Have you ever tried to help others become aware of some false teachers or some authors who are teaching/promoting concepts that are unBiblical or to point out that something they're doing/participating is sin/evil according to God's Word and in stead of thanks, people accuse you of being judgmental? They usually proceed with Scripture references such as Matthew 7:1-2, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you." They would frown upon you for judging others or they would say you should not be throwing tomatoes at those people and assume that you’re a bad, unkind, unloving Christian. Or they say…how dare you judge them, only God can judge…you’re so unChristlike. By the way, they are the ones doing the judging while making all these accusations without even realizing it.
"Judging" is misunderstood by many Christians. If you keep reading Matthew 7 further (verses 3-5). You will realize that God was talking about hypocritical judgment. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." The point here is that we need to continually examine ourselves and see if there are any sins in our attitudes/hearts/lives we must get rid of, and that we must not mind being judged by the same measure (God’s Word). I believe God wants us to have discernment… judging between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral, sound doctrine and false teaching, etc. We are encouraged to be more like the Bereans (Acts 17:11). We need to compare everything to the Scripture, not just taking any man’s words for it…no matter who/how famous he or she is and not just flowing along with the culture, the world, the majority. "Judging" is not bad by itself. We do judge people/their character when we choose friends "Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’" (I Corinthians 15:33) "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20) Good judgment will help keep us safe and keep us from stumbling. "My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:21-24
"Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment." Proverbs 10:13
"The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out." Proverbs 18:15
It all comes down to our attitudes of the heart. When we expose someone’s wrongdoings, what’s our motive? To warn others so that they won’t be deceived…so that they won’t fall into believing/following the wrong things…because we love them and care about them? We need to do this out of love and humility. If our motive is to bring that person down, to prove that we’re better, or to make fun of that person, then it is very wrong. We should never slander or ridicule anyone. We should remain respectful at all time. We may judge their actions but not their heart because only God knows their heart. For example: Johnny stole a candy bar. What Johnny did was wrong. You may call him a thief. But we should not say that he is covetous or that he is such a horrible, mean person…because we don’t know his heart. He may have been starving for days or he may have wanted to be able to feed his younger sibling or he has never been taught that stealing is wrong. Similarly, we do not know if false teachers are deliberately deceiving people or if they themselves have been deceived and really think they are teaching the right things. We should continue to love them and pray for them. However, it does not mean that we cannot or should not let others know about their false teachings. If you knew a restaurant or a chef that serves poisonous food, wouldn’t you want to warn others before they consume it? And if you know someone living in sin, it would not be loving to just turn the other way, remain silent, and let that person continue to live in sin/lies.
When you read my blog, I do not want any of you to just believe my words. I welcome corrections, advice, and suggestions. I hope you all do your own investigation on questionable preachers/authors, search the Scriptures, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you. Judge for yourself! Remember, God already judges what's acceptable or not in His eyes. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, and put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20) Speak the truth in love, grace, respect, and gentleness but by all means, speak God's truth! Don't ever sacrifice the truth on the altar of "grace", politically correctness, or fear of being labeled "judgmental". The ultimate Judge is God and doing what's right in His eyes is more important than what people think about us.
This post is linked up with Faith-filled Friday @Beholding Glory, Spiritual Sundays, Sharing His Beauty @The Beauty in His Grip, Playdates with God at The Wellspring, and "Hear It, Use It" @Graceful.
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Hope: One of Life's Necessary Ingredients
“Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye,
sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called “The rejoicing of hope” ~William Gurnall
Hope and faith go hand in hand. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) According to the 1828 Noah Webster's Dictionary, hope (noun) means
"1. A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable.
2. Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; a scriptural sense.
3. That which gives hope; he or that which furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good. The hope of Israel is the Messiah.
4. An opinion or belief not amounting to certainty, but grounded on substantial evidence."
A great example of how hope and faith work together is found in Genesis 15-21 and mentioned in Romans 4:18-21, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."
