Tag: judgement

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When nothing seems to go right.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalms‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As we read the Psalms, they are often used for comfort, encouragement or even sung as expressive praise to God. Each one of these Psalms were written by individuals for specific circumstances that they were going through at the time.

David writes this Psalm as he is running from his own son, Absalom. David and his men happen to run into a village that was “pro Saul.” The backstory of this Psalm is called “the reproaches of Shimei.” Who is Shimei? ‭‭

2 Samuel‬ ‭16‬ captures the drama. “As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!””

Abishai offers to cut off the heckler’s head, but David turns and corrects his own general, ““No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”” These verses in Samuel capture David’s humility, but the Psalm captures his true feelings of being hunted by wicked men, both Saul and Absalom. Of course Saul was dead, but David was not the one who took his life. Neither would he take his own son’s life.

Samuel captures the situation, but Psalms captures the turmoil of being constantly pursued by evil. Have you ever felt like David? You’re trying to do everything right and it seems like nothing works. And worse, you are being attacked or harassed by people or circumstances that just continue to hurl rocks and curses at you! David’s behaviors are a good example of what to do in this case! Be humble. Don’t retaliate. Pour out your heart to God and let him deal with evil plans and people. Let God judge correctly and be your justice. And, thank God for He is just! Oh, by the way, Shimei continued to chase David and his men all the way out of town – “So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.”

Prayer

Dad,
It’s wild when we try to do right, live right, and things just keep going wrong! It seems incredibly unfair. It makes it so much harder to do what is right while people critique and criticize every decision, every action. Apparently doing right does not mean we are given a public parade filled with poseys! Evil people be evil. Ol’ Shimei had been cheering for a wicked King and didn’t even know it. And he was hurling rocks and insults at the guy you chose to be on Israel’s throne! What a mixed up world when right and wrong are entwined with people’s opinions. I trust that truth and justice are best applied by your hand!

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May your cause be true.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The voices of those who have seen, known, maybe experienced the bait, the traps, the allurement of this great prostitute are now shouting the praises of God for His judgements. Who, or what is this great prostitute? Interesting that the word, porné, for prostitute, is also the word used for an idolatrous community. That’s the true nature of porné, a person or thing that pulls us away from God. When we leave the covenant with God to turn to an idol. We find try to find fulfillment in ANOTHER. John says this porné, is the corrupter, the moral deterioration – i.e. decomposition (break-down), due to the corrupting influence of sin.

The cheer rising from the crowd is the great relief, the rejoicing of pure accountability for the one who lies, steals and kills the lives of those he has lured away. The shout is for justice and judgment to be served!

This generation aches for justice. This generation wants judgment so badly that it looks for any opportunity to rise, riot and celebrate what it deems to be worthy of violence to achieve justice. The passion is real, their hearts desire for wrongs to be made right. The difference between the many false causes that manufacture and manipulate the crowd and this gathering in heaven is God Himself.

God is the only one whose judgements are true and just. Crowds have always found their voice in violence throughout history. And crowds are easily swayed by salacious lies that appear to be based in truth, their truth, group-think, mob truth. In my mind, I can still hear the crowd screaming, begging for the death of an innocent man. The hate-filled rage that drove the lie that would lead to the torture, beating and horrendous death on a cross for Jesus. The crowd screamed, “crucify him,” and took a paradoxical pledge to prove their commitment, “may his blood be on us and our children!” Their just cause seemed real, seemed true, but it was all based on subterfuge and lies. It was but a plot from this same great prostitute to poison the truth and an attempt to silence the judge and justice over all humanity.

No wonder the crowd in heaven shouted and cheered, giving God glory. There will be no force great enough to silence these final moments of God’s judgment. It will be final and it will forever end the deceiver’s reign of terror. This will happen. The book of revelation is the book of truth of humanity’s future and the end of the war against our souls.

