You are welcome Gwen. Addison O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] window live messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gwen Tweedy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 1:28 PM Subject: {dbilg} Re: devotional from Gospeline Oct.2 > Thanks friend > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "O.Addison Gethers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Deaf-blind inspirational life groups" <[email protected]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "bsfm groups" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 6:47 AM > Subject: {dbilg} devotional from Gospeline Oct.2 > > > "Beyond Reproach" > > You can't vote! > > No adult ever wants to hear these words. Unfortunately, they are spoken > all too frequently across many nations. Most states in the U.S. have laws > prohibiting > inmates from voting while incarcerated for a felony offense or while > they're on parole. Two states even deny the right to vote to felony > offenders who > have completed their sentences. > > Defenders of these laws say they are protecting us from voter fraud or > that they are "preserving the purity of the ballot box" - whatever that > means. They > have decided that the past action of these people justifies their > reproach. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Reproach is an expression of rebuke or disapproval. Eight times in the > New Testament we are told to be "above reproach" (four of these passages > are speaking > specifically about elders/deacons). > > What happens if someone is not "above reproach"? Do we refuse fellowship > to protect ourselves from "believer fraud" or to "preserve the purity of > the church" > similar to those who want to keep ex-felons from voting? Do these > passages justify allowing someone's past action to elicit our reproach; > or, could these > passages be pointing to something entirely different. something other than > our past? > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > "When he [Paul] came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but > they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. > But Barnabas > took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his > journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in > Damascus > he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." (Acts 9:26-27 - NIV) > > Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) was feared by many in the early church > because for years he had imprisoned, tortured and even killed Christians. > Although > he was now converted to Christ, they were nonetheless afraid of him. They > knew of his reputation and likely did not believe the truth of his > conversion. > > Barnabas, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was able to move beyond > what he had seen and believe in things as yet unseen (Heb 11:1 - KJV) > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Was Paul "above reproach"? Was he "good" or "without sin"? "If we claim > to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1st > John > 1:8 - NIV) > > Even Jesus said: "Why do you call me good? No one is good. except God > alone." (Mark 10:18 - NIV) > > Paul didn't claim to be without sin or to be above reproach. However, he > did claim to be a forgiven child of God. He had moved beyond his past. > beyond > reproach. > > "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed > us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He > chose > us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his > sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus > Christ, > in accordance with His pleasure and will." (Ephesians 1:3-5 - NIV) > > Paul had been adopted as God's son through Jesus Christ and therefore was > now holy and blameless in God's sight. > > Are you beyond your past. beyond reproach? Yes! If you have received > Him. > > "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave > the right to become children of God - children born not of natural > descent, nor > of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (John 1:12-13 - > NIV) > > Will some still hold you in reproach or disapproval? Will some be afraid > of you as they were of Paul and look to your past and not your future even > though > you're now a child of God? Unfortunately, yes. To those we can only pray > that they will come to hear Jesus' words: "Do not judge, or you too will > be > judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and > with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2 - > NIV) > > William Arthur Ward put it this way: > > Flatter me and I might not believe you. > > Criticize and I might not like you > > Ignore me and I might not forgive you > > Encourage me and I will not forget you. > > We encourage you to "not look at the things which are seen, but at the > things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, > but the > things which are not seen are eternal" (2nd Corinthians 4:18 - NKJV) and > be beyond reproach, walking forward as a forgiven child of God. > > Pastor RonU > > ".I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, > but by Me." > > - John 14:6 (KJV) > > > > O. Addison Gethers > e-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] > window live messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] aim: durangoadd64 skype: > cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Internal Virus Database is out of date. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.7.1/1688 - Release Date: 9/24/2008 > 6:29 AM > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
