Giv’em Heaven

Pete McKenzie 0:01
What’s the what’s the last thing you hear from me every Friday morning? What is it? When’s the last time you told someone to give them heaven? What does that mean? Anyway? You know, I was thinking this week, as I was preparing some thoughts to put together for today, as the Lord just said, Well, you tell him, give him heaven all the time, make sure they understand what that means. So I’ll tell you what it means to me. And because we’re going through the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon on the mount is basically Jesus telling his disciples to go give him heaven. He’s telling the lifestyle of the kingdom, if you believe in me, if you my disciple, if you name my name is Lord, then this is the kind of life you’re going to live in. If you live this kind of life. That means that you’re going to show them what heavens like you’re going to show a world it’s lost what heavens like because you can get people heaven, or you can give them hell got two options. And most of us are used to the giving hell part. Scripture is real clear on that the wages of sin is death, and we live death lives. If we don’t know Jesus Christ, we don’t have a relationship with him. He’s not the source of our peace and our purpose. He doesn’t give our life meaning he’s not the one we run to for strength in provision and protection. And if you don’t know all that, then you’re living life. You’re in the clutches of the devil. We’ve all been there. We were in the clutches of the devil, we were headed for hell. And Jesus chose us for Himself by His grace, we were saved through faith. And so now we have the hope of heaven without eternal destination was redirected because he came and died on a cross. And then he was resurrected. And then he sent down His Holy Spirit, so that we were to receive power. And there was a power to do what give him heaven. It was a power to live the life that he died to give us and He rose from the dead, that we might have it, we’re going to give them something and who are those that we’re going to give them hell in that middle phrase, give them heaven, give them heaven. That means everybody in your sphere of influence everybody that you come in contact with everybody in your family in your neighborhood, every opportunity you have in the best opportunities. So those opportunities is Jesus made it crystal clear, and we’ve been over this, If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other, give them heaven. If someone forces you to go one mile volunteer to go to give them heaven, do something extraordinary. Do some is different, do something that other people don’t do. And we have the power to do that. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you’ll receive power to be my witnesses in your sphere of influence in Judea, and Samaria, even to the uttermost parts of the world. So Jesus was basically given us at the end of Matthew 28. He said, You guys, I want you to go out there and give them heaven. I want you to go and teach them what it means to know me make disciples make followers of me make them hungry, make them thirsty, you’re the salt of the earth. It’s interesting. He followed that phrase up with with salt it’s lost its flavor is no good for anything is said to be trampled under foot by man thrown out the door. It’s not salty anymore. It got lazy. It took a vacation, start backsliding, start being casual cultural, not timing, the word not time and fellowship, quit going to church quit going to men’s group quit going for him group, but going to whatever group and activity you’ve been going to, and that salt in over time, loses its flavor doesn’t have a heartbeat anymore for lost people, not spending time in God’s presence anymore. Because when we do in the Holy Spirit’s work, and in our life, we naturally care for others. It’s one of the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of spending time with him and abiding in him. Heaven is that spiritual place, According to Webster’s of everlasting communion with God in His presence. Now, if you were to ask somebody, if you died today, where would you spend eternity? It’s assumed that they understand you got one of two destinations, Heaven or Hell? And that’s a question I like to ask guys. If you died today, where would you spend eternity? You got to be careful, though, in the context that you asked one time I was coming home from a late Bible study and Susan had told me before I left to go to the Bible study won’t I want you to pick up some bread at Kmart? Not the Kmart, but the quick. What do you call them? 711 On your way home, it was about 10 o’clock at night and the seven elevens have just started staying open all night, and they were getting robbed all the time. So I go in, there’s only one gal behind the counter and I throw my bread up on the counter. And it was attending a church at the time that really measured your Christianity and your worth by how many people you’d lead to Christ. So when you showed up at some group or showed up it was some people at church they wanted to know who you led to Christ lately. So I’m sitting there thinking it was just me and her in here. I think I’ll ask her the question and I threw my bread up on the counter and she was starting to bring it up and I said, Well, can I ask you a question? She said a few died today. Where did you spend eternity? She dropped the bread on the ground, backed up and hit the cash register that thing flew open money’s coming Everywhere

she thought I was at a robber

so I just threw some money on the counter and beat feed out of there God said you gotta understand the context when you

I’m glad she didn’t have a gun these days she probably would have killed him because he asked me if I was gonna die today I forgot killed him for he killed me. But just think about this, think about what what we go through in life. Think about what we suffered. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation. Well, he didn’t say you might have he said you will have if you look up tribulation means challenge trials difficulties, irritations in in murder, murders and suicides and rapes and abortion, Steffes divorces, loss of loved ones disappointments, aggravations being slighted and neglected being despitefully use being scammed physical illnesses and diseases addictions like food and drugs and alcohol and sex and pornography and sex trafficking and fear mongering all the time. And that’s what we’re living in today. Everything that comes in no matter what its direction is coming from or what the subject is, it’s fear mongering. The enemy just wants us to be afraid and anxious and all the time. And he gives us plenty to be afraid and anxious about if we’re going to be that you will have tribulation. And then if you doubt without Christ, you’re going to hell. And that’s not a pretty picture. You’re a sinner. According to Romans 323, your wages of sin is death, according to Romans 623. It’s appointed under us to die once and then comes judgment. Well, that’s not good news. That’s the bad news. But we’ve we’ve said many times, if the bad news is not really bad, the good news is not all that good. So if you don’t understand the bad news, and all those things that represent hell on earth, in in the last days, you’ll have wars and rumors of wars, there’s always been more sets, the sinful world always is going to have wars, every kind of war, and we have them going on right now. There’s more wars than ever, we’ve never had the opportunity to tech technologically to have a global war World War Two is pretty much a global war. And what we’re seeing is it just with COVID is affecting every country in the world what’s going on in the Ukraine is gonna affect every country in the world. It’s going to spread it’s gonna no telling where it’s gonna go. But you know, I love that line from Casting Crowns in one of their songs says, you know, the world is not falling apart. It’s falling into place. Can I get more than one Amen from the congregation. It’s important that you know that it’s important that you understand that the world is not falling apart from the sovereignty of God standpoint, from the prophetic teaching standpoint, it’s falling into place. Everything’s happening according to schedule. But everything is happening in my life according to schedule in your life according to schedule. If you look at Psalm 139, and we did a week or so ago, he says every day of my life and everything that’s happened to me is written in his book, nothing surprises God, nothing catches him off guard. So the sermon on Mount teaches us Kingdom living in teaches us to be disciple makers to go and make disciples to go and share your faith. And we’ll say it over and over again. The best way to share your faith is in the hard times of difficult times, times that aren’t fun times that are hard to get through. Like when you’ve been slapped on the cheek, or backhanded or put down or forced to do something you don’t want to do. How do you respond when you’re belittled and made fun of and humiliated? How

