Seapadre correspondence: Need for a Go-Between

Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 18:10:56 -0700 From: Stephanie Manuel To: hfs@brigadoon.com Subject: please read the following VERY carefully and realize that this is not hate mail. *****Revelation 3:19-20***** Those who I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with Me. *****John 1:1***** In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. *****2 Timothy 3:16***** All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so the the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. *****Psalm 58:3***** Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. *****Matthew 7:7-9***** Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? *****James 1:5***** If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. *****Psalm 119:130***** The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. *****Acts 17:11***** Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. *****Matthew 17:5***** While He was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a Voice from the cloud said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him! *****Psalm 73:24-25***** You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. *****Psalm 1:1-2***** Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners. But his delight is the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. *****Isaiah 40:13-14***** Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge, or showed Him the path of understanding? *****James 3:17***** But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. *****John 18:19-20***** Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. 'I have spoken openly to the world,' Jesus replied. 'I always taught in the synagogues or the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. *****Psalm 119:89***** Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. *****Psalm 119:86***** All Your commands are trustworthy... *****2 Timothy 4:2-4***** Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, doing the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. *****Hebrews 3:1***** Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest to whom we confess. *****Ephesians 3:6***** This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. *****Psalm 118:8***** It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. *****Jeremiah 9:4***** Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver and every friend a slanderer. *****Ezekiel 13:1-3***** The word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!... *****Psalm 51:5***** Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. *****Psalm 115:17-18***** It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down in silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. *****Matthew 16:24***** Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. *****Jude 1:4***** For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. *****Psalm 40:9-11***** I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, O Lord. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly. Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me. *****1 Peter 5:2-3***** Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples of the flock. *****1 Timothy 4:1-3***** The Spirit clearly says in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to obstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. *****1 corinthians 4:18-21***** Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit? *****Ephesians 5:24***** Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands... *****Matthew 23***** Then Jesus said to the crowds and His disciples, 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagoges; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' But you are not to be called 'Rabbi', for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father', for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher', for you have one teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and then when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the gold in the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath. You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therfore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne, and the One who sits on it. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill, and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part in the shedding of blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendents of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagoges and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, who you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. *****1 corinthians 14:36-38***** Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or is spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, then he himself will be ignored. *****Malachi 2:9***** So I have caused you (prophets) to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality of the way of the law. *****Malachi 3:1***** I, the Lord, do not change.... *****Psalm 49:7***** No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-... *****Jeremiah 5:30-31***** A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? *****Luke 24:25***** O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken... *****1 Corinthians 10:3-4***** They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. *****Matthew 16:13-19***** When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on heaven will be bound on heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. {see Luke 9:18-27} *****1 Corinthians 15:1-2***** Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you have received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I have preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. *****Proverbs 1:1-6***** The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. *****Isaiah 44:8***** Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one. *****Psalm 18:31***** For who is God besides our Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? *****1 Samuel 2:2***** There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. *****Isaiah 40:25***** ...Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no Savior. *****Matthew 28:18-19***** Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. *****Matthew 7:21-29***** "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and in Your Name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evil-doers!' Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the Rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as One who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. *****Psalm 62:5-7***** Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and honor depend on God, He is my mighty Rock, my refuge. *****Psalm 119:30***** I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws. *****Proverbs 28:9***** If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable. *****Psalm 119:9***** How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. *****Psalm 119:2-4***** Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek after Him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. *****Matthew 4:10***** Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'' *****Romans 11:17-18***** If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, through a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over these branches. If you do, consider this: You do no support the root, but the root supports you. *****2 corinthians 1:13***** For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. *****Romans 6:19***** I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. *****1 Corinthians 6:2-4***** Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! *****Isaiah 40:25***** "To whom will you compare Me? Of who is My equal?" says the Holy One. *****Revelations 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophesy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophesy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. *****Galations 1:8***** But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! *****Proverbs 30:5-6***** Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and prove you a liar. *****Psalm 119:118***** You reject all who stray from Your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. *****Proverbs 16:2***** All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. *****Matthew 9:12-13***** On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. *****1 corinthians 9:16-18***** Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it. *****Acts 8:18-20***** When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit.' Peter answered, 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!' *****Colossians 2:8***** See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. *****Romans 10:2-3***** For I can testify about them that are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and set to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. *****Romans 12:3***** For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordence with the measure of faith that God has given to you. *****Romans 10:8-10***** But what does it say? The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus Christ is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. *****Luke 13:3***** I tell you no! But unless you repent (acknowledge that you are a sinner and say sincerely to God that you are sorry for your sins), you too will all perish. *****Ephesians 2:8***** For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-not of yourselves, it is a gift from God-, not of works, so that no one can boast. *****Matthew 6:7***** And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard for their many words. *****Matthew 15:1-9***** Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 'Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!' Jesus replied, 'And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said 'Honor thy father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother shall be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'these people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain, their teachings are but rules taught by men. *****Hebrews 13:9***** Do not be carried away be all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods which are of no value to those who eat them. *****Mark 16:16***** Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. *****Acts 11:16***** Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.' *****1 corinthians 1:17***** For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel-not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of christ be emptied of its power. *****1 corinthians 7:19***** Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. *****1 corinthians 11:24***** And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you: do this in rememberence of me. {see john 6:53} *****john 16:25***** Though I have been speaking with you figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about My Father. *****Hebrews 7:27-28***** Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once and for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which cam after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. *****James 2:18, 22***** But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'...You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. *****Hebrews 8:12***** For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. *****1 Timothy 2:5***** For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ... *****Luke 16:13***** No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other... *****1 Corinthians 4:4-7***** My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. Now, brothers, I have applied these things myself and appollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying 'Do not go beyond what is written.' Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What did you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast has though you did not? *****Romans 8:22-24***** We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? *****2 corinthians 1:21***** Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. *****John 8:31-32, 34-36***** To the Jews that believed Him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to My teachings, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.' *****Romans 5:18***** Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life to all men. *****Amos 3:3***** Do two walk together unless they are agreed? *****Proverbs 12:15***** The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. *****John 8:43-45***** Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. For when he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me! Therefore, the common man needs no go-between between God and Himself except Jesus. I ask you to not let the church stand in the way of your Lord any longer. Stephanie Postscript: also, see http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/sunburst.htm Post-postscript: Do you know where you're going when you die? **********

Dear Stephanie,

I agree with everything up to "Therefore..." By selecting and sending so many Scripture quotes are you not a go-between? For more on this need please see Mark Shea's By What Authority?

God bless,

Fr. Phil Bloom

P.S. The Bible also says: "With all your soul fear the Lord and honor his priests." (Sirach 7:29 Revised Standard Version)