Go Ye – A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

 

In the spirit of the spiritual song that was posted last night, here is a poem on reaching the world for Jesus Christ.

Go Ye

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Hear your commission, O Church of the Master!
Friends and disciples of Jesus, take heed.
How are you doing the work of the Father?
How are you caring for hunger and need?

Useless to stay in your doorway, and beckon --
Those who most need will never come in;
Fighting the devil with art and with culture,
How he must laugh at his stronghold of sin!

Continue Reading.

Evening Song – A World We Never Touch

Mark 1:41  And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him…

Sew Happy Friday – The Big Star Quilt with Jenny Doan

 

Here’s another great tutorial from Jenny at the Missouri Star Quilt Co.  This pattern would go together quickly because the blocks are so large.  You don’t have to put the stars together just the way she does here.  You could leave out the sashing.  (Just remember it will be a smaller quilt if you leave it out.)  You could sew the stars together without snowballing the corners.  You could even just make one star and make it into a table topper or a wall hanging.  :-)

Australian Memories – Bamboo

 

Getting back to photos from our trip to Australia two years ago.  We took hundreds – and no, I’m not going to publish them all, but we saw some amazing things. :-)  The Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt. Coot-tha again.

I included this last picture to give an idea of how tall some of the bamboo is; notice my dad and husband on the path.  That may be the giant bamboo on the right; I can’t remember any more.

An Update On the Monthly Challenges

 

After the rather serious post on Sunday, I decided to do something lighter for today, or at least different.  So, here’s an update on some of the things I’ve done in the monthly challenges.

In May the project I finished was to send some promised packages to two friends.  As it turned out, one lady’s elderly mother-in-law was in the hospital with serious problems.  I don’t know if she passed on, but it was a stressful time for my friend.  So, I kind of managed to do both the challenges, sort of.  I’m calling done. :-)

In June I watched the sunset while sitting on the foot of the bed in our new guest room on the last day of the month.  Well, I watched most of it.  My husband came home before it was completely over. :-)  Later that same night we went out and looked at the moon and planets (photo above) which were in an unusual position.

In July I took one day or partial day “off”, but instead of doing something I didn’t have time for I think I just rested.  Well, sometimes that’s what we need, right?  For the other part of the challenge, we planned and took my brother and sister-in-law out to one of our favorite restaurants.  Not a very exciting outing, but it works for me. :-)

This month I ate frog legs.  It was at our favorite seafood restaurant.  They were pretty good with some sauce on them, but not that great alone, and overpriced in my opinion.  Let’s just say I won’t be paying to eat them again if I can help it. :-/   I haven’t studied a country yet, but the month isn’t quite over, so we’ll see. :-)

 

How about you?  Would anyone like to tell us some of the things they have done for the challenges?  I’d like to hear about it, and I’m sure other readers would be interested too.  It would be especially interesting this month to hear your new food and “new” country adventures. :-)

What About the Duggars? – Was the Reality Show Ever Appropriate?

 

Matthew 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

As some of you will know, Josh Duggar was exposed this past week as an adulterer who had been cheating on his wife.  First it was publicized that he had two accounts on the “seeking an affair” web site Ashley Madison, after which he confessed an addiction to pornography and being unfaithful to his wife.  (The addiction part was later removed from the confession for reasons that were not explained by the Duggars.)  [Photo: Discovery?, 2015]

Needless to say, this was not something that I wanted to deal with this week, or any time; but since I have already dealt with Josh’s past perversion and since the Duggars are a poster family for Bill Gothard (ATI, IBLP) and therefore “Biblical Patriarchy”, it seemed like it was time to get my page on them up and going.  So today, I’m officially opening a section in The Home Maker’s Corner dealing specifically with the Duggars.

What About the Duggars?

I hope to get more completed there in the near future.

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The featured article today deals with the issue of the reality show.

Was the Reality Show Ever A Good Idea?

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have made themselves, and allowed themselves to be made, the poster family of the large family "movement", no birth control, "purity culture", modesty culture, the Gothard world (Advanced Training Institute, Institute of Basic Life Principles), "Biblical Patriarchy", and Christianity.  With 19 children of their own, plus extended family, they have been starring in their own reality show, "19 Kids and Counting", until earlier this year (2015).    They have become the most recognized mega family in North American and the world. 

