Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn’t so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you’ve done.
You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.
You’re not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it’s going to blaze hot and high, God’s fiery and righteous judgment. Make no mistake: In the end you get what’s coming to you—Real Life for those who work on God’s side, but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire!
If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you’re from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up. Being a Jew won’t give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind.
If you sin without knowing what you’re doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you’re doing, that’s a different story entirely. Merely hearing God’s law is a waste of your time if you don’t do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.
When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong. Their response to God’s yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences. Rom. 2:1-18 (MSG)
Like most young women, I was excited about my upcoming nuptials. My mother and I were anxious to see my wedding dress completed. I was the oldest child of six. My father was desperate for a son but wound up with daughters, so needless to say, he didn’t have a whole lot to do with us.
We all knew he loved us, but he had a funny way of showing it if he showed it at all. Perhaps that’s where my warped view of love and sex started. He loved my mother but wasn’t very affectionate with her, at least in front of us. To us girls, the only way we saw that he cared was by working very hard to provide for us. He was a fisherman. We offered to work with him, but he said it was no place for a woman. I think this is one reason he had always held out hope for a son.
My dress was now complete and just in time, too. My wedding was a week away. I met my husband down at the docks when I would go down there to meet my father. Every once in a while, he would allow me to help him bring his catch home. My fiancé was a tall, young, strapping man. It was definitely love at first sight. The first time he looked at me, a tingling sensation filled my entire body. We both just stood there, feeling awkward, but it was like we didn’t care. I think my father noticed us looking at each other as well because he called out for me twice, and finally, on the third time, I responded. That evening, on the way back to the house, my father told me his name and said he thought he was an okay guy because he was a good, hard worker.
As the days went on, I would go down to the docks more and more. I would take every opportunity to get to talk to him. Eventually, my father invited him over for dinner. Okay, I actually think this was my mother’s idea. No matter who thought of it, I liked it. I had high hopes he would not just be a good provider but a good man.
The wedding and the festivities afterward went well. That night, we moved into our modest home together. Of course, we consummated the marriage. It was so strange being away from my family. The next several weeks went alright, but how did I really know? From the kind of interaction I had seen between my mother and father, I really didn’t know what to expect. I started out doing everything I had seen my mother do. All of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and everything else I knew to do. I tried so hard to please him. I prepared all of his favorite meals. Yet it seems I couldn’t please him. I knew he cared about me, but his touch was cold. It was as if his heart was having trouble opening up toward me. I don’t know, but I began feeling as if, to him, I was just a good-looking maid.
Perhaps he had picked up on the relationship between my mother and father and realized that I had been brought up to know my role in the home, which was to take care of the man. This is true I had, but…but I wanted more. I didn’t just want a roof over my head, food, and a new outfit every once in a while, but I wanted that as well as deep, passionate love and romance. Was that wrong? I don’t think so. Days turned into months, and I started to accept this was my life. It wasn’t bad, but I wanted more.
Then, one day, while I was shopping for our dinner, I bumped into a man and accidentally knocked his shopping bag out of his hand. I was so embarrassed. I quickly bent over and started picking what he had already purchased that morning. He just stood there, and before helping me, he laughed at my reaction to the situation. He took my hand and helped me back up after we had finished picking everything up. That’s when I saw his face. “Wow”, I thought to myself. And what was this feeling now flooding my heart as he touched my hand? I was instantly swept away with emotions. Why did he touch me? And in public? He had to have known I was a married woman. There was definitely something very different about this man.
What was his name? Where was he from? Was he married? I wanted to know everything about him there was to know. I started apologizing, but before I could even finish, he told me not to worry about it. Wow. This man is so kind, I thought. I didn’t know what to say to him, so I commented on what he had purchased. It was a basket, some fruit to go in the basket, I presumed, and some candles. He told me that he was on his way home from doing business there, and he stopped at the market to pick up some things for his wife. Okay. He’s married, and he’s not from here, I noted to myself. “So, where are you from?” I asked. “Just a couple of towns over,” he replied. I knew as soon as I asked it was wrong, but it was too late to pull the words out of the air that asked him how often does he go through my town and when would be his next visit. I couldn’t believe how forward I was. I had never been so bold in all of my life, especially with a man! He said he would be coming through town in a couple of weeks.