Prayer

Dad,
The greatest relief in knowing that you are in control and will judge rightly and rightfully are found in this book of endings. I know and I have settled the issues, questions and doubts of my youth. My course is set and I believe! You are always just, right and true. Your Word is truth, it is the light that illuminates my path. Your cause is the redemption of humans. Anything or anyone that detracts from that is of the lie, of the deceiver. I will join with that crowd that cheers for Your judgment. For all things to be laid out bare before you. Nothing hidden, nothing silenced or spun for further discussion. Even when my life, along with every life will be fully exposed and disclosed, we will all rejoice for the war to be over. Praise to You for your salvation, glory and power!

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Slavery and infanticide as a population control plan?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

History can be most creepy when one sees it repeat! Ancient kingdoms, ancient leaders and people circle and recycle over time; but what has really changed? Technology? Modern adaptation and advancement? Sure. The human heart… not so much. We believe ourselves to be so advanced, so much more humane and good. Ah, but “the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9. God knows it. And, if we’re honest we know it!

This new Pharaoh in Egypt simply saw a problem brewing on the horizon. And, not knowing that God had a plan for the Israelites, he assumed their multiplication had evil intent. Have you ever known a leader or social group who saw population growth in a specific ethnicity as a threat? Yeah – many times over, right? God was building a people group for a purpose, but it wasn’t to take over Egypt or to conquer the pharaoh, it was a long story of redemption itself.

This Egyptian leader, like many other leaders, took this population explosion as a threat to his own plans. Pharaoh’s plan to control was diabolical and pure evil. His answer, enslavement and infanticide. Make the Jews slaves through force and murder all the males to try to stop Jewish people from reproducing. You may remember these two deplorable actions have been repeated multiple times through our human history. And, in modern times, some still blatantly use this methodology.

Of course, with America’s sophistication, education and wealth, we don’t come right out and enslave other ethnic groups, right? And, course, we wouldn’t stand for murdering infants just because they may stand in the way of OUR plans? No, never! Oh Pharaoh, what lessons have we learned from your grand social experiment? How did it go? Did it work out like you planned? Pharaoh was wrong. And every world leader, every political, social leader has been wrong in thinking that they could just enslave and murder other human beings to keep them from “taking over!”

Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Pharaoh – you did get exactly what you didn’t want. A war. A war, not fought from the mistreated slaves in your care. No, a war from God himself. You invited the judgment and justice of God! Your selfish, hubris power became your own downfall. God came against Pharaoh and God caused Pharaoh to give the Israelites all the treasures they could carry, as they escaped from the county they helped build and helped prosper! We should heed history’s warning. Our own country, our own leaders, should be aware that God’s judgment and justice is not something to mocked nor to foster some social experiment. Power and wealth has blinded our social sense of right and wrong. It has twisted justice to suit the advantaged, not the poor, not the widow or orphan. It’s a grand lie, not new but always fashionable. A new king came to power in Egypt and God used him to bring about the exodus of His people and the architecture of what freedom costs, the death of the firstborn son. We will discover exactly what Pharaoh discovered, his coming to power and nefarious plans are all subject to God’s will. My prayer is that those who have believed the lie, that big lie of doing whatever we want, whenever we want to do it is not new, but very, very old and dark. Living that lie has horrible consequences, both in our lives and the lives of our children. But God will also have the last word! He will supernaturally pour out His Spirit and truth that will opens the eyes of the blind, depressed and enslaved. God’s mercy will flow in abundance in the last days, and many will turn and be rescued.

Prayer

Dad,
Help us. Have mercy on our souls. Forgive us of selfish pursuits that wreck personal and communal havoc on ourselves. Bring down the modern-day pharaohs that desire to steal your glory and desire to become gods. Protect the innocent. Bring justice to the poor and weak who have no time nor money to rescue themselves. We ache for truth and life to be known. Amen.

