Tag Archives: judgment

Avert your eyes

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A man wakes one morning to go and give thanks to God for his quickness of mind.  With all he is capable of, the man realizes that everything he has comes from God.  But even in this realization he is caught.  How do you know you have quickness of mind?

Everything among men is comparison.  I don’t know of one man who can speak without it.  To assess one’s mind and find we have a quick mind, is to compare ourselves with those of lesser quickness.  The man even assesses what he has had to make that judgement.  Perhaps it would be better to simply thank God for the moment of clarity he has allowed you to have.

Our words reflect our attitude.  Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  And I am right to consider this entire article foolish if I think I understand it.  I am attempting to pull in some of the folly that causes so much chaos around us.

When we assess ourselves to have something that others do not, we judge God’s giving.  He has given the living and the dead.  He has given us poisonous plants as well as health giving plants.  He has given places to men that they may live there.  One who lives in the tropic will not do well in the Arctic.  But the place he lives is no less of value.  And men are not to be judged by where they live; whether by mind or by geography.

Where then do we have any right to compare ourselves to others?  Where will bullying find itself before the sovereign God?  Where will the judgment of our brother fall?  How will misguided assessments help us before the Lord and our brother?

Consider the trinkets of man which separate us according to our perceived betterment.  The rich man has, so he thinks himself better.  The poor man enhances his ingenuity, so he thinks himself better.  We say one is mentally retarded.  By that assessment we think we are better.  God has given separation by his wisdom.  Do not consider yourself able to counsel the Most High God.

I will confess that even writing this article I am using comparison between men.  Assessing the situation may not be sinful.  And refraining  from judgement maybe a very fine line.  But the line broadens considerably at some point.  When we recognize the difference let us back away.

Give thanks for what you have.  Practice only that.  If you consider someone else has a need, strive to make sure it is an actual need.  To do otherwise is to place judgement on your brother.

I know this article is difficult.  It seems I have put puzzle pieces together in the wrong place.  But the wisdom of God is greater than man.  And to his understanding we struggle to rise.  Ask the sovereign God by Jesus his Son and he will give you wisdom in these things.

Turn your eyes as you walk by a house at night.  Do not look in their window.  What business is it of yours what another man has or does?  If you must talk with them, go and give them honor by knocking on the door.

In the same way, do not judge another by what you have.  Accept him like he is.  Accept yourself like you are.  Revere God in all your thoughts.  By this you will do well.

I have written this as best I am able.  The Lord has said much better with fewer words.  But this is my house in the night of this world.  I have displayed this in my window.  I know that others look as they walk by.  Knock on my door and ask me and I will try to explain.

What I have written is true.  Perhaps some who read this can do a much better job than I.  But I have done what I am able.  And I thank God for His mercy.

May the God who gives all, also give understanding in these things.

By His Grace

The Letter.

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The First Letter

Image via Wikipedia

 

There is something I feel compelled to address.  I confess that, though I understand the subject, I’m at a complete loss as to how to begin or where to take the reader.  So I will call upon the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus to speak through me in this matter.

 

I came across a letter I had written in my days of abject sin.  As I read it I realized that this was from my hand.  Embarrassment, humiliation, and fear gripped me as I read the words.  In my mind I considered the blessing that through Jesus’ sacrifice the Father would not read this letter to my face.  The letter would have angered me if I had thought it came from another man.  But it was me.

 

Fear swarms like hornets around the heart of a man who comes to an understanding of his own unholy folly.  And while there is comfort in the forgiveness of Christ Jesus, there is still that morbid consideration plaguing the heart in regard to “what if”.  What if I had not known the Gospel?  I would have stood before the Holy Lord of Life and given account of myself naked of defence.

 

I appeal to all who read this to consider what you have done in your life with a sober judgment.  Without the Grace of God in Jesus, you will stand alone against the One who has never broken His Holy ways.  If you are a Christian, consider how precious the Lord’s gift of forgiveness is, that He has promised that those who put their trust in Him will never be brought to shame.  If you are not a Christian, please consider that every idle word you have ever spoken will be brought up before your face.  You will most certainly give account of yourself to a pure and all powerful God.

 

The details of the letter pale against the over riding message of the coming judgment.  That letter is only one of thousands, perhaps millions, of things I would have stood judgment over.  What hope is there outside of the salvation of Jesus?  NONE!

 

By His Grace.

 

The Swatter is Coming.

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Common house fly (Musca domestica).

Image via Wikipedia

The fly buzzes my head.  And he gives no thought that he is irritating me to violence.  He does not notice as my hand reaches for the fly swatter.  And he takes no notice of how I have dressed myself in patience for his destruction.  I will wait for him to lite in a place of my convenience.  Then I will unleash his end.  What was tethered in patience will become a lightning end.

