The Secret of Death

You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day
cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death,
open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires 
lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like the seeds dreaming beneath the snow
your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams,
for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd
when he stands before the king whose hand
is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling,
that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing,
but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs,
then shall you truly dance.

A Letter of Love

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you. 
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. 
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. 
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. 
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. 
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. 
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. 
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. 
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book. 
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live. 
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. 
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. 
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love. 
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father. 
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. 
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. 
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. 
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. 
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. 
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. 
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. 
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. 
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. 
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul. 
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. 
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me. 
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart. 
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. 
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine. 
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles. 
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you. 
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart. 
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes. 
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. 
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. 
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you. 
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you. 
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love. 
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me. 
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child? 
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. 
Luke 15:11-32

© 1999-2011 www.FathersLoveLetter.com

Why a Virgin Birth?

Every Christmas season our thoughts turn to the birth of Christ and to his mother, Mary. To some extent, we all take the nativity for granted. But why  was   Jesus born of a virgin? One answer, of course, is to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: "Behold the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

But that's more descriptive than causal: why was it necessary in the first place? There are, of course, many profound theological issues inherent in the virgin birth. One way to view this issue is to address one of the problems it solves.

The Problem

God announced very early that His plan for redemption involved the Messiah being brought forth from the tribe of Judah (1),  and specifically from the line of David 2.  The succession of subsequent kings proved to be, with only a few exceptions, a dismal chain. As the succeeding kings of Judah went from bad to worse, we eventually encounter Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin), upon whom God pronounces a " blood curse" : "Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah."(Jeremiah 22:30)

This curse created a rather grim and perplexing paradox: the Messiah had to come from the royal line, yet now there was a "blood curse" on that very line of descent! (I always visualize a celebration in the councils of Satan on that day. But then I imagine God turning to His angels, saying, "Watch this one!")

The Solution

The answer emerges in the differing genealogies of Jesus Christ recorded in the gospels. Matthew, as a Levi, focuses his gospel on the Messiahship of Jesus and presents Him as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Thus, Matthew traces the  legal line from Abraham (as any Jew would) through David, then through Solomon (the . royal. line) to Joseph, the  legal  father of Jesus (3).

On the other hand, Luke, as a physician, focuses on the humanity of Jesus and presents Him as the Son of Man. Luke traces the blood line from Adam (the first Man) through to David -- and his genealogy from Abraham through David is identical to Matthew's.  But then after David, Luke departs from the path taken by Matthew and traces the family tree through  another son of David (the second surviving son of Bathsheba), Nathan, down through Heli, the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus (4).

Zelophehad

One should also note the exception to the law which permitted inheritance through the daughter if no sons were available and she married within her tribe (5).

The daughters of Zelophehad had petitioned Moses for a special exception, which was granted when they entered the land under Joshua.

I believe it was C.I. Scofield who first noted that the claims of Christ rely upon this peculiar exception granted to the family of Zelophehad in the Torah. Heli, Mary's father, apparently had no sons, and Mary married within the tribe of Judah. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, of the house and lineage of David and carrying legal title to the line, but without the blood curse of Jeconiah. [I believe that every detail in the Torah -- and the entire Bible -- has a direct link to Jesus Christ.  "The volume of the book is written of me." (Psalm 40:7)  [For a more detailed discussion, see our book, Cosmic Codes -- Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity, presently in publication.]

Earlier Glimpse

This was no afterthought or post facto remedy, of course. It was first announced in the Garden of Eden when God declared war on Satan:  " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."(Genesis 3:15)

The "Seed of the Woman" thus becomes one of the prophetic titles of the Messiah. This biological contradiction is the first hint -- in the early chapters of Genesis -- of the virgin birth.

John also presents a genealogy, of sorts, of the Pre-Existent One in the first three verses of his gospel (6). The Prophet Micah also highlights this: " But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."(Micah 5:2)

Myth #4 Hell is the Absence of God

You’ve probably heard this myth as well. The worst part about hell, some people reason, is that you are alone. Hell is isolation, and since we are made for fellowship (with God and others) this is what makes hell such a terrifying judgment.

Of course, the truth is that there is no place our omnipresent God isn’t. It isn’t the absence of God that makes hell terrifying, it is his nearness that makes it so. Hell is not the absence of God, but the absence of his mercy and grace. Oh yes, God ispresent in hell to exercize perfect justice and judgment.

