No Condemnation

 

"They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court. When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?  She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more." John 8:9-11

The accusers' consciences were convicted when they came face to face with Jesus. Stones of condemnation dropped when the Man of Grace came on the scene.  When we begin living a life conscious of God's very real, abiding presence, operating in condemnation will no longer be possible and the stones will fall from our hands.

Scripture Buffet

 

When we fail to be in God's Word, we tend to create our own litmus test as to how we are doing spiritually.  Our obedience is measured against our personally tweaked moral compass rather than God’s moral absolutes.  We take certain Scriptures we want to give ourselves wholeheartedly to and others we conveniently pass over because they don't appeal to us, require too much of us, or they are a challenge to our personality.  We deceive ourselves when we think we can pick and choose.  God isn’t into serving buffets.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

In all truth, as obedient as we may be in the Scriptures we handpick, we are still living a life of disobedience.

 

"For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." James 2:10

 

Please don't misunderstand me.  I am in no way sitting over here in a ditch saying we are saved by our works or that our works define our Christian faith.  We need the Holy Spirit working in us to be able to live a life pleasing to God.  It is nothing we can do in and of ourselves, BUT it is our responsibility to align ourselves with the Holy Spirit.  It is our job to cooperate with His working in us to make adjustments in us that line up with what God desires from His children.  If we truly desire to serve God, our actions will line up with our confession.   

 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26

 As we point fingers and whisper about others, is it possible we are lacking in areas that are just different?  OF COURSE WE ARE!  We have to get our eyes off of judging others.  We have to quit comparing our lives to them and look at our lives in comparison to the Word - the whole Word.  It is one thing to be concerned for a fellow believer.  We should be!  If what we call “concern” is manifested in gossip, slandering, making fun of individuals, blasting insults about them, we can be assured that we are operating out of a spirit of pride and judgment.    A heart of love and true concern for the falling of another person will not shun or condemn the person, but will reach out to them, grieve for their condition, and fight for them in prayer.  

We are saved by His grace.  It's all about what Jesus did and nothing of ourselves.  We all need His continued grace and mercy each and every day because we all fall short.  In different areas?  Yes.  Other's faults tend to look worse in our eyes when put next to our own, but this is not how it is for God.  He sees all sin the same.   Sin is simply put as missing the mark.  When we hoot and holler that we hit a portion of the target and our neighbor here lost his arrow in the woods… the truth is, we both missed the bulls-eye.  We all need the same innocent, perfect shed blood of Jesus to cover us.

I think if we start viewing it as God does, the time we spend gossiping and throwing stones at others can be used instead to seek Him with our whole heart.  It becomes "How am I measuring up to Jesus?" rather than "Look at him. I can't believe he calls himself Christian."  

If we are seeking Him with our whole heart, we will have His heart.  We will view others differently.  We will love them differently.  We will reach out to embrace, not to crush.  We Christians are all foreigners TOGETHER in the earth.  It's time we stick together, spur one another on, and build one another up in the faith.  Our strengths are different.  Our weaknesses are different, but we are all on the same team.

Lord, we need our eyes opened, our hearts humbled, and our spirits hungry for Your Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh and we know apart from the fullness of Your Word, we limit ourselves in knowing You.   All too often times we create a god in our own image that suits our ways and our lifestyle.  We want to serve You, the ONLY true and living God.

We ask for Your help to stay focused; that we wouldn't let any church tradition or teaching bind us up from searching You out more; that there'd be no sin we'd rather hold onto than You.  We refuse to let this flesh of ours rule us - whether it be what we consider big sins of adultery, homosexuality, murder, stealing, and the like or what is categorized as small sins: "white" lies, dishonest gain, “managed” addiction, gossip, filthy language, etc.  Help us to realize that sin is sin.  It cost Jesus the same price for each and every one of them.  He paid a debt we could never pay.  How dare we think we can take it for granted and okay "little" sins in our life as if You don't see.  May our eyes be opened, Lord, to see our lives; our hidden lives how You see it.   Just as Jesus told the people, "You must leave all and follow Me," may nothing in our lives be too precious to let go of for Your sake, Lord.  Please shine a light on those things we are holding onto tighter than we are You.  Amen.

Worth It

 

As I walked one afternoon, I was meditating on:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

God loved us smack dab in the middle of our sin. He demonstrated His love while we rejected Him.  He poured His life out as an offering with the chance we may never love Him back.  Why would He lay Himself down for us in the midst of our wickedness? Why would He provide a way of escape for us when we lived a life that mocked His ways?  Why?   

“Not because you were worthy of it, but because you were WORTH IT.”     

Immediately I was reminded:

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

It is not a suggestion, but a commandment to love as He loved. We are called to love those who do not deserve it.  Just saying we love people isn’t what He meant. Love is a verb.  It is demonstrated in our actions, in our attitudes, in our words towards EVERYONE… yes, even the unlovely. Yes, even the one who disrespects you, the one who speaks evil of you, the one who has smeared your name, the one who has broken your heart, corrupt leaders, misguided politicians, the harsh boss that takes you for granted…

We have become so accustomed to the thought that we need to only respect and love those who are deserving of it and those who have earned it.  But God’s ways are much higher than our human logic:

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you to show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers alike. For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?  And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the heathen do that?  You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:42-48

Each one of us was once lost in our sin and living a life separated from God… and yet - Jesus found us WORTH IT.  When we are tempted to pull our judgmental swords and withhold “the love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts” let’s remember where we came from and love those who have not yet found The Way. 