After saying goodbye, I finished my shopping and headed home. As I cooked our meal, I must have been on autopilot because all I could think of was this man. This man was so smooth in his words and his touch when he helped me get back up from trying to pick up his belongings. I allowed myself the liberty of fantasizing about him and being with him. I would think his romance is equally as smooth. I wondered if this was the kind of man that could make me happy.
The two weeks until his return dragged on. Each day felt as though it was forty-eight hours long. I tried to hide my excitement as the day got closer, but I’m really not sure if I concealed it completely. I tried my best to keep to the routine. I certainly didn’t want to tip my husband off that I was even thinking about another man, but I was. All the time.
The day had arrived that he had said he would be back in town. I put on my best dress and just a little perfume. As I was getting ready, I wondered if he had been thinking of me as much as I had been thinking of him. I got to the marketplace early. One because I was so excited, and two because I didn’t want to miss him. I waited for what felt like an eternity until I caught a glimpse of him. At one point, I was afraid I had remembered his face wrong, but then, when I saw him, I knew I had gotten every detail right.
He came over to where I was pretending to be shopping. We were both nervous when we greeted each other. He told me he wasn’t sure I would even show up. Then he informed me he couldn’t stop thinking about me. About the way I wore my hair. My smile. My soft blue eyes and how soothing my voice was. Funny. Things my husband had never mentioned, but a stranger noticed. These words made my heart flutter. We decided it would be better if we continued talking in a less busy place.
We walked a ways from the market. Soon, we found a quiet place near a little stream. We talked, but the tone of our conversation was flirty. I thought my husband and I didn’t speak to each other like this, but I really didn’t want to think about my husband. We laughed a lot. I enjoyed the time, and I enjoyed his company. The time flew by, and I knew I had to get home and get dinner going, at least before my husband got home and suspected anything. I told my new friend I had to go. He quickly looked around and didn’t think he saw anyone watching us, so he quickly leaned in and kissed me, but I think someone did see us kiss. I couldn’t prove it. It was just a feeling. We agreed to meet the following week at the same spot.
It was a struggle to get through that next week. Especially thinking about him and not giving it away, as my mind was so distracted. I don’t think my husband suspected anything. One of the big problems, though, was that I kept comparing my new love interest to my husband. Saying things like, “I bet the other guy doesn’t do that at his house,” but the truth of the matter is that I really didn’t know.
On the day of our meeting, I bathed after my husband had gone off to work. I put some perfume on as well, but only a little. I went ahead and fixed a dinner so I wouldn’t be distracted by the list of things I had to do at home. I decided to leave a little early. I didn’t want to be late for sure, but another reason I left early was my heart was burning with excitement, and sitting around the house waiting seemed to make it worse. My heart already felt as if it was going to jump right out of my chest!
I got to the quiet spot. This helped me relax, but only a little. The sound of the little stream seemed to be playing a love song. Then, before I knew it, he was there. He looked really nice. We talked for a bit, then he carefully looked around, and after seeing no one, he kissed me. The touch of his lips on mine felt like cream, for his kiss was soft. I was experiencing so many emotions all at one time. It was like I was several people living several lives all at the same time. I was a young girl being courted. A young wife cheating on her husband, but ultimately, I was a woman being romanced. I kissed him back. I began to feel he wanted more. He suggested we go to his room in the inn. I was scared. I was excited. I was curious, so I followed him.
When we got to the inn, I let him go first. Then, after waiting nervously and thinking everyone knew what I was about to do, I went to his room. Once inside, he handed me a glass of wine. I drank but kept my eyes on him. He had already closed the curtains. Now, he was turning back the covers of the bed. I noticed a fire in my gut. I started questioning myself. How did I get here? I realized I had succumbed to his flattery, to his compliments. I thought about my husband and knew the right thing to do at that moment was to leave, but I didn’t.
