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Showing posts with the label On Judgment

Dividing Line Between Genuine Spiritual Discernment and Being Merely Judgmental

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Image from Pulpit and Pen. The weakness of the church these days is that it has almost totally done away with spiritual discernment and embraced extreme moral neutrality. It doesn't want to be labeled judgmental so it totally got rid of judgment. You seldom hear the church say plainly what's right or wrong for fear of offending people. In the process, it demonized the word "judgment" with everything bad, forgetting that you can never discern accurately without good judgment, and vice versa. If they find you guilty of judging people, they scorn and ostracize you as "judgmental" (and that in itself is being judgmental, too). But fact is, we need to judge things and people correctly to accurately discern between spirits. Blind Leading the Blind Paul was once pissed off by the Corinthian church for not judging correctly: Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to

How Jesus Really Saw Sinners, Religious Leaders and the Rich

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Image from 123RF. Let's not see it with the eyes of the Pharisees and law teachers. It reeks of toleration. They thought Christ mingled with sinners to assure them of God's love even if they continued enjoying sin. And that's how a lot of people see it today. But then, on the other hand, there are church people who shun the company of sinners altogether and would have nothing to do with them. So we have two extremes---those who teach that God tolerates sin and those who are repulsed by sinners. Oh, there's a third extreme---those who don't give a damn. Jesus didn't just fellowship with sinners. He sought to "call" them [Mark 2.17]. We already know this, but often we still miss the point. We see it as the Pharisees and religious leaders did---that Jesus simply enjoyed sinners and he was a bad example because we aren't supposed to be seen with them. I've seen churches put in active ministry or position people wallowing in sin beca

What If We Didn't Judge One Another?

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dooneawa.net JUDGMENT. What if no one judged anyone as many today demand? Even church people demand this. Even some church leaders. People today cry out in the wilderness---"Do not judge us!" Or "Don't be judgmental!" Imagine if we all stopped judging. What would happen to the world? What would happen to church? It will be exactly as the time Moses went up Sinai for 40 days and the Israelites engaged in idolatrous revelry at the foot of the mountain. Without judgment, people are hellbent on idolatry, even church people. God's judgment is His love. He judges because He wants to correct our ways. He wants us to stay in straight paths. And in the bible, God did this by sending his servants to pronounce the judgment on people. His servants spoke for Him. If God is in you in Christ, you also should judge because you love your neighbor as yourself. Prophets were called to pronounce God's judgments. And they were hated for it. Just like today. And

Misreading God's Judgment as His Favor

It's easy to misread God's judgment as his favor. I see it happen many times. God gives a guy a stern judgment to give him a chance to remedy or correct his wrongs, but he thinks it's God's favor on him and brags about it in church, becoming more arrogant and rotten. And blind church people applaud him--often because he has money or has political church clout. Take this guy, for instance. He has complicated heart problems that necessitated operation that cost his family more than a million pesos. Plus, God allowed him to have cancer, too. He survived them all and brags that God really favors him and approves of his ways and life. But the guy is actually rotten in character and has a penchant for putting people to shame. And he sometimes even mocks the Word of God and ridicules those who sincerely and avidly believe God's Word by applying it in their lives and ministries. To me, this is how I read God's action on his life. God is giving him a chance to corr

Deadliest Punishment of All!

"I'm quite sure of this--evil folks will not get away with their sins unpunished. But those who live right before God will be set free." [Prov.11.21] The wicked will surely be punished. Well, honestly, we see so little of this going on today. I've seen people and families and clans who have been in position of power and wealth but who have been doing a lot of wickedness for ages. They seem never punished. They even seem to grow richer and more powerful, enjoying comfy and convenient lives--even those in church. While many of those who genuinely serve God seem to get poorer and weaker by this world's standards. But make no mistake about it--the Word of God is true. God makes sure the wicked do not go scot-free unpunished, and that's on a daily basis. And they get the deadliest punishment of all. If you don't realize this or don't see this happening daily, you're spiritually myopic--you see only what's under your nose--or do you? It

Obadiah: Getting What You Gave Others

"As you have done, the same will be done to you." It's amazing just imagining that the same passage I am now reading in the book of Obadia, in this year 2011, was also the very same passage Jesus read about 2000 years ago. It warns about getting what you gave others.  Now, you link that with the truth that you cannot give what you don't have, and what do you get? This fascinating truth--you get what you deserve. Oh yeah, you always get what you deserve. What people give you is what you've given them--which most times you've forgotten all about. That's why the oft asked question: "What did I do to deserve this?" But Christ gave love to all and yet got the death penalty in return. How do we explain that? Well, even Jesus got what he deserved. You see, blessed are those who are persecuted for God's righteousness. And this is where the radicalism is. Often, when you have a pure heart after God, and you give that to others, you get what

Obadiah: When Your Brother is Under Discipline

God at times disciplines and punishes his own people. Israel was severely punished in the time of Obadiah. The story teaches us what God expects of us when we see our brothers under discipline by God.  Edom took advantage of Israel's downfall when enemies were attacking her, as God had permitted it to be so. God's design was three-fold: to discipline Israel, to watch how Edom would react, and to see how Israel's enemies would carry out the sentence. Edom screwed up. Instead of helping their brother Israelites, they "were like one of" the enemies. Here are 10 ways how Edom failed the test [verses 10-14]: The Edomites were violent towards Israel. They stood aloof while Israel was being slaughtered by the enemy. They looked down on their brothers when they were being punished. They rejoiced at Judah's downfall.  They boasted while their brothers suffered humiliation. They charged through the gates of their brothers. They looked down on them whi

Obadiah: Will I Not Destroy The Wise?

