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Does anyone find this amusing?
rrammfcitktturjsp:
To All,
Yeah sometimes I am accused of being too direct. But when it comes to truth I have been known to be no bars hold or whatever that saying is. Sometimes and I believe the world desparately need people who are not afraid to stand up with the truth and to be direct with it.
Sincerely,
Anne C. McGuire
Deborah-Leigh:
The point being that we need to have discernment and balance. No good being the proverbial bull in the China shop unless the China Shop is in Palistine with tables that need turning over! ;D
Seriously though....Sorin I get you point and bravo....my poet friend.....but can anyone agree that it is not fun to have enemies, and hate mail accusations until we get real close up and personal with Jesus Christ. Then it is just a matter of course on our way into persecution and the world hating us which is cause for joy and evidence of our being on the same path as Jesus.
Learning to have a thick skin and a huge heart not just one without the other wouldn't you say?
Love Love Love.....with that little member that can start a fire of opposition and even drive a group underground! Remember Korah? The ground opened up and swollowed them! Sorin....see any similarities?....with the group who started a so called Forum?
Dear Lord keep us sober, balanced, praying for our enemies as you garison us all with Your Peace!
Arcturus :)
YellowStone:
Good morning All :)]
I just read this entire thread and found some interesting responses :) But to be truthful, I was very surprised at what I didn't find. Not once did I see mention to pray and thank God for Ray's discernemnt and also I did not see any request in prayer to God that he open the eye's and ear's of such as these who are ignorant of the truth. Please, let us never forget, they who are wise are not wise of their own accord but of God; and likewise, those who are fools are not fools other than by the Will of God.
As for speaking to such, why waste your breath and/or scarcasm? Solomon, to whom God granted widom, knew well of this;
Pro 23:9
* Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Paul also knew well who grants the widom of the words we should speak.
1Cr 2:13
* Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Please understand that I am NOT suggesting that scarcasm has no place in our words; however, we must always be conscious of whose words we are speaking!
If we are speaking the words of "our" wisdom, then we are speaking as fools; however, we should always pray for wisdom and discernemnt (Great post this morning Joe) so that we may know when and what to speak at any time through the wisdom of the Spirit.
I therefore do not think that ispeaking with scarcasm is something we should strive to do, or hold back from doing, rather I think we should strive constantly to speak always with Spirit and with Truth.
Eph 5:9
* (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Opps, I just seen the post from Arcturus who wrote:
Dear Lord keep us sober, balanced, praying for our enemies as you garison us all with Your Peace!
Amen :)
Thanks be to Giod,
Darren
Kat:
Hi Darren,
I found this in the emails and thought I would let Ray speak for himself.
Sarcasm
« on: June 29, 2006, 08:05:11 PM »
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Hello,
I ran across your website by accident, and while reading some of your work I ran across something that you said that caused me distress. I get so frustrated that the gospel gets so tainted with US.
Anyway, it may not seem like anything to you, but I noticed this statement you made... "You might conclude that some of my remarks are a little sarcastic, but then again I think a little sarcasm is good!"
Are you aware of what the word sarcasm means?
Sarcasm:(Mariam-Websters dictionary) to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh;- to cut
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
Wow!, so do you really think it is a good thing to tear flesh from, and cut someone, for the purpose of causing pain? I would hope not. Is'nt the world in need of the Love of God and not more tearing apart? For me, it was the love that brought me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for your time,
CES
Dear CES:
If the Word of God has not torn you flesh apart (your carnal fleshly mind, Rom. 8:7), and caused you GREAT PAIN, then you have profitted nothing from God's word. God's Word is POWERFUL, AND SHARPER THAN A TWO EDGED SWORD [not a soft feather duster], AND PIERCES, AND CUTS, AND DIVIDES, etc., etc., etc. (Heb. 4:12). Jesus Christ "UPBRAIDED" the hypocrites. Did you not read all the definitions of THAT word in my paper: "YOU FOOLS! YOU HYPOCRITES! YOU SNAKES!"? I'll post it below for you:
HOW JESUS ‘UPBRAIDED’ THE CITIES
"Then began He [Jesus] to UPBRAID [Greek: oneidizo] the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not" (Matt. 11:20).
