Tag Archives: judge

Advocate (1 John 2:1), June 12, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
God is called our Advocate, not just our judge. What does that mean for you today.
Scripture
1. 1 John 2:1
2. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Devotional
1. Our Advocate
2. Have you thought much about what it means to have an advocate or especially what it means for God to be your advocate?
  1. Definition: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
  2. A person who supports others to make their voices heard, or ideally for them to speak up for themselves.
  3. An advocate is a type of professional person in several different legal systems and it is also a commonly used honorific for remarkable lawyers, such as in “Adv. Sir Alberico Gentili“. The broad equivalent in many English law-based jurisdictions can be a barrister. However, advocate is also a word to indicate lawyers of superior classification.
3. Why might having God as an advocate be important to us?
  1. Throughout the Bible we read about a final judgment based on our actions during our life
  2. Those actions hinge on our belief in Jesus, the second person of the triune-Godhead, the Son of God. God incarnate, come to earth to die as the penalty we should pay for our sins
  3. If we believe in God, the Son, for forgiveness of our sins, He acts as our Advocate, our lawyer, our defender in the final judgment before God, the Father
  4. We are found “Not Guilty” before the law that establishes the judgment for our sins
  5. Just like our courts today, we are not found innocent, because we have all sinned, but we are found “Not Guilty” because our penalty has been paid, our punishment has been served, our sentence has been satisfied
  6. Our advocate points out the blood spilled on our behalf and the change in verdict that should be applied because of the sentence He served in our stead
4. Jesus, our Advocate, the perfect defender, our lawyer in the final judgment who prepares the brief and wins our pardon because of His actions 2,000 years ago
  1. Jesus is the judge but He is also our Advocate
  2. When we believe in Him for our salvation we do not lose our case before the judgment seat
  3. He finds us not guilty
  4. Just imagine
5. Think about God our advocate today as you worship Him
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The verdict is in, guilty as charged (John 9:39-14), March 3, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Guilty! Caught in the act and no defense can free you. Now what do you do? There is no escape, or is there?
Scripture
1. John 9:39-41
2. Jesus: I have entered this world to announce a verdict that changes everything. Now those without sight may begin to see, and those who see may become blind.

Some Pharisees (who overheard Jesus): Surely we are not blind, are we?

Jesus: If you were blind, you would be without sin. But because you claim you can see, your sin is ever present.

Devotional
1. The evidence stacks up. There is no doubt. Any question of innocence has been swept away with the overwhelming reality of what lies before the judge. There is no question of the outcome. You stand at the defendant’s table with no defense. Head down, heart pounding, you know what the only verdict can be guilty because you did it. You know you did it and God, the Judge knows you did it.
  1. Something amazing happens
  2. You’re forgiven
  3. Free to live, just follow Me
  4. Past is forgotten, files stacked on the bench just disappear
2. What we deserve
  1. Punishment for our sin
  2. Bible says only adequate punishment for our disobedience is death
  3. Separation from Him because He is a holy God and abhors evil
  4. All the ills and evil that the world can throw at us because of our selfish desires and ungodly behavior
3. What He gives us when we come to Him with a contrite heart in true repentance
  1. Grace – unmerited, undeserved favor with Him
  2. Mercy – not what we deserve
  3. Forgiveness
  4. Sins forgotten – cast into the sea to be remembered no more
  5. Loving embrace
  6. Adoption into His family
4. When we believe in Him we begin to see the law can only condemn us
5. When we trust in Him for forgiveness of our sins, we experience His grace and mercy
  1. Able to feel His spirit invade our life and change our outlook
  2. Able to extend His grace and mercy to others
  3. Able to introduce Him to others because His love reaches out through us
6. Jesus announces a new verdict that changes everything. Feel the grace and joy that brings when you accept His gift of love into your heart
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Which measuring stick do you choose? (Matthew 7:1-5) January 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 7:1-5
Jesus: If you judge other people, then you will find that you, too, are being judged. Indeed, you will be judged by the very standards to which you hold other people. Why is it that you see the dust in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but you can’t see what is in your own eye? Don’t ignore the wooden plank in your eye, while you criticize the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eyelashes. That type of criticism and judgment is a sham! Remove the plank from your own eye, and then perhaps you will be able to see clearly how to help your brother flush out his sawdust.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

If I’m honest with myself, it’s easy to criticize others. It’s easy to find faults in others work, their language, their dress, the way they do anything and everything. And it’s easiest in those areas where I think I’m pretty good at something. I’ve been at this church stuff for a long time, so it’s easy to criticize others in how they do church. What kind of music they sing. How they pray. How they preach. What lessons they choose to share. If you’re honest with yourself, you can do the same thing in your areas of expertise.

Adam gave us a great system of selfish comparison when he passed down those genes to us through his progeny. We’re great at magnifying the faults of others to minimize ours. We want to make ourselves seem better than others so we don’t feel as bad about our own faults. The problem is that the things we see in others are often the very things we do ourselves but just overlook in our own behavior.

Paul talks about it in Romans when he addresses the plight of humanity. We know the law implicitly. God places it in our hearts. We fail to obey it, but criticize others for doing the same. Our hypocrisy is obvious to everyone but ourselves and Jesus points it out clearly in his admonition to those who will hear His words.

Does Jesus tell us not to provide constructive criticism to those around us? No. We should be mentors to those who come behind us. We should help our juniors on life’s journey, in whatever areas of life, through sound constructive criticism and instruction. But Jesus warns we must remove the obstacles from our own life first. Be wary of the hypocrisy He saw in the Pharisees and teachers of the law who prided themselves on their knowledge of the law, but failed to live by its precepts.