Hope gives people the will/motivation/reason to live, to keep on keeping on, to get up after falling down, to face each day's challenges, to keep trying and not giving up, to get through tough times, etc. Hope is crucial in life! Without hope (even though "hope" always exists, they just simply don't see it or they perceive that their circumstances/their future are hopeless), people become depressed and many have committed suicide. Remember...we always have hope in Christ! He is our unchanging Hope. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) And He never leaves you nor forsakes you. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:19-20) Don't forget our ultimate hope, either: that Christ will return and that we will spend our eternal life with Him! "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:3-4) God's Word/His promises give us hope because they are true and unchanging.
Do you know what usually makes people feel hopeless? Often, it's because they feel nobody loves them or cares about them, including God. That's why it's essential to rely on God's Word, not on our feelings. His love for us never changes. "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You." (Psalm 33:18-22) Do you want to offer hope to others? Love them with the love of the Lord! "It (love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres....And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:7, 13) Where there is love, hope blossoms. Where there is faith, hope thrives.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us." (Romans 5:1-5) Why does hope not disappoint us? Because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit! When we're confident in His unfailing love for us, we have hope. When we love others and are loved by others, we have hope. And when we're filled with hope, it's easier to love others and to have faith. Again, we can see how hope, faith, and love fit together in Colossians 1:3-5, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in Heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel."
I hope you are encouraged by my post and "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Yes, life is like the Emmaus road, and we tread it not alone
For beside us walks the Son of God, to uphold and keep His own.
And our hearts within us thrill with joy at His words of love and grace,
And the glorious hope that when day is done we shall see His blessed face.
~Avis Christiansen
~ If you'd like to know what "In Other Words" is all about, please visit here.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
God Is Good
God is indeed good all the time! He never changes. We can always trust Him.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
"God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"...Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews`3:5b-6, 8
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22
"There is a big difference between nice people and good people. Nice people are loved by everyone whereas good people get nailed to crosses! Jesus was not always 'nice' to people but He was always good to them; there is a big difference. God's actions in your lives may not always be pleasant or nice; however, they are always loving and good." (~Sean Nolan, p. 26, To Those Who Suffer)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Book Review: Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris
Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.
Book: Dug Down Deep
Author: Joshua Harris
Summary:
What will you build your life on?
With startling transparency, Joshua Harris shares how we can rediscover the relevance and power of Christian truth. This book shows a young man who rose quickly to success in the Christian evangelical world before he realized his spirituality lacked a foundation—it rested more on tradition and morality than on an informed knowledge of God.
For the indifferent or spiritually numb, Harris's humorous and engaging reflections on Christian beliefs show that orthodoxy isn't just for scholars—it is for anyone who longs to know the living Jesus Christ. As Harris writes, "I've come to learn that theology matters. It matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong."
Whether you are just exploring Christianity or you are a veteran believer finding yourself overly familiar and cold-hearted, Dug Down Deep will help you rediscover the timeless truths of Scripture. As Harris challenges you to root your faith and feelings about God in the person, work, and words of Jesus, he answers questions such as:
What is God like and how does he speak to me?What difference does it make that Jesus was both human and divine?How does Jesus's death on the cross pay for my sins?Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in my life?
With grace and wisdom, Harris will inspire you to revel in the truth that has captured his own mind and heart. He will ask you to dig deep into a faith so solid you can build your life on it. He will point you to something to believe in again.
Author Bio:
Joshua Harris is senior pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg , Maryland , which belongs to the Sovereign Grace network of local churches. A passionate speaker with a gift for making theological truth easy to understand, Joshua is perhaps best known for his runaway bestseller, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which he wrote at the age of twenty-one. His later books include Boy Meets Girl, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), and Stop Dating the Church. The founder of the NEXT conferences for young adults, Joshua is committed to seeing the gospel transferred to a new generation of Christians. He and his wife, Shannon, have three children.
My Review:
This is the first book by Joshua Harris that I have read. I enjoyed the book , appreciated his honesty and humility, and loved his drawing. He shares about his experiences along his faith journey...the good, the bad, and the ugly. He comes to the conclusion that what we know about God is truly essential in our Christian walk. The author tries to help readers understand and realize the importance and practicality of theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy. He proceeds to dig into various Christian doctrines such as the doctrine of God (theology proper), the doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of the person and work of Christ, the doctrine of atonement and propitiation, the doctrine of salvation, the doctine of sanctification, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and the doctrine of the church. In the last chapter, he reminds us to boldly (not arrogantly or pridefully) stand up for God's truth and at the same time, to remain humble, gentle, and gracious. This is a down-to-earth book that digs deep into what we believe and why we believe it.