He sensed my hesitation and came over to stand behind me. His strong but gentle arms reached around me, and he began to caress my chest softly. I turned to face him and started kissing him feverishly. He then guided me to his bed. We both disrobed as we got into bed. I felt so scared to go through with this, but I wanted to know what it was like to make love to that kind of man.
We proceeded in the act of love when, all of a sudden, a group of men came bursting into the room as if this man was trying to kill me. To my surprise, they grabbed me. Somehow, I managed to grab and pull one of the bed covers with me. I got the bed cover wrapped around me just as I was dragged out into the street. It was all happening so fast! One moment, I was in eternal bliss, and the next, I was in a courtroom. The men who barged in stood me up in front of this man who was in town. They called him rabbi, but later, I learned his name was Jesus. They told Jesus I had just been caught in the act of committing adultery. My mind was racing as I thought to myself, who knew where we were and what we were doing? We were so careful! Oh no! What will my husband say and do to me? Will he want a divorce?
I looked up at Jesus as he tried to silence the crowd that had gathered. The men were hurling questions at him like, “Shouldn’t she be stoned?” I found it funny at the moment that the man I was standing in front of was called a rabbi, but they were telling him what Jewish law said. And by the way, I thought, what about the man I was with? Where is he at this moment? Shouldn’t he be standing here right beside me? He is just as guilty as I am!
The crowd kept yelling, “Do something!” “We can’t have this going on in our town!” “Finish her off with the law!” “We have the right to stone her!” Jesus looked around into the eyes of each man there, and women too. This Jesus, I remember thinking, seemed so different than any other man I had ever met. He stayed calm in the middle of the verbal storm that was going on all around us. I fell to my knees and tried to hide my face. Then he knelt and started writing deeds and acts in the dirt. He wrote things like “cheated on taxes,” “stole from a business partner,” “lied,” “killed a man,” etc. Each time he wrote a word or phrase, he would look up at someone. I began to wonder if he was looking directly at the one he wrote about. While he was writing the words, he said to the crowd, “If you are without sin, then cast the first stone.” Little by little, the men at first, but then most of the women too left. They went on to whatever they were doing before this spectacle took place.
I soon realized it was just this man, Jesus, and me who remained. He stood back up and quickly reached down to help me back to my feet. I couldn’t look at him in the eyes. I was so ashamed. He gently took my chin and lifted my face, so I now had to look at him. He reached over and wiped away my tears. Then he spoke the most beautiful words. He said, “Woman. Where are your accusers?” I quickly began looking all around and found no one left standing with us. All of the stones that had been picked up to punish me for my sins had been dropped. It was just Jesus and me. He then went on to say, “They are not here to condemn you, and neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.” It was at that very moment I felt real love for the very first time in my heart. It was freedom; it was like warm sunshine inside, and it was real. I had finally found the one I named “Real Love.”
When I got home, my husband was there waiting for me. Somehow, he had heard of what had taken place. I didn’t know what he would do or say, but to me, it really didn’t matter. “Real Love” had cast out all my fears. He looked at me and asked, “How could you?” I told him that I didn’t understand it all myself. He started to get angry, and I interrupted him. I told him the story of what had taken place that day. I certainly didn’t leave out the part about Jesus writing in the dirt and making the statement, “Ye without sin.” My husband bowed his head and walked away. I knew he was hurt, but he didn’t say any more about that day. Ever. A couple of weeks went by when I learned that one of my husband’s friend’s wife had seen me and the man down by the stream. She had hid in the bushes and watched us but also listened to us making plans. She was the one who alerted the “religious” ones that day what was taking place. Come to find out, she did this to me for revenge for marrying the very man she had wanted for a long time. She thought when I found out it was her I would be so mad, but one thing I had learned from “Real Love” was he remembers no wrong.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 8:1-11)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
When I lived in the Chicago area, I was called to serve jury duty several times. Usually, the parties would settle out of court, and I would receive my $18 and be free to go. But one case went to trial, and I was selected to be on the jury. The case was frivolous and should have never been allowed to clutter up the court system for five years.