"And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"  Romans 2:3-4

The goodness of God. The goodness of God in what Jesus already did, the goodness of God in our everyday lives, and could it also be the goodness of God THROUGH US to others that will lead them to true repentance?  

 

May our love walk demonstrate the God who loved “while we were yet sinners.” May God's love in action - in us - be the very tool that gains us access to speak the Truth into those people’s lives who Jesus found WORTH IT! J

Open Our Eyes

Suicides.  Drug overdose.  Addiction. 

 

Almost a year ago I remember hearing of the suicide of a 14 year old local boy.  My heart became heavy.  I believe we have become too accustomed to thinking "what you see is what you get." We take things for face value. We see a smile, we assume someone is happy.  We hear someone laugh and we assume they have joy.  This young boy was known for being friendly, helpful, and always having a smile on his face. Behind that uncracked smile was a heart that was broken.  People say that there were no signs... they judged the book by its cover and now all that is left are questions with no answers.

Tragic.

As Christians, we have been given spiritual vision. Discernment.  It is an ability to distinguish between truth and error; good and evil. It's the ability to see "behind the scenes." It's seeing through God's eyes. 

 

"God would surely have known it, for He knows the secrets of every heart." Psalm 44:21

 

You may read this Scripture and think Of course God knows all things because He is God.  When we became Christ followers, we were given the mind of Christ. As we fervently study the Word and press into prayer - we will come to know the heart of God at a whole new level.  We too can see like Him.

 

"For, "Who can know the Lord's thoughts? ...But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16

We are the body of Christ in the earth. Because we are called to be His hands, His feet, His voice - He equipped us with exactly what we need in order to do so: the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is our Guide. He will show us things. He will deposit things within us that are the very words to unlock a hardened heart. He will give us the key to exposing the pain of a "what seems to be" happy person. He will show us things to come in order to protect us and protect others.  He will give us different strategies to reach the unsaved.  He will keep us well informed if we will just listen.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." John 16:13 

We just need to be yielded people. A people who are hungry to hear. A people who want to bring the will of Heaven to earth.  A people ready and willing at all times to be used to touch lives that Jesus said were worth dying for. Let's not drop the ball...

 

Lord, we pray that You would open our eyes into the unseen realms, open our eyes to see past the natural into the spiritual.  We pray for discernment. We pray that we wouldn't see as man sees, but that our vision would be through Your eyes. We want to touch lives. We want to save lives.  We don't ever want to miss an opportunity, a life that You want to touch through us.  We yield ourselves for Your use, Father...

Help us be a people of compassion, a people sold out to the cause of reaching others with the hope of Your Good News!  Be the words on our lips, Lord. We pray You would give us words of knowledge and words of wisdom so that we can have a word in due season for those, who like this young boy, are on the brink of giving up.

We also lift up the family and friends of those who have lost lost someone to  suicide or addiction... We pray for comfort and we pray for true peace that only comes through You.  We pray laborers would rise up during this time to reach out to the family and friends who are grieving.  May good come out of this tragedy by the lives that will be won for You.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Love Like Jesus

Prejudice ~ a form of hate deeply rooted in one's heart. Many don't even know why it is there. It could have been engrained in childhood; may be due to a wrong done by a particular group; could have developed due to a built up intolerance for a select group of people's lifestyle that angers us, or it could be from the infiltration of society and media.

We have struggled with its effects on both the giving and receiving end. Inflicted with the pain of being unaccepted and stirring hurt and anger in those we've outcast. It comes natural to show favoritism and segregate when we are walking in the flesh. But what does God expect from His children who are told to be walking in the Spirit?

"My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law." James 2:1, 9

"There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Prejudice can be anything from race, gender, age, education, religion, social/financial status, outward appearance, to what side of the street one lives on. Despite these strong feelings we may have toward a select people, the Word is clear that if we have hate in our hearts, we do not know God. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202:3-11;%203:10-15&version=NKJV)

If our preconceived ideas of others reign stronger in our lives than the burning passion to see people free through Christ, we must ask ourselves if we truly know the love of Christ. Do our attitudes and actions represent Him correctly to a lost world?

Think for a moment about what type of people you find detestable. The ones who you would be fine going a lifetime never crossing paths with. Or the ones that would surely reject you, mistreat you, abuse you. What if God told you to go among them and love and serve them? Jesus did just that. He left His throne from Heaven to be among heathens who would reject Him and His message. Even the ones who claimed they knew God (the religious people) mocked Him and wanted Him killed. But He served anyway. He loved anyway - all the way to a cruel cross.

