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    <title>Pleading the Case - Episodes Tagged with “The Church”</title>
    <link>https://www.pleadingthecase.org/tags/the%20church</link>
    <pubDate>Sun, 17 Jun 2018 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <description>If a tune-up can’t fix a car engine because what it really needs is for the entire engine to be rebuilt, then why would we, in the Christian faith, perform tune-ups on the form and function of our churches when what they may really need is to be completely overhauled? Join the host of Pleading The Case, Andy Mendonsa, where in each episode, he will peal back the culture and traditions that have come to define much of the Church in America today in order to accurately assess whether all that is needed is just a good tune-up, or as he has become convinced, a compete overhaul. 
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type>
    <itunes:subtitle>"Stand Before The Mountains, Let The Hills Hear What You Have To Say"</itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:author>Andy Mendonsa</itunes:author>
    <itunes:summary>If a tune-up can’t fix a car engine because what it really needs is for the entire engine to be rebuilt, then why would we, in the Christian faith, perform tune-ups on the form and function of our churches when what they may really need is to be completely overhauled? Join the host of Pleading The Case, Andy Mendonsa, where in each episode, he will peal back the culture and traditions that have come to define much of the Church in America today in order to accurately assess whether all that is needed is just a good tune-up, or as he has become convinced, a compete overhaul. 
</itunes:summary>
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    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:name>Andy Mendonsa</itunes:name>
      <itunes:email>andy@widows.org</itunes:email>
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  <title>Episode 8: Part II: Widows, The Fatherless and Worship, Oh Why?</title>
  <link>http://www.pleadingthecase.org/8</link>
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  <pubDate>Sun, 17 Jun 2018 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Andy Mendonsa</author>
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  <itunes:author>Andy Mendonsa</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Based on James 1:27 the second part of this series begins by reviewing Part I in the context of worship,  and then focusing on the words "undefiled, "visit" and "the fatherless." This episode concludes with an assessment made for the present condition of the church in America, and possibly around the world, and why James 1:27 is the most accurate litmus test for determining this. </itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:26:29</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;In II Corintians 11:2-3 Paul tells us "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (NIV).  So, how do we know if we have been led astray from our pure and sincere devotion to Christ?  After studying James 1:27 &lt;em&gt;"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (DBY)&lt;/em&gt; for more than 25 years I am more than convinced that this single passage is the key for being able to accurately determine the condition of the church at any time and place in history.  And the key to unlocking this passage lies in our understanding of worship. The second par of this two part series begins with the second part of the first line of this passage, "to visit orphans and widows in their affliction," and concludes with "to keep oneself unspotted from the world."  &lt;/p&gt;
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  <itunes:keywords>abomination that causes desolation, acts 5, acts 6, adam, church in america, deceived, deception, deliverance, denied the faith, desolation, devotional, devouring widow's houses, dr. amy sherman, eve, garden of eden, genesis 2:15, high priest, i timothy 5, ii corinthians 11:1-4, inheritance, james 1:27, jesus, marriage bed, offering, orphans, paul, redemption, restoration, sacrifice, sin, stephen, the bereaved, the church, the fatherless, to keep, to visit, unbeliever, works, worship</itunes:keywords>
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    <![CDATA[<p>In II Corintians 11:2-3 Paul tells us &quot;I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ&quot; (NIV).  So, how do we know if we have been led astray from our pure and sincere devotion to Christ?  After studying James 1:27 <em>&quot;Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world&quot; (DBY)</em> for more than 25 years I am more than convinced that this single passage is the key for being able to accurately determine the condition of the church at any time and place in history.  And the key to unlocking this passage lies in our understanding of worship. The second par of this two part series begins with the second part of the first line of this passage, &quot;to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,&quot; and concludes with &quot;to keep oneself unspotted from the world.&quot; </p>]]>
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  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>In II Corintians 11:2-3 Paul tells us &quot;I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ&quot; (NIV).  So, how do we know if we have been led astray from our pure and sincere devotion to Christ?  After studying James 1:27 <em>&quot;Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world&quot; (DBY)</em> for more than 25 years I am more than convinced that this single passage is the key for being able to accurately determine the condition of the church at any time and place in history.  And the key to unlocking this passage lies in our understanding of worship. The second par of this two part series begins with the second part of the first line of this passage, &quot;to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,&quot; and concludes with &quot;to keep oneself unspotted from the world.&quot; </p>]]>
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  <title>Episode 4: Part III: The Church As Last Eve - Proving Jesus Came To Redeem A Bride </title>
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  <pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2018 17:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Andy Mendonsa</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/dc393591-8538-457d-9994-a5d0ecd86258/aae95660-c951-4648-97c7-1702d7d45fc6.mp3" length="70509280" type="audio/mp3"/>
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  <itunes:author>Andy Mendonsa</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>In the second part of Genesis 2:23, "the man said...she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”  In Part III of this series Andy Mendonsa examines the correlating events and person(s) that symbolizes, perhaps both literally and figuratively, the person that Jesus, as Last Adam, calls "woman." Presenting yet even more compelling proof that Jesus came to redeem a bride. </itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>1:11:35</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ's bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ's bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the third in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:23 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.&lt;/p&gt;
