not a great book...but a good line here and there.

"The only way to save a Pharisee is to break a Pharisee's back with the burden of the law.  There was, and is, hope for the Pharisee, and that hope comes in the form of failure.  Failure is the door to freedom..."
-12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee by John Fischer

gospel exegesis note

Jesus came to do stuff; in the gospels He is doing what He came to do.  therefore, exegesis of the 4 gospels begins with why Jesus came:

I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners
That He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God
the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost
You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world
Now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself
I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world
even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly
I have come to do Your will
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword
I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose
I have come to bring fire to the earth
For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind
I have come into the world, to testify to the truth
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
He appeared in order to take away sins
Christ ... having been offered once to bear the sins of many

i discovered that the Sermon on the Mount is not addressing Christians on 10/18/2009 because of a sermon on the 'mercy beattitude' where the following was said "God's grace is not conditional, but God's mercy is conditional."


but what i guess is couldn't believe is that the whole congregation ate it up...and many thought it was fantastic !!! so sad for my friends.


yet, using an Old Covenant sermon (from which you wouldn't think to learn), the Spirit taught me.

though it pained me

i knew a guy once who heard the gospel; he refused to accept it for this reason: the gospel isn't fair; it punishes an innocent and helps the guilty.  true, so true.  but i say, if you're a little evil, go ahead and be evil all the way: let the innocent man pay for your crimes..and walk away free.

with that experience as background...

one day, i realized that, though it pained me, it was good for me to be one of those in the crowd who shouted 'crucify Him'.  one day, i realized that, though it pained me, it was good for me to walk away like barabbas (who was guilty), and leave Jesus (who was innocent) to die.

and what was this pain???it was my pride screaming out: "i'm better than the crowd" , "i'm better than barabbas".

do you want to get rid of your religious pride??? join the crowd and shout "crucify Him" (through tears if must be).  be barabbas: walk away and let Him pay (weeping all the way if must be).  but, whatever you do, agree with God that this is best.

i've always remembered one Proverb

Proverbs 24

    ¹¹Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
         And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.