Judge Me Not

Cutting through the Moral Fog

 What do you call someone who refuses to tell the truth? Answer: A liar. Am I being judgmental by saying that or labeling that person as such? No. I am merely stating a simple fact. This

is the word that describes a person exhibiting such behavior. So if I call someone who has cheated on their spouse an 'adulterer', then I am not judging them, I am only giving the proper description. 
What I find especially ironic is when people of faith declare that something is sinful behavior, not according to their own personal opinion, but due to the fact that the Bible says so, only to be set upon by other Christians as being judgmental. They are accosted with sentiments resembling "who are you to judge?" and "judge not lest you be judged" and the like. My first thought is, "Well, if that's how you feel about it, then who are you to judge me?" Because the truth behind what you're saying is that you have reached a judgment about something that I've said or done which you believe to have crossed some subjective boundary. That is, in your estimation, you have judged that I have said something unfair, too harsh, incompassionate, or outside my bounds of jurisdiction. Somehow-- I am not allowed to make certain statements which exceed my range of moral ability to discern, yet you are capable of telling me just when and where I've crossed the line due to your completely unbiased, moral superiority. Typically those who cry the loudest not to judge are usually the most judgmental. For example-- they very often utterly abhor and disdain people of faith who have the audacity to say that some type of behavior is wrong. The terms that the non-judgmental types use to describe the 'judgmental' Christian are almost always these: narrow-minded, anti-intellectual, bigoted, and nazi.
Anyway-- for now, the church is to judge sin in the church. Without apology and without compromise. Look at the very direct and crystal clear words of the Apostle Paul:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—  not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

   What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? 

Are you not to judge those inside?           

  God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

-- 1Corinthians 5:9-12

Unfortunately too many 'Christians' these days would be upset if you actually kicked someone out of the church or refused to associate with them due to their sinfulness. And instead of siding with the folks who want to take a righteous stance in the church, the so-called Christians would side with the violator and probably demand that such 'haters' and 'judgmental' people be removed instead. What a wake-up call they would have if they were to walk into the early church. The church must judge sin within it's ranks.
This is what I mean when I say that too many Christians have no idea about what the Word of God actually says as it pertains to the governance of the affairs of this world.

Telling the Truth

I am constantly amazed by Christians who have no idea about what the Bible actually says on any number of issues and by Christians who allow the world to define what Christianity should or should not look like.
In our society, couples living together is socially acceptable-- nobody has a problem with it in general except maybe the couple's parents who may have grown up in a by-gone era of traditional values. The parents may have actually believed that unmarried couples living together is contrary to what is moral and right. Their beliefs may be based on Biblical teaching which says that such a living arrangement would be considered sinful. Since the early 1800's the phrase used to describe this situation was "living in sin". And until just a few decades ago, most people would agree that it was wrong.
It was wrong not just because society said so, because church leaders thought it inappropriate, or because parents were trying to rein in their children from engaging in fun, but because the Bible says it is, in fact, sin. Real Christians believe the Bible to be the authentic, inerrant Word of God and view it as the final word on all matters regarding one's life here on earth. Here's one of many passages which deal with people 'living in sin' a.k.a. committing fornication:

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

-- Galations 5:19-21 [NKJV]

We don't use the term fornication much, but this is it's definition:

     • fornication: consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other 
Pretty simple. Please don't tell me that the couple living together is not in sin because they're not having sex. Ask any high school student if they believe that scenario and they'll laugh in your face. Of course, they're having sex. And somehow, if they're not, then the Bible also speaks about not giving any appearance of evil with your conduct. [Ephesians 5:3 says, "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality".] They shouldn't be living together if they're unmarried regardless.
The scripture indicates that not only is fornication sin, but it will also send you to Hell if you do not repent and get right with God. Yes, that's right-- all those folks living in sin are literally sending themselves to Hell because society and the church at large has allowed them to be comfortable in their sin. I don't care if they say they love each other or they have intentions to get married. Neither my opinion nor theirs matters at all. God calls it sin. 
So when I read an article about how a couple will have their dying two-year old son as the best man at their wedding and people are going on and on about how touching it is, I begin to wonder whether anyone realizes how twisted our society has become. How far away we've gotten from Biblical Christianity. The couple has two children out of wed-lock, another child from a previous relationship, they've been together for years, and suddenly now-- when their son is about to leave this life, they decide they should tie the knot. Are they serious? Let's face it: They're not really doing it for him since he's not old enough to completely comprehend what's going on and he won't be around long enough (the doctors are giving the boy about three weeks to live) to cherish the memories or be able to see the pictures. So really, what the couple is doing is creating an image that they can put on their wall so they can feel good about themselves years down the road. 
The couple is really broken up about the impending death of their son as any parent would be, but my question is: did their sin open the door for this sickness in that boy's life? If they had done things God's way and gotten married would their son be sick today? Don't even bother telling me that God doesn't punish children for what their parents have done. That's obvious. God loves children. God knows what it's like to lose a Son. God is not punishing the child-- the parents are. If a parent is an alcoholic, then the children suffer. If a parent is a liar, then the children suffer. If a parent smokes, then the children suffer. If a parent is a porn addict, then the children suffer. If parents live in sin, then the children suffer. In the Bible, there is a corresponding example-- David and Bathsheba. Their sin opened the door for their child's death. You may say this is harsh-- people will blame me for being heartless-- but if sin is deadly, then shouldn't the parents have been more careful?
This is the world we live in today, where people, including parents, and including Christian parents, do not want to take responsibility for their actions. They'll blame it on God. They'll say it's sad. They'll say it's heart wrenching. But will they say it could've been avoided?