The outcome doesn’t really matter, but the judge’s name caught my attention, “Willie B. Wright.” In case you don’t see it, let me spell it out: “Will he be right?” An excellent name for a judge on Earth.
The other night, I was at a social gathering and having a discussion with a man who turned out to be a fellow follower of Christ. He apologized when he wanted to go to the bar and get another drink. He said, “God’s working on me with this!” I immediately replied, “Do I look like a judge? There are plenty of things God is working with me on.”
Many people are judging others these days, especially on social media. Who do they think they are? What I don’t like is when someone gets mad at me and accuses me of judging them. I understand it’s their defense mechanism when they feel uncomfortable or guilty. But there is a huge difference between judging and discerning the fruit of someone’s life.
A judge’s role is to make sure the person on trial gets a fair hearing according to the law. To maintain order in the court, give instructions to the jury, and after the jury has reached a decision, determine the proper punishment if needed.
Exposing the fruit of someone’s life does not determine punishment for how they are living their life. So, it is not “judging” them. In fact, the Bible tells us to.
15-20 “Be on your guard against false religious teachers, who come to you dressed up as sheep but are really greedy wolves. You can tell them by their fruit. Do you pick a bunch of grapes from a thorn-bush or figs from a clump of thistles? Every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree is incapable of producing bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. The tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and burnt. So you may know men by their fruit.” Mat. 7:16-20 (JBP)
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Mat. 7:1-5 (NIV)
The ultimate Judge is our Holy God. For only He knows the heart of a man.
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? Jam. 4:12 (NIV)
I don’t recall ever getting out of a ticket! Speeding tickets, other kinds of moving violation tickets, nothing! I did manage to get one reduced though. It seems like any time I am out and driving on the road, I witness other drivers being reckless, excessively speeding, and, in general, putting others in danger! Okay, putting me in danger. I know, if I ever drove like them, I would definitely get caught. I don’t seem to get by with anything!
When I see this, I often fantasize about being a cop and pulling them over. I want to be the witness, the jury, and the judge. If that happened, they would pay big time! Honestly, I wonder if the fine would be steep enough to change their behavior.
This makes me think about others who do not violate the laws of man but live in disobedience to God’s commands. If they continue to live their life in such a way and never accept Jesus Christ, who forgives us our sins, they will certainly pay. Unfortunately, the fine will be steep – their life. Will knowing this change their behavior?
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 3:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23 (NIV)
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Heb. 9:27-28 (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 (NIV)
One of the things that kept me from writing for many years was “the fear of men.” I didn’t want to be judged, made fun of, or laughed at behind my back. (Or to my face, for that matter.) It didn’t help either having someone close to me ask, “What makes you think you’re a writer?” I would have thought they would have, instead, been my biggest fan! A cheerleader encouraging me to pursue writing with everything I’ve got as if on fire. That wasn’t to be.
But their words, as hurtful as they were, didn’t extinguish the flame that God had placed inside of me to be a writer. I shared my desire with a friend, and he encouraged me. I told him, “I know I may not ever be the best writer, but I was going to do it and try my best.” After all, writing is an art form, and any art is subjective to an individual.
People, for whatever personal reason, jealousy, past hurts of their own, or any other many reasons, can be so cruel when they pass judgment on another person. Even though we know this truth, it can be challenging to look past it. I mean, let’s face it: even though we want to be liked, accepted, or famous, why do we put so much weight behind the words of someone else?
Instead, we should only be concerned with what God thinks of us.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mat. 10:28 (NIV)
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luk 11:28 (NIV)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7 (NIV)
True happiness is doing what God has called us to and being content knowing we have done our best with His help. Even if we have challenges or difficulties, we shouldn’t let them define us; rather, we should let God write our success story.