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In the day of pride birthed by successes, the proud tend to enjoy the support of the mighty. The mighty accept the proud into their alliances, and when you're accorded that privilege and recognition, it adds more to your success, and more to your pride.  But such alliances of the proud serve only to initialize your downfall, warns Obadia the prophet of God, because alliances like that eat your spiritual life to the bone like gangrene--without you detecting it. The whole thing is a curse from God.  Thus, Church alliances never end up with the one glorious church of Jesus Christ. They have been around for years, decades, perhaps centuries, but they never rallied churches to fall in behind the banner of the King of kings and Lord of lords as the completely one church of Jesus as he prayed in John 17.  No Flesh Shall Glory 4-Cassette Teaching Tape Album Teaching on the Danger of Pride and the Blessing of Humility (ALB134) Alliances eventually only end up with the p

Obadiah: From Up There, I'll Bring You Down

Edom was "up there." Success is God's will. There was nothing wrong with Edomites living on high mountain tops, secure in their rock cleft dwellings. In fact, Esau (from whom Edom was derived) had the first-born blessing. He was a son of Isaac, who was a son of Abraham. He was lined up for blessings until he despised his position and sold it to Jacob. From "up there" God brought him down. He lost his first born rights to Jacob. Often, success can make us despise our position in God. Being a successful hunter and getting Isaac's favor, he thought he was so secure. What harm would losing your first-born rights do if you're already dad's favorite? And Jacob? He's nothing but a house cook, a mama's boy, a home boy. He'd never amount to anything. When you despise your inheritance in favor of success, you also begin to despise your brother. A lot of believers can sacrifice God in favor of mundane favors. Do they succeed? Oh yes, more tha

Obadiah: Who Can Bring Me Down?

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Perfection Comes from Failures Edom was enjoying the height of pride, until one day he mused: "Who has the power to bring me down to the ground?" Success has the tendency to deceive. It's better to face failures upon failures if it makes you meek and wise. Perfection comes from failures. As you fail and learn you become perfect in Christ. Perfection is not how the world views it, as Edom had once viewed it. Perfection is not an achievement (you can never make it happen); it's an endowment of grace that ever-increases in glory. That's genuine perfection.  Remember, grace is NEVER a license to excuse sin--or even a vehicle to sin less. Grace is power to kick out sin and wickedness from our lives daily [Titus 2.11-12]. The wicked uses grace for a license to sin [Jude verse 4]. Success can easily blur our eyes and make us short-sighted about our life walk. We see only the success at hand, not the subtle attacks of the enemy in the vainglory of succ

Micah: Break Nations to Pieces like Pottery

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The church will be revived tremendously in the last days one more time before the end comes. The revived glorious church of Jesus, without spot or wrinkle, will be given such power and strength, "iron horns (and) bronze hoofs to break the nations to pieces with," [Micah 4.13-14]. This is fulfilled in Revelations: "To the overcomer obedient to my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations, to rule them with an iron scepter and dash the same like pieces of pottery...just as the Father gave me authority...I will give him the morning star," [Rev.2.26-29]. But the church, like Jerusalem, will first be dashed into pieces like pottery. There must first be a breaking of strongholds. A punishment to "go to Babylon" for purging and wailing in repentance. The hard ground must be broken and tilled before any planting and harvest can happen. God will destroy first the church and raise it up in Christ. Man's church must die first before the Jesus c

Micah: How Lack of Justice Perverts Truth

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God was clear with Micah—when justice is despised truth is distorted. And this is so especially when spiritual leaders and rulers do it. “Listen, leaders and rulers of Israel who despise justice and distort truth,” (Micah 3.9). Justice is declaring right from wrong, good from evil (Micah 3.1-2). This works so powerfully to form God's flesh in us.  God wanted leaders to judge correctly. Instead, they “judge for a bribe,” (Micah 3.11). They picked people who paid them well and gave them favorable judgment. Those who didn’t got “war” from them (3.5b). God’s Justice is His Judgment God’s justice is declaring right from wrong and doing what is right. And this is always done through God‘s anointed servants, like prophets. When God pronounced a judgment, He did it through a prophet. God does not act unless he first tells about it to his servants the prophets (Amos 3.7). In our day it’s pastors, especially prophetic pastors. We have to judge, and judge correctly accor

Micah: Justice and Judgment

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Micah spoke with the leaders and rulers of Israel (Micah 3.1). Some versions render it both “leaders” but leaders and rulers is interesting. Even in churches today, there are leaders and rulers. Church leaders, like pastors, are supposed to lead the church. God-called and God-anointed leaders in the bible led God’s people. God talked to them, not to the people. The people were supposed to obey them to the letter. They were not supposed to question or dictate to them. Whenever people rebelled against God’s leaders God saw it as rebellion against Him. But church leaders today are often mere dummies because there are rulers in church who really call the shots. These are influential and moneyed people who donate and give big tithes and offerings. When they don’t get their way in church they threaten the church leadership with withdrawal of support. And pastors fear them more than they fear God and submit to their every whim. But one day, after they discover the pres

Judgment Sets Us Free

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Judgment keeps us on the right path. Judgment is life. We should desire it daily, even at night, like a favorite food dish. Definitely more than how I love my brewed coffee. We need it more than the air we breathe. God's judgment keeps everything and everyone in their place. The Psalmist eagerly waits for God and his judgments like he longs for blessings. Do you?  Do you like judgment? Many people don't. Most churches preach against it. They like saying, "Don't be judgmental," to keep you from judging between right and wrong. To keep you agreeing with their distorted perspectives. Or, they insist that only God has the right to judge. However, if you declare God's judgment, they'd judge you--and condemn you--while insisting you shouldn't be judgmental.  Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash .   "Yes, we wait for you according to your judgments.  Our soul's desire is your Name,"  (Isaiah 26) Desiring God's Name is the same as desiri