Having watched a lot of the programs I will say that, although I get annoyed with them, I understand their mystique to some degree.  Compared with other things that are available on television and online, they appear to be very Christian, wholesome and clean, and compared to most of it they are.  I would venture to guess that some of them are actually born again and are more or less sincerely trying to please God.  But, there are some problems.  In fact, we should probably say many problems.

The reality show came to birth after they had done several one hour specials for T.V.  When they were offered a full time show Jim Bob and Michelle decided that this would be a good platform for them and so they accepted.

But, was a reality show an appropriate thing for a Christian family?

Continue Reading.

Evening Song- The Cleft of the Rock

Isaiah 32:1-2  Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Berry Fun Friday– Free Strawberry Gift Tag Printables

 

Here is a link to download and print some cute strawberry gift tags.  Actually, you could also use these on a greeting card as well.

Strawberry Gift Basket Labels and Idea

Melissa at Polkadot Chair also shared a nice idea for a gift basket.  You don’t need a ceramic dish like she used to do this.  You could use a small woven basket or even a paper or plastic strawberry container (make sure it’s clean).  Along with the candy, you could add other strawberry items – a grocery bag in a pocket (like she used), some magnets, a strawberry tea or dish towel, a strawberry handkerchief, a strawberry pin cushion, etc.  It would make a cheerful summer gift for a birthday, anniversary, and even a small house warming gift.  It would be especially nice for any lady who has a special liking for strawberries. :-)

The Thousand Word Project – Summer’s Bounty: Corn

 

Psalms 65:11-13  Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.  They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.  The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

 

(Non-GMO Inca corn my dad has grown for two years now.)

Family Prayer Box

Ephesians 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

This is a method for organizing a kid (and adult) friendly family prayer list that my family used for some time.
[Photo: Source unknown.]

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Here is an idea for organizing your family prayer list:

1. Collect photographs of as many of the people that your family prays for as is possible. They should be small enough to fit on file cards with some room left over.

Continue Reading.

Thoughts from the Past - Stumbling Stones or Stepping Stones? Can We Use It for God’s Glory?

 

Here is an item I wrote years ago that is still thought-provoking and worth considering.  As Christians, we need to stop reacting violently to various aspects of our culture and consider how we might use some situations to preach the Gospel, to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:14-16  Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

[This has been edited.]

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Some years ago a friend sent me a clip from David Cloud’s Way of Life web page:

STARBUCKS PRINTING ANTI-BIBLE SLOGANS ON CUPS

As part of its "The Way I See It" campaign to collect different viewpoints, the Starbucks coffee chain is printing anti-Bible slogans on coffee cups. A quote written by Bill Schell, a Starbucks customer in London, Ontario, says: "Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure." Another quote, written by Joel Stein, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, says: "Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can't wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They're basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell." Starbucks argues that the slogans are printed on the cups merely to "spur discussion," but they are giving people a large forum for spouting anti-Bible views and the company is accountable for what is printed on their cups. Tricia Moriarty, Starbucks communications manager, said: "We are committed to this program. ... Certainly, we have no plans to remove any of them" ("Starbucks Markets More 'Anti-God' Coffee Cups, WorldNetDaily, May 9, 2007). Starbucks is based in Seattle, Washington, a lovely city that is a bastion of Humanistic, New Age philosophy. www.wayoflife.org

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This is outdated, but the point holds true for other things besides Starbucks coffee shops. The point that I see is not that these places should so much be boycotted or rebuked by Christians, but (as long as they are places where Christians should be at all) that their foolishness should be turned back on them and used as openings for preaching the gospel.

Paul did not avoid the market places because meat offered to idols was sold there. The idol is nothing (1 Cor. 8:4). He also did not see souls saved in Caesar's household (Php. 4:22) by rebuking Caesar openly for his many vile habits, killing and persecuting Christians, and leading a corrupt government.

The verse that comes to mind is:

Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

What's the point of this "blurb" on Starbucks? The world has always acted like the world. They've been blaspheming God for centuries and will continue to do so. By the very fact that they attack the Bible and the Christian faith so persistently, they are admitting that it is the most important religion to attack; that God is the true, all powerful God; that heaven and hell are real. The other religions/gods are generally socially acceptable to them because they are of their father the devil. 

John 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 15:18-19  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

The good news is that by printing these cups they are inadvertently giving an open invitation for Christians to testify of Christ and witness in their shops. A simple question - "Do you agree with this?" - asked in a friendly tone of voice could lead to a real "door of utterance".

