Re: [TruthTalk] Good News!

[Gregory A. Hession J.D.]

One of the most consistently frustrating things about Christians is that we seem far more keen on making sure everyone around us is properly beat over the head with the truth, often with bile and anger, than in living out the life exemplified by Christ, with mercy and love.  Look at the beatitudes.  Truth is important, but it comes to people who have ears to hear.   Our job is less to demand that they see the truth, than to LIVE the truth.  The great saints down through history saw this as job one - becoming like Christ inside, so that their lives radiated his love and wisdom.        James was very clear that wisdom is linked to love and holiness:  "Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.. . . "       The entire book of Jamesis a rebuke to those who think KNOWING the truth is more important than DOING the truth.  And the second course of the meal is Phillipians, where radiating the love which only comes from devotion to Christ is preeminent, not how well we have become little truth Nazis.  Then, the third course is I John, where the topic is brought to a supreme and sublime offering unequaled in any book ever written, in my opinion.          When we stand in front of the dread judgment seat, the test is not how well we shoved every abstruse point of theology down the throats of the ignorant, but how we lived the great truths we already know, and taught the others with mercy and peace, so as to edify the listener, not stir up emnity.    Gregory A. Hession J.D. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Springfield, Mass. ----- Original Message ----- From: Judy Taylor To: TruthTalk@mail.innglory.org Cc: TruthTalk@mail.innglory.org Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2005 10:06 AM Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Good News!   Slade, my heart is not to demean anyone and I don't know what you mean by "piss and vinegar" as this term is not in my vocabulary.  Please explain to me how scripture and history demeans people.  Are you thinking that Messiah maybe softened things up a little to keep from hurting people's feelings?  judyt     On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 09:55:01 -0500 "Slade Henson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Perhaps you should allow Christ in your OWN life so that JUDY can be conformed to His Image. I am tired of your consistently demeaning posts. This is not Christlike behavior. Leave your piss and vinegar elsewhere please. Messiah never behaved like you are with people ho were genuinely looking to improve their walk. He showed mercy. You show none.   -- slade From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Judy Taylor If this is so then why didn't Calvin allow Him to reveal Christ in His own life so that Calvin could be conformed to His image?  It certainly wasn't the Holy Spirit leading Calvin first off to merge Church and State in Geneva and it wasn't the Holy Spirit who led him to have another believer burned at the stake; nor was it the Holy Spirit who kept him from ever repenting for his part in such a horrendous event.. to anyone's knowledge.  jt