Our confidence is that in Christ our sins have been atoned for, and we are at peace with God. In Christ we have the true and lasting intimacy with God we were created for. Therefore, the nearness of God is our goal, and we can draw near to God as he sits upon a throne of grace and expect grace, not judgement.

Myth #3 Hell is Temporary

Among those who take hell a bit more seriously we sometimes find the myth that hell is temporal, and not everlasting. The reasoning is often that hell is punishment for sins committed during at the most several decades, and that justice would prohibit everlasting punishment for crimes committed over the course of an earthly lifetime. After punishment has been met, whatever divine punishment demands, a person is either welcomed into heaven, or simply annihilated.

But, Scripture is pretty clear on the everlasting nature of hell. It is a place of eternal destruction, punishment, and fire. There is no work release program or hope of probation in hell.

We are created as immortal beings and will go on living after death in the presence of God and his grace, or experiencing his just and righteous anger. As incurable,habitual sinners we continue in our sin, lawlessness and idolatry even in hell– and so judgment continues.

Hell is an everlasting judgment, and our only hope of escaping such a curse is by trusting in the One who became a curse for us. Those who are united to Jesus are setfree from condemnation and find everlasting life.

People

Great People        Talk About      Ideas

Average People   Talk About       Things

Small People        Talk About      Other People

Bad Baggage

WE PUT THE DEVIL OUT, BUT DON'T  LET HIM LEAVE HIS BAGS!!

 Out of a bad relationship because it was bad, but still resentful and angry?
(Baggage)

You got out of financial debt, but you still can’t control the desire to spend on frivolous things.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You got out of a bad habit, but you still long to try it just one more time.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You said, I forgive you, but you can’t seem to forget and have peace with that person.
(That is not your luggage)

You told your unequally yoked mate that it was over, but you still continue to call.
(Open the trunk take out the bags they are not yours)

You got out of that horribly oppressive job, but you are still trying to sabotage the company after you’ve left.
(Boy did you ever let the devil leave his bags.)

You cut off the affair with that married man/woman, but you still lust after him/her.
(Step one is good but the sin is still the same )

You broke off your relationship with that hurtful, abusive person, but you are suspicious and distrusting of every new person you meet.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

You decided to let go of the past hurts from growing up in an unstable environment, yet you believe you are unworthy of love from others and you refuse to get attached to anyone.
(You let the devil leave his bags.)

When you put the devil out, please make sure he takes his bags!

Myth #2 Hell is Where Sinners Party

I have actually heard this myth quite a bit. Someone will say, “Man, I’d rather party in hell with all my friends than hang out in heaven in white robes with a bunch of uptight religious people.”

Of course, I don’t believe that this reflects anyone’s real theology of the heaven and hell. It’s simply a retort that reveals more about how they view themselves and religious people than it does their view of the afterlife. It is often a way of dismissing the claims and promises of Jesus. But it comes up enough to warrant concern.
Hell is not a dark, comfortable pub where you can hang out with friends and talk about the meaning of life (or hell) throughout the ages. Nor is hell some kind of everlasting rave thumping with house music and lit with glow sticks. Hell is no party. Hell is not what you make it. Jesus describes hell as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It is a dark, endless, joyless, place of judgement,
Scripture tells us that it is appointed to us all to die, and after that face judgment. As sinners who have broken God’s law we can expect the Judge to find us guilty and sentence us to that place of “outer darkness.” Our hope is not that we can persuade the judge to see things our way, or just give us a pass. There is no probation or work release program that we can hope for after death. Our only hope before God is that he will look to our advocate, Jesus Christ, who alone provides the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness we lack. Though guilty, we are judged to be righteous in Jesus, and are rescued from the judgement of hell and ushered into the presence of God and his people.

Myth #1: Hell is a Place Where Satan Reigns

Many people think of hell as the place where the Devil reigns. It is viewed as his home, or castle, or fiery Bat Cave where he devises plans to destroy the church and rule the world. If it’s not a war room, then it’s some kind of dungeon where the Devil inflicts misery on those who have been sent there to suffer.

But hell is not the devil’s castle, and he occupies no position of authority there. Hell is the devil’s ruin. It is his future, everlasting prison and place of judgment (Rev 20:10).

