Execute Judgment part 5
There's this idea that seems to floating around in our collective mindset that says, "How I judge things is how they are." Like, if I think something about something, or someone, that's what's what. But let's be real for a second. How often do you know the whole story? Even when it's YOUR story. Which I believe is why Jesus warned against judging by appearance. There's a line in a song that says, "I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it looks like." And, when we stray outside of the Spiritual realm (if I can say it that way)... that's all we can do. The best we can do with our "natural senses" is tell you what it looks like. To us. Through our filter or lens of experience. Kind of like a "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME," sort of deal. Once you've been burned, it's really hard to want to touch the fire ever again. That's why I preach so much and so often about keeping your heart... by keeping it open. Keeping your heart open to love. Not hardening it, but guarding it by keeping it soft. Realizing and understanding that it is God's heart beating with love in your chest. That's where the true judgment comes from. Because after Jesus said don't judge according to appearance He told us to judge righteous judgment. Our key verse for this Rant series is Psalm 149:9, "To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD." If you're a saint (and you are) it's your honor to execute the judgment that was written. The judgment that was handed down from Father to Son. The judgment that AFTER Jesus gave His life for us, came, and stood as an eternal, abundant, everlasting, Resurrection Life sentence! Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly. That's the righteous judgment of God. That's what we have, so that's what we can give. And in the same manner as how we "forgive" people's sins by letting them know that their sins are forgiven... we "give" people this life by letting them know that God has given it to them. Spreading the good news of the gospel. Being a witness to what we have seen, and heard, and experienced... in the Spirit. Again, this isn't about your "natural" perception of things. This isn't about what it looks like on the surface. One of my favorite Bible verses is Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." This is one of my "stand strong" verses. My "going through a tough time" verses. (One of my other stand strongs is 1 Samuel 30:6, "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." Sometimes I need to just encourage myself in the Lord. Fill myself up to overflowing with the love that I've already been filled with.) So it doesn't matter what it looks like on the surface when you can see the bigger picture. When you can see that the deep calls out to the deep. When you can see the righteous judgment, and not just the appearance judgment. That's when we can know and believe that all things work together for our good. That's when we can rest in the loving arms of our heavenly Father. That's when we can experience that life He has given us, by letting Him live it in us, and through us, and as us. Rest is not inactivity, it is Holy Spirit directed activity. It is judging righteous judgment. It is executing the judgment that was written in the Book of Life. Giving people what we've got no matter who they are or what they do. Just giving it because we have it. Just loving people because our heavenly Father loves us!