We are called to love like Him. In order to love like Him, we must set aside all of our preconceived ideas of people. We have to stop categorizing people. When it comes to races, why is it that we focus on the nine that have left a bad taste in our mouth rather than the one that is trying to make a better life? When it comes to other denominations, why is it we focus on an area of Scripture they may not be well equipped in teaching and rather listen and apply the truth of the Word that they are proclaiming?

When it comes to false religions and those caught in the fall of society through different sexual orientations, greed, pride, etc., why do we focus on using it as a form of entertainment, gossip, crude humor, or a way of making ourselves feel more spiritual rather than feeling the cry of God's heart for a lost world?

God's love is amazing. If we had just a taste of it, we could never look down in judgment on another person... His love is for all. Yes, even for those who have not yet come to repentance. He died while we were yet sinners. He put His love into action in the midst of our wickedness.

Loving everyone isn't okaying evil. It isn't accepting sin. We must still stand up for righteousness. The difference is we do it through the eyes of love - not the eyes of hate and disgust. We do it  not to mark one hopeless, but out of a passion to bring them the Hope.

The Father's love ~ a love that is unconditional and loves all the same with no partiality (Romans 2:11). His love for us is not based on our own worthiness, our wisdom or our knowledge... It has everything to do with the fact He gave up His Son to endure death so all of mankind would have opportunity to be reconciled to Him. His love makes us and every other person on this planet worthy to Him. Period.

He is the God of reconciliation and we are called to do the same ~ to lay our life down for others like Christ did.  Have you ever missed someone? Terribly missed somebody? God feels that pain and longing daily. What an honored privilege and yet what a humbling responsibility to be called to demonstrate such a love so that Daddy can have His babies back.

I believe, we as Christians, need to daily pray, "Lord, let me see all people through Your eyes. Allow me to love them like You do. Let me feel Your heart's cry so that my desire would be Your desire - to reach everyone with the saving message of Jesus Christ."

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. JUST AS I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” John 13:34-35

Stones

 

Mistake is made

Which way to turn

Judged and battered

Bruised and torn

 

What got her here?

Can anybody tell?

Or will you just join

And throw stones as well?

 

Does anyone here

Know her heart?

Why she was weak?

Why she fell apart?

You’d rather assume

Make a judgment call

Any of you standing

Beware lest you fall

 

You expose others

Yet hidden you remain

How quick you forget

I see all sin the same…

Remember the Scriptures about the teachers of the law who threw a woman caught in the act of adultery at Jesus’ feet saying, “The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” Jesus then stooped to the ground, writes in the sand, and tells them, “He without sin, cast the first stone.” The men walk away one by one. Jesus says to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one condemn you? Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:1-12)

Many of us have read that passage and marvel at God’s mercy. We imagine ourselves in this broken woman’s shoes and the relief she must have felt having her life miraculously spared. We look at the “accusers” and are disgusted at how heartless they were, how devastating a public display of sin must have felt like, and feel a sense of thankfulness that “nowadays” is not like that anymore.

As I read these passages again, I found myself zooming in on the “accusers” once again, but in a totally different light. Could it be that we could fall into the same religious trap as these men? Sharing on public venues, text gossip, and calling to give “prayer requests” for one of our brothers or sisters in Christ who has fallen head face into sin? Merciless just like the Pharisees; parading around with a sole desire to make other’s wrongs known.

So is it really any different than it was that day in the temple yard? With the technology today, news travels fast. Within a day’s time a global gossip network has been formed, fully armed with stones in hand. Just like that… overnight – you become a leader of “sowing discord among the brethren” – leading others, many in whom you do not even know, into abomination.

“These six things the Lord hates, Yes, the seventh is an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Jesus is saying the same thing to us, “Is any among you without sin? If not, then drop the stones. Stop mimicking the enemy of your soul, the accuser of the brethren. If you love Me, walk as I walked.” (Rev. 12:10, 1 John 2:6)

As Christ followers, we are called to be like Him. The Christian life is about being transformed daily into His image, His likeness, His way of doing things. With that said, let’s look again at the opening passage of Scripture. “He without sin, cast the first stone.” Notice – Jesus, 100% sin free, yet you never see Him pick up a stone. He didn’t come to demolish what was already broken, but to restore it. (John 3:17) 

“If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.” (Galatians 6:1)

 

Prayer:

Lord, may our hearts break for the hurting, for their reconciliation to You. May we never use another’s brokenness as a sick form of entertainment that fuels our self-righteousness. You are not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. We want that heart. We want a heart that is broken for the lost and for our fellow brethren who have entangled themselves in the affairs of another path.

We know that bad company corrupts good habits, so Lord, help us remove ourselves from those who choose to gossip and slander, from those who pull us away from doing Your will, from those who keep us flesh conscious rather than spirit conscious. We want to be promoters of unity not sowers of discord. 

 

Forgive us for the damage we have caused others when we have not used our tongue to bring life.

(Rom. 1:29, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Cor. 5:20, Prov. 20:19, 2 Thess. 3:11, 1 Cor. 15:33, Psalm 133:1, Prov. 6:14, Psalm 34:13, Prov. 18:21)