do you respond when you’re slighted and neglected? When you don’t get what you deserve? And they’re not responding and reciprocating? How do you respond when they don’t value you and they criticize you? How do you respond? That’s, you’re going to give them hell are you going to give them heaven? It’s you and I both have to decide that and Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount give them heaven and John 15 He showed us how to do that he said If you abide in me and my word abides in you you’ll bear much fruit and here’s why. apart from me you can’t do this the you won’t bear that fruit apart from me you can do nothing eternal or last enter nothing that’s going to lead someone to heaven that’s going to make them wonder why do you have peace when there’s you just had that loss that loss that job got scammed caught the head that disease had that financial downturn. How could you have such peace and joy? When you spend your time in God’s presence? He gives you a bit of heaven. What does that look like? If you abide in me and my word imagine you you bear much fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and goodness and gentleness and kindness and self control. That’s a bit of heaven. That’s what happens gonna be like there won’t be any tears in heaven. There won’t be any scamming in heaven. No sex trafficking, there won’t be any political shenanigans going on. won’t be any injustices won’t be any calling good, evil and evil, good. None of that in heaven. And we get a chance to spread that around here on Earth. I love em, bounce quote. And he quoted from the verse when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion, they were going through it, just like we are today. Every generation for 1000s of years has been going through it ever since the garden, ever since a fall in the garden, and man got us in nature. We’ve had hell on earth, we had the first murder between Cain and Abel. And it’s been going downhill ever since. That’s all man can do war, kill Rob still rate murder, divorce, war, in go to war. That’s what the natural human sinful nature does. And he saw the multitudes and he moved was moved with compassion. So God can be moved with judgment on centers, but he can also be moved by compassion. And he had to be moved by compassion. We looked down and saw a bunch of thievin Murdering warring people. And I got a feeling on his way from his throne in heaven to be born in a manger, the angels just said, you’re going down there and save those guys. You know what they’re doing, you know how they’re living, you know, how they’re talking, you know, they’re treating each other, you know, the stuff that’s going on, and you’re going to go down there and suffer and die for them, you’re going to hang on a cross, you’re going to take their place what they deserve. And he says, Absolutely, around us as a world lost in sin above us as a god willing and able to say, now who’s got a God like that? A god who’s willing and able to save people that don’t deserve it. They deserve hell. We deserve punishment. We deserve everything we get from a fallen world. But we have a God who’s willing and able to save. Now it’s ours to build a bridge that links heaven. And Earth in prayer is a mighty instrument that does the work if we do our part, God will do his part. So what he’s saying is, you guys need to be praying for those that are your enemies. Are you praying for your wife? Sometimes he looked like the only thing between you and complete happiness is her but she feels even stronger about that with you. wasn’t for him, I be completely happy.