I think one of the reasons people hold onto this idea of the devil ruling in hell is because, if he is in hell he isn’t anywhere near us. So, at least in their mind, it removes him from any place of influence or danger. He isn’t here; he’s there, so we don’t have to give him much thought at all. But the devil is here. He is a very real and present danger. Peter says that the Devil prowls our cities, suburbs and countryside looking for people to devour (1 Pet 5:8). He does not reign in hell, but he does seek to reign over you and ruin you.

In all of this our gospel hope and confidence is that the devil has been cast down and bound through the ministry Jesus, is destroyed by Christ’s work on the cross, and that the church has been set free from the bondage and deceit of the Devil and will eventually trample the deceiver underfoot. The devil has been beat, but is awaiting his final judgment. Hell is his end, not his stronghold.

Could Be There Future Address

Ben Bernanke
Circle I Limbo

Democrats
Circle II Whirling in a Dark & Stormy Wind watching loosing election returns

PETA Members
Circle III Mud, Rain, Cold, Hail & Snow

Bernie Madoff
Circle IV Rolling Weights in the poor-house for ever

Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama
Circle V Stuck in Mud, Mangled never to be Re-elected

River Styx

The New York Yankees
Circle VI Buried in the Basement for Eternity

River Phlegyas

Scientologists
Circle VII Burning Sands Then The Fire

Osama bin Laden
Circle IIX Immersed in Excrement Then The Fire

The Pope
Circle IX Frozen in Ice Then The Fire

This Graphic and the Cartoon Below are Part of an Upcoming Post on Popular Myths 

and How They Got Started  

72 Virgins Well I'm  Afraid You Have Been Terribly Misinformed  

Running on Empty

Isaiah 40:1-40:31 

 The movie “Cool Runnings” was loosely based on a true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team that competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
In the movie practically everyone looked down on their team. Their coach was a disgraced bobsledder who’d been kicked out of the sport for cheating. Their team was a sloppy group of black men from a country which had never seen snow, let alone a bob-sled. And the sled they used was a rebuilt and repainted reject that failed them in the final run.

By all reasonable expectations, they shouldn’t have been able to compete that year. But,
…because of HOW they ran their race, they gained the one thing that mattered most to them: respect.

One of the underlying messages from the movie was: there is a right way… and a wrong way to get what you want in life.

I. What is it you want most out of life?
Some people want Love
Others seek Financial Security
or even simple understanding.

The Bible says “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4 …Or in reverse, He will give you the desires of your heart IF you delight yourself in the LORD.” Psalms 37:4 

 Problem is, we want on our OWN terms… not God’s. We either don’t want to wait on God, or don’t want to live under God’s authority and leadership. So we seek other ways to obtain what we want in life. By we I mean me mostly.

That’s what Judah had done. And a message out of Isaiah 40 is this: THERE’S A RIGHT WAY AND A WRONG WAY TO GET WHAT YOU DESIRE IN LIFE.
And Judah had gone about pursuing their goals in entirely the wrong way.

 For some time Judah had been pursuing:
Safety Security Strength

They were a small kingdom surrounded by larger and more powerful nations, and they felt weak and threatened. It was almost as if they were “running a race” and they believed that they needed every advantage they could find… so they sought to strengthen themselves by invoking the names of other gods and by making alliances with pagan nations.

Why would they do this? 
This was Judah. They were people of God. Why on earth would they turn their back on God and seek out other sources of power?
Well… 
1st – it is hard to ignore the dangers that surrounded us.
To the north of Judah there was an empire called Babylon. It was a powerful kingdom. It had a fearsome army and a reputation of destroying any nation in their path… and Judah was smack dab in Babylon’s way.

Now, I have to admit to you that it’s hard for me not to sympathize with Judah’s fears. They lived in a very real world filled with very real dangers.

 A former police officer with the Lubbock Texas Police Department - Bob Vernon - tells of how the Department would demonstrate to rookie officers the value of the bullet-proof vests they’d be issued. The vests were placed on mannequins and then officers would fire round after round into the vests. The rookies were asked to check to see if any of the rounds had penetrated the vests. Invariably the vests would pass the test with flying colors. Vernon would turn to the rookie officers and ask, “So who wants to wear a vest and let us test how it works on you? Nobody Ever?? Why? 
Because it’s one thing to “say” I have faith 
It’s quite another to actually act on that faith.