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What can people do to me?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Psalm 118 opens with David’s bold declaration of trust – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” He had decided to center on who God is and what God wanted to accomplish, not the whirlwind of threats, intentions and plans of his enemies.

After the prophet Nathan had blown up David’s life, confronting him for his triple atrocities – rape, murder and coverup. God then deconstructed his faith, judging him and stripping him of the promises God had made to him when he was a younger man. These Psalms are the rebuilding and reconstruction of a whole new life. Yet, even with this fresh start there were consequences that followed David until the end of his life.

Along with this declaration, came the familiar sense of how powerful God’s will is and how weak are the constant veiled threats of people. Why do we listen to people compared to listening to God? It’s a common, flawed theme, in our lives! David writes out his process that is worth emulating. “In my distress I prayed to the Lord.” Again, how many times do I need to be reminded to go to God FIRST? We hear it, we are quick to encourage others to do it. But why do we wallow and wander in our hearts and ruminate in our minds when it looks like bad things may be heading our way?

David’s answer came quickly, “the Lord answered and set me free.” Wait? Did the threats stop? Did his enemies stop mocking? Did his own family situation just suddenly resolve? No, no and no. Circumstances did not change. David’s perspective, conviction and confidence changed! “The Lord is with me, so I will have no fear.” Then David scripts one of the most powerful narratives in the Bible, “what can man do to me?” NIV translates it, “what can mere mortals do to me?” The Hebrew text says, “What can adam (mankind) do?” Yahweh (Yhvh) is on my side! It is better to take refuge in and trust in Yahweh than people or princes.

David in his very natural, normal process of being confronted by his own sin and failures as a man, a husband and a global leader, decided to receive both consequences AND forgiveness. He begins the slow progress of reconstructing his faith and his life. This is extremely hard to do, right? If you don’t think so then maybe you have not blown your life up and watched the shattered pieces of friends and families have to rebuild their trust in you. David didn’t stay down, he didn’t continue to roll around in the gutter of his past. When God offered a hand to pull him out of the pit of despair, discouragement and depression, David took that hand and let God lift him. No, God didn’t not let him off easy for his sins. David paid dearly through massive loss of his sons and family integrity. Yet, God gave him a chance, a do-over. Psalm 118 is a great model of active repentance and rebuilding a life with God.

Prayer

Dad,
Whew. What a rough read. To go from a happy, singing shepherd boy to giant killer to a global leader. Then, with all that power, wealth and opportunity, to see David cave to his long-battled, selfish lust and desires is so gut-wrenching. He knew better, he should have behaved better, but he didn’t and I’m not beyond making those stupid, selfish mistakes myself. Yet, in your mercy and massive long-suffering, you gave him another chance to get it right. Even then, David had to go through the consequences and climb out of his own darkness and depression to let you forgive and help rebuild his life. Thank your for your mercy and patience over me. I never want to take it for granted.

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Liberty and justice for all.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Isaiah describes the future Messiah who comes to liberate and bring justice to the nations, to ALL who have been wronged. And this revolutionary will do so not by war cries or violently crushing those who are weak and unable to rise up to fight or follow. The conqueror and promised savior will come to restore bruised reeds, to fan the flickering flames of oil light that are struggling to remain lit. The coming messiah sounds more like a red cross volunteer than he does a tank commander.

It is with this drive to both bring true justice for all and this extremely delicate care of mercy that allows him to continue to move through the war torn battlefields of humanity never leaving the wounded, disenfranchised or hopeless behind.

The Messiah will accomplish the mission of saving all who wish to be saved. The NIV translation gives us the tiny little Hebrew word for coastlands or island (אִי ) and tell us in that in his teachings, instructions or law that “even the Coastlands will put their hope.” Isaiah saw the prophetic picture not only of the future results of the Messiah’s justice, but somehow he saw how that tender message of hope would reach the furthest points on our globe. Places like Cuba, Fiji, Ireland, Jamaica, Philippines, Japan or Hawaii. There are some who believe that includes all cities on the coast of their countries. This would mean states like New York, California, Florida and Washington!