So when you’re at odds with her and things aren’t going well, and she’s not appreciating you like you need to be and deserve he praying for you link in heaven and earth with her? Do you pray over her and for her and with her, that’s your job as a husband, that’s your job description, not when she’s cooperative and doing what you want and easy to get along with. In Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount made that crystal clear. You guys just love those who love you. What good is that? Even tax gatherers can do that anybody can do that. You don’t need anything supernatural, you don’t need anything extra special to love those who love you. What do you do more than others? That’s a convicting question. And God expects us to do more than others, others, those others or others that are lost, that don’t have the Holy Spirit that don’t have the word of God, don’t have the fellowship of the brethren, but we have it. But if we’re going to be on our game, if we’re going to be given him heaven, we’re going to have to be doing the things we talk about every week, we remind each other this, you’re going to have to spend time in God’s presence, you’re going to have to be that tree planted by liver rivers of water and streams of living water that bears its fruit in its season is leaf does not wither in whatever he does prospers. God expects us to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives with those who we love the most. And the least he expects us to do that. He didn’t down the cross. So we could be just like the Pharisees and the scribes. He died on the cross so we could be conformed to His image through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we can give people heaven, a glimpse of heaven, a taste of it, when they deserve bad, but you give them good, it’ll change your life. And I see it in marriages all the time. People loving those who love them when they love them and not loving those when they don’t love them. They’re violating your rights and not meeting your expectations. And so you make them pay, you pout, you criticize, you get mad and angry, you get even vengeful, you shut down. You Stonewall, you could criticize and feel contempt, all those games that we play for Christ and God says Don’t live like that. But if you’re not going to live like that you have to live in me you have to abide in me stay with me in prayer is the answer. And that’s what he and bounds was saying. It’s ours to build a bridge that links heaven and earth. So God’s Jesus said to His disciples, Go out there and build a bridge. build bridges between you and others don’t see being slighted and hurt and neglected and criticized and ridiculed and accused falsely don’t see that his attacks of the devil see that as opportunities to make a build a bridge between heaven and earth with that person. It’s an opportunity to build that bridge. But if you haven’t been in prayer, what men need and what people need is what we need. They need grace, unmerited favor. They don’t deserve it, but you’re going to give them anyway. You’re not going to punish them. You’re not going to melt emotionally blackmail them, you’re not going to pout you’re not going to get even you’re not I’m going to Stonewall, you’re going to give them heaven, you’re going to build that bridge. But don’t the only way you can build that bridge is spending time in his presence. If you’re not confessing sin every day, for instance, thought word deed, every day all day, we got to be on our game. Lord, I hadn’t, I shouldn’t have said that shouldn’t have thought that shouldn’t have done that. And so you confess it to him, and he forgives you. And he gives you grace instead of judgment. He gives you grace. Instead of paying you upfront and punishing you, it gives you grace, you know what it does, it makes you not want to do it. You don’t want to do that again. Because that grace feels really good. And you don’t want to put him in a position of always having to give you grace, you want to be obedient. But then when others hurt you and offend you, like you’ve offended him, and you don’t give grace because you have no grace to give because you haven’t been confessing your sin. And where do you get grace to give you get it when you receive it from him. And then you have some to give away to others. And if you don’t, if you’re not getting Grace everyday from God, you’re not having Getting Grace to give you’re giving judgment, you’re trying to look at the speck in their eye and forget and you got to log in years. We went over that a few weeks ago. So there’s no getting around. That if you want to bear fruit, you’re gonna have to spend time in my presence, you’re gonna have to plant your tree by the living water of the word and prayer and be around chain hanging out on the screen door men who love Jesus more than you do. And you want people hanging on your screen door near the salt of the earth. Jesus said, You ally to the world, well let your light shine, don’t put it under a bush to let your salt be soft and make them thirsty. The only reason our culture is not down the tube sooner than later is because we’ve got salty people out there. That’s a preservative that believe in morals and goodness, they believe in law abiding, they believe in courtesy and respect. And that’s a preservative in our culture that makes it bearable, booed, that we’ve been losing ground in that in the last 50 6070 years in America. It’s all about us now. And we have to fight. Because that’s naturally appealing to our sinful nature. Well, we have to fight not to be caught up in that you have to fight by being in the word and being reminded it’s not about you, in a sense, what God was saying to His Son, Jesus in the garden of God 70 When Jesus was asking him in his human feelings, Lord, if there’s any way this cup could pass from me let it pass. And his son was saying No, son, if we’re gonna give them heaven, you’re gonna have to pay the price. I can’t take this cup from you, you’re gonna have to drink it to the dregs Father, if there’s any way I’ll ask you one another time. No son, you have to drink this cup, we all have to drink the cup, if we’re going to give them heaven, there’s a price that has to be paid. And that means dying to yourself. If you’re going to give people heaven, you’re going to have to die to your wants your ways, your plans, your preferences is is you got to be crucified with Christ. The way Paul put it, he didn’t say just be crucified. He said, be crucified with Christ, Christ was crucified for a purpose. And so if you’re going to say no to yourself, you’re going to deny yourself, you’re going to crucify yourself, you got to do it for a purpose, this worth dying for Jesus thought we were worth dying for. And you’ll never crucify your flesh. You’ll never crucify your rights, your ways me and all about you, you’ll never quit being so sensitive to how others treat you if you don’t have a great purpose in it. And Paul had a great purpose. He said, I’m crucified with Christ, and it’s no longer I who live, I have to die, data, my way data, my preferences, data, my rights, my expectations, and it’s no longer I who live in the reason I’m doing this. So Christ can live in me, he can’t come and live in a selfish heart. You cannot hold on to bitterness and God at the same time, you can’t be bitter at others, and vengeful at others and upset with others and unforgiving toward others and still have a relationship with God. You have to clean that out of your heart. You have to get to a place where you’re dying, you’re not looking backwards, you’re not looking at all the family of origin wounds, you’re not letting that trip you up and keep you from being the man of God, God died to give make you you’re not overly sensitive about how you’re treated. You don’t get mad easily. You don’t get offended, but you have to have a great purpose. If you’re going to do that. You won’t just die to yourself because Jesus said to yourself, you’ll die to yourself when you say I want to be like Christ. And to be like Christ, I’m gonna have to give that up. I’m gonna have to deny it. I’m gonna have to die to it. Have you died to do you have a greater purpose in yourself that makes it worth dying and saying no to your flesh. It’s no longer I who live but Christ lives in me in the life that I now live in the flesh. I live by faith and that faith has an object. It’s the Son of God, faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered himself up for me. He’s not asking me to do anything he had done. He gave Himself He died on the cross. He said no to himself. He said no to his rights he had he had every right to call every 10,000 Angels and come wipe the Romans out and the Pharisees out but he told Peter to put up his sword. He said Peter, I got to do this. And he went to the cross. He had a great purpose in that and the purpose of your go look in the mirror and you To find the purpose, it was about you and me, it was about us sitting here today saved him forgiving because of what he was willing to do. And that was his great purpose, salvation and give people an opportunity to go to heaven instead of hell. And he gave us a great plan of salvation. So today when you get out there, and I finish this message today, and I say, get out there and give him heaven, why don’t we do some business right now? So you can make sure you do that? What is it that God is speaking to your heart right now about that you