Did Mr. Cloud miss this? He doesn't clearly tell us his motive in repeating the above item (at least not in what I saw). Are we to boycott Starbucks or…what? It seems like it would be better to turn this into an opportunity to testify of the truth - not in a rude or overbearing way, but to invite discussion whereby we may lead someone to Christ.

The point is this: Instead of flying off the handle or being shocked or dismayed at such open displays of godlessness, we should be inspired to find ways to turn them around so that God is glorified and the gospel preached.

Psalm 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

We should seek God's wisdom and help to do this very thing if He so leads us.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

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What areas of life at present do you see where this could apply?

 

[By the way, don't think I'm defending my "favorite" coffee shop. Starbucks coffee is overrated. ;-)  I don't even drink coffee except for medicinal purposes.]

Evening Song– He Didn’t Turn Away by Abigail Miller

Isaiah 53:3-5  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
John 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Sew Happy Friday– Reading Fabric - A Quilty Tutorial

 

One of the hardest things in quilt making is often figuring out which fabrics to use.  I think we’re more stressed about it with quilts than with craft projects and even clothing because somehow quilts have that image of longevity that makes us realize that our “mistakes” may outlive us for and/or be very apparent to others.  Here is an episode of the Quilty online “show” with Mary Fons that may help with learning to “read” fabric for making a quilt.  Ultimately what is pleasing to the eye is a very personal thing, and what one person sees as beautiful may not be to another.  But, the basic principles and most of the advice in this video should be helpful in determining what is pleasing to your eye.

The Thousand Word Project – Redly

 

Recipe: Gluten-free Gingerbread Cake

My mom was having a lot of stomach trouble for awhile and my brother and sister-in-law finally convinced her to try going off of gluten to see what happened.  (My brother is gluten intolerant himself.)  She discovered that her stomach felt better when she ate less wheat, so she is avoiding it most of the time.  She made this change shortly before Mother’s Day, so I decided to try to find a gluten-free gingerbread recipe to make for her since that is her favorite cake.

This is the one I found. 
Gluten-free Gingerbread Cake

My husband actually ended up making it since he has made it his job to do the cooking on Sunday mornings in our house, and he likes baking particularly. :-)  It turned out really well.  It was rather heavy, but then gingerbread often is.  We had bought Bob’s Red Mill brand “one-for-one” gluten free flour which is what he used.

 
The cake does have a distinct molasses flavor, so if you dislike molasses, this might not be for you.  The nice thing is that it makes two cakes, so you can freeze one for later use if you like. :-)  By the way, since I didn’t have two 9x9” pans, I think he ended up using two 7x11” pans.

All Things Are Yours – A Poem by Eva Travers Poole

 

Here is another poem by Eva Travers Poole.  I posted another awhile back.

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1 Corinthians 3:21-23 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

“All Things Are Yours”

LIFE is thine, but not to trifle or to idly fling away;
Let thy heart's inherent manhood turn from childhood's toys and play;
God would have His heavenly music rolling grandly through thy soul,
Uttered not in broken fragments, but in one harmonious whole:
Let the master hand of Jesus sweep across the strings of life
Till it wakes Divine responses, softly soothing pain and strife.

Continue Reading.

Evening Song–The Haven of Rest

Hebrews 6:19-20  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Sew Happy Friday– Quick and Easy DIY Embroidery Hoop Storage Pockets

 

Jennifer Bosworth of Shabby Fabrics gives us a tutorial on making some really simple craft supply organizers.  If you have fabric, embroidery hoops and glue or a glue gun you can make these right away!  These would be useful for many types of small storage, not just for the sewing room.

 

If you can’t watch this video for some reason or would like something printed out, here is a link to written instructions for the same type of project done by Ros at Sew Delicious:  Embroidery Hoop Storage Pockets.

Photo property of Ros at Sew Delicious

Texas Wildflowers– Wild Morning Glories

 

Monthly Challenge – August

 

August is a hot month in Texas.  This summer has been milder than any we’ve experienced since we moved here, but we are now hitting the three digit temperatures.  A lot of places in the northern hemisphere are hot this time of year, or at least as hot they are likely to get.  (“Hot” is relative.)  :-)  The southern hemisphere is still having some winter from what I hear.  These challenges will let you stay inside for the most part.

Last month’s challenge was about things we are familiar with – places we like and things we wanted to do.  This month we’re going to try another challenge about pushing ourselves out of our boxes.

So, here it is!

