----- Original Message -----
Sent: April 03, 2005 16:37
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Legalism
Obedience is a complex thing.
Consider the story of Elijah. He had a huge
victory on Mount Carmel against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of
Asherah and his intercession ended a drought. Yet, he ran away when
Jezebel threatened to kill him.
On Mount Horeb, God listened to all of Elijah's
complaints and corrected his misperceptions. Then He gave him 3
commands
1) anoint Hazael king over Aram
2) anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over
Israel
3) anoint Elisha to succeed you as
prophet.
Elijah only did one of the three. It was Elisha
who tells Hazael that he will be the next king over Aram and Elisha who
sends an unnamed prophet to anoint Jehu.
If Elijah was a pastor on TT, how would we have
treated him? Chastised him for weak faith and disobedience? Question whether
he really is a believer? Warn him that he is in danger of
hellfire?
What God did was take him to heaven in a fiery
chariot, one of only 2 men that we know who never experienced death. Every
passover, Jews all around the world, set a place for Elijah at their table
because he is prophesied to return before the Messiah.
Folks, some people have reduced the relationship
with our heavenly Father to obedience and that is sad. Some people have
reduced God's revelation to isolated biblical verses, ignoring the grand
sweep of the narrative revelation, the stories of biblical people living out
their faith. That is sad too.
Love,
Caroline
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 8:53
AM
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Legalism
ShieldsFamily wrote:
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*Luke
17:9"He does not thank the
slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10"So you too, when you do all the things which are
commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which
we ought to have
done.'"
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Great
verse. Explains a lot in a few words.
Terry