So, child of God who has been called, do it! Go and be the person you were meant to be. The one He has specifically made to do a specific task in a specific way. True, there may be someone else who is perhaps more qualified than you, but they’re not you. They don’t have the past, the experiences, the heart that you have. I have this knack for remembering stories and events from the past and then drawing from them when I need to. Others may not have that ability. And know that you may seldom or even never get a satisfaction survey that speaks truthfully about how God used you in someone’s life, but you will one day hear God say, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”
Once upon a time, there was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.
Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, “Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.”
But Abraham said, “Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.”
The rich man said, “Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.”
Abraham answered, “They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.”
“I know, Father Abraham,” he said, “but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.”
Abraham replied, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.”
As a young man, I heard our pastor preach many sermons described as “hell fire and brimstone!” He held nothing back, ensuring everyone knew what the Bible said about hell. How awful it would be there if we did not simply accept Jesus Christ as God’s Son and ask him to forgive us for our sins. I knew I didn’t want to be there!
The above story was initially told by Jesus himself. It is recorded in Luke 16:19-31, and the version I pulled from was The Message. It makes me wonder, though, if someone did come back to life and had been in hell as their sentence from how they lived their life and told everyone about hell, would people believe them? Would you?
You probably won’t ever hear of someone coming back from hell. But you do have the Bible, which is full of truth. Some of those truths are:
All have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)
After you die, you will stand before God and give an account of how you lived your life on earth. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Unless you are “born again,” meaning you accepted Jesus Christ, you cannot enter heaven. (John 3:3)
Accept Jesus. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and live forever in heaven. If the living knew what the dead knew, the whole world would follow Jesus the Christ!
“I can’t believe they are wearing a hat in church!” said one man. “You should be glad they’re here,” I replied. I wanted to say, “The Pope wears a hat in church”, but I didn’t. “How dare they wear shorts in the sanctuary,” another person commented out loud. “Perhaps they would have missed church altogether if they had stopped at home to change first.” “All they do is sit there while the pastor is speaking and play on their phones,” one griped. “Were you aware that many people have a “Bible” app on their phones these days and they are following along with the pastor as he reads the scriptures?”
I have recently joined a gym. Their slogan is, “Judgement Free Zone®”. And I have seen all types of individuals in a variety of shapes and sizes there. Some good and some, well, like me out of the proper shape. But true to their slogan, no one has ever judged me. They are just glad I’m there.
Shouldn’t the church of God be a zone, free of judgement as well? After all, who are we to judge anyone?
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Rom. 3:23 (KJ21)
Not everyone who enters the church doors is in the best “spiritual” shape just as those who enter the gym are not in the best physical shape. April says, “I’m still the same woman you fell in love with. I’m just a different shape now.” It is best if we smile, greet them, make them feel welcome in the church, and be ready to help them if they ask. They need to develop a spiritual workout that is best for them. One that meets them where they are.
They say there are two sure things in life. You know what they are; death and taxes! But I propose one more; “standing before God”.
I remember telling my boss one time that as I had laid down to go to sleep I smelled a strong odor. I confessed to him that I was too tired to go check it out, or open a window. I had worked all weekend remodeling my house. I shared with him that as I closed my eyes I said, “Oh well. If the odor overcomes me, and I die in my sleep I am ready to stand before God and give account as to how I have lived my life.” My boss literally almost fell out of his chair!
I laughed at his response, and inquired, “What? Can you not say that?” His reply was sad, as he confessed he couldn’t. In that moment I must say, I felt an inner peace.
I have heard people say they will stand up to God and say to him what they will. I have this funny feeling they will not be able to stand at all. I have a feeling it may go a little like it did when God confronted Job:
1-2 God then confronted Job directly:
“Now what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?”