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Try a food you’ve never eaten before.

And/Or

Read up on a country that is unfamiliar to you – one about which you know little or nothing.

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Crawfish Etouffee (I made this batch years ago.  My family still likes it.)

First of all, I don’t just mean trying a new recipe.  We’ll cover that in another challenge, maybe.  What I’m talking about is trying some specific food item you’ve never eaten before to your knowledge.  This could be an herb or spice, meat, vegetable, fruit, grain, etc. 

There are so many different foods available these days; it shouldn’t be hard to find something new to try.  If octopus, scorpions or snake aren’t going to work for you, try something tamer. :-)  Maybe some new-to-you fruit or vegetable would be appropriate.  This is a good time of year to look for different vegetables in the north because harvesting of these things is in progress now.  Maybe visit a farmer’s market and look for something interesting – a new kind of cheese, bread seasoned with flavors you’ve never tried, etc.

Red lentils purchased at an Indian store.

Also, don’t forget the multitude of ethnic foods that are now available.  My personal favorite is Ethiopian food.  (If you find an Ethiopian restaurant near you please be aware that some of the food is very spicy.  Ask for advice if you need “mild” food. :-)  )  Visit an ethnic market and look for something interesting, but be aware that you may find a lot of “strange” things, and be sure you buy something with English instructions or that you can guess how it should be prepared. :-)

My family has had a lot of adventures in this line because my dad is famous for bringing home unusual foods.  I’d have to say that we’d probably have to go to an ethnic shop to find a food he hasn’t tried before.  He’s introduced us to a lot of really good things, but he’s also had some real “duds”.  We remind him about his horrible tasting shark stew (his own concoction), and also the “jelly grass” which basically had no flavor to speak of. :-)  At the very least, trying new foods gives us fun memories to laugh about later.

Nairobi, Kenya.  Taken by my Grandpa Hoover in the 1960s.

Learning about a new country should be pretty straightforward.  If you have no idea just look up a world map and pick a place about which you know little to nothing.  Then begin your search.  Google, Wikipedia, an encyclopedia, and your local library are good places to start.

Need some ideas?

Eritrea – formerly a part of Ethiopia.
Lichtenstein – a city-state in Europe with a famous bank.
Tonga – an Island kingdom in the south Pacific that crowned a “new” king this year.
Andorra  - a tiny country with one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
Belize – the only country in Central America whose official language is English.    [Photo: King Tupou VI]

Nope, I didn’t give any links.  The point is to find the information yourself. :-) 

Enjoy the challenge!  (And hopefully the food you try. ;-)  )

Word of the Month- Attributes of God: The Judge

 

Attribute n. - a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.

No. 8 in the Attributes of God series.

NPS Photo by Michael Quinn (Grand Canyon National Park, Cape Royale).  Use of this photo in no way indicates the owner’s approval of the content of this blog.

Daniel 7:9-10  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

When I see pictures of the Grand Canyon I see a lot of rugged beauty.  I also see an awe-inspiring display of the power of large amounts of water.  But, one thing this amazing natural wonder reminds me of is God’s wrath on sin.  As the waters receded from the high country of northern Arizona and its environs, this spectacular gorge was formed deep into the earth.  That water primarily came from the run off of the Genesis Flood, and the Flood was God’s judgment upon sinful man.

In thinking about God as the Judge, I think that this aspect of His nature is one reason that sinful man tends to resent and even hate Him.  Because God is the Creator, because He has put certain cause-and-effect laws into place, ultimately He has the right to judge His creation.  He made it, He made the rules, and He has the right to be the Judge.  This rubs sinners all the wrong way.  The natural man does not want to acknowledge that he/she will someday give account before God Almighty, even though this consciousness is obviously present in all mankind.  In order to try to “escape” it, many devices are used – false religions to salve the conscience, denial of God and His rights as Creator, willful ignorance, imaginary alternate scenarios, etc.  But, they cannot escape by these.  This world in on a one was street to a meeting with God, and there is only one way to escape the righteous judgment of God – a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who already met the requirements of the Judge.

Psalms 50:4-6  He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

God Is The Judge

It also occurred to me that God is THE Judge.  There are not many judges when it comes to the final judge.  There is only one and He is the Lord God Almighty, the great I AM.  He is not fickle and capricious as the Greek gods.  He is not irrationally vengeful like the gods of many religions.  He is not ignorant and half informed as most human “gods” tend to be.

