Hello again

I appologise in the length of time since 

my last post. As this year deaws to it's 

conclusion I vow to share more with 

you all, in the coming New Year. I'll 

go live with the new study in 10 days. 

So keep your eyes peeled. 

Many thanks

On Judging Others

 

56:260723

On Judging Others

[NIV] Matthew 7: 1&2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”

   Our Lord said ..“Do not judge, or you too will be judged” .. Just what do these words mean? We cannot help judging others, sure, after all we are only human! We ought to be able to read others characters, and to know whether others are good or bad. As we watch others act we can’t help forming opinions about them. The holier we grow and more like Christ, then the nearer will be our moral judgments. We are not meant to close our eyes and be blind to peoples faults and sins.

Q: “So what does our Lords words really mean to us?”

   He is saying this .. ‘It is uncharitable judging against others for which He warns us, we are not actively looking for evil things – actions – behaviours in others. We are not to see others through the warped glasses of prejudice and unkindly feeling. We are not arrogate* to ourselves the function of judging, [*Arrogate:~take or claim something without justification], as if man was answerable to us. We are to avoid a critical or censorious spirit. Nothing is against speaking good of those we see and know, it is though uncharitable judging and speaking of those that are condemned.

Luke 6:37 “Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned”

   One reason this is wrong, is that it is putting one’s self in Gods place. Words you don’t want to said of you is .. “Who made you judge and executioner” .. on hearing these words should be a warning that you have gone too far. For He/God is the one true judge, with whom every human soul is judged. Judgment is not ours to make but is Gods.. God only is the Lawmaker and the Judge, He who is able to save and destroy, so who are you that judges your neighbour?” .. In condemning and censuring others we are thrusting ourselves into Gods seat, taking His sceptre into our hands, and presuming to exercise His perogatives.

2 Chronicles 19:6 “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord”

   We don’t know what may be the cause of the faults we would condemn others. Some peoples flaws are an inheritance that they have received from our parents. They were born with the weakness that now mars their adulthood. Or, their faults come through errors in their training and education. Once, a Nurse fell with a Baby in her arms, years later, and all down the years the man goes about with a lameness or a deformity, which mars his beauty of form. But he's not responsible for the marring, and criticism of him is cruel and unjust. There are now hurts in his character, and wounds of the soul, which it is quite unjust to condemn with anything but pity, for they are the inheritance by someone else’s hands.

1 Corinthians 4:4&5 “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing”

   We don’t know the things in a persons circumstances or experiences which are the real cause of the faults, or even peculiarities we are disposed to censure. We don’t know what troubles they have endured, what secret sorrows they have had to carry, that are so impressed upon their hearts, as to affect their temper, or even the cause their conduct. . .It written ..

“If we could read the secret history of our

enemies, we should find in each persons

life, sorrows and sufferings, enough to

disarm all our hostility and angst”

...If we take time to wonder at a man’s unmercifulness, they will seem unsocial sour or even cold. But all the while they are carrying a burden which almost crushes the life out of them. If we knew all that God knows of their life, perhaps, just perhaps, we might not speak words of ill over them. Then may be our own censure would not be so harsh.

   A great deal of our judging of others over misjudging or unjust judging, because we don’t know all the facts, that are leading upto this point in their lives. It would oftimes grieve us, and make us ashamed of ourselves, if, when we have judged an other severely , that is if we should be shown a glimpse of their inner life, revealing hidden sorrows & struggles, which are the root cause of the things in them we have blamed.

   Betty and me would often be out in the car, when we’re cut up, by someone. I might go to react, Betty would say STOP, you don’t know the day they could be having or had, or the pressures that are on them to be somewhere. As frustrating as it can be, she always tries to get me to see the other side of the coin. When all I want to do is rage, it is very disarming.

   Very often all we will see is but fragments of their lives, and no judgement formed on a fragment can be fair, we can only see one side of the coin, when there may be another that altogether changes it’s quality. The two sides could be seen as thus …

‘One side is always but blurred, like

a mass of crushed leaves, that are just out

of focus. The other side is seen in sharp

focus, showing the exquisite beauty

of the flower.’

. . . Life is full of similar 2 sided views of people and their acts. We would see someone out in the World, and they appear harsh & stern. Then we see them at home, and maybe see them around their invalid child, then all comes together a full life picture. It would therefore have been unjust if we made our judgement of them, from our ‘one-sided’ view of them, without seeing them with their child, loving ~ caring ~ nurturing.