"Blessed are ye, when men shall REVILE [Greek: oneidizo] you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you FALSELY, for my sake" (Matt. 5:11).
Notice that Jesus "upbraided" the cities TRUTHFULLY while He said men would "revile" His true followers FALSELY. The same Greek word is used to describe both. No matter how stern or cutting our Lord’s words might have been, they always were truthful. As for any sarcasm and anger that Jesus exhibited, your argument must be with Him and not me.
Clearly, oneidizo is not a pleasant word, but what does it mean when it says that Jesus began to "upbraid" the cities where He taught?
I will consult Strong’s Dictionary of the New Testament to help us define this word, because if I were to define it myself and tell you what it means, no one would believe me. Oneidizo is a powerful word of rebuke and condemnation.
Here is the definition:
Strong’s Greek Dictionary, "#3679, oneidizo, from #3681 [notoriety, that is a taunt (disgrace):--a reproach] to defame, i.e. rail at, chide, taunt:--upbraid, reproach, revile, cast in (one’s) teeth" (page 179)"
And here is what all those words mean:
Notoriety: notorious, ill fame, infamous.
Taunt: reproach, mocking, insulting, contemptuous, scornful, tirade.
Disgrace: loss of honor, shame, disapproval, disfavor, discredit.
Reproach: disapproval, criticism, disappointment, shame, disgrace, blame, rebuke.
Defame: to attack or damage the character or reputation of.
Rail: to express objections or criticism in bitter, harsh, or abusive language.
Chide: scold, correct, improve, reprimand, disapproval, strife, contention.
Let me be quick to add (I can see the emails flowing in by the hundreds…), that not every word used to define the words that define oneidizo are always 100% applicable when a word such as "upbraid" is used to translate that Greek word. So all of you who were getting ready to write me or inform the chat rooms that "Ray Smith says that Jesus was ‘disgraceful,’ used ‘abusive language,’ and went into ‘tirades’ during His ministry," hold off a little and continue reading.
It is possible to condemn the sinful actions and teachings of men without hating the men who commit these things. Jesus loved everyone. Jesus died for everyone. Jesus forgave everyone. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him before He expired and probably thousands of years before most of them will repent in judgment. As I have said many times, except for the grace of God, everyone of us could have been any of the world’s most evil people. We are saved in God’s grace, not by our cleverness in choosing to follow and obey God. Grace CAUSES us to obey God. The carnal mind CAUSES men to disobey God. It is that simple.
And so we expose, exhort, teach, challenge, forgive, and LOVE. That these can take the form of sarcasm, exaggeration, satire, irony, anger, and LOVE, are clearly demonstrated by the examples of our Lord.
Now then, let’s see some examples of "upbraiding" used by our Lord in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God: After the high priest asked Jesus about His disciples and teachings, Jesus said:
Grow up a little and don't be so self-righteous and holier-than-thou.
God be with you,
Ray
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mercy, peace, and love
Kat
Deborah-Leigh:
Grow up a little and don't be so self-righteous and holier-than-thou. Thus said to condemn the sinful actions and teachings of ...the man...without hating the man
Why? ...because... BECAUSE... It is possible... To quote Ray...IT IS POSSIBLE! ..to condemn the sinful actions and teachings of men without hating the men who commit these things. Jesus loved everyone. Jesus died for everyone. Jesus forgave everyone. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him before He expired and probably thousands of years before most of them will repent in judgment.
Thanks be to Jesus and God our Father that IT IS POSSIBLE!
Hebrews 6 : 1 THEREFORE THEREFORE ..LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ the Messiah, advancing steadily toward the completness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity.....
In Pauls words...."Grace, God's favor and spirtual blessing be with you all."
Arcturus :)
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