I was thinking about the Call Of God the other day and about how some christians when God calls them to do something, we think that it has to be something big. God may call some of us to minister the Gospel to others but before we run off to seminary school to become a pastor, God may really just want us to go next door and minister to our neighbor. God may call some of us to sing but before we start booking a world tour, God really wants us to sing the solo in church. When I was a teenager I thought God called me to do a concert at a local apartment complex near my church which never happened because it was more of me wanting to do something big for God rather than allowing God to speak through me. I also remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old and dreaming about being in a rock 'n' band, playing concerts, recording albums, and having a large fan base. When I became a christian as a teenager I was always hoping that God would put that calling on my life to be a successful christian music artist.
Later on in my walk with Christ not even thinking about my dream of being a huge christian artist I join a little small band that played at churches and small youth events around our city and surrounding towns. During one of our practice sessions there was some miscommunication between us which led to some arguments which led me to thinking about leaving the band. That night while at home I was thinking about what had happened at the practice and it was then that God opened my eyes and I realized that God gave me the opportunity to realize my dream. I was in a band, that played live on stage, even went in a recording studio to record some of our songs and we even had a fan base and I was about to throw it all away. Well I ended up staying and everything turned out. The band may not have been huge and famous and we may not have had millions of fans but God still blessed me with that dream. It may not have been the big call that I wanted but God used that small calling to not only minister to others but to me as well.
I think as christians we think if God calls us it has to be something big, but I think it is in the small things that we find our calling. I may never be called to sing on a world tour in front of thousand of fans, I may never be called to something that my selfishness sees as "it has to be big" and that's ok. Maybe my calling is small, maybe my calling is to be a simple man who shows God's love and grace through his experiences and examples, to be an honest and faithful husband to his wife and to be a good father to his children. We may dream of being or doing something great for God but if all we do are the small things in life then I think God says "Well done thy good and faithful servant.
In The Twilight Of His Coming
Dan.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Passing Judgment
Passing Judgment
Romans 14:1-12
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:
“ As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Footnotes:
1. Romans 14:6 NU-Text omits the rest of this sentence.
2. Romans 14:9 NU-Text omits and rose.
3. Romans 14:10 NU-Text reads of God.
4. Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
I want to start with verse 10 where it says "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For shall we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
As Christians why do we pass judgment on others? Do we think that because we are Christians we have all things figured out, that "God is on my side I can say whatever to whomever." Salvation does not give us the right to point our crooked sinful fingers at others to say how better we are than them. We are not the judge, God is the judge we all will one day stand before Him.
It breaks my heart to see Christians who are to be Christ-like judge and condemn others. I have no room to be passing judgment on others, because though I may be saved I'm still a sinner as we all are. Now what about trying to help or witness to those around us, Matthew 7:5 says
"Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Deal with sin in your own life first. There is a difference in passing judgment on someone and being a witness to them. For example, if I had a friend that I seen was doing something wrong and thought maybe I should talk to them, first thing I would need to do is "remove the plank from my own eye". Next rather than point my finger at my friend and judge, I should come to him or her with love and grace and be a friend and share my thoughts on what is going on. Remember we are not the judge that title belongs to God Almighty we have no reason to be judging others because it will come back to us. Matthew 7:1-2 says
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
In the twilight of His coming
Dan
Romans 14:1-12
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:
“ As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Footnotes:
1. Romans 14:6 NU-Text omits the rest of this sentence.
2. Romans 14:9 NU-Text omits and rose.
3. Romans 14:10 NU-Text reads of God.
4. Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
I want to start with verse 10 where it says "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For shall we all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
As Christians why do we pass judgment on others? Do we think that because we are Christians we have all things figured out, that "God is on my side I can say whatever to whomever." Salvation does not give us the right to point our crooked sinful fingers at others to say how better we are than them. We are not the judge, God is the judge we all will one day stand before Him.
It breaks my heart to see Christians who are to be Christ-like judge and condemn others. I have no room to be passing judgment on others, because though I may be saved I'm still a sinner as we all are. Now what about trying to help or witness to those around us, Matthew 7:5 says
"Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Deal with sin in your own life first. There is a difference in passing judgment on someone and being a witness to them. For example, if I had a friend that I seen was doing something wrong and thought maybe I should talk to them, first thing I would need to do is "remove the plank from my own eye". Next rather than point my finger at my friend and judge, I should come to him or her with love and grace and be a friend and share my thoughts on what is going on. Remember we are not the judge that title belongs to God Almighty we have no reason to be judging others because it will come back to us. Matthew 7:1-2 says
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
In the twilight of His coming
Dan
Not For The Faint Of Heart
Hello all. On This blog I will share my thoughts and opinions on different topics of the Bible, and of world news events. These thoughts may not run with the popular belief, these thoughts may step on some toes and these thoughts will hopefully get you to thinking and check things out for yourself rather than take someone's word for it. Feel free to share your comments on these thoughts that will be posted here, I'd love to hear your feed back and thoughts.
In the twilight of His Coming
Dan.
In the twilight of His Coming
Dan.
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