Tag Archives: Judgement

A Word of Sobriety

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To those who think they can do as they please while they bear the name of Christ.

The Living God will enter your sinful place.  His messengers will come among your putrid house of defiance.  The Lord will know what the people do, and he will surely reward with justice.

Have you listened to the lie?  Have you preferred disobedience over righteous humility?  Then do not be surprised when your house becomes desolate.  For the Lord will surely make an end of rebellion.

But to the diligent who resolve to love him and obey His Holy commands.

Do not fear.  The Lord has seen your heart.  It is for joy that He has given salvation.  Nothing that belongs to the Living God’s Holy Christ can taste destruction.  As the grave itself was not able to hold him, so destruction will not touch those who belong to him.

But the Lord will make a distinction.  He will surely divide the people one from another.  Be wise.  Honor His Holy Name and live.  Remain foolish, and you will surely taste his wrath.

Yes Christ Jesus is the Love of God!  But the love of God is directed to what is righteous and true, faultless and clean.  To this he draws us out of sin, and will accept no other engine.

Be wise and live, remain in sin and die.

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”  (Luke 13)

By His Grace

Freedom

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In Christ we are blameless.  Who can lay a charge against us?  Though man may have right to lay a charge, for the sake of the things of man, it is to God they must inevitably go for their justice.

Though God’s people are often worthy of condemnation, it is Christ Himself who justifies. 

Where then is what man calls freedom?  He only desires to do his own will.  And where is the so-called justice of man?  God alone judges with purity, Holy righteousness, and eternal knowledge. 

But let all men come and taste the freedom of Christ Jesus!  Only then does a man begin to understand the fullness of the word.  Abandon your selfish desire and live free.

Freedom is not designed to enjoy the things that rot.  The concept of freedom is eternal at its base.  True freedom is found solely in Christ Jesus; the Son of God and the Son of Man.

This freedom in Christ remains!  From the accusations of men, to even horrific beheading by ungodly religion, those in Christ are utterly free!  At whatever point they think us bound, they are wrong.

Nothing but God will last forever.  So the freedom of those in Christ is not bound.   Not even by the law of man.  Men die, or change their law according to their desire.  But as a man lives in Christ he is truly free!

BELIEVE!

The island

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In the pitch like darkness of the deep ocean a rumbling of silt and sand occurred.  The slime of refuse gave way to molten rock.  Without approval, a mountain began to grow in the darkness.

The place had been desolate and quiet.  Though it had been a place of gathering for refuse, peacefulness and quiet had attended upon it. But now violence erupted where once there was nothing but filth.  The lord was pleased to cause a new place to grow.  And in his pleasure he spoke growth and life.

Lava forced upward the plate of rock that had once been the bottom of the ocean.  Months of great pressure and violence pushed the plate of rock toward the top of the sea.  Light began to touch the surface of the rock and it cringed at the new world it was being forced to inhabit.  Convulsions shook the plate and the edges curled around its new support.  “I am to perish!  Surely I am dying!”

“What are you doing Oh Lord Great God?  Did I not serve you well in the place where I was?  What is my sin that you should rip me from my rest?”  But the plate heard no reply.

Soon the sound of waves crashing at the edge stirred the plate into near panic.  How deeply it desired to return to its former place.  “This is no place of peace!  It is a place of torture!  What have I done to deserve this horrific uprooting?  Was I not content and faithful to support what the world no longer needed?”  Again, there was no sound from the Living God.  Only the frightening roar of water at the shore.  The tumult threatened to rip the rock apart.

In the years of a rock, very little time passed before the silt upon it top begin to produce.  Shrubs and rough grass filtered in to begin the final transformation.  Seeds had appeared by virtue of the birds who came to visit.  All the while the little island was frightened to see his surface so abused.

As the Island got use to its new place it began to see the beauty of the violence.  The Sun would rise and set, warming the rock in a new place called day.  The moon would bathe him in glorious shimmers; not at all like the darkness he had known.  And the sound of the waves often put him into peaceful sleep.  The wind of God shaped him into smooth and various form.  And the storms which came and went were a wonderous delight of activity.

One day, still a great mystery to the island, an animal set foot on his soil.  With great interest he watched this one.  It was not at all like the others who had come to visit.  Nor was it like those who had been a part of his previous world.  For the first time since his peaceful slumber of filth, the island felt pure joy.

“I like this one Lord.”  The island was heard to say.  “He tickles and scratches at my surface.  And now I am pleased for what you have done.  The pain and memory is receding and now there is joy.”

Centuries passed, and the island was a happy place of thriving life for a multitude of creatures.  What he had been before, he no longer desired to remember.  Joy filled his days and his new place produced great fruit for the Sovereign God who had caused him to be.

“Give thanks to the Lord and be faithful for He is good.  His mercy endures forever!  Be faithful and joy filled.  Give thanks and praise to God.”   The island had come to sing a new song.  “Do not be discouraged at the tumult which now attends your days.  For soon you will be thankful for the violent uprooting.”