You see, this world can be a dangerous place. And the things that we desire in life can often be threatened by powers beyond our own strength. We might lose our jobs, our relationships, our families. At times like these it’s easy to panic. It’s easy to take our eyes off of God’s faithfulness and begin to look around for other forms of power and security.
But throughout Scripture God’s message has always been to His people: “Trust me.”  “Put your faith in my promises.” “Act upon my assurances.”
So… IT IS hard to ignore the dangers that surround us and the forces that threaten our hopes and dreams in this life. BUT it is at times like those that it is critical that we put our faith in God and Him alone.

It’s tempting to rely more on my bank account and financial security than on God riches It’s tempting to rely more upon political parties than I do upon the Lordship of God It’s tempting to rely more upon justice of courts than upon the faithfulness of God
These are things I can see. Things I can touch. Things I can feel.
But, God’s riches and faithfulness and Lordship are often invisible to my eyes. 
So my tendency is to rely upon what I can see and handle and touch.
That can explain how Judah had drifted away from God and began to trust pagan nations, and began to worship pagan gods. These were visible and tangible to their eyes and hands.
But God said: “Have you looked closely at the things you’ve put your trust in??? Have you considered what you’re comparing God with?”

Isaiah 40:18-20 says
“To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.”
God asks: Is THIS what you’ve replaced me with? A piece of wood or metal that can be knocked over with a good push?

And God asks: “Do you really think you can replace me with the power and might of men? 
Isaiah 40:22-25 says: “(God) sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. ‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’" says the Holy One. 
God asks us: would you replace me with mere mortals who can be swept away like chaff?
God seems to be asking - What’s wrong with you guys? 
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.” Isaiah 40:21-22
In other words start learning to look at life from God’s perspective… not your own. See… that was the heart of Judah’s problem 
Judah had become accustomed to viewing their lives purely from the viewpoint of their OWN strength and abilities. Not from God’s

One of the great movies of all time was Ben Hur. One of the movie’s most riveting scenes where Charlton Heston defeated his arch enemy in an extremely realistic chariot race. The scene required 5 weeks of filming, 15,000 extras, and 18 chariots.
To add to the spirit of authenticity Charton Heston actually learned to drive the chariots he’d be using in the race. But after weeks of practice, Heston was worried about the shoot. He confided in the stunt coordinator: “I can drive the chariot, but I’m not sure I can win.”
The stunt man smiled and replied: “Charlie, you just make sure you stay in the chariot, and I’ll make sure you win the race.”
You see, Heston had made the mistake of thinking that HE actually had to win the race by his own power and skill. He had forgotten that this was a movie.
The outcome had already been decided… It was in the script
He COULDN’T LOSE!!! And that’s what God is trying to get us to see in Isaiah 40
Look again at Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”  You can actually rely on His strength 

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
He finds pleasure in helping you when you can’t do it anymore

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

My family went to Washington D.C. on vacation.
And Washington is a great city to take your family to.
For example, we went to the “Spy Museum”, 
We got a special pass to visit the White House, and The House of Representatives.
We saw the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington 
We visited the Smithsonian Air and Space museum National Archives (Declaration)
The Washington monument The Lincoln memorial
The Vietnam and Korean memorials And the most recent memorial to the veterans of WWII.
And you know… there’s one thing that I remember most about our visit to Washington D.C…. we walked everywhere. We walked… and we walked… and we walked… and we walked. It wasn’t so bad for me, but I had an 11 year old son whose legs were shorter than mine, and they had to go twice as far just to keep up with me. 
We wanted to go up into the Washington monument. It was a HOT day. We seemed to have to wait FOREVER to go inside the building. And there is hardly any shade there.  Then we got into the monument… and we had to wait to go up in the elevator.  Then we got to the top, and we had to wait to look out of those little windows out on the city of Washington. 
That’s when my son started to feel sick. Just knew hewas going to throw up. 
Did you know there’s no bathrooms at the top of Washington monument? 
We found a black plastic bag (just in case) and we rushed him to the elevator… only to find a line of 20 or 30 people waiting to get into an elevator that was already filled with people. By the grace of God the elevator operator leaned out and said “I’ve got room for 2 more people.” 
“I’ve got a sick boy here” I called out… and people graciously stepped aside to let us through.
We made it safely to the bathroom and felt a little better. But he was still hot and tired. We set out to go to the White House… but I only had a vague idea how to get their. There was a lot of construction going on and I began to be unsure of how I was going to get us there without getting lost. 
I saw a workman in a golf cart and said to him: “Can you tell me the best way to get to the White House.” He gave me some instructions which I only vaguely understood. I thanked him and we began to walk away. We’d only walked a few feet when Dray pleaded with me to lift him up on my shoulders. I picked him up… and had only walked a short distance when I heard a voice behind me call out: “If you’ll hold him in your lap, I’ll drive you folks on over to the White House.” It was the man in the golf cart.
Now, I’m a healthy man… but I’d have been a fool to turn down an offer like that.
I was hot and I was tired, and as he drove us to our destination I noted that his cart had a roof overhead to shield us from the sun, and as we moved swiftly along, a breeze cooled our faces. 
As we rode, I asked the man about himself. He wasn’t just any ordinary workman. He was the supervisor of the construction company that had been engaged in a $8.5 million dollar project there. Thus… what had potentially been ONE MORE long, hot walk in Washington turned out to be a comfortable ride – given by the man who  ran the company.

