Tag: Condemn

What To Expect from Children of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-12-23
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 6:37-38
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 37 “Do not judge [others self-righteously], and you will not be judged; do not condemn [others when you are guilty and unrepentant], and you will not be condemned [for your hypocrisy]; pardon [others when they truly repent and change], and you will be pardoned [when you truly repent and change]. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”

APPLICATION: It wasn’t many years ago that I learned from the Word of God about how I will receive from God, based on the degree that I give to His work, and others, in His name. As I came across this Scripture in my meditation today, I was reminded that if we are to be like Jesus, obey His commands, and imitate His life lessons that He demonstrated to us while on earth, then we must prepare each day to live totally dependent on God, because only then will we be different in the eyes of those we meet. You see, it is clear that we respond to others based on the way they treat us or speak to us. If they are angry at us, it is almost impossible for us to respond with a humble and graceful response. If they are constantly after everything we own, it is just not humanly possible for us to offer them anything that they didn’t already demand from us. Store owners are consistently in their strongest defense mode, being afraid of shoppers stealing from them. It totally blows their mind when an honest shopper returns the extra change to them when a cashier made a mistake. But is this surprising to our Master? Of course not, He created us, and He is all knowing about what we will do and/or say today, tomorrow and in future days. That’s why He wanted to train his disciples, and also give us guardrails on how we might best respond, as His children, when Satan works hard on his gang to throw us in our Christian walk. I love the way that the Amplified Verson gives us additional commentary in brackets, as we read the Scripture. This is extremely helpful in opening our eyes to what Jesus meant in His teaching. And while I don’t need to offer additional commentary, I do want to emphasize the key points in today’s Scripture, as these are subjects that we tend to fear in our own lives. No doubt Jesus wanted to teach us that we must begin by personally breaking the cycle of fear and hurt in these areas, as we interact with others. In other words, act in the same way that you want others to treat you:
–> Judging – The world shows how wrong others are and demands how we must act if we are to ever expect to get it right. Jesus teaches that we will be judged at the same level that we judge others. That could get pretty severe, if we don’t seek the help of Jesus to leave the judging up to Him! Friends, we have a lot of fingers already pointing back at us when we point a finger at others.
–> Condemning – Similar to the above, how or why are we to condemn others, when we are not the perfect one here on earth? Show them the right way by teaching them the Word of God. It’s not our job to condemn others, while trying in ourselves to pattern our lives after Jesus.
–> Pardoning/forgiving – Grudges are unfortunately held for years against another Brother or Sister when they did something viewed as wrong in the eyes of the offended one. But are we ourselves perfect as Christ is perfect? Jesus taught is to freely forgive one another when they repent and change, for we also will one day need their forgiveness.
–> Giving – Jesus praised a woman who gave 2 cents, as it was everything remaining in her small piggybank. If, however, we give 2 cents from our large bank account, because we feel like that’s all the preacher is worth, or the rich church needs, what might we think when we receive just a very small portion of all the riches of heaven? I love the idea behind this lesson from Jesus, for it tells me that I set the level of what I might receive, by the amount that I give. We can never outgive God, dear friends, so be ready to give generously with a giving and loving heart. It’s not our job to hold back on what God has blessed us with because we feel like the church, or an individual, is unworthy of our sacrifice. Our command is to give, God’s job is to incent and subsequently judge how others use our gifts for His glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We receive overwhelming because we give sacrificially and freely. No need to blame God, or accuse Satan, instead, look inward at our own heart and willingness to give monetarily, time and effort, forgiveness, condemnation and love!

PRAYER: Especially during this Christmas season, dear Lord, teach us to give – just like You gave in the manger at Bethlehem, from a heart of love for our fellow man. Thank You Lord for Your commands that teach us to live, love and respond like You showed us to. As we celebrate the baby in a manger, may the Jesus who hung on the cross for our eternal salvation be evident in everything about us. Shine Jesus, shine, through Your humble servants seeking to practice and carry out every lesson taught to us in Your Word, so that You may be lifted up and praised in everything we say or do. May this serve to draw mankind to You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

To Be Condemned Only By The Innocent

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-12-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 8:4-9
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5 Moses’ law says to kill her. What about it?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies. But only he who never sinned may throw the first!”
8 Then he stooped down again and wrote some more in the dust. 9 And the Jewish leaders slipped away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until only Jesus was left in front of the crowd with the woman.