Some will tell you not to judge. Quite frankly, I’m not sure it’s possible. We will judge. But Jesus reminds us with this stern warning that we will be judged in return by the same standards. If we become critical, demeaning, out to gain glory for yourself, that same measure of judgement will be leveled against you. It will not be a pretty sight in the end. Your charade will come to an end and your fall will be great, just like that of the Pharisees as the people saw their veil ripped apart with Jesus’ words.

So what is our response to His words today? Do we sit by and let behavior go unchecked because of a misinterpreted pronouncement of “don’t judge or you’ll be judged”? No. Do we let anything go because of a fear that we cannot adequately know what is right and wrong in a world that continues to slide down a steep path of degradation and evil? No. The words Jesus shares here doesn’t mean we don’t have a responsibility to stop bad behavior, but to first police our own behavior before we level judgements against others.

He says we must look at our own actions first. Make sure we are prayed up, in right relationship with God and man, before going to our brother to judge his actions. Know that we are doing some self-assessments and cleaning up our own act before we try to clean up the actions of those around us. It’s easy to see the bad behavior around us and announcing bad behavior for what it is doesn’t violate God’s commands or the precepts in His word. Jesus just says to also take inventory of our own lives as well.

For instance, it wasn’t okay to commit murder to stop the preaching of those opposed to the teaching of the Torah. Nor is it okay to burn down abortion clinics or shoot those who work there because of the right or wrong aspects of abortion. Violating God’s laws is still violating His laws. He doesn’t contradict Himself in His principles and precepts. So when you go about doing very unChristian things to prove your Christian point of view, what are you really doing? Aren’t you as guilty as those who violate those laws in the first place?

That’s the point Jesus makes here. Be careful that you don’t miss error in your own thinking and actions while looking for some misdeed in your brother. You’ll be measured with the same yardstick, so what kind of measure do you want to use? One of grace and mercy or one of wrath and anger? It’s still up to you. Choose wisely.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do you judge or forgive? (Luke 6:36-49), Jan 6, 2015

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Today’s background scripture comes from Luke 6:37-49.

It is so easy to condemn others. To judge their words when you don’t even know what they mean. Men and women today have become so sensitive to the words people speak and assume they know their hearts. They don’t. Only I know the hearts of people. Only I understand the intent of the words that come out of someone’s mouth.

Do you think I enjoyed the prayer of the Pharisee at the altar of My temple? His words often spoke highly of Me, but only so others could hear what he thought were beautiful prayers. His selfish words were meaningless to Me. On the other hand, the tax-collector spoke gruffly, almost vulgarly, afraid to approach My altar because of his sins. His prayer of repentance touched My heart and I heard his prayer. His sins I forgave.

I know men’s hearts, men do not know each other’s hearts, though. You cannot see inside each other’s soul to see what lives there. Over time, what is there bursts through in moments of anger, fear, or selfish desire. Man cannot contain what is in his heart forever. Whether good or evil resides there, it comes out when you react in the heat of the moment. But I see your heart all the time. I know what you think every moment.

So how can you best serve Me and others? Forgive in the same measure I forgive you. Give grace and mercy to those that wrong you. Recognize you cannot know their heart and so forgive them. Do good for everyone you meet. Don’t assume you know them. You don’t. Don’t assume you understand the problems they face or the struggles they have. You probably don’t understand their problems as much as you think you do.

Just extend grace and mercy and forgiveness. Lend and helping hand. That doesn’t mean to always coddle people. Sometimes tough love is necessary to lend a helping hand. But tough love always includes grace and mercy as well. When you jump to judge, remember I forgave you without extending My justice toward you. I extended grace and mercy instead. Follow My example and do the same.

Ready – Luke 6:37-49
Set – Genesis 15; Luke 6
Go! – Genesis 15-17; Luke 6

Luke6:37-49
If you don’t want to be judged, don’t judge. If you don’t want to be condemned, don’t condemn. If you want to be forgiven, forgive. 38 Don’t hold back—give freely, and you’ll have plenty poured back into your lap—a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, brimming over. You’ll receive in the same measure you give.

39 Jesus told them this parable:

Jesus: What happens if a blind man leads a blind man? Won’t both of them fall into a pit? 40 You can’t turn out better than your teacher; when you’re fully taught, you will resemble your teacher.

41 Speaking of blindness: Why do you focus on the speck in your brother’s eye? Why don’t you see the log in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, “Oh, brother, let me help you take that little speck out of your eye,” when you don’t even see the big log in your own eye? What a hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you’ll be able to see clearly enough to help your brother with the speck in his eye.

43 Count on this: no good tree bears bad fruit, and no bad tree bears good fruit. 44 You can know a tree by the fruit it bears. You don’t find figs on a thorn bush, and you can’t pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 It’s the same with people. A person full of goodness in his heart produces good things; a person with an evil reservoir in his heart pours out evil things. The heart overflows in the words a person speaks; your words reveal what’s within your heart.

46 What good is it to mouth the words, “Lord! Lord!” if you don’t live by My teachings? 47 What matters is that you come to Me, hear My words, and actually live by them. 48 If you do that, you’ll be like the man who wanted to build a sturdy house. He dug down deep and anchored his foundation to solid rock. During a violent storm, the floodwaters slammed against the house, but they couldn’t shake it because of solid craftsmanship. [It was built upon rock.]

49 On the other hand, if you hear My teachings but don’t put them into practice, you’ll be like the careless builder who didn’t bother to build a foundation under his house. The floodwaters barely touched that pathetic house, and it crashed in ruins in the mud.