be tolerant of one another; not only of fellow brothers in Christ but for non-Christians as well. We as Christians should at least know the golden rule and that is to love one another. Jesus even went so far to say that we should love our enemies. But Christians seem to be the worse at this because they think that it will compromise their faith. I did a post not to long ago on what I personally believe God meant by commanding us to love our enemy...<a href="http://onlyadmitone.blogspot.com/2010/02/relationships-enemy.html">click here to read that post</a>. <br />
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I want to take this post a little further and look at the word "endure". If you read the definition above you will see that much of it centers around the idea of endurance. I chose to use the definition of "tolerance" from Webster's Dictionary of 1913 {see above}since it lacks the "political correctness" of the present day definition which says..."sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own." <span style="background-color: white;">See the difference? We need not indulge sin, but we must tolerate it and endure it in others.</span><br />
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Now in everything we should look at the life of Christ to be our guide as to how we should conduct ourselves while still here on the earth. What I want to focus on is how we are to interact with non-believers. How are we to tolerate them? How did Jesus tolerate them? It is well noted in the gospels that Jesus did not come to condemn or judge the world he came to save it. Jesus allowed everyone to approach him. His door was always open and he went through every open door. Though he never sinned he was a friend to sinners, broke bread with them and ministered to them. Some followed and some walked away. Did Jesus stand there and yell "How dare you deny the truth of the living God!"? No, he let them walk away. There was much wisdom in this because even though not all accepted him, the door always remained open. He didn't burn any bridges with anyone. Instead he let his love and righteousness plant the seed. Sometimes it bore fruit and sometimes it didn't, but at all times He was tolerant as to the choice of the person.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children." Matt 11:19</span><br />
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Jesus really is quite a testimony to the heart of God for his created. We know that the wages of sin is death. Yet so many have lived. Furthermore whole civilizations have been allowed to live in total opposition to God. When Jesus walked the earth He was God in the flesh. The same God that had required complex rituals and sacrifice before he could be approached in the Holy of Holies was now walking among us. The same God that had consumed sin with fire and the opening up of the earth was now face to face with the most unclean. Did anyone burst into flames or get swallowed in the earth during the ministry of Jesus? No. Jesus' sole purpose on this earth was to redeem, reconcile, heal, forgive, minister and love. In doing this he endured and tolerated us even unto death just in the hopes that we would accept him.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"Consider him {Jesus} who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory." 2 Tim 2:10</span><br />
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It is because of the cross and what Jesus did for you and me that we MUST endure and tolerate the sin of others! Jesus made it very clear in the book of John that once we have partaken in our personal salvation that we are no longer of this world, just as Jesus is no longer of this world. But we unlike Jesus are still in this world. We were left in the world but not of the world, to continue in the ministry Jesus started. So if you must consider tolerating others that don't agree with you suffering, so be it. I like how number 3 in the above definition is a medical one. Tolerance to a drug means you can take more than the normal person without suffering the effects. This should be us Christians! We have the benefit and power of the Holy Spirit's covering. We should be able to tolerate all kinds of sin without being affected. We are not to rule the world. We are to testify truth and righteousness. We are to be righteous witnesses of a gospel of reconciliation, hope and love. Never condemning or judging. The moment you judge an un-believer the door is closed. You have lost the only chance that person may have in coming to the Lord. <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"...but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ...For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them...I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." 1 Cor 9:12,19,22</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory." 2 Tim 2:10</span> <br />
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Endure all things, tolerate all things and be a servant to all. This is hard to swallow for some. But try to look at in in separate compartments. Tolerance doesn't mean agreement. If it meant agreement then you wouldn't have to tolerate anything...lol. So are we to become indulgent within the faith and say anything goes? No. As Christians we have clear Biblical standards that we must live by. We cannot let the world's standards and moral compass become our own. First and foremost we are to live righteous lives rooted in the truth of God's word. But as for those outside the faith we are not to tell people how to live their lives. We can only be an example and hopefully a good one. <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." 1Cor 5:12-13</span> <br />