need to die to that you need to confess that you need to get rid of that you that person you haven’t forgiven, maybe that’s it, that sin, it’s habitual, that just keeps you in chain in bondage. And maybe you need to do one more time going to him confessing that sin, saying God cleaned my heart, set me free, and God lives to set us free. He said Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him if you continue in My word, and you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. What’s the truth? Truth because God loves you, He died on the cross for you. He has a plan for your life. He wants to use you to be able to bridge between heaven and earth between people in your life. That’s the truth. He said, I’m that way, I’m the truth. I’m the life and they answered him were Abraham’s descendants. We’ve never yet been enslaved anyone, how do you say we shall become free and Jesus said Truly, truly I say to you, anyone who commit sin as a slave to sin, you get free of being a slave to sin, sin is given being a slave to sin is habitual sin that you haven’t shaken off the to own god to break in your life. It’s keeping you from building bridges between heaven and earth with people. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the sun does remain forever. So if the sun sets you free, you are free indeed, in that a wonderful thought you could be free indeed, not that you’re never going to send this out of heaven, you’re gonna see and I’m going to say and we all sin, but you’re not gonna habitually sin, you’re not going to sin without confessing it, you’re not going to fight it and fight through so you can be free indeed, and give, give them heaven out there. So God can work in your heart and give you a heart for those people that you hate now that are running our country that are tearing it apart. They’re all slaves of sin. And Jesus died for them to figure out how to build bridges between us and them, between them and Jesus Christ. God’s given us a wonderful commission, a wonderful opportunity, a wonderful job. It’s ours. We have a God a world it’s going to hell in a handbasket. We have a God who’s willing and able to save in hours is to build a bridge between heaven and earth. So someone says now for what do you do, I build bridges. I give them heaven. That’s who I am. That’s what I do. Because that’s what my Savior did. And I want to be like him. I’m a bridge builder. That can be your identity. That’s who you are. That’s why you’re here that gives your life meaning and purpose. So let’s do some business right now. We might as well before we get out of here, do something that’s going to settle something for you right now with the Lord and be a bridge builder, so that you can go out there and give them heaven without the devil having some handle on you. Scott shared with me today about a guy that says live your life without handles. Because if you have a handle, they can grab it and pull you down easily. You got handles in your life you need to get rid of today. The devil can’t come along and grab and say you’re guilty. And you can’t say I’m not because you are you haven’t gone and confessed that you haven’t taken care of it with the Lord. But if you have no handle, he has nothing to grab so that when he comes in accuses you, you’re not falling for his trap. He said, take that up with my savior. I’ve already taken up with him. He’s my attorney, you want to mess with me, you go mess with him. He’s already forgiven that. You can’t convict me of that anymore. Let’s take 30 seconds and you do whatever dealing you need to do with the Lord. And Lord, we pause because we want to be free indeed, want to be bridge builders, we want to give him heaven. We want to live a life that people are hungry with the light of the world and be the salt of the earth want to go out there and fulfill the purpose and mission you gave us and the reason we’re here we don’t want to be forgetting that we get in that pit that we fight an alligator so hard we forget we’re supposed to clean out the swamp. We forget who we are who were reminded today a fresh in a new and we want to go out there and just imagine what we can do is all the men in this room became bridge builders today and we could actually doubt ourselves so that you can live in us and do everything that you died to give us as far as turning the other cheek and go into second mile and given them heaven. Help us do that you will you have and will follow you and give you all the glory and the credit because you alone are worthy and all God’s men said give them heaven out there guys.

“If I were the Devil…”

God’s Word reminds us to look around and see the troubles of this world from a spiritual perspective… for from God’s viewpoint of eternity we are already seated with him in heavenly places. We do not perceive the distresses of this world as others who have no hope…. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that spiritual deposit which he’s committed unto me against that day of the Lord… that day of God’s righteous judgement.

The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory…. The spiritual stronghold of self can only be breached by the spirt of God in Christ in us… For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual to the pulling down of spiritual strongholds…. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

It’s difficult to get Christian men to commit to follow in the footsteps of our Lord. However, a disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ. Therefore as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

To fight The spiritual battle , Ephesians Chapter 6:10-12 says: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The devil schemes to separate our hearts from God’s heart. He questions God’s commandments. He shows the bait but hides the hook. He said to Eve, If you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not surely die…. Instead you’ll be like God knowing good and evil. God doesn’t love you and his word is not true…. Eve succumbed to the devil’s lies when she doubted the Word of God and the love of God.

Paul Harvey said these prophetic words in his radio program “The Rest of the Story” in 1965:

“If I were the Devil….. if I were the Prince of Darkness I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I would have a third of it’s real estate and four-fifths of it’s population. But I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree, thee.

So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I’d subvert the churches first, I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please.”

To the young I would whisper that the Bible is a myth, I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is.. ‘square’.

And the old, I would teach to pray after me…. “Our Father, which art in Washington.”

And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa.

I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could,
I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction,
I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the Devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves.
Until each in it’s turn, was consumed.

And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the Devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions, just let those run wild!
Until before you knew it, you’d have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography.

Soon I could evict God from the courthouse,
Then from the schoolhouse,
And then from the houses of congress.

And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science.

I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

If I were the Devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas…. a bottle.

If I were the Devil I would take from those who have, and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what will you bet… I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling, as the way to get rich.

I would caution against extremes:
In hard work
In patriotism
In moral conduct

I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned, that swinging is more fun. That what you see on TV, is the way to be.

And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed, with diseases for which there is no cure…..

In other words if I were the Devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

The devil says, don’t follow the Lord, instead march to your own drumbeat of your own cadence…. Just be a casual Christian. Don’t over-commit… do what you want to do when you want to do it ….. if it feels good do it. Motivate yourself by the world’s priorities…. The pursuit of happiness through wealth, fame, and fortune, and self-satisfaction.

Robert Unger wrote a pamphlet about coming home. He described a house with a living room, a bed room, a dining room, a kitchen and a storage attic, and a den. There is a library with easy chairs and books. The Lord said, lets spend a few minutes each morning for a little time together. You start to get to know the Lord. One morning, you need to get to work for an early morning meeting. You don’t have time to visit the library to spend time with the Lord. As the affairs of life take a priority, you rush out of the house to make your commitments at work. Then after a few weeks you walk by the library and notice that Jesus is sitting in the easy chair. He says, I’ve missed you. Only Jesus Christ can balance grace and truth.

Jesus said, I’ve notice that at work you took liberty with your business dealings… you stretched the truth… you were not dealing in good faith as you had before. When you spent time with me you were blessed in blessing others from a heart that loves me and loves others…. What has happened to your heart?