Isaiah foresaw the Messiah finishing his work of justice until it is set up or established throughout the earth! Christ’s death was payment for the price of freedom, and it was His resurrection that guaranteed that He and He alone had the power to bring about justice for all. Here’s the hard part, there is no true justice without sound and thorough judgment. No qualified judge let’s wrongdoers escape accountability. There is no justice for those who will not submit to God’s judgment. And since the judgment of God, His wrath towards eradicating sin, is accomplished through Jesus, His only and perfect son. The only way to justice is through Jesus himself. It just so happens that the only real liberty and justice for all is not in a pledge of allegiance to a country’s flag, it’s in Christ and Christ alone.

Prayer

Dad,
I feel the ache of those who seek justice through so many causes, campaigns, slogans and celebrities. They will never find true justice in any of them. Not only do I believe Jesus to be the one and only promised Messiah, I believe Him to be the only one capable of bringing real judgement and justice, real liberty and freedom for all. I have experienced that freedom in my own life. And, I have grown to only trust you more, not less. I have decided to pursue your way and not my own. I just want all those who ache for justice to see the day it is fulfilled in you, through Jesus. Pour out your Spirit once again. Breath on us once again. Let the people of the coastlands put their hope in you!

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God’s wrath. He’s still got it.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes? From heaven you sentenced your enemies; the earth trembled and stood silent before you. You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God, and to rescue the oppressed of the earth. Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.” Psalms‬ ‭76:7-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Psalmist has a good reminder that God is still God. Just thinking about God having emotions or feels is an odd, mind-bending exercise. Of course, since we were created in His image, we know we got ALL of our emotions from Him. Love, ✅. Hate ✅. Anger, jealousy, ✅. Fear? Not than I’m aware of. We fear God but God does not fear us or anything at all. But wrath, absolutely.

The absolute difference between us and our creator is this – God’s emotions are perfect! There is no error nor evil in God’s emotions. Some have said that the emotions in the Bible are not from God or about God, only a reflection and a way for us to understand Him. I don’t believe that’s true.

In all the emotions known to us – God is perfect in having them and using them in His plans and purpose for all creation.

What do you think about this line the Psalmist throws out? Human defiance only enhances God’s glory. Wow. Different translations take a shot at helping us understand what this phrase means. ESV says, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.” NIV says, “Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.” Clear as mud, right?

Commentators try to help. One opens with “The text of this verse as it stands is unintelligible.” No kidding. One, trying to bring clarity says, “For the end will show that the enemy was able to bring nothing to pass: also you will bridle their rage that they will not accomplish their purpose.” Another, “All rebellion against God’s will must in the end redound [contribute] to God’s glory: it serves to set His sovereignty in a clearer light.”

This is clear. Human’s free will to be naughty and to do real and permanent damage to each other does not, CANNOT diminish God’s purpose, plan, will or desires! Evil deeds, done by evil humans, feel as though they “got away with something wicked.” They have not.

We un-approvingly and impatiently want immediate justice and judgment for others, but most certainly delayed for ourselves. God is not unaware nor distant to these thoughts of ours. God is at work always, bringing about redemption and restoration out of His love for us. Any perceived delay is His long suffering in action, waiting for us to come to repentance! Fortunately for everyone, humans DO NOT get a pass on their behaviors.

Prayer

DAD,
I can’t say that I fully understand these concepts. They are above my play-grade. I do understand, sort of, your perfection in all things, even emotions. And the end of all this, there is still a perfect and still trust to the one who rescued me and gave me a life worth giving. I can easily suspend understanding until I get the full scoop later in eternity.