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So there are different degrees of tolerance. Different expectations from those who have a knowledge of Christ and those who don't. As to those who don't know Christ our best witness is going to be as Jesus showed. That is to love them and minister to them without any expectation. To let the way we live our lives and the good deeds we do speak without words. Then as someone feels led they will ask and we will answer. But until that time don't slam the door in people's face. Don't burn bridges. Don't judge those that you have no right to judge. A Christian's quest for world domination has always led to bloodshed. We are not called to dominate we are called to serve. To make the offer and be at peace with the fact that some will accept and others won't. Sometimes the best witness is a silent witness. Leave the Bible out of conversations and just be a friend. Keep loving those that don't accept Jesus, keep being friend's with those that don't accept Jesus, keep being a silent, righteous witness to those that don't Jesus; because maybe one day your endurance will change their mind. And Jesus will be standing at the door you left open.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1Cor 13:7</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">“By your endurance you will gain your lives." Luke 21:19</span> <br />
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All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-2646848605155637742010-04-27T09:34:00.000-07:002010-04-27T09:34:37.550-07:00Eye On the Ball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9cR5WW1dkI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/eCTtsmPl3AU/s1600/Picnik+collage5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9cR5WW1dkI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/eCTtsmPl3AU/s640/Picnik+collage5.jpg" tt="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-81774679905845946182010-04-26T16:12:00.000-07:002010-05-15T14:25:25.543-07:00My Heart In Photos {1}<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9Ydh1kjjNI/AAAAAAAAA6A/d5pDGkBppIU/s1600/angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9Ydh1kjjNI/AAAAAAAAA6A/d5pDGkBppIU/s640/angel.jpg" tt="true" width="513" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">For more of my photos click on the "my photography" label.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1232513659386820226.post-65041690136254067982010-04-25T13:40:00.000-07:002010-04-25T13:55:59.605-07:00Justice vs Righteousness<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: left; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em; cssfloat: left" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9SBn1xlcFI/AAAAAAAAA3w/AtA4-mFgWB0/s1600/JUSTICE.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9SBn1xlcFI/AAAAAAAAA3w/AtA4-mFgWB0/s400/JUSTICE.jpg" width="240" height="400" tt="true" /></a></div><br />So after reading George MacDonald's {unspoken} sermon on Justice in spurned me to do a little research of my own. His view that mercy and justice are one in the same has spoken volumes to me personally.<br /><br />I found it interesting that the more modern bible translations seemed to have lost the righteousness and mercy of God. Meaning that those two words aren't used as often in the text. On the other hand in the KJV the word "justice" is used only 28 times in the whole bible; all of those times being in the Old Testament. {The picture on the left is the breakdown of each word and how many times it is used in each version respectfully.} What I am wondering is that if we start to leave out righteousness and instead use justice it can give the wrong connotation of who God is in His character. Not that He isn't just, He is. But His justice is in the midst of several other attributes.<br /><br />When I think of the word justice I always think in terms of judicial or criminal; earthly law. But when I think of the word righteousness I think in terms of Divine virtue. I don't think of the righteousness of God to be one of His characteristics; I think it to be the umbrella that defines who He is in all His characteristics and attributes. I have always believed one of the most powerful verses in the bible to be when Moses asks God who he should say is sending him, God responds "I AM who I AM" {Ex 3:14} Meaning God is who He says He is all the time and in all fullness.<br /><br />What makes the Godhead righteous is that HE IS "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." {Ex 34:6-7} That HE IS "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." {Gal 5:22-23} These are His righteousness, this is what makes Him who HE IS. So anytime anyone of the Godhead has told us who HE IS, it should tell us He has always been that way and will always be that way. God is infinitely and eternally righteous.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9SNZuYyQMI/AAAAAAAAA34/qXL5LMpNQ4I/s1600/righteous.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9SNZuYyQMI/AAAAAAAAA34/qXL5LMpNQ4I/s640/righteous.jpg" width="640" height="385" tt="true" /></a></div><br />In the Old Testament Hebrew justice and righteousness are the same word <em>tsedaquah</em>. But what does righteousness look like? The Proverbs are always great definitions...<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death." Prov 10:2</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">"The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked." Prov 10:11</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">"The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin." Prov 10:16</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">"The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom." Prov 10:21</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">"The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath." Prov 11:23</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright{righteous} shall deliver them." Prov 12:6</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">"The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit." Prov 12:12</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">"Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner." Prov 13:6</span><br /><br />Now look at the difference in translation of these two verses Proverbs 8:21-22. The "I" that is speaking is Wisdom...