APPLICATION: The Scriptures do not clarify what Jesus wrote when He stooped and wrote in the sand while the Jewish leaders ranted on, accusing the woman in this story of adultery. However, Bible scholars have made a few predictions based on their wide study of the Scriptures. Some believe that Jesus may have written the names of women that the individual Jewish leaders may have been guilty of adultery with themselves. It’s interesting how in Matthew 5:28 Jesus taught us how, if a man only looks at a woman with lust in his heart, he has committed adultery. Do you suppose that the Master wanted the Jewish leaders, and us, to fully understand the depth of His intent about this subject, when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments to write on the original stone for our edification, direction and clarification? Another thought for us to consider in regards to what Jesus may have written: in Jeremiah 17:13 it refers to men who turn away from God because of their sin. Could Jesus have possibly written in the dirt in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy? Don’t we sometimes tend to find fault with others when we need to cover up our own sin? Friends, I believe that still today, more people are turned away from God and His church, because of the hypocrisy they see among God’s people. I know, they are supposed to look at God, and not at you and I, right? Well brothers and sisters, let’s not forget that when we claim the name of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become associated with Him in such a way that we become His earthly representatives. As such, others should be able to look on us, including our words and actions, and they should be reminded of Jesus. They should be able to trust our word as ‘gospel’, for Jesus never lied, and nor should we. As for our acts of adultery, I had a pastor who once taught his congregation of men to look at a woman from the neck up to avoid sinning! Sounds funny, but how often to you see a group of men turn their heads and follow that beautiful lady that just walked by at a distance. Do you suppose that any of them sinned because of their thoughts at that time? Unfortunately, some may look at the gospel and choose to ignore the parts that really step on their toes. Let me dare you to examine the Word closely and try to find where Jesus offered exceptions to the rule to any of us. My dad didn’t want my siblings and I to do anything outside of our home that would embarrass he and mom. I believe that Jesus is not as afraid of losing face with those we mess up with while in their presence, as much as He cares about trying to keep us pure before the master. Sin is not allowed in heaven, so especially since we have a guide book, we should be careful to do what it says and stay obedient to what the Master demands of us. Yes, we will mess up occasionally because we are living in a sinful world. But always remember, we have an advocate who cares about us and loves us unconditionally. Seek His forgiveness and ask for added strength and guidance to help you avoid repeating that sin again. Jesus knows exactly what we are facing, and what we will face. His grace is all sufficient and very available to those who desire to exemplify Him. I believe that Jesus said to the Jewish Leaders, and He wants us to know, that we must seek to keep ourselves pure and fully obedient, even while living a sinful world. That’s a full-time job, without the need to try and pull someone else down! Remember dear friends, His grace is sufficient for all!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus don’t need any help in knowing what’s wrong among His children. Therefore, concentrate on keeping self pure, without the need to pull someone else down in order to promote self.

PRAYER: Lord, we rejoice in Your salvation and we celebrate our freedom in knowing You as we await our transition to heaven to be with You and the Father. While we could never thank You enough for that, we still need Your strength, guidance and direction each day so that we may remain true to Your Word. Please help us to be so mindful of You that we will never fall prey to the world’s way of pulling others down in order to promote self. You assured us that Your grace is sufficient. May we always look to You as we maneuver our way around on this earth. We may be in the world, but please strengthen us to always know that we are not of the world, but that we have a higher calling – one that leads us beyond this world into life everlasting at Your feet in heaven! May we never be a stumbling block to others that seek You, or try to grow in You. Instead, may we be a beacon, or a lighthouse that represents truth, love and peace in the name of Jesus our Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!