You See: Even strong men grow tired
Even young boys get hot and sick
But our God cares so much for us that he offers us his strength. 
He offers us wings of eagles to carry us along
He offers us the refreshing coolness of His presence… because He cares for us and He knows how frail and weak we can become in a world that sometimes overpowers us.

To Judge or Not to Judge

The first thing to do is to put Jesus’ warning into the context in which it was given. In Matthew 7, Jesus said:

1 "Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

This is not a warning not to judge but that we will be judged according to the standard we choose. In Romans we are warned not to judge others when we are doing the same things. If we know something is wrong, we become a witness against ourselves if we are committing the same acts. We also don’t have the right to judge someone’s heart, but when warranted, we are to judge someone’s actions and words according to truth. If we are not permitted to judge, it becomes impossible to distinguish between right and wrong. Contrary to common opinion, the Bible commands us to judge.

 1 Thessalonians 5 tells us: 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.

Testing is judging between right and wrong. The devil has successfully removed our ability to measure truth by convincing God’s people that it is wrong to judge. It is not judging that is wrong, it is the standard by which we judge and the motives behind our judgment. Jesus gave the standard for judging. Look at these two passages:

John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." ... "Righteous a right relationship with God" 

John 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

Judgment is not according to appearance or personal preference, but according to God’s own righteous judgment which was revealed in His word. It is God’s word that judges between right and wrong and we are to test all things by evaluating it against the word of God. The Bible constantly reiterates a foundational truth - God does not change. His word does not change. Anything that disagrees with God’s unchanging word is not true. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will never pass away" (Matthew 24). In Psalms, God tells us that His word is equal to His name: Psalm 138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Those who follow and teach God’s word faithfully are with God and those who alter or contradict it are against God. There is no such thing as a new revelation that is contrary to what God has already revealed in His word. We are to judge doctrine and truth righteously by comparing it to Scripture.Look at John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

According to the truth of scripture, we can determine if we or those who preach and teach are in the love of God. If anyone loves Christ, he or she will keep God’s word. We may not be able to judge someone’s salvation, but we can clearly judge whether or not they are in an abiding relationship with Christ. If someone rejects God’s commands, they do not love God. If someone refutes scripture or teaches a doctrine that contradicts scripture, they do not love God. They may say that they love God, but it is not possible to love God and align ourselves against His word. Some my call that judgmental, but Jesus plainly stated this truth.

If we are commanded to test doctrine in order to determine what is good and evil, how can we think that we are not allowed to judge? Why does the Bible warn us to be on guard and watch out for false teachers if we are not to question them for fear of being called attackers? We are mandated by scripture to judge, identify and stand against false teachers by upholding the truth. Our goal is not to prove others wrong. Our ultimate goal is to bring others to repentance by upholding truth. Ideally we want others to see the truth and respond. Equally important if not more important, our intentions should also be 
to keep others from falling into satan’s traps. John 4:24 says, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Without truth, worship and our relationship with God are not possible. If we allow faith to be perverted, we are partakers at the height of injustice. The world around us is lost and dying without Christ. If we allow Christianity to be conformed to the world, who can be saved? We are to be calling the world to get off the sinking ship, not getting into the ship with them. If the church tolerates the lie, who will share the truth? This does not allow us to the judge quickly and by personal opinion. The golden rule prevails, treat and judge others as you would want to be treated.  