<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">KJV</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment{justice}: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures."</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">NIV</span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">"I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full." </span><br /><br />Now see how the NIV makes it seem as though justice and righteousness are two parallel paths heading in the same direction. But then look at the KJV righteousness is in the midst of justice; the are not separate but one in the same. Now I am not doing this to dog on the NIV. I am just trying to show that the righteousness of God {and all the attributes that includes} should never be separated from his justice. They are one in the same just as His mercy and justice are one in the same.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: center; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; CLEAR: both; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: left; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em; cssfloat: left" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9SVIJagTMI/AAAAAAAAA4A/VLoDm2vDePU/s1600/JUSTICE1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_R_q0g8STKM8/S9SVIJagTMI/AAAAAAAAA4A/VLoDm2vDePU/s640/JUSTICE1.jpg" width="640" height="388" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator">Most of the verses in the New Testament that the NIV/NLT uses the word justice the KJV uses the word righteousness. And again I'm not sure why; because to me they have such different connotations. Even in the English language we can see the difference in definition. In the English language the definition of justice really leaves no room for mercy whereas the word righteousness does. Here are a few examples of New Testament...</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><span style="color:#990000;">KJV</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><span style="color:#990000;">"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after <span style="font-size:large;">righteousness</span>: for they shall be filled." Matt 5:6</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><span style="color:#990000;">NLT</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><span style="color:#990000;">"God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for <span style="font-size:large;">justice</span>, for they will receive it in full." Matt 5:6 </span></div><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">KJV </span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in <span style="font-size:large;">righteousness </span>by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Acts 17:31</span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;"><br /></span><span style="color:#45818e;">NIV</span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with<span style="font-size:large;"> justice</span> by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:31</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">KJV</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his<span style="font-size:large;"> righteousness</span> for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God..." Rom 3:25</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">NIV</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his <span style="font-size:large;">justice</span>, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished..." Rom 3:25</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">KJV</span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in <span style="font-size:large;">righteousness</span> he doth judge and make war." Rev 19:11</span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;"><br /></span><span style="color:#45818e;">NIV</span><br /><span style="color:#45818e;">"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With <span style="font-size:large;">justice</span> he judges and makes war." Rev 19:11</span><br /><br />It seems to me that we as Christians are called to be righteous, to be Christ like. Meaning to be merciful, gracious, loving, forgiving, gentle, good, kind, patient, joyful, humble, compassionate, giving, slow to anger, respectful, empathetic...get the picture? I do not believe we are called to fight injustice with justice. Instead were are called to fight injustice with righteousness. Righteousness is always fruitful because it is what is right. Justice can easily be corrupted since it is subject to man. Righteousness is not subject to man but to God. Are we thirsting for the justice of man which tends to be legalistic and leaves little room for mercy or the righteousness of God which is life and always has been and always will be merciful?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: 0pt; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0pt; BORDER-RIGHT: 0pt; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/333/628FD7EB203B8354BD54003BBF898365.png" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: 0pt; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-TOP: 0pt; BORDER-RIGHT: 0pt; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/333/EE8EC56E6B2DCDC98600F46E473DDCA1.png" /></a><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Copyright "Only Admit One"& Cherie Goodpasture
All Right Reserved 2011</div>Cherie Goodpasture "Only Admit One" All Rights Rsvd.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02630671434071623480noreply@blogger.com5