   There was a young man whom was severely criticised by his work colleagues for his closeness & meanness. He was paid a very good salery, but livid very miserly, without even basic comforts, which his friends thought he could easerly afforded, and without any of these generous expenditures in a social way which his work colleagues indulged in. Many thoughts were made of his stinginess. That was only one side of life, but there was in fact another. When the young man had an only sister, actually they were ‘Orphans’, she greatly suffered (in other words was very sick), she was stuck in her room, of which she was mostly bed ridden because of her illness. He was her only brother thus provided all her care needs.

   This was the reason he lived so frugally, saving every penny he could, often going without many things others his age took for granted and thought necessary, so that she never went without, so she had the best care he could give her, and many comforts. This was the other side of his (hidden) character, the one side of which his work friends were unknowledgable & uncompassionate about. Surely we can see how unjust their judgement was based upon the one side they saw of his conduct. To judge from only seeing a fragment, is to judge ignorantly not least to say unfare.

[NIV] Matthew 7:2/5 “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? 4 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? 5 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”

   Our own imperfections also make us unfit for judging fairly. With ‘beams in our own eyes, make it that we can not see clearly to pick the planks out of our brother eye’s. One of the qualities which make us incapable of impartial judgement of others is … ENVY. There are very few of us who can see our neighbour's lifes work disposition without some warping & distortion of the picture. Envy .. has a strange effect on our moral vision ..

• It shows the beautiful things in others with the beauty dimmed ..

• It shows the blemishes and faults in an exaggerated way ..

• In other forms too, the miserable selfishness of our hearts obtrudes itself and makes our judgement of others oftimes really unkind and uncharitable

[NIV] Romans 8:26/7 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people”

   Another reason we should not judge others is that we need then to rise up out of their distresses. We are set together in life to make each other a lot better than we are. Their way to do this is not prattling on about their faults or short comings. Constantly pointing out their faults never cured anyone. There is a time, in friendship & love, for telling others their faults, but as I have already said, it can only be said in these relationships, also be only said in a spirit of lovingkindness.

   We are often told one of the finest qualities in a friend is that they will faithfully, with love, tell us our faults. We would like to think it is so, but not many of us have grace enough to welcome and accept such correction. A parent may tell their own child their faults, so long as they tell us with love & affection, NEVER – EVER to ever approach with anger or impatience. There was a time when a teacher could tell a pupil of their mistakes and then show how to correct them, again if it was done with a loving desire for their improvement.

Nagging is not a means of grace

   There is a more excellent way, that is love. It’s better when we wish to correct faults in others, be careful to let them see in us, in relief the virtue, the excellence, which is opposite to the defect we see in them ..

[NLT]Proverbs 3:12 “For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights”

[NIV]Proverbs 2:10/11 “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you”

.. It is the habit formed by a certain type of person, that if they were to hear from a close member of their family & friends mispronounce a word, they never correct them, or tare strips of off them, right there and then, that would just be belittling. Instead they find the best and earliest opportunity, to show them the best time/way to use and pronounce the word. To correct in this manner is for sure the most wise in helping them and others out of their faults of character and conduct, in a more friendlier & softer way.

#That is our Lords way, with His disciples

He never scolded them#

   He bore patiently with their dullness, and slowness as scholars. He [Jesus] never wearied of repeating the same lesson over and over again, but was never censorious. Even Jesus did not judge them, He didn’t keep telling them of al the blemishes He saw in them. It was just not His way of seeking their growth into better, sweeter life, for His heart is always full of love. He helped them ever toward a longer life. We always need to remember to relate to others to grow into spiritual beauty. Consciousness accomplishes nothing in making people better. You must always remember that scolding never really helped anyone…

Only LOVE creates LOVE

… We too often take too much delight in discovering something NOT beautiful about someone, and swooping down upon what ever they did wrong. Instead what is needed, is a complete change of mindset, in approaching them with love, when having to correct them...

[NIV] Psalms 35:24 “Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness”

… If ever criticism is ever indulged in, it should be done with deep humility, and with sincere desire, that for their sake helping them making changes, only ever done just between you and them.

   We ALL therefore need to train ourselves, to see the good in each other and NOT evil. We need to speak more approving & edifying, shinning the light on each others beauty within. And not words that are bitter ~ twisted ~ or hurtful & condemning words that would impact others for years to come. We must always try and look at  others through eyes of love, and not those of ..Envy or Selfishness .. therefore we should seek to heal with words of true affection & gentleness.

   Jesus Christ came in peace, lived with lovingkindness and peace, even keeping silent all the way through His persecution & crucifixion. Can we honestly say the same? Next time we feel like ripping into someone .. S T O P .. Think ~ breath ~ count to 10 next time you find yourself becoming embroiled in a heated discussion, and end up saying some thing you will regret.