Humans like to be judges of many things.  There are the mob vigilantes who attack “villains” through social media, picketing and worse.  There are kings and popes and men in high places who want to manipulate the history of the world for their own evil ends.  And there are many, many people in between.  People feel empowered by the ability to judge others.  People also feel threatened by those who judge them, whether unjustly or not.  This is one reason why so many tend to beat each other over the head with Matthew 7:1,  Judge not, that ye be not judged; while ignoring John 7:24, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 

Judgment is a very touchy subject, there is no getting around it.  Many things have been named “The Judge”, a movie, a T.V. show, a gun, etc.  “Appearing before the judge” is meant to strike fear into people.  But the most offensive Judge to human pride and sin is The Judge of all the earth.

The first mention of the Lord by this name is in Genesis 18:25,  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?  Here Abraham was pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of his nephew Lot who lived there.  He was reminding God that slaying the righteous with the wicked was not something that a righteous judge would do, and he calls Him “the Judge of all the earth”.  This is a point that causes “all the earth” a lot of irritation and angst because they don’t want a righteous Judge to be the final and only Judge who will determine their eternal destiny.

Again, the Lord is called “the Judge” by Jephthah in Judges 11:27,  Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.  He was rebuking the children of Ammon for trying to start a war with Israel at the time.

We see in several places in scripture where people asked that the Lord judge between them and someone else as Jephthah did.  Another example is when David was speaking to Saul after he had cut off the skirt of Saul’s garment in the cave and was trying to prove to Saul that he was not seeking to kill him. 1 Samuel 24:12  The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee… 15  The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.  Placing such situations in the hands of the righteous Judge is a wise thing to do if you know you are not in the wrong. 

We read in Psalms 75:7,  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.  For those that do not have peace with Him through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1), this is a very disturbing fact.  In fact, this is a problem for some who claim Christ because they want to be “set up” as something important on their own terms, not the Lord’s.  It is hard to be “put down” when we think we deserve a more important place in our world.

Paul specifies again for us that the Lord is the righteous judge.  This is so important to remember in this world of distorted justice.  2 Timothy 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

And, finally, we see that He is the Judge of all.  Hebrews 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

The Hope of A Righteous Judge

As mere humans we have no power against so many of the evil things that are in this wicked world.  Jehoshaphat prayed in 2 Chronicles 20:12,  O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.  Our only hope amidst so much evil is the righteous Judge.  This judgment may be now in some current form, if God so wills, or we may have to wait to see it in the final judgment.  For those who are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the hope of judgment by the Judge of all the earth should be a great comfort.  The fact that He is righteous and there will be no corrupting of justice with Him should explain to us why He has told us through Paul,   Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19

We read in Psalms 9:7-8,  But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.  This is a powerful statement, but it is also one of the things that most frightens fallen mankind, because somewhere inside them, they know they don’t have what it takes to stand in that day of judgment before God Almighty.  I believe this is one reason we see so much hate and thrashing about trying to change the rules and make a different “plan”.  It is fear of the truth about who God is and His power to judge them and their works.

Here are some more passages regarding God’s judgment on sinful mankind.

1 Samuel 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.   (Hannah’s prayer)

Psalms 94:2-3  Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

Psalms 10:17-18  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:  To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.  This is a wonderful hope!  The day is coming, and perhaps not far away, when there will be no more oppression by man!  A wonderful, wonderful promise!

Isaiah 33:22  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.  Though we may suffer in this life, ultimately we are on the side of the Judge of all the earth and He will even all scores, He will avenge His children.  He will save us. 

2 Timothy 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Psalms 98:7-9  Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.  (That man is the Lord Jesus Christ.)

John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Psalms 82:8  Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

God Deals with His Own

Ezekiel 18:30  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

One last point that we should not fail to remember is that God will also  judge His own.  He will not judge them in the same way that He judges the world but, as Christians, we still have to answer to Him for our lives both now and at the judgment seat of Christ where our works are judged.

Romans 14:10-12  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

A particular word of sober warning is given to husbands and wives in Hebrews 13:4,  Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

1 Peter 4:17-19  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

In Conclusion

The fact that God is the Judge of all the earth, the righteous Judge and the final Judge should give us peace, confidence of deliverance in His right time, hope of a better future, and it should inspire us to  …walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.  1 Thessalonians 2:12 

 

Revelation 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Evening Song–O God, Our Help In Ages Past

Psalms 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.