So it is with the wicked against the Lord.  They give no thought of how irritating they are becoming to the Lord.  They do not notice how their lives are headed toward a place the Lord has established, the place of their destruction.  They speak and rail against Him while they take no notice of how He is dressed in an eternal patience.  They are the ones who count the minutes.  The Lord only counts for the sake of those who number, for eternity has no number of days.  He waits for them to lay down in the dirt; their days spent in rebellion and hatred for His Righteousness.  And then, He unleashes His perfect and Righteous Judgment upon the wicked.

By His Grace.

Vain Superstitions

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We are not called to frolic in the guestimations of the world regarding the Holiness of God.  We are called to join with Him in implementing His will among men.  While men make guesses regarding end times, the “Way”, the nature of Jesus’ salvation and glorification, God remains steady and sure.  He does not shift or change according to the limited understanding of man’s wicked contrivings regarding Holy.  God is.  And it is enough for us to live by the faith He gives each one of us.

Cease your constant wandering and rest.  It is God who works His will in His people.  Do not be swayed by all kinds of foolish words with which man builds his kingdoms.  They speculate about what is true.  It is God’s domain to KNOW what is true.  The one who follows Jesus will lay aside all this foolishness and pick up what is absolute.  God is willing to share wisdom to anyone who will ask.  And He will share this vast resource without judgment of any man’s history or bend toward wickedness.  Only, let us not give in to believing all the short sighted superstitions the world begs us to endure.  Hold firmly to Jesus and the truth He reveals.

Let those who will chase after vain knowledge; knowledge that is puffed up by the mind and wicked heart of man.  It is not the lot of Christians to cave to the foolish of the world around them who do not know the Lord of Glory.

By His Grace.

Allowing Time for Change.

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We all have someone in our life who we would love to see grow in maturity, or experience the freedom found in Christ Jesus, or take responsibility for their own actions, or even forgive an offence.    This desire to see positive growth in that loved one is a good thing.  No doubt, in that desire is found everything “good”.  There are even places in each one of us which might draw that same desire for ourselves.  “Oh, I so wish I could just…………….”. 

Will you permit me to ask a really hard question?   What serious change, or radical change, has ever come upon anyone over night?  Oh, there might be realizations that change our direction.  But the really concrete change (so as to never go back) happens slowly.  First we realize we have a problem.  Then we try on different fixes like a child tries on daddy’s shoes.  And finally we find what we know will solve the problem.  But it’s at the last point where we realize how absolutely huge and difficult change is going to be.

Even coming to Jesus with a problem we find the same three increments: realize, try variations, come to grip with the real fix.  Our lives are slow, yet hopefully sure, steps toward what we know is “good”.  I post this because I see a whole lot of people kind of stuck in a mire of doubt and inability.  I absolutely know that Jesus is the answer to any problem you might have going on.  But there’s an element of natural progress that must be embraced.

When we see someone we want to change toward what is “good”, what are we expecting?  If we expect them to just “Get with the program”, we’re bound to be disappointed.  Look at yourself.  What are you expecting?  Since even we can’t change over night, why do we expect it from others?  And what might the first signs of change look like?  The person we are focusing on, whether someone else or ourselves, is already dysfunctional in some manner.  Do we expect the first signs of wellness to appear void of this dysfunctional behavior?

This is what forgiveness is all about.  Openning the door to the sickness. so that when we see change we are willing to embrace it.   And this is why it is said that Jesus offers the fix to our problem.  His forgiveness and teaching are sure, real, and effective.  Let yourself receive forgiveness from Him.  Let yourself receive forgiveness from yourself.  Offer that same forgiveness to others.  This is the beginning of healing for everyone, even YOU.  Put on patience and love as if you were going to a stately dinner.  Wear patience for yourself.  Love without regard to who needs it.  This is the key to healing from wounds too deep to touch.

By His Grace.

Dear World

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Dear World:

I see that you are becoming upset at the current state of your ways.  You witness happenings around you that you consider negative toward your desires.  One might even say that you are pondering your current plight with perplexity.  You want your way with all things as you have always wanted them.  And you have been duped by the witness of your ancestors.  They have handed down to you a testimony of greed, corruption, idolatry, immorality, drunkenness, lies, murder, and a seeking after every form of pleasure.  I know you’re worried about being able to continue this legacy.  And I know that in your heart you have a deep desire to pass this “freedom” down to your great grand children.

I have bad news for you.  What you are witnessing is real.  Slowly, your ways (as itemized above) are stripping your future from your hands.  You will lose everything you have sought to gain and keep.  And you will shed great tears as your desires are taken from you.  Yet, not all is lost.

I have good news for you.  Jesus stands ready to receive your repentant and contrite heart as you lose your precious sin.  He offers you eternally good things to replace the toys you have invented for yourself.  You will lose all those toys.  But what He offers you will never lose, if you take Him up on His offer.

You are the creation of God.  He has given you a body and soul.  He provided a place for you to live that you might seek Him and find Him and return worship to His Holy Name.  But you chose to desire the work of your own hand.  The door is closing on you now.  I know you can hear the squeek of massive hinges as the Wind of God slowly closes your world around you.  Turn and be healed.   Continue to rebel and die.

By His Grace.