Seven Woes to the Modern Day Pharisee
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About this ebook
We can all see the issues of controversy within the churches and it is so easy today to point the finger at others. If we can all see the problems, why can't we change it?
This book is about exposing and dealing with hypocrisy in church, and is a study on the modern day application of the woes Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and Teachers of the law in Matthew 23 and Luke 11. The focus is on the yeast of the Pharisees, which Jesus stated was hypocrisy.
Josie Burness sets out to challenge long standing concepts that have been engrained in followers of Christ. Whether or not the propositions she makes are correct or not are not important. The significance of this work is that the conversations are started, and the problems are no longer just complained about, but addressed.
Revolutions can start in a number of ways, but this study is set to ignite the type of revolution that comes from the people. If we can all deal with these attitudes in ourselves, then we can see clearly to help others.
Josie Burness
Josie Burness has had a passion for ministry since her encounter with Jesus in 2003. From that moment she has been a student of the Holy Spirit, learning through revelation the same way the Apostle Paul did in his ministry to the early church (Gal 1:11-12). In this way she has learned afresh and largely unhindered by formal doctrine truth from the Bible, and is passionate about bringing a fresh revelation in a supportive role to established Churches. She has no prejudice over denomination or organisation, and understands the importance of respecting the authority of Priests, Pastors and ministry in bringing teaching to their respective congregations. Josie has worked in a wide range of occupations, and has a history in the police force and as a lawyer. Josie also spent a short time as a school Chaplain. She is a mother of three and currently employed in a position which provides protection for the rights of people with impaired decision making capacity.
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Seven Woes to the Modern Day Pharisee - Josie Burness
Seven Woes
to the
Modern Day
Pharisee
By Josie Burness
Copyright 2013 Josie Burness
Smashwords Edition
All scripture references are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION(R), NIV(R) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Visit josieburness.com.au for more information on the author.
I dedicate this book to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Contents
PART 1
Introduction
How the Yeast is Spread
United we Stand, Divided we Fall
Pharisaic Blindness
PART 2
Woe Number One
Woe Number Two
Woe Number Three
Woe Number Four
Woe Number Five
Woe Number Six
Woe Number Seven
PART 3
Pharisee Yeast v. Kingdom Yeast
"I'm sorry that they hurt you
I'm sorry they told lies,
I'm sorry they didn't see things
Through the Father's eyes.
Holy Spirit comfort them
Tell them what you know,
That you and I are all they need
To encourage them and grow.
Tell them that I love them
And admonish those who care,
To paint the truth as little lies
And little children ensnare.
Don't look to men for counsel
They do not see their sin,
Everything you need to know
Can be taught from within.
Hold on to my Holy Word
For every letter is true,
Talk to me but listen hard
Cause I'll explain to you,
About every truth and every lie
That meddling demons spread,
To change my religion into bondage
And spread the yeast through the bread"
Luke 12:1 ….Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy
PART 1
…first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
(Luke 6:42)
Introduction
…they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
- Jeremiah 31:34
The Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law who were leading the Jews during the time of Christ's birth were waiting for a Messiah, yet when he came they didn't recognise Him. They thought they knew Him, and understood the prophecies concerning His arrival and life.
It turned out they had it all wrong.
Growing up, I did not know God. I was told a lot about God, read the Bible and had it read to me and was told many things about the requirements of God, but I did not know Him. I thought I had it all figured out.
Turns out I had it all wrong.
Most of the things we hold on to as truth are a product of our environment. Our mind is malleable with information received from external factors such as parents, church leaders, media and friends. Although our lives and beliefs are also subject to spiritual influence, we receive an overload of information from society. Even reading the Bible can be manipulated by well-meaning people to give us an altered view of its interpretation. As we learn things from these various influences, our brain grows pathways cementing any understanding we have of our world, including the understanding we have of God.
Our general knowledge is also often limited by our own experiences. Let me illustrate.
While growing up, our family spent a lot of time camping and 'roughing it'. We used a lot of camping facilities over the years when they were available, and if not there was nothing a piece of soap and a river couldn't fix. My husband, on the other hand had been brought up with knowledge of the problems associated with foot fungus, particularly those that tend to live on the floor of public toilets and shower facilities.
One day we went to the beach, and I took our girls to the showers afterwards to get changed. During the ride home, my husband was horrified to the point of shock that I had allowed the removal of thongs while the girls had a shower. At first I thought he was a prude and had no idea what he was talking about. After he calmed down enough to explain the dangers of catching a fungal infection, I could see his point of view. The fact that I had been in these foot fungus feast places without shoes my whole life, without having a problem, made it difficult for me to see the danger until I was properly informed. I had been lucky.
My children and I had been put in danger of foot disease through lack of knowledge.
While reflecting on the incident I remembered this scripture - "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."(Hosea 4:6)
God's people are walking around unaware of a disease festering in the ranks, akin to me walking around in public toilets without shoes on unaware that I was in danger of picking up illnesses from the floor. This disease is the yeast of the Pharisees. Most of us have a concept of the Pharisaic yeast and associate it with hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the essence of the Pharisee mindset, but I have discovered the ambit of this concept has incredible spiritual depth far beyond what we commonly class as hypocrisy in our churches today.
This yeast is being inherited and passed on to new believers, affecting our knowledge and understanding of God. It has become a part of church culture, and an influence on believers and non-believers alike in their view of Christianity. The knowledge we have gained about God and religion is tainted by this yeast, and is mostly unchallenged and set in our minds, regardless of which church group we attend. Trust me, my ideas were set too, and the journey on which I am about to lead you is the journey I embarked on myself as I studied this area and learned the principals I am going to explain to you throughout this book.
It is important to establish that just because you think something doesn't make it right. Just like the Pharisees thought the Messiah would be a certain way, and just like I thought I knew it all growing up.
I know people who were taught never to have a bath in a thunderstorm. I was never taught this, so while they frantically pull their children out when it storms I have obliviously continued on with no idea. Who is right? If I think it's safe does it make it so? Have they prevented injury or death by their safety procedure?
What is truth?
How I met God
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
- John 8:32
Now I had been taught that God was a certain way, and was well and truly infested with Pharisee fungus when I left church and decided that no one really knew the answers; and who knew if there