Christianity is not a casual pursuit once a week on Sunday morning. Jesus said, “walk with me.” Regarding the daily walk with our Lord, Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing… You can’t do life on your own… You need me and the fellowship of Christian believers in the body of Christ… those whom the Lord has called out from the darkness of this world to walk in the light…. This is why the scripture says, walk in light as he is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness,

Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of the things of tomorrow… sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Walk with me… each day is a day’s journey… walk with me one step at a time and one day at a time.

Life is like a train. There is an engine, representing faith, a coal car, representing the spirit, and a caboose which represents feelings. If you’re led by the caboose of feelings, then the train will derail. The engine of faith must pull the load…. For neither uncircumcision, nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but believing faith which worketh in love.

After David was confronted about his sin with Bathsheba, he wrote a psalm of repentance: Lord, you know my every thought and have numbered the hairs of my head… search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any hurtful way of unrighteousness thing in me… Cleanse me and lead me in your way everlasting.

When we get to the end of the rope, in desperation we will come to the realization that when he’s all we’ve got, he’s all we need. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing…. I must decrease that he may increase to the point that it’s all of thee and none of me.

As the psalmist said, Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor siteth in the seat of the scornful…. Why? Because his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night… What will this produce? He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season… his leaf also shall not wither, but what he doeth shall prosper.

We live for the ones we love. when we love God above all, it’s no burden to do that which is well pleasing, acceptable unto him. Therefore, cleanse my heart O lord… make me a vessel of thy peace… that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer…

That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Create in Me a Clean Heart

In Matthew 6 Jesus continued his sermon on the mount and addressed the issue of doubt, worry, and fear. He said, consider the lilies of the field and the fowls of the air. They toil not neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If he so clothed the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, will he not much more take care of you, O ye of little faith?

Men of little of faith are like children; they fear the deep end of the pool. They have not learned to trust in the Lord with all their hearts and lean not unto their own understanding. Jesus said, What’s different between you Children of Israel and the Gentiles… the heathen who have no relationship with God? They worry about the cares and the affairs of this world. What makes you different from them? Jesus said, I’ll give you the resources you will need, but you will use these blessings to bless others… by working with your hands from a heart of love to accomplish the purpose for which I have prepared you. In so doing, set your affections on things above and seek ye first the kingdom of God. God will be your sufficiency for blessing you and your family as you use the resources your Father’s glory. Don’t worry about having your needs met… God will bless and abound the work of your hands if you look unto me. Therefore, Seek not worldly treasures. Instead, seek treasures in heaven and not upon earth…. Then when you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these physical things shall be added unto you.

Most people who consider themselves Christians, have no passion, zeal, and fervor for the things of God. They keep their light of Christ hidden under a bushel basket.

Faith is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Galatians says, neither circumcision… the keeping of the Old Testament law… nor uncircumcision… the ways of the heathen gentiles… availed any thing. As Solomon said in Eccleastes, everything upon this earth that is done for our own vain purposes will come to naught. Galatians 5 says, the only thing that really matters is believing faith that worketh in love. Love activates, energizes, invigorates and exercises the faith-muscle that appropriates God’s blessings into fruition… Therefore, be not weary in well doing…. God will sustain your effort. Then in patiently working, God gives the blessing at the time of harvest.

Our Heavenly Father is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. He numbers each hair on our head. Wherever we go, God is there…. He sees all and is ever present. Therefore David said, search me and know my heart… test my anxious thoughts. Create in me a clean heart, O Lord… a heart dedicated to you… and lead me into the way everlasting.

As we look at the world around us, as the lyric from The Music Man says, “there’s trouble in River City.” There is strife, contention, chaos, and confusion all around us… the devil is up to his old tricks. His job is to divide and conquer… Ultimately his purpose is to separate our hearts from God’s heart. To look at the world we’ll be stressed. To look at others we’ll be distressed. To look in the mirror, we’ll be depressed. However…. To look unto Jesus, we’ll be blessed. Therefore, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim… in the light of his glory and grace.

Sin separates our heart from God’s heart. Sin is missing the mark. However the emphasis of the word sin, is not on the missing… instead the emphasis is on the mark itself. The mark is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. You have to look at the target, focus on the target, and then concentrate on and aim deliberately at the target in order to hit the mark. The target is God’s righteousness…. Jesus Christ himself. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. If we’re walking in close proximity with him…. He will fill our field of vision. It’s impossible to miss the target at point blank range… when we follow close by his side.

The devil will distract our attention from Jesus Christ… the truth of God and his word. He’s up to his old tricks. He tempted Eve like he tempts us today. He questions the love of God and the Word of God.

To work on our relationships, first we must have our vertical priorities in alignment. Our first priority is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness….. You treasure that which you love. To love God above all is to treasure treasure in heaven and not upon earth… for where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The unbelievers questioned the Apostle Paul… they said, you’re one of those hypocritical Pharisees. How dare you judge us according to your impossible standards of the law of sin and death? However, Paul said, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that (Holy Spirit) which He has committed unto me against that day of righteous judgement…

David said, search me O God and know may heart and see if there be any hurtful way of unrighteousness thing in me… Cleanse me and lead me in your way… test me… try me and prove my heart. Through the testing of trial and tribulation, the pressure of the test will reveal God’s character in us. For tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience…. God’s tested character, and experience hope… the hope of the resurrection and heaven. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

The source of sin is the nature of the flesh that we inherited from Adam’s fall.. The god of self and his domain is heavily defended territory. How do we defeat the god of self…. According to Corinthians…. The battle is for hearts and minds. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal… they are not of the flesh, but spiritual to the pulling down of the adversary’s spiritual strongholds. The way to pull down these selfish strongholds is “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…

To live for Christ, we must die to self…. To our sin nature. For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Life upon this earth is but a vapor…. A nanosecond in eternity. Life on earth will soon be passed, only that which is in Christ shall last…. Therefore set your affection on things above, not on things of this earth… search me O Lord and know my heart… Create in me a new heart O Lord and cleanse me from all unrighteousness….