Fast and First Without Reservation

Have you noticed how the world treats the issue of forgiveness? On television for example, it’s almost a virtue to withhold forgiveness particularly if the offense is especially hurtful. The idea is that we somehow participate in the offense if we forgive it; or that forgiveness for certain acts is unforgivable in itself.

Of course, there are those who withhold forgiveness because they feel it’s their right to do so. “Do you expect me to forgive you” is an oft repeated line. No one questions the right of the offended party to deny the request. In fact, people knowingly nod their heads in approval and focus on what the offender deserves.

And yes, we Christians know that the offender does not deserve forgiveness: ever. We also know there are consequences for sin. Yet, what sets us apart from the world is the obligation and compulsion to forgive. We forgive others because God’s forgiven us. That’s what it means to be a Christian. We’ve been forgiven, not because we deserve it, but because God is gracious. And, because God has changed us, we can’t help but forgive others.

It’s not a virtue to withhold forgiveness any more than it’s a virtue to sin against God or hurt someone. When we forgive, we don’t participate in the commission of the offense. We do bear it though. Just as the one seeking forgiveness bears the burden of guilt, we bear the burden of not allowing our being hurt to come between us and the offending party. In granting forgiveness, we don’t let people off the hook nor do we wipe away any consequences that might be in effect. In fact, we acknowledge that there is an offense simply by saying the offending party needs forgiveness. We acknowledge it and bear it at the same time.

Now, we can’t actually grant forgiveness if someone has not sought it (though we are required to rid our hearts of ill feelings and be willing to forgive). When we do grant forgiveness, in addition to not letting the offense come between us, we’re saying we won’t gossip about it, we won’t hold a grudge, and we won’t bring it up in the future. That’s the way God treats us.

Neither do we have the right to withhold forgiveness. It’s not up to us. Nor can we let our feelings rule. We may feel so hurt that forgiveness is impossible for us. But we go to God; we get His help; we do what He tells us we must do. And, in so doing, not only do we put His character on display, but we actually feel better; we get the joy of being where God wants us to be.

We also set ourselves apart from the world, not in a prideful way, but in a way that says to the world that we do hurt each other. All of us do that. But, relationships can be restored by the power of God. That’s what God’s done for us; He’s reconciled believers to Himself and given them peace with Him and others. That reconciliation can only truly be had in Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).

Do you want to promote God’s ways in the world? Then put His power on display; be quick to forgive others. That’s a real virtue. And yes, God does expect His people to forgive.

A Person Once Said

A person once said that all the Christians that they had met were hypocrites. Of course, I was at first tempted to answer with either a snappy comeback or with a philosophical comeback or by re-defining the term. I finally concluded that I had no way to disprove the statement.

You see, all of us are sinners. As a result, all of us behave in ways that are inconsistent with the very Christianity that we profess. And, the people that observe us can see every one of those inconsistencies. They can see our sins better than we can. They can see the ways in which we self-justify our sins. They can see that we are, by one definition of the term, hypocrites. If they are fair-minded they can understand what it means to be a sinner on the path of redemption. But, if they have been hurt by one of us, or if one of us behaves badly, it becomes very difficult to see the discrepancies as anything other than hypocrisy, pure and unadulterated.

So, what is the difference between a hypocrite and a not-hypocrite? After all, Jesus himself differentiates between those who were hypocrites and those who were not. I think that the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee gives us a strong pointer. The hypocrite is the one who actually thinks that his/her Christianity is in a fairly good state. The not-hypocrite is the one who cannot go before the Lord without first acknowledging sins and asking for God’s mercy. The not-hypocrite is not sinless, but is humble and willing to acknowledge sins, particularly when they are pointed out.

There is a reason for the Lord’s Prayer, there is a reason for us all, too frequently pray Lord, have mercy. Sadly, some Christians can even become proud of the fact that they pray that prayer. Too many of us have turned a cry for mercy, for forgiveness from our hypocrisy, into a proud statement that we know we are sinners and is that not great! No, it is not great. We are all just sinners desperately in need of God’s mercy.

One caveat, no I am not talking about justification. I know our sins have been forgiven. I am talking about sanctification. I am talking about where the shoe meets the road. You see, I believe that most people can understand that we are far from perfection provided they see us walking a path of humility in the direction of our God, asking for his mercy and guidance. But, if we are not walking that path of humility, then they will see us as something they do not wish to be.