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God Soft Hands Jesus has the knack of feeding a word or phrase onto these pages.
This morning it was “acceptable scriptural fear”. And that phrase has been rotating ever since. That phrase seems to shed light on the:
“Is this a scriptural truth?” ace in the hand … “God-breathed question” … I keep hearing.
Let’s start with the classics …
“You shall have no other gods before me.” What is “god”? And if we aren’t clear about that, then how we can we know if we are putting one in front of the other?
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” But no way does that include a cross or sacred altar in church, or even the walking talking Pope, or even my shiny new car! As for “love” – we need to dissect that to see what it really means.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Obvious confusion. Y—-h is disallowed by the Judaic chaps, and Jesus is ours – not god’s. Inbuilt confusion (again!).
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Desert Law! And with Sunday trading – and mostly five-day weeks – we can fit that into an hour a week and still do it right.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Desert Law again! Doesn’t apply to me – but I do love my ma and pa! Next …
“You shall not murder.” Well of course not. Although where the “Right To Life” mob get this idea that a few never-seen-the-light-of-day cells is “murder” – well, that’s not really Christian or loving. But if you liberals bring those poor starving black faces into the conversation – well that’s God’s work – not mine.
“You shall not commit adultery.” Yep. That’s why we have divorce – clears one promise all ready for the next. Anyway adultery is only when you are married. So touch my wife, and I won’t be responsible for my actions!
“You shall not steal.” Desert Law yet again. Today the government is the worst thief of all! So I’m only getting back some of what they stole from me. But know this – if you so much as lift a window latch of my house – then I am legally allowed to send you to your maker!
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Have you seen the jackass that lives next door to me? That isn’t ”false witness”, that is speaking the truth! And the bible says I must!
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Window shopping doesn’t count. Covet is too strong when “just looking” is “just looking”. But if it goes beyond “just looking” at my stuff or family – you’ve already been warned!
And so it goes on:
Fear and rewrite … Fear and rewrite … gays and/or women clergy = Fear. Bacon … how can anyone NOT eat bacon? God = Fear. Jesus = how can you not like Jesus?
Acceptable Scriptural Fear = being (seen to be) scripturally correct = Fear
Find me acceptable scriptural fear, and I will show you God telling me AND you that I am scripturally correct.
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“Can I just say … finding biblical validation for your
acceptable scriptural fear
is not what this is all about.”
Fear is not love.
And God
is
Love
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