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Check the expiration date.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land. They threw dice to decide which of my people would be their slaves. They traded boys to obtain prostitutes and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk.” Joel‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We have all sorts of foods, mostly spices, that made two or three “house moves” with us. My son in law pointed out that we have a lot of expired foods still stored in our kitchen. One, I had no idea spices even had an expiration date. Two, I though sealed cans and dry goods were, ya know, eternal. Everything here on earth has “best by” date on it.

Joel is the book of “final days,” when justice and judgment are fully realized on the earth. The people that have not only done their own thing and had their own way, but have done so in horrible, ways have an expiration date. Humans that ultimately pursue the darkest, dirtiest deeds to bring them pleasure through power over others, will come to an end.

It is a fact, humanity is not getting better, we just cycle in and out of horrendously selfish behavior. We are getting worse. In ancient times they had whole industries for abusing children for their own pleasures. Today we have local and global gangs and underground businesses that traffic children – human trafficking is more lucrative than drugs. It’s more sophisticated today, but runs as a constant sub-current of our society.

What would happen if all the vices of human pleasure were to suddenly be shut down? These are things we call “freedoms,” and personal rights. My body, my money, my right, my autonomy… my my my. Each one has alluring, even innocent edges. “It’s just gaming,” not gambling. It’s “recreational,” not additive, nor destructive to family, especially children. “It’s occasional,” infrequent, I can’t quit anytime I want. The worst lie we tell ourselves, “I’m not hurting anyone.”

Joel is speaking for God when he writes, “my people.” God is possessive, He is jealous over us. Many think that just goes for Israel, “God’s people.” It goes far beyond that. It extends to us, all of humanity. We were created in perfection, no vices, no sin, shame or regrets.

It was our choices to not trust God, thinking He was holding out on us, keeping us from truly knowing evil. What’s God hiding from us?, we thought. Obviously it’s something really good and God is just being mean and controlling by keeping it from us. Yeah, we STILL believe that lie, don’t we? We all have this little voice inside our head and it’s not just an American thought, “I want everything I’m due… all of it!” Joel affirms, “you can have it, but it will not end well.” Getting “all of it,” experiencing all of it, having, managing and keeping all of it – will never end well. Check the expiration date.

Prayer

Dad,
How can I ever give up this pursuit of evil and just go all in on pursuing good? The pursuit of evil, no matter how tasty it looks, always results in a bitter outcome. Cursed are these cycles we endure as humans. Maybe I ache for justice to finally and forever get that curse off my own back? I see the evils of our kind and have experienced the destruction it has caused in my life and so many others. I yearn for that final day when this world closes out and the new one is born.

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What does God want?

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Consider all this, and call for the mourners. Send for the women who mourn at funerals. Quick! Begin your weeping! Let the tears flow from your eyes. Hear the people of Jerusalem crying in despair, ‘We are ruined! We are completely humiliated! We must leave our land, because our homes have been torn down.’” Jeremiah‬ ‭9:17-19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​Learning from discipline.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a child being properly disciplined, but it is quite a difficult scene to endure. I’m not talking about abuse or harsh corporal punishment from parent to child. I’m just talking about the extraordinary patience as a toddler melts down in public! Of course the child is crying, but often I’ve seen the child’s mother break down in exhaustive tears in complete frustration. There is wailing for sure.

As I read through the God-spokesperson’s words, His prophets, warning, imploring God’s own people to stop their temper-tantrum, destructive behavior. I understand why God would…. discipline them – severely! God does so as the most loving, merciful acts ever. Israel (and ALL of humanity) just won’t listen and stubbornly, even defiantly CHOOSE to go their own way, choose their own path. Even if it’s right off the cliff to their own death and destruction. They don’t, we don’t care – we want what we want when we want it and we won’t let anyone tell us any different!

What’s God to do with that total toddler behavior showing up constantly in grownup adults? Back then, God said, enough is enough! He has plans and God will have His way and nothing, NOTHING is going to stop Him from getting what He wants.