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  <itunes:keywords>bride of jesus, conceived by the holy spirit, conception of jesus, crucifiction, disciple whom he loved, eve, first adam, god, holy spirit, hour, last adam, last eve, mother of jesus, obedience, overshadowed, pure and undefiled, pure as a virgin, the church, the church as last eve, the hour has come, the most high, wedding feast, widow, woman, worship</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ&#39;s bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ&#39;s bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the third in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:23 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ&#39;s bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ&#39;s bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the third in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:23 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.</p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
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<item>
  <title>Episode 3: Part II: The Church As Last Eve - Proving Jesus Came To Redeem A Bride </title>
  <link>http://www.pleadingthecase.org/3</link>
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  <pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2018 18:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Andy Mendonsa</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/dc393591-8538-457d-9994-a5d0ecd86258/8921125a-8cc0-4af5-a2cb-4549a7181102.mp3" length="59357531" type="audio/mp3"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Andy Mendonsa</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>This is the 2nd episode in the series focused on the correlations between the creation of Eve through Adam and Jesus coming to redeem a bride. This episode picks up where episode one left off at the end of Genesis 2:21 and covers all of verse 22 and the first half of verse 23, "The man said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Based on the correlation with Jesus for the first part of verse 23, even our traditional views and practices for taking communion (The Lord's Supper), are called into question.

</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>59:58</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ's bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ's bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the second in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:22 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>4 cups of wine, bone of my bone, bride, bride cup, communion, cup of redemption, cup of salvation, deception, deliverance, eve, first adam, first exodus, flesh of my flesh, jesus, last eve, lord's supper, marriage, passover, redemption, restoration, second adam, second covenant, second exodus, the church, theology, widow, worship</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ&#39;s bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ&#39;s bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the second in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:22 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ&#39;s bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ&#39;s bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the second in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:22 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.</p>]]>
  </itunes:summary>
</item>
<item>
  <title>Episode 2: Part I:  The Church As Last Eve - Proving Jesus Came To Redeem A Bride </title>
  <link>http://www.pleadingthecase.org/2</link>
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  <pubDate>Sat, 05 May 2018 10:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Andy Mendonsa</author>
  <enclosure url="https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/dc393591-8538-457d-9994-a5d0ecd86258/4ed070d4-3c20-465b-8496-73d3515c9d00.mp3" length="58382598" type="audio/mp3"/>
  <itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType>
  <itunes:author>Andy Mendonsa</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>Through a multiple part series, the case is made that Jesus, as last Adam, came to redeem a bride.  Beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam account in Genesis 2:21-25 and then presenting the correlating passages in the New Testament with the last Adam, the evidence appears to be irrefutable that the Church, Christ’s bride, is also the last Eve. What happens, though, when one half (men) of the church does not recognize or believe this is that the other half (women) of the church, by default will be regarded, and even treated, as though they have less kingdom value and worth. </itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>58:57</itunes:duration>
  <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
  <itunes:image href="https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-images-2024/podcasts/images/d/dc393591-8538-457d-9994-a5d0ecd86258/episodes/4/4ed070d4-3c20-465b-8496-73d3515c9d00/cover.jpg?v=2"/>
  <description>&lt;p&gt;Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ's bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ's bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the first in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:21 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>betrothed, bride of christ, christianity, creation, deception, deliverance, first adam, jesus, last eve, office of widows, redemption, restoration, second adam, serpent, the church, theology, widows, women's roles</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ&#39;s bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ&#39;s bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the first in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:21 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Years ago I found myself asking the question if Jesus is the last Adam, then would that mean that the church, Christ&#39;s bride, is in effect the last Eve?  If not literally, at least symbolically? How to prove this, though, became more than a challenge for knowing where to even begin such a search.  After much thought and deliberation I finally realised that the place that I needed to start was at the beginning with the creation of the first Eve through the first Adam. That if we, as the church, Christ&#39;s bride, are seen by God as the last Eve, if you will, then there should be correlations between the description of the creation of Eve in Genesis 2:21-25 and passages in the New Testament having to do with Jesus and what he did on our behalf in order to redeem his bride.  This episode, the first in a 5 part series, begins with Genesis 2:21 proving that Jesus not only came to redeem a bride, but the bride he came to redeem, is in effect, the last Eve.</p>]]>
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