By His Grace

Folly at its Best

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There is no crisis better than the one which gives those in power a chance to grab more to themselves.   There is no greater folly than to do oneself more damage by refusing to admit an error.

If there is a distinguishing difference between Christians and non-believers, it is that they recognize their folly and are willing to approach the Lord because of it.  Darkness hates the light and will not come into it for fear that its deeds may be seen.

It has been said the Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.  But to complete that phrase is the requirement that men who approach the Lord, to bear their folly, are willing to receive correction.

It is a horrible weight to bear ones on folly before the Lord.  It is folly upon folly to retain this stupidity in spite of knowing better.  For the judgment will show each man’s work according to truth. It is far better to receive failure because of our folly; the scorn of men rather than the scorn of God.

The man who writes this knows this to be true for I am a fool.

The Two Fold Message

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The Gospel is a two fold message of promises from God, through Christ Jesus, to all men.  On one hand, and first, is the message of sure death.  This is to be delivered to the world with all wisdom and courage.  It is the message of God to those who are already judged because they have not believed in the One and Only True God through Jesus’ sacrifice.  They will hate this message.  And they will desire to destroy anyone who brings it to their ears.

The other side of the message of God is that of mercy and tenderness.  And this is to be delivered to everyone who humbles themselves under the Mighty hand of God.  In this message are rebukes, for the heart of man is desperately wicked and must be caused to submit to the Holy Will of God.  But even in the rebukes we find the Mercy that flows from the Throne of He who is forever.

Do not listen to those who say God is love and He will accept every man.  Only that which is God will enter eternal life.  And to the measure that you have accepted God’s rule in your life, that measure of you will be allowed to enter His presence.  Nothing unholy will ever stand before the Lord of Life.  Only what God has built will last.  Submit yourselves to God and learn from Him.  The more you delay the less time you have left. 

Jesus Christ is the exact representation of the Holy Father.  And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  What was expected of the servants of God from the beginning still remains as an expectation of His servants today.  Man has watered down this message.  But God remains the same. 

By His Grace.

To Judge or Assess?

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Scale_of_justice

Image by TaranRampersad via Flickr

I witnessed an old man having trouble with the lock on the back of his trailer.  Now, I’d jump out and help.  But only one key opens the lock.  And only one set of fingers at a time can turn that key.  And what advice can I possibly give to help? “Try to turn it this way.”  Yeah.

I was waiting behind him to pull into my door.  And there was nothing more to do but sit and watch.  After a while he gave up and waddled back to my truck.  Was he going to ask for help?  Maybe he thought I carried a bolt cutter or an oxy acetylene torch.  Nah, that’s not reasonable to expect.

He got near my truck and I jumped out to meet him.  He began to talk and my soul was startled.  Anger and cursing flowed from his mouth like a river of fast moving mud.  I didn’t expect that.  He didn’t look like someone who carried that kind of heart.  But there’s not much a person can tell about another by simply looking at them.

This experience brings me to ponder “judging”.  We are instructed (commanded actually) not to judge.  But what would this world be like if we didn’t access our fellow humans? How would we sort out danger or friendly?  Would we allow the enemies of truth to come live in our house?  Perhaps, but not without making some measure of prevention.  So what is this judging thing?

Judging, as we’re commanded to refrain from, is more likely having to do with settling on a conviction that someone is a certain way and  without redemption.  Perhaps it’s like being a judge at a trial and rendering a sentence on the person in question.  I can see how this would be a source of major damage.  There would be no hope of that person ever overcoming their history.  And such judging would preclude any possibility of change.  So they would be locked out of our sphere of acceptance and hope.

Judging, as is necessary, might be more like assessment.  We consider the other person according to what knowledge of truth we contain.  And we allow for learning on both parts.  I allow myself room to learn something more about the person, while I continue to consider that person with reserved guard.  And I allow that other person room toward possible clarification of their personality.

Refrain from condemning others to the life they now present to you.  But be careful not to allow enemies to get too close.  A curious mix of understanding is needed here.  But doesn’t this just show how small and unwise we really are?  Who can know what is right without the Lord giving understanding?  How many people have been killed, through the ages, because others judged them unfit.  Even the righteous have become victim of this kind of judging.

In the end, perhaps it would be better to identify two words we can use.  We are allowed to access a person’s intend and tendencies.  And do so with understanding that we might well be wrong.  We’re allowed to protect what is precious in our world.   But we’re commanded not to condemn others before we have all the facts.  And even when all the “facts” are presented, can we truly judge them on an eternal scale?   “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

And what would have happened if Jesus had met the “man of the tombs” and simply turned around and left?  After all, wasn’t the entire village afraid of this man?  Wasn’t he a horrible person?  But look what happened when Jesus drove the evil spirits out of him.  The villagers found that man “in his right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus”.  (Mark 5: 1-10)  See also:  http://timglass.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/a-man-from-the-tombs-mark-51-10/

At the same time I’m put in remembrance of the 7 sons of sceva:

13 “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. ”  (Acts 9)

Again, we are told to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

By His Grace.