What does God want? YOU. He wants you back. He wants what is best for you, for me. He wants everything and everyone to be made right, whole, at peace, and back in the family. What if humans don’t want that? Well there’s the rub, right? There’s the struggle, the WAR, the problem. What if humans WANT to go their own way? Sure, God will eventually let them, but not without a fight.

What does it take to get it through our thick skulls – there is NOTHING else out there but chaos, death and destruction! And that world, that existence has its own ruler with his own ways of doing a life without God – that’s Satan’s realm and his plan to take as many as possible away from God and drag them to the eternal pits of despair!

For those humans who “live” it up here and just hope for annihilation, a eternal state of nothingness, it’s a lie.

For those promised some kind of union with “all” things and experience karma (with is nothingness) being “one” with all matter, it’s a lie.

For those who think they get to do life here, then come back, reincarnated to try again, hopefully as a higher life-being, it’s also a lie.

ALL those paths are shams leading to the same place, death and destruction away from God for all eternity. When God comes across harsh in His discipline methods, like stripping Israel of everything they knew and everything they owned – He does so out love! Because the alternative is eternally worse. So when you see people angry at God, or bitter because they believe God isn’t fair (which He is definitely not fair, but He is just), or they struggle and fight to run into the street like a wild, willful toddler – yeah, you’ll see some serious tears and tantrums going on.

Prayer

Dad,
Even though I completely acknowledge my sins, I have no intention of trying to get away from you to do “my own thing.” My life was a wreck before you got ahold of me. I remember your discipline in my youth. I remember how stubborn and feisty I was towards the things of God and how hard it was for me to just be obedient. Honestly, from my chaotic past, a lot of what you were teaching me did not make sense. If felt extremely counterintuitive from everything I had learned on my own. If it were not for your grace and persistent patience, I would not have made it this far. So, thank you for your steadfast hand of love.

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Greasy gossip and sleazy theology.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.” Luke‬ ‭13:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus is told that Pilate had some Galileans murdered and mixed their blood with the blood of sacrifices to the Roman gods. Jesus’ response is pretty blunt. Word spread quickly about these rebellious Galileans who had been feuding with Pilate for years. Galileans taught that Jews should not pay tribute (taxes) to the Romans because it was a form of idolatry, giving money to Cesar.

However, the real gossip kicked in when people started talking about God’s judgment and the fact that the Galileans may have deserved death because of their wickedness. Jesus clarifies what God thinks about punishment of sinners.

Don’t confuse suffering with judgment!

Galileans are murdered, a tower falls on 18 people and you think God did that, or God “allowed it”? Read Jesus lips, “quit making stuff up and misrepresenting God!!!” Don’t you just hate it when people speak for God and they’re wrong about it?

Jesus has an edge in his tone when he talks about folks blabbing on about their theories and leading others astray when it comes to knowing God. So, maybe that’s why he says this stern rebuke: When you see these things happen (horrible suffering) maybe you should check yourself instead of falsely gossiping about God’s intent.

This is an often ignored truth – EVERYONE dies! But for those who will not turn (metanoeó: to change one’s mind or purpose – to “think different.”) there is a very real, very permanent ending for them. These stubbornly, self focused, my-truth thinkers have a very sad reality waiting. Jesus says, these “unchanged minded” will face a kind of obliteration (apollumi: to destroy, destroy utterly). God is always concerned about my heart, my attitude, my eternal destination. It does little good to try to back-seat drive someone else’s life and be all smug about it.

Prayer

Dad,
I never ever want to misrepresent you or purposely shoot off my mouth, presupposing I know how to run the world better or that I can clearly go around judging people’s final destination of judgment. I can barely figure out my own heart let alone peer, like a spiritual stalker, into someone else’s heart and call out their motives. What a sick, twisted thing to see a person or family go through a horrible tragedy and make some snide remark about how they may have deserved it! What part of that sounds godly? Yuk! Help me to stay clear of that and especially help me not misrepresent you to an unbelieving friend.