Words

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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"We have too many gods...We have too much theology...We have too much religion...

God isn't in there by Himself.

He says, 'If I'm not in your heart by Myself, I won't work.'

When Jesus Christ has everything cleansed from

the temple and dwells there alone,

He will work."

Tozer

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    Adamson said, "Christians do not believe in works righteousness; because it's impossible to work hard enough to earn eternal life in heaven."

    He was asked, "Then how can I know for sure that I'm going to heaven after I die?"

    The old monk answered, "Jesus!"

    Pressing, "What do you mean Jesus?"

    Explaining, "We believe heaven is graced upon us through faith in Jesus."

    Pressing, "If heaven is graced upon us rather than earned by us, why does the Bible talk so much about righteous works?"

    Explaining, "What we say and do is an expression of what we believe and what we believe determines destiny."

    Pressing, "Are you saying we show signs or proof or evidence or fruit of being heavenbound?"

    Answering, "Yes."

    Pressing, "Can you say more about that?"

    Replying, "I cannot improve upon what has already been revealed to you in Jesus and Holy Scripture."

    Pressing, "But I need you to tell me more about what that means."

    Ending, "We're already talking too much."

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"Elegant speech sounds odd when it comes from a fool."

Solomon

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    I spend lots of time with churchgoers getting beaten up by churchgoers.

    It's natural.

    One cried, "I can't believe they behave so..."

    I said, "Their behavior betrays what they really believe."

    Abba Hyperichius: "One who is obedient will have answered prayers and stand beside the Crucified in sure faith.  This is the way our Lord went to His cross - obedient unto death."

    That's spiritual.

    The spiritual is easily differentiated from the natural.

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"Faith without works is do-do."

James

(Real Life Version)

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    Pope Benedict XVI has retired.

    First one...in a long time.

    Why?

    Lots of speculation; mostly suspicious, slanderous, and stupid.

    Here's my take; apart from him being 86 which kinda seems like a good time to...

    He's gonna live out the rest of these aka his/His days in a monastery.

    He's gonna pray.

    Read the Bible.

    Psalmist: "As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God."

    Cool.

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"I'm a monk..., and the strangest thing happened in my monastery.  We had a visit...

He stayed overnight, but he slipped away very early in the morning.  When the

monks woke up, they found graffiti all over the cloister walls...One word -

TRIVIA - TRIVIA - TRIVIA

Words upon words...spoken and written...total confusion...

I cried out, 'Stop!  Stop!'

I was only adding

words to words."

Theophane

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    I'm trying to keep a vow of silence as taught to me so long ago by Trappists at Assumption Abbey in Ava, Missouri.

    It's hard.

    Essentially, it doesn't mean not speaking; but rather saying what you mean and meaning what you say.

    Clear.

    Concise.

    Devoid of distractions and vanities.

    Or as Lapsley and Hanson tried to convince seminarians, "When in doubt, shut up!"

    Jesus: "Don't say anything you don't mean...You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk...You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace.  In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true.  Just say 'yes' and 'no.'  When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong."

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    Getting back to distinguishing who's natural from who's spiritual, religions about Jesus are wordy while relationships with Him/His are Wordy.

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Blessings and Love!