Reclaiming the Ground

Everyone's got those areas of their lives which need the scouring searchlight of the Holy Spirit. Areas where we've hung onto junk for so long that we've begun to wonder how we could ever live without it. Sometimes we forget that at some point previously we did exist without the problem, the extra baggage, the guilt, or the hurt, but somewhere along the way it became part of us. And now we can't figure out where it stops and we start.
Sometimes things can be removed in an instant-- miraculously, wonderfully, powerfully. Other times it seems that in the same way we acquired bad attitudes. ungodly ways of thinking, sinful habits over a period of years-- that they will be stripped away in similar fashion. Incrementally, little by little, one day at a time. If it took me thirty years to accumulate this plaque on my soul, it may take some significant amount of time to remove it. Could God take it away all at once? Of course He could, but that really may not be what's best for me. The truth is that we probably couldn't handle it if our lives were cleaned up all at once. We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves and we'd end up returning to the same condition, the same pile of vomit from which we came. If it happened instantaneously, we wouldn't appreciate it either. It wouldn't have been hard earned or hard fought. We wouldn't have learned how to hold onto and maintain our newly cleansed life; It would've come too easily.
Instead, God wants us to actively participate, agreeing to change for the better, every step of the way. He wants us to know for certain that there are some things that we absolutely do not want to have in our lives to any degree whatsoever whether they be alcohol or drugs, ex-girlfriends or boyfriends, unforgiveness, or lust. We may go back and forth until we eventually get so sick of it that we can't and won't allow any vestige of it to remain. Sometimes we just have to learn the hard way that certain things will always be unfruitful-- that nothing good ever came out of them before and nothing good will ever come out of them in the future. God wants you to make that decision, come to that conclusion on your own and then ask Him to help you take out the trash.

We have an area on the side of our house where things have a tendency to collect. Stuff that should've been gone long ago has somehow managed to remain. Linger. Some of the stuff has been there for years. It doesn't just occupy space in some kind of net neutral way-- it has become a problem. Detrimental. And it has to be recognized as such. Wendy and I decided it's time to make that area of our lives productive. [We haven't decided what we're going to do with that area yet... she wants flowers, of course.] But first, a bunch of things need to be kicked to the curb, physically removed from the premises. These things don't belong there.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

-- Psalm 129:23-24

 King David cried out to God-- Please help me clean out my heart. If there's anything wrong, that doesn't belong in there, then get it out. Whether it's a rusty bike, a torn up artificial Christmas tree, or an old hot tub unused for years-- Jesus can help you clean up the unfruitful areas of your life.

 

The ground only became visible after hours of clean-up. Now we can deal with the real mess.

You WILL preach.

Not everyone is going to be a preacher, but everyone will be a builder. You can't help it. Even if you decide that you will take part in nothing, not contribute to anything, then by default, you will, in fact, construct something. It won't look like much. And it may be declared unsafe for living. But you will have built something whether you like it or not. 

If you don't think this is true, that there's some kind of neutral ground that exists where there will be a net-zero effect, then listen to the words of Jesus: 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.   The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

-- Matthew 7:24-27 

According to Jesus, there are only two types of people: Those who put his words into practice and those who don't. Consequently, two types of builders result: Those whose houses are built upon rock and those whose houses are built upon sand. Two types of people who end up building something one way or another. You may say, "I'm not called to preach", but the truth is-- what you build with your life and the foundation you build it upon will speak volumes to people. You WILL preach something.

Beyond Inspiration

 

Guerrilla Style Outreach Equipment: Mobile concerts, bbq's & puppet shows

I have been praying, among many other things, specifically for "Men of Vision" and "Men of Doing" in our church. What the church needs is not just men who have good ideas, but men who will actually take initiative on their inspiration and begin to implement it for the benefit of the Kingdom of God. Plenty of people have great ideas; Less are willing to actually put those things in motion; And few indeed are committed enough to seen them through. As it's been said, "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Don't just give me an idea, don't just talk about it-- what are you going to do about it?
     We've had men who learned Spanish on their own to reach the large Spanish speaking community where we live, who paid their own expenses to preach in places like Guatemala City, who bought their own sound equipment to do outreaches in the parks, who bought their own puppets to minister to the children in our community and most recently-- a man who bought a trailer so that we could have guerrilla style mobile outreaches at any time-- music, barbeques, and puppet shows.

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” 

--1Samuel 14:6 

     In the Scripture, not only was Jonathan motivated, but he took initiative, took action and put feet to his faith, which resulted in a tremendous victory for Israel. And to highlight the significance of this event, what should be known is that Jonathan and his armor-bearer went out on their own, without any guarantees, and all while everyone else was doing nothing. It's one thing to be motivated when lots of people around you are in hot pursuit of their goals, but it's an entirely different thing when you have no such examples around you to follow or be inspired by. Can you create a culture of initiative where you are or are you content to remain sedentary-- waiting for something to happen or for someone else to do something. 

     Just as we have great men of vision and men of doing in other sectors of society, we need them even more so in the church.