3-5 Job answered:
“I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” Job 40:1-5 (MSG)
I know I am guilty of saying too much to God now. Too many gripes and complaints and requesting his help. I want to practice simply being in his presence! I think if I just shut up and listen I will have answers to what I don’t know. Whether people want to acknowledge God and that Jesus Christ is Lord now or not is one thing, but for sure they will later.
If you choose to stand “for” God now, in this life, it will go better for you when you stand “before” God in the next.
Unfortunately, death has been all around me lately. Not in my personal family, but in the families of others and some people I know. My mother-in-law informed us on the street she lives, there is one person, or more who die every day. She lives in the Philippines. Covid is a thief of life!
But yet others have passed away from illnesses and diseases we are more acquainted with, like cancer. Losing a family member, friend, neighbor, or a coworker hurts. We mourn, grieve, and cry, because we will miss them, and that’s understood. Although the pain can be great, when one we know passes but has first accepted Jesus Christ as God’s son, and has made a public confession of their faith in him, then we can be assured we will see them again. Our grief is temporary as the sting of death first hits us. That statement is only true if we too have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, asking him to forgive us of every wrong thing we have ever done. I sense I need to write that there is nothing you have done that God will not forgive, nothing!
I had a coworker several years back that believed in reincarnation. I learned that as we talked about life after death while riding the commuter train out of Chicago, IL. We respected each other’s views and opinions. You might say he believed that life offered up “Round Trip” tickets. My view was it’s a “One Way” ticket. Meaning, you only get one opportunity to make that important decision to accept Jesus.
27 Every human being is appointed to die once, and then to face God’s judgment. 28 But when we die we will be face-to-face with Christ, the One who experienced death once for all to bear the sins of many! Heb. 9:27-28 (TPT)
As my friend and I debarked the train, I turned to him and said, “If you are right, and I am wrong, then I have nothing to be concerned about. But if I am right, and you are wrong, then you will find yourself standing before God explaining to him why you didn’t accept him in your one life.” I went on to explain that the wages of sin, unforgiven wrong deeds, is death. For eternity! As one of my cousins said, “Eternity is a very long time!”
So I ask you, before you die, “Would you like a one way ticket?” Oh, and by the way, no charge. Jesus paid the price for you when he died on the cross.
One thing that gets me upset faster than most is encountering someone with a self-righteous attitude. You’ve met them too I’m sure somewhere in life. It doesn’t take long to discover them. As soon as they tell you their life story, or if they hit your car and jump out and say it was your fault even though it wasn’t.
Well, I had another run in this past week with such a person. I have known them for a few months now and have heard how their current life issues are a result of everyone else. Sure, other’s actions do affect us, I get that, but at the same time we have to take responsibility for our part, and for our decisions.
After the person blamed me for their current displeasure I will be honest and say, I got mad! Very mad, and I made enough noise to let them know of my displeasure. I’m trying to learn how to respond to everyone and in every situation with one or more of the fruit of the Spirit, but I failed that day. I didn’t say a word, but they knew I didn’t like it. I decided the best thing to do was to remove myself from their presence. Being honest, I was concerned I would say something that they would use against me in the future.
But the whole time I was stewing I kept thinking this:
“When you stand before God, are you going to try to blame someone else for not accepting Jesus?”
These self-righteous individuals may think they are getting by with it here on earth, but in heaven I’m confident it will be a different situation. I’ve often wondered if their attitude makes them feel better about themselves. I mean what’s so bad about being wrong? Apologize and then move on. We are human after all, and in heaven, if you have accepted Jesus Christ then your wrong doing have been forgiven.
I feel sorry for people like the one I encountered this past week. They are believing lies the devil puts in their mind, and those lies may, someday, determine where they spend eternity. That’s a long time to regret your decisions! It’s possible that blaming others most of your life will make it difficult to identify as someone who does this, but perhaps there is a sliver of truth in you somewhere.
If you consider yourself self-righteous then I pray you will learn to be bold and brave and stop believing the lies, and face the reality of the truth and stop hurting others, but also stop hurting yourself.
brady, mark a. 