…; that with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength I may love you above all…. To treasure treasures in heaven…To live this life pressing toward Your mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Yank the Plank

According to 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us a spirt of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. In Christ we are complete…. He is our sufficiency in all things. Colossians 2:10 says, We are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power.

God gave us his word so we would be furnished… through and throughly furnished for all good works. Jesus Christ himself is the word of God made manifest. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jesus continued his Sermon on the Mount In Matthew 7. Jesus said, Judge not lest ye be not judged….. Take the log out of your own eye so that ye can see clearly to take the speck out of your brtother’s eye. The problem is not hte speck in your brother’s eye. The real problem is the log in your own eye. The log is the two by four of judgementalism. A critical spirt will kill any relationship. When we criticize, condemn, and complain, then we are in the devil’s ball park…. We are not in hte sphere of God’s will. The devil is the deceiver and the accuser. He fills the hearts of our fallen nature with a critical spirit.

To see clearly you need to “yank the plank.” The plank is the critical spirit. We cannot judge righteously if we’re looking down on another person from a position of so-called self righteous indignation. This is the problem with the Pharisees. They thought they were superior to others and could judge others according to their own self righteous standard. However, only God is the righteous judge. To judge others is the height of blasphemy, inserting ourselves of judges of righteousness where only God himself has the right to judge.

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? When we speak with a heart of vengeance and vindictiveness, then we’re not spokesmen of the One True God. Instead we’re spokesmen for the god of this world, the devil himself. He is the accuser…. He’s the one who declares us guilty as charged.

However, Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. In the spiritual battle, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high.

The devil’s ploy is to set our hearts in the affairs of this world instead of in the kingdom of heaven. We often have a good plan to do good unto others with good intentions. However, as Mike Tyson said, “everyone has a plan of action until he gets punched in the mouth.” Then when blind rage takes over, you’re out of control. You’re in the ring with the devil himself.

A critical spirt is a spirit of condemnation, of focusing on sin, iniquity, guilt, and shame. It’s easy to find fault. When we’re acutely aware that someone has offended us, we fall into the trap of a victim mentality. A critical spirit kills relationships. It builds a resentment bank against the other person… after all, they’ve offended me by violating my so-called right not to be offended.

In counseling sessions, Pete meets individually with husbands and wives. He asks them to list the offenses of the other spouse. Often women will fill up three pages of offenses their husbands have committed. In one such session Pete said to the wife, I’m sure what you said about your husband is true, but I’m more concerned about you. I’m concerned about your critical spirt.

Jesus said, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.

Pete recalls that he stopped illegally to drop off his son at Jr. high school. A woman in the car behind him honked and gave him a one-finger salute. Pete was about to return the salute when he felt God’s hand on his and heard the voice of God. It said, we need to talk. “When you break the law, I give pagans the right to correct you.” You don’t know what that woman was going through. Maybe she just had an argument with her husband and was late for work. You need to learn to recompense no man evil for evil… but to respond to others with a heart of love.

Pete’s son Chris is a missionary in Scotland. Even though he pastored a church there, his wife knew he had fallen into a season of depression. He was always angry but he and his wife couldn’t uncover the root of his anger. She asked God to intervene and then enrolled her husband in a Pastor’s retreat. At the Pastors’ retreat, Christ was instructed to make a list of everyone who had made him angry. Then his assignment was to write a letter of forgiveness to each person on his list. While Chris was writing the third letter, he heard God’s voice: “They didn’t do that to you, I did.” Chris was convicted and prayed, Father please forgive me. At that moment Chris felt as if the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. He felt the chains that had weighed him down drop to the floor. He could suddenly see and perceive clearly from a spiritual perspective. At that moment he understand Jesus’ model prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

When we discern in our own hearts, God’s grace and mercy toward us, then we will have no problem forgiving others. He forgave us when we were unforgivable. The wages of sin is death. But even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.

Without God’s mercy and grace resulting in our salvation through Jesus Christ, we would not have the capacity to forgive others. Jesus said, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

From a heart motivated by the love of God, we can forgive those who have wronged us…. Even when we’re maligned and mistreated, Jesus said in the last beatitude: Blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

From a pure heart we can love God above all. Through the pain and affliction of this world and despite unjust and unkind treatment from the unsaved, we can pray for them as Jesus prayed for the soldiers who nailed him to the cross, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Then we can be a living epistle showing them the example of Christ’s unconditional love. mercy, goodness and grace. For it is God’s goodness and kindness that calls a man to repentance unto salvation… For Jesus with a heart of love, came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Therefore, judge not lest ye be not judged…. Yank the plank of judgementalism, for in Christ we have been judged righteous, not because of who we are but because of who he is…. Because In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly….

…That in forgiving others we may be witnesses of God’s grace and mercy to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Little Faith

God never honors fear. He always honors faith. The job of the Holy Spirit is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The gospel is both good news and bad news. The Sermon on the mount is disturbing to men of this world.

The beatitudes are Jesus’ call to change attitudes…. From the attitudes of complaining about the affliction of this world unto God’s blessed beautiful attitudes. Jesus said, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

Jesus said to the multitude, consider the birds of the air and the lilies of the field… If God clothes the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, will he not much more take care of your needs… O ye of little faith. If our faith is believing in our own ability, then we are men of little faith. Jesus said, who can by worrying add even one cubit to his height?

