Judgments vs. Judgmental

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven - Luke 6:37

I must tell you all that I enjoy Os Guinness and this is one of the reasons. He brings the Bible alive through the practical applications of it. I believe that is a better concept of theology than simply, "the fact." The story below is a good example and it had me thinking this morning. Have you ever made a judgment about a person or situation only to discover how wrong you were in your assessment? Such was the case in a story told by Os in his book, The Call.


"Arthur F. Burns, the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve System and ambassador to West Germany, was a man of considerable gravity. Medium in height, distinguished, with wavy silver hair and his signature pipe, he was economic counselor to a number of presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. When he spoke, his opinions carried weight and Washington listened.

Arthur Burns was also Jewish, so when he began attending an informational White House group for prayer and fellowship in the 1970s, he was accorded special respect. In fact, no one knew quite how to involve him in the group and, week after week when different people took turns to end the meeting in prayer, Burns was passed by-out of a mixture of respect and reticence.

One week, however, the group was led by a newcomer who did not know of Burns' status. As the meeting ended, the newcomer turned to Arthur Burns and asked him to close the time with a prayer. Some of the old-timers glanced at each other in surprise and wondered what would happen. But without missing a beat, Burns reached out, held hands with others in the circle, and prayed this prayer: 'Lord, I pray that you would bring Jews to know Jesus Christ. I pray that you would bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ. Finally, Lord, I pray that you would bring Christians to know Jesus Christ. Amen.'

Burn's prayer has become legendary in Washington. Not only did he startle those present with refreshing directness, but he also underscored a point about 'Christians' and 'Christianity' that needs repeating regularly. It highlights another important aspect of the truth of our personal understanding of the idea of purpose: Purpose reminds Christians ceaselessly that, far from having arrived, a Christian is someone who in this life is always on the road as 'a follower of Christ' and a follower of 'the Way.'"*

We often worry about whether we are acting as fruit inspectors (You will know people by the fruit they bear in their lives) or if we are simply judging them out of a religious or worse, self-pious unloving, ungracious spirit. Perhaps from this, and before you and I judge a person or situation, maybe we should consider that our judgment might not be an accurate assessment of the situation and certainly might miss the greater blessing that is associated with a person.

I remain...
InHISgrip
~J~

The Attack On Your Purpose!

When the Philistines heard that David had been crowned king of Israel, they tried to capture him; but David was told that they were coming and went into the stronghold. The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. Then David asked the Lord, 'Shall I go out and fight against them? Will you defeat them for me?" - 2 Sam 5:17-19

The Bible readers and quoter's amongst us all remember, "The steps of a righteous man are ordered (enumerated, designed, etc.) by the Lord." - Psalm 37:24. Though we know that and though we know nothing can overcome God's purposes, at least intellectually we know that, it just seems that there is always opposition from God's enemies designed to prevent you from fulfilling our destiny and our purposes.

When Jesus was born, Herod tried to kill him. When Jesus was baptized and fasted 40 days, Satan came to tempt Him in an effort to derail his destiny. When David had been anointed king over Israel, God's destiny had been revealed for all to see-even Satan. So, Satan raised up the Philistines to try and kill David's destiny. Joseph had his brothers and a lying woman who tried to derail the ultimate purposes God had for his life.

But, and in going back to my example of David and our text today and, David, in response, we see that David does two things.

1. He retreats to his stronghold. It is a place of protection. It is a quiet place. It is his hiding place and sanctuary.

2. He inquires of God. The time of planning and thinking and scheming and creating devising stops. He goes before God and seeks his heavenly Father's Strategy for this life-threatening situation. He has gathered enough wisdom for his life that he wants to know what God's strategy to defeat his enemy should be. Of course for having sought the Lord we find that Father God reveals it to David precisely what he needs to know and he goes on to defeat the Philistines. In fact, David NEVER lost a battle because he learned to inquire of God for the strategy to defeat his enemies.

I always found Proverbs 16:9 an interesting verse. Speaking of the righteous, the writer says, A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His path.

Today, as with every day, you have purpose. You are to acknowledge (Proverbs 3:6) and glorify the Lord your God and heavenly Dad (Psalm 34:3).
Perhaps for His love and grace and greater glory your God has shown you the depths of His intended destiny for your life as well. It doesn't matter. You have purpose, power and a passion today. Use it! But beware of Satan's strategy to attack you in as he, in a very focused way, attempts to attack God's leading in your life. The enemies of God desire to take you off this divine path.

We must follow David's example in response to these enemies of our souls. We must retreat to our stronghold, seek the Lord, and listen for His answer. Then, we will fulfill the purpose for which God created us...both today and into our earthly future. I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

How To Knock Someone Down With A Feather-Ask to Pray for Them!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. - Philippians 4:6

So I sauntered into my favorite coffee house this last week to the delicious (er...not so much) sounds of a wheezing barrista. The young lady behind the counter appeared to be gasping for breath and nearly as white as a sheet!

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Allergies," she she gasped. "When the weather changes in the fall it gets so bad I can hardly breathe."

"Can I pray for you?" I asked.

She looked up at me with eyes as big as saucers! "Oh, I don't want to take up God's time with something as silly as my hassles. I should have just taken a Benadryl this morning. But thank you for asking." she replied. The woman was touched that I would offer to pray for her and, as a side note, I did anyway, silently, at my table with my Mango Green Tea.

The next time I was in I told her my prayer group was praying for her. She could not believe that I would do such a thing for her. Tears well in her eyes.

It is interesting what happens when you offer to pray for someone isn't it? It can be the most genuine and loving thing you can do for another. It can be the one means of getting a conversation on a spiritual plane that cuts across religious stigmas and gets to the root of the problem-the person's real need. The act of the offer immediately reveals your own values and sets the stage for future encounters. All it takes is a little Holy Spirit led boldness to step through the door when the opportunity seems to present itself. Besides it is a recognition to ourselves that we realize how much has been done for us.

Is there anything too small to pray about? Do we, in fact, bother God when we make any request that is not dealing with only the poor in Calcutta? Paul clearly tells us in this passage that prayer is talking with God. It is having such a relationship with Him that we can bring anything to His attention.

We've all heard the housewife's prayer for a parking spot or other such seemingly trivial prayer requests, but are they trivial to God? If God is our closest and most intimate friend, then it becomes very natural to talk to Him as you would a friend who might be sitting next to you in the car. Yes, God desires to have such close communion with you and me that we can pray about anything-even a parking spot.

As you enter the your day today, ask a friend, a child, a son, daughter or co-worker if you can pray for them about something. You may be surprised at what doors will open as a result...some lead into eternity with Christ!

I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~