Prayer

Heavenly Father with each passing day, make us, mould us 

little more like Jesus, and alittle like our earthly selves. 

Amen

 Coming next week

'On Judging Others'

This will going liveon Wednesday set your alarm clock for this one, as you won't want to miss this one.

Gods blessings for us

 

160923

Proverbs 3

V9 .. “Honour the Lord with your possessions” .. Always give to the Lord what He is due unbegrudingly, and the Lord will see this and send His blessings to you for honouring Him.

V6 .. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” .. By doing so will bring you one more step closer to knowing His will for your lives.

V5 .. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” .. Hold nothing back, give Him everything you have and He will send blessings beyond your comprehension.

Isreal lives forever

 For God so loved the world He gave His 

only Son so that we may be able to have life more abundantly. 

NOT ...

So that the mindless & gutless thugs of Hamas can 

go and cut babies heads off. 

OR ...

Be so cowardly that you hide under hospitals. 

Gods peace love and safty to ALL Isrealies

I was starting to read through the book of Hebrews, 

now I have read this passage a number of times 

before, only this time God set off a bomb whilst 

reading. I finally got the magnitude of His 

Word and actions 

 

My Testimony --:Part 2

56:120723

My Testimony

Part 2

   God was starting some special within me, I no longer had a thirst for booze, as that thirst had been replaced by a thirst for Christ Jesus my Lord. I felt like nothing I had ever felt before, and it was good. All the dark days were gone, where ever I went my bible, that adopted Grandma had bought and signed. I slept with it under my pillow, where I went it came with. Whilst Grandma Peggy was not an actual blood relation, she came a lot onto the ward with COPD and struck up a friendship from there, we would often have days out, she was a soft hearted and kind lady.

   I had not had much luck in finding that special lady with whom I could create a family, and share those intimate moments in life. I had read about an Asian Guy who wrote all the things he wanted in life, and put the details in his Bible. So changing the details into a description of my perfect woman on to a piece of paper prayed over the page, then put it into 1 Corinthians 13, which tells in detail what Christ feel love is all about, then say to God it was over to Him. I would go where like minded Christians would be, so that we would be equally yoked. . . 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” … It took till we went to an AOG gathering for teaching the next April (1999)till I met Betty. During the 5 days I was there I went classes teaching us how to pray more effectively. On the Wednesday I went to an extra meeting where like minded gathered to pray for Northern Ireland and the republic too. I went along with Margaret, whom I told you of in Part 1, when the meeting had finished and we stood up she turned to see an old friend called Bob Edgar. Who happened to be with him, yep Betty. To this date Betty can me how was sat where in the room, and yet has no recollection of me, even though introduced to each other by Margaret & Bob. OK, time to reach for the bucket for this next bit, as you may well have seen these romantic photo’s of a couple where the outside of the photo is all blurred and rest is in a soft focus, well that is how I was shown Betty by God. That was enough of a hint for me, that was on the Wednesday.

   I did not see her again till the Friday afternoon, I on my way out of the camp for a walk to may be take some photo’s. Well just as I am heading towards the gate, who should be coming back in, yep Betty. Now most of you have some of the elaborate goal celebrations some footballers do, back flips and so forth. Well whilst trying be calm & cool, inside I was doing all sorts yes .. yes .. yes. Stopping I said hi, you remember us meeting on Wednesday afternoon with Bob & Margaret? Whilst not remembering because me say these 2 people she accepted what I was telling her. Betty has her own testimony leading up to this point that only she can tell, which is even more remarkable. Anyhow we spent the next couple of hours talking & walking, as this was the last day before I returned to Torquay and Betty back Northern Ireland. We met in the last meeting that night and spent till the wee hours talking.

   So we met on the 21st of April 1999, everyday we spent hours on the phone, mostly in the evening from 9pm on, so much so it became a standing joke that anyone calling us knew to call before then or forget it. This happened everyday, we would also write letters a couple of times a week as well. Betty came over to Torquay in the beginning of June and I proposed. My family had their doubts but once they knew of me selling all of my records to purchase a ring, they quietened down a little-bit, as they all knew NO-ONE touched my records. I then travelled in the first week of August to meet her family and formally asked her parents for Bettys hand in marriage, only for Betty’s mum said what about the rest of her.

   Betty moved over to Torquay in the 3rd week of August of 1999, yep the same year. In fact when worked our you’ll find it 6 months exactly from the date we met to our Wedding day on 6th November ‘99. . .

...since this time God has in so many ways through our lives they too many to count. Needless to say we have been blessed.

   I hope this has let to know the author of this blog more. As it nice to know whom it is I keep coming back to read. So thank you for coming back each time. Gods peace Love & hope be with you now and always.