~This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.
Author: Joshua Harris
Summary:
What will you build your life on?
With startling transparency, Joshua Harris shares how we can rediscover the relevance and power of Christian truth. This book shows a young man who rose quickly to success in the Christian evangelical world before he realized his spirituality lacked a foundation—it rested more on tradition and morality than on an informed knowledge of God.
For the indifferent or spiritually numb, Harris's humorous and engaging reflections on Christian beliefs show that orthodoxy isn't just for scholars—it is for anyone who longs to know the living Jesus Christ. As Harris writes, "I've come to learn that theology matters. It matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong."
Whether you are just exploring Christianity or you are a veteran believer finding yourself overly familiar and cold-hearted, Dug Down Deep will help you rediscover the timeless truths of Scripture. As Harris challenges you to root your faith and feelings about God in the person, work, and words of Jesus, he answers questions such as:
What is God like and how does he speak to me?What difference does it make that Jesus was both human and divine?How does Jesus's death on the cross pay for my sins?Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in my life?
With grace and wisdom, Harris will inspire you to revel in the truth that has captured his own mind and heart. He will ask you to dig deep into a faith so solid you can build your life on it. He will point you to something to believe in again.
Author Bio:
Joshua Harris is senior pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg , Maryland , which belongs to the Sovereign Grace network of local churches. A passionate speaker with a gift for making theological truth easy to understand, Joshua is perhaps best known for his runaway bestseller, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which he wrote at the age of twenty-one. His later books include Boy Meets Girl, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), and Stop Dating the Church. The founder of the NEXT conferences for young adults, Joshua is committed to seeing the gospel transferred to a new generation of Christians. He and his wife, Shannon, have three children.
My Review:
This is the first book by Joshua Harris that I have read. I enjoyed the book , appreciated his honesty and humility, and loved his drawing. He shares about his experiences along his faith journey...the good, the bad, and the ugly. He comes to the conclusion that what we know about God is truly essential in our Christian walk. The author tries to help readers understand and realize the importance and practicality of theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy. He proceeds to dig into various Christian doctrines such as the doctrine of God (theology proper), the doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of the person and work of Christ, the doctrine of atonement and propitiation, the doctrine of salvation, the doctine of sanctification, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and the doctrine of the church. In the last chapter, he reminds us to boldly (not arrogantly or pridefully) stand up for God's truth and at the same time, to remain humble, gentle, and gracious. This is a down-to-earth book that digs deep into what we believe and why we believe it.
~This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Worship
"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that He made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Deuteronomy 4:23-24
Is the Lord a consuming fire in your heart...is He first in your life? Do you love God above all else? Our consuming desire should be to obey, please, and glorify Him; our consuming passion should be to worship Him! What is "worship" to you?
Our posture towards God should be: complete surrender, utmost reverence, joyful dependence, deepest gratitude, humble obedience, faithful devotion, and highest adoration. To me, that's "worship". We can daily worship God by offering up our lives...our all (body, spirit, heart, mind, word, action) to praise and honor Him.
Our posture towards God should be: complete surrender, utmost reverence, joyful dependence, deepest gratitude, humble obedience, faithful devotion, and highest adoration. To me, that's "worship". We can daily worship God by offering up our lives...our all (body, spirit, heart, mind, word, action) to praise and honor Him.
"God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
Previous WFW:
Saturday, September 12, 2009
God of Justice
Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.
God of Justice by Tim Hughes
God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served
Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
We must go...live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go
To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in every way
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out, Lord
"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:26b-28
"Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8b
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Mark 16:15
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stanger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.'" Matthew 25:34-40
Lord, please fill us up with Your Holy Spirit, Your love & compassion and send us out to share Your love and the Good News with people in need (physically and spiritually). Lord, please keep us from just singing, thinking, talking, desiring; please move us into action. We must go! John Piper said, "Go, Send, or Disobey." I agree.
Previous Songs:
- Love That Will Not Let Me Go
- I Will Offer Up My Life
- When It's All Been Said and Done
- Knowing You, Jesus
- In Christ Alone
- Be Thou My Vision
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