After Jesus had ministered to the multitudes in Mark 4, he said to his disciples, let’s get into the boat and go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As they were crossing, a violent storm arose. Even though some of the disciples were seasoned fishermen, their boat filled with water and they thought they would drown. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern. They woke him up and said, “Sir, don’t you care if we perish?” Mark 4:39-40 says, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

In the book of Daniel, Belshazzar, king of Babylon was having a drunken banquet with a thousand of his governors, their wives and concubines. He decided to pour wine into the sacred temple vessels that his father had taken from the temple at Jerusalem. As Belshazzsr’s guests drank the wine and continued their drunken debauchery, the figure of a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the wall of the banquet hall…..”Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.”

We are all sinners… we all have inherited the sin nature from Adam’s original sin. The wages of sin is death. In our own power we cannot balance the scales of God’s righteous judgement. Everyone is weighed in the balance and found wanting… no man is worthy of life eternal.. However, Jesus Christ who was without sin paid the price to balance the scales of our debt of sin.

There are four responses to the invitation to come to Christ for salvation. The first response is outright rejection. Atheists and those who worship the things of this world ridicule and reject outright Jesus’ invitation for salvation.

The second category is those who attend church, but have never made a commitment to accept salvation on God’s terms. They remain lukewarm regarding the message of salvation. They may have accepted Christ but have not committed to Jesus Christ as a disciplined follower. These are the ones whom Jesus said, O ye of little faith. They do not back up their faith with believing action in obedience to Jesus Christ.

The third category is those who think they are saved but they really are not. They believe in a works-based salvation and think that their self-righteous life will earn them entry into the kingdom of heaven.

The fourth category is those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. As Jesus said, my sheep know my voice and they know me, and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life.

The devil distracts people to focus on their own pain… on how others have offended them and hurt them. The devil makes men of this world focus on their victim-hood. Victims remain angry and resentful because of the pain and tribulation that afflicts them daily.

Jesus said, think about the birds and the flowers…. They don’t toil in the field or spin thread to make their clothes. Yet God takes care of them… they thrive and are arrayed with beauty more splendid than King Solomon in his royal regalia. If God so provides for the fowl of the air and the lilies of the field, will he not much more provide for you, O ye of little faith?

Consider the Lord who promises to uphold you with the right hand of his mighty power. Will He not provide for your every need? Jeremiah 1 says, “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the affairs and the cares of this world. How did Jesus respond? What would Jesus do? According to Hebrews 12, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. His joy was God’s revelation of your redemption and mine.

How do we overcome being of “little faith?” Proverbs 3 says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding… in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Our identity is not in our ancestry, our accomplishments, our physical characteristics, or the accolades and praise of others. God does not see us according to our flesh…. Our earthly nature. Instead, when we are born again of God’s Holy Spirit as sons of God, we are what the Word of God says we are, not what the world says we are…

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the spirit of adoption… the spirit of sonship, whereby we cry Abba Father, or Daddy, Daddy…. If God be for us who can be against us? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or trial or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Nay, In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

We were the elect of God in God’s foreknowledge… From his eternal perspective, we were seated in heavenly places before the foundation of the world. We have confidence in the day of judgement… for in Christ we shall be judged righteous… not because of who we are but because who he is.. for he who knew no sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God In him.

When we are born again of God’s spirit, We are not “O ye of little faith.” We have received the “measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). It is the faith of Jesus Christ…. God’s Holy Spirit, Christ in you the hope of glory. Therefore, I know whom I have believed and am pursuaded that he is able to keep that Holy Spirit which he has committed unto me against that day of righteous judgement…

… that according to the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, we should ever live in eternity to the praise of the glory of God’s grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

O Ye of Little Faith

Jesus repeated over and over his themes in the Sermon on the Mount. God reminds us not only who we are, but more importantly, whose we are. In Matthew 6 he reminded the multitude, you don’t need to be anxious and worrisome. Consider the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field…. They toil not neither do they spin, yet God takes care of their every need. Not even Solomon in all his royal regalia was clothed like one of these. If God takes care of them, will he not take care of you? O ye of little faith.

If we rely on our own self serving power then we are men of little faith, However, if we work out out own salvation, our completed wholeness in Christ, with awe, respect, and reverence, then God works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. Jesus said in John 15, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” When we love God above all, then as Paul said, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but (Believing) faith working through love.

In the days of Daniel when Israel was captive in Babylon, King Belshazzar desecrated the holy vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem. The king had Invited his one thousand governors with their wives and concubines to a banquet. While they were feasting, the king desecrated the holy vessels by using them to drink wine and sharing it with his drunken party. Then everyone in the King’s banquet hall saw the hand of a man appear and write on the wall, Mene, mene tekel upharsin. No one could interpret the strange hand writing. Finally the queen spoke up and said that Daniel, God’s prophet could interpret the writing. They summoned Daniel and he said, the meaning is ….. “thou art weighed in the balance and are found wanting”…. That night Belshazzar was killed and his son took over his throne. God is a God of mercy but he is also a God of righteous judgement.

Bill Gothard who taught youth conferences was approached by an unmarried couple at one of his training sessions. They asked him, what if we do not believe there is a God? He answered, that means that you are living in sin and are not willing to acknowledge the sin that has separated you from God.

According to John 3:19-21, And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were obsessed with the letter of the Old Testament law. They thought that their righteousness was in their behavior… in the keeping in their own strict interpretation of the law’s prescriptions. However, they thought they could keep the law in their own self righteous power. Jesus said to them, In vain do they worship me, they draw nigh with their lips and speak great flattering words with their mouth, but their heart is far from me.

They thought they were worshiping God and performing miracles in Jesus’ name. However Jesus said, I will say to such people, depart from me, I never knew you.

After Jesus had spent many days ministering, he said to his disciples at the seaside, Get in the boat, we’re going over to the other side. As they were crossing the Sea of Galilee, a violent storm arose and their boat filled with water and they began to sink. They bailed and panicked as the water filled the boat. They finally woke up Jesus who was sleeping below deck. He said to the storm, “Peace be still.” Immediately the wind and waves ceased. The apostles marveled that even the weather was subject to His command. Then Jesus said to them. Why were you afraid, O ye of little faith?

