Why Judgement?

 

“I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.”  -Exodus 34:7

All throughout the Old Testament it seems like the Israelites are getting judged.  They are good for a while, then they get a bad king, and he leads them into idol worship.  Then God sends a prophet to judge and save the nation and they get cleaned up again and worship God.  Then they get a bad king and they start all over.  It’s like being on a roller coaster ride!

I used to think that God was angry and judgmental.  I couldn’t relate to Him because I thought He was sitting on His throne, furrow-browed and uncaring, judging the world of their sin.  I certainly didn’t measure up.  Finally, I had a REVELATION of Him and His love...

But recently, I had a revelation of judgement.  It may sound strange, but I finally understood why God judged people back in the Old Testament. 

God was angry with the people when they worshipped idols.  Why?  Why couldn’t the people just do what they wanted?  When idol worship was happening, sin was rampant.  There was MUCH more crime, abuse, corruption, greed, sexual promiscuity, orgies, and all sorts of craziness happening when a bad king who worshipped idols was in power.  (Habakkuk 2:15) Because God created people, He knew that the best thing for us was to place Him on the throne of our lives, worshipping and loving Him.  His heart broke when the people didn’t do what He said, not because of the mere fact that they disobeyed Him, but because of everything it entailed.  Most of all, it was because they were separated from Him and His love.

God could not let sin go un-judged, because that would mean the injustice the people did to one another meant nothing. Because God is a God of love and justice, He cares when we get hurt. So, He has to step in and set boundaries so we won’t continue to get hurt, continue to hurt ourselves, or continue to hurt others. Most of all, He needed them to know that He was their God, and by following and serving Him, they would experience long life, blessing, and God’s presence and love with them. God's judgement was because of His love.

Now, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are living in a season of grace.  But, we can choose whether or not we want to live within God’s protection, experience His healing, and live in eternity with Him.  Will you decide to live under His protection, so that His blessings can forever follow you?  (Ps 23:6)

POWs

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” -Isaiah 61:1

We have many prisoners of war in the body of Christ today. People are plagued by deception, unforgivness, bitterness, and small thinking.  They feel unable to step into a better future, the “spacious place” the Psalmist talks about in Psalm 18:19.  “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”

There is no doubt that there is a war going on - between the forces of the kingdom of darkness and God’s kingdom.  This battle is for souls, for relationships, and for destinies.  The enemy of our soul has no greater purpose than to see you and I destroyed, never able to be the people God intended us to be.

The enemy wants us, first and foremost to believe the lie that God doesn’t love us, that He isn’t good, and He doesn’t have our best in mind.  He wants us next to be isolated, so we are unable to believe the truth.  And, he wants us to continue believing lies about ourselves and about others so that God’s purposes cannot be revealed in our lives, and we cannot in turn set others free.

There once was a Hollywood executive who produced a well-known movie that my dad and his friend went to visit.  My dad’s friend had a word of knowledge about this executive that he was struggling with committing suicide.  The man became visibly shaken. It was true!  How could this successful executive be struggling with suicide? He was a Prisoner of War - in his mind. 

Is there any area of your life where you’ve been believing a lie about yourself, about others, or about God’s good nature?  Pray today and confess that lie to Him.  He never wants us to feel alone in our journeys - talk to or pray with someone you trust that can help you believe the truth.  It may be that you are the key to unlock the truth in someone else's heart.  God’s desire (and complete plan) is that we are victorious!

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves” -Colossians 1:13

My Only Hope

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18-19

When I was younger, I was really seeking God. I was hungry, and my heart was craving a true experience with a living God. I had grown up in a stuffy church that seemed rather phony to me, and I was looking for something real, something authentic. I would pray to God as a teenager, but I had a really hard time hearing Him or feeling His presence in my life. This led me to check out New Age as a way to extend my faith.

Well, it was cool for a while. They did Reiki and meditation and other things that I thought was drawing me closer to God. It was real, for sure. But at one point at one of the meetings, I felt a dark heaviness come over me. I knew it wasn't what God wanted. I cried out to Jesus to help me, and the darkness went away. I determined not to go back there again.

Several months later, I attended a church where the Holy Spirit was active. I really enjoyed that church, and although I had a lot of "church hurt" to get over I really grew and matured there. I had finally found the authentic faith and relationship with God I was looking for that was real. I really felt God's presence in my life and I could feel it in others. This was the truth.

Today we're called closed-minded if we say Jesus is the only way to heaven. But if I gave someone directions to my house and they got lost because they didn't follow them, what can I do? God sent His son Jesus to die on our behalf, and Jesus is alive for our lives today. The Holy Spirit is active on the earth helping us with anything we may need. He is called the helper. (John 14:26)

Sometimes if all we've experienced is superficial religion we can write Christianity off as counterfeit. But we have to get in a place where the truth of God can be ministered to us.

Do you experience God's presence on a daily basis? Have you felt His activity in your life? Have things happened to you that you know could only be God? If you haven't yet, seek Him out. God says we will find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts. (Jer 29:13) I know that was true for me.

A New Heart

"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations." Ezekiel 36:24-28

You know, when we begin to think about the New Year, there is a lot of talk about New Year’s Resolutions.  In 2007, Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol did a survey of 3000 people to see how many actually fulfilled their New Year’s resolutions.  According to his findings, a staggering 88% of people do not fulfill their New Year’s resolutions.  What does that say about us?  I think it says that only 12% of us keep our promises to ourselves!

Right before the time of Jesus, Israel had been stuck in a cycle of idol worship. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied that the people of Israel would become brand new: “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.”  Ezekiel prophesied the transforming power that Jesus would have in their lives.

Today, this hasn’t changed.  Jesus is changing lives & hearts all over the world, in every nation, in every kind of community!

Have you ever wanted a new heart, or a fresh start? If you want an authentic change in your life, and a new heart, why not ask Him to give you that today, even if you’ve already asked Him into your heart.  God is in the business of giving away new beginnings, because of His son Jesus who died, so that we might be live completely free and unfettered by our past.