There are no victims in the kingdom of God. He turns people from victims to victors. As Paul said, But thanks be to God who always give the us the victory through Christ Jesus our Lord.

When the Centurion came to Jesus and asked him to heal his daughter who was nigh unto death, Jesus said, I’ll go to your house. Then the centurion said, I’m not worthy of you to come under my roof. I am a man of Authourity like you. When I give a command, I rest in the confidence that my command will be done. Just say the word and my daughter will be healed…. Jesus marveled, I have seen no grater faith, no not in Israel…..

God never honors fear… he always honors faith. In our own power we are men to whom Jesus said, O ye of little faith. Our faith is in the object of our faith, Jesus Christ himself. Our faith is in the power of God through his son our Lord Jesus Christ. For it is Christ in us the hope of glory.

Through the trials and tribulations of this world, God will teach us the meaning of hope and the meaning of love. According to Romans 5, for tribulation worketh patience and patience experience ( His proven character in us) and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

Jesus had prayed to his Father in the Garden of Gesthemane three times, Please remove this cup of wrath of the sin of the world and the guilt and condemnation of fallen man… this cup of my innocent death. This passage does not give the answer to Jesus prayer. However, the Bible is its own best commentary. The answer to Jesus’ prayer is in Hebrews 12: Jesus Christ who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Thorne of God. Jesus’ prayer was answered when God revealed to him the joy of your salvation and mine.

God is in the business of making men of great faith. He is alive in us when we work out the salvation he has given us… through faith He works in us and through us to will and to do of His good pleasure…. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, his delight is our delight…. His good pleasure is our good pleasure. Then in the power of the faith of Christ in us, God works in us and through us to will and to do of his good pleasure…

That by believing faith that works in love, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Yank the Plank

Jesus gave an invitation to the multitude in The Sermon on the Mount. His invitation into the kingdom of God competed for their attention. It was diametrically opposed to the world’s invitation. The world says that you should judge others from a self righteous position of superiority.

However, in Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus said, “JUDGE not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote (splinter) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (the plank) that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Jesus said, “yank the plank.” The plank is the two-by-four in your own eye. It is the plank of judgementalism. The three “C’s” that will kill a relationship are criticizing, condemning, and complaining. When we think we’re right and others are wrong, pride goes before a fall and a self righteous heart that looks down on others in self righteous judgment will kill any relationship. Jesus said, the way you judge others is the way God will judge you. If you accuse another of failing to meet a standard, do you yourself fall short of the same standard?

In Marriage Counseling sessions, Pete asks each spouse to list the things that the other spouse has done to offend them. One wife will wrote down three pages of things her husband had done that offended her. Pete said, “I’m sure that these things your husband did that have hurt you are true, but there’s one thing I’m most concerned about. It’s your attitude of criticism, judgement, and condemnation.”

Suzan, Pete’s wife made a deliberate effort not to offend her husband. She would say, “Please don’t get angry, but we need to talk.” She diffused Pete’s anger before she approached her husband with a word of reproof and correction. Humility and meekness is required before we can receive loving correction. Correction means to restore to an upright position. Come let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow.

The rules of the devil’s game of condemnation begin with critical spirt. A bitter heart spews hurtful words that tear down, deconstruct and destroy. A critical spirt focuses on how I’ve been wronged… how others have offended me. These malicious thoughts are earthly, selfish, prideful and devilish.

Peter asked Jesus, how many times should I forgive my brother? Shall I forgive him seven times? Peter thought that this would exceed the letter of the Law that said to forgive three times before exercising just retribution. Jesus said, don’t forgive him seven times, but seventy times seven. Paul said, as God has forgiven you, so also do ye.

If my heart is bitter because of unforgiveneess, then I need to forgive the other person. Otherwise the poison of resentment will infiltrate my heart. Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping that the other person will suffer the poisonous effects.

The devil’s job is to divide and conquer. Criticism divides us against others and feeds our fallen nature with the devil’s character of egotism, selfishness and pride. A critical spirit separates our hearts from God’s heart. For God did not send his son to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

Pete’s son Chris spoke about a season where he fell into depression. Even though he was pastor of a church in Scotland, his wife knew that her husband was oppressed by a spirt of anger and depression. Neither of them could determine the root of Chris’ anger. She prayed for her husband and then registered Chris for a Pastors’ Retreat. At the retreat, the first assignment was to make a list of each person who had made you angry. The second assignment was to write a letter of forgiveness to each individual. As Chris was writing the third letter, he heard God’s voice saying, “They didn’t do that to you, I did.” Chris prayed, “Father please forgive me.” Immediately Chris felt the weight of anger, bitterness and resentment lift. It was as if the heavens opened and he could see clearly again. At that moment he understood The Lord’s Prayer…. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

When we understand the depth of God’s love and forgiveness for us, then we will have no trouble forgiving others. In our own power we do not have have the capacity to forgive. However, when we received salvation through Jesus Christ we were empowered with God’s Holy Spirit… we received the super-natural nature of of Christ. Even though the wages of sin is death, Jesus paid for our sin with the price of his own precious innocent blood…. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Having been born again, through the power of Christ in me… I forgave and set the prisoner free, only to find that the prisoner was me.

The world teaches us to seek just retribution. However, Thorough the power of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, mercy, and the love of God triumphs over vengeance….

Destructive words from a vengeful heart tear down, and make enemies by causing strife and division. These are tools of the devil whose purpose is to steal, kill, and to destroy.

However, we are called into the unity of the spirit to build up… to edify one another in love.

1 Thes 4:10-12 says, Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

Hebrews 10:23-25 says: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Why? Because as God has forgiven you, so also do ye… that we may build each other up, as members in the body of Christ, each a vital part according to God’s divine design perfectly working together, growing up and supporting each other in love for God’s glory…

That together we may live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace glorifying our Heavenly Father!
Your brother inChrist,
Michael