Don't Judge Me!

Cue roll-your-neck & Wave finger back and forth

The Dont-Judge-Me Card: A card that many Christians like to use when they are being corrected, disciplined or exhorted. 

Like a black person would use the proverbial "Black Card" when in trouble with the law or authorities, Christians are now quick to use the "Don't Judge Me Card" otherwise known as the "You Don't Know Me Card" otherwise known as "You Don't Know What I've Been Through So You Can't Judge Me Card!". When this card is used it is suppose to end all conversations about the issue at hand. This card may be purchased at the Complacent store in No-Growth City. A spiritually immature sales agent will be happy to set you up with your very own "Dont-Judge-Me Card". 
What did Jesus Say about This?
Jesus said, "Do not judge others or you will be judged" and "Take the log out of your own eyes first before you can think the twig out of someone else eyes" 
You are absolutely right when you say that others cannot judge you because Jesus said so. He himself is the only Judge. He is the only One that knows you deeply enough to judge you fairly, correctly and appropriately. God made Him a Judge over all things.
Let's Bring it to the Here and Now (How it is relevant to you) 
But at one point, if the person with the log in their eyes did the work of removing the log in their eyes...by submitting to God and surrendering their will through the pruning/purification process, dying to themselves (which in itself is a daily task). They were taught some things in their wilderness season, that could be a great value to the person with the plank in their eyes. The log has been removed and now they can see and they are better able to help you. The key word between judging and correction is the word 'help'. Judging has no root of helping you. Its only to prove a point, to feel superior, to feel like your right and they're wrong but nothing as far as helping the person. 
Maybe This Can Help...
Its kind of like if Suzy have been down the road Ashley is going in now and Suzy know the outcome and the consequences of that road. Suzy calls Ashley out on it (obviously in a loving way but still getting the main point across). Suzy says, "Ashley I know you are young and you want to have fun but sleeping with Bobby who you are not married with and playing house is only going to hurt you at the end not help you. God loves you too much for you to waste your life on someone who is not willing to Sacrifice and commit to you". 
Now Ashley is mad!! 
Because that is her personal business because even though her and Suzy have been friends since they were both in diapers and are very much close she all of a sudden feels like Suzy has overstepped her role. 
The Truth and Nothing But the Truth
Do you really want to know the real root of Ashley's anger? 
1. She doesn't want to change, because change requires effort and a hard decision on her part that will affect her life. She doesnt know that its for the better yet because all she can see is what's she has now. Temporary-conditional love. 
2. Another reason why Ashley is angry is because she's been found out, exposed. No one and I mean no one enjoy being exposed when something wrong is done on their part. Its not a good feeling. Unlike the Pharisees who brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus to stone her in John 8...the reason for exposure is not to kill you but to save you. Jesus, in the midst of this woman exposed fresh sin, forgave right then and there. Why? Because she was repentant. She realized she sinned not just against her body but against God. And she repented. A lot of us are not really repenting we're just really sorry. Sorry is just a sorry excuse to return back to the same sin. Repenting is a heart thing, its stems from a heart who is truly sorry and broken and God forgives and then (2 parts here->) you then turn and follow His ways from that point on! I'm not sure but the adulterous woman that was brought out on the square to be stone, was also at the end of Jesus' life following Him with the other women when all the disciples have deserted Him. She wasn't just sorry, she turned to God and follow His ways and stuck with Him! 
3. And lastly, Ashley is mad because she thinks exposure demands an explanation, when truth is, God doesn't require an explanation. He already knows us and that we struggle with this little thing called "sinful nature". That's why Jesus died on the Cross so that we can come to Him freely. The law could not help our sinful nature, it only showed us how much we needed a Savior, a perfect Sacrifice--Jesus. The price has been paid already for your sins. What God does require is repentance (and a turned heart towards Him in order to HELP you). 
Throw Away Your Card, It's a Trick 
In the beginning, I said you can find your very own "Dont-Judge-Me Card" in the Complacent store, located in No Growth City. But do you want to know were that city is located?... Smack dab in the middle of Satan's kingdom. The kingdon of darkness. I know it looks and sounds like a cute metaphor story but this is real and I am serious. The devil is so real and he has many strategies against you.He hates you. If he can't touch you (which he can't if you are God's Child) he will try another way. He will give you something to use to self-destruct your own life and spiritual growth. To keep you bound and stuck he manipulates you to use this card and take offense to correction and spiritual discipline. 
Thinking that you don't need spiritual leaders and authorities to speak truth into your life or slap you around a little bit when you want to act foolish and dumb is Satan's little sneaky way of stunting your growth in God's Kingdom. Because he knows once you start to take correction and discipline and making appropriate changes in your life and growing that he is in big trouble. 
Throw It Away---Yield to God's Holy Spirit
When this card is offered to you its good for a lifetime but the day it expires is the day you submit and surrender your will to God and become teachable not only to the Holy Spirit but to the spiritual leaders and/or friends God has placed in your life to speak truth.
If You want to Be Set Free From This... Here's Some "Purposeful" Things To Do 
1. You have to be repentant and if you are not repentant ask God to help you to see the wrong in whatever it is.
2. I say "throw away" the card, but it's not a physical card so do a prophetic act write "Don't Judge Me" on a piece of paper if you have ever used that excuse. Rip it, shred it, THROW IT AWAY. Show the enemy that you are serious about this and that he no longer has hold on you in that area.
3. Pray and start submitting to God. Ask God for directions on who are the people He has placed in your life to come up under and allow to discipline and correct you. Usually that is the Pastor(s) of the church you go to. It can also be your parent(s), it can be also be just your friends. (Don't think just because that's your homegirl/boy that God can't use them to correct you and bring discipline).
4. Start in Step 1 again. The devil will always come and test if what you decided on today is still in effect 2 weeks from now. He has no shame in his game so be ahead of him. Make up in your mind that whenever that thing rises up in you, to say "Nope, I threw that card away 2 weeks ago. I made a pact with God that I will not be offended if someone or my spiritual leaders correct me. Holy Spirit give me discernment in this situation if that person wants to help me or just bring me down. I will take to heart the words they spoke, I will bring it to God and let Him analyze the situation and He will show me what I need to change or do."
I know you can do it! God wants us to be set free!
*And lastly STAY in the Word, STAY in God's Presence. It's amazing what STAYING in Him can do to your entire life.
Be encouraged!

The Heat in Worship| Part 1

*Sorry that a part of this blog is highlighted in white, I'm not sure why it did that or how to fix it but I wanted to post this post. So, just highlight with your mouse and you can see it to read it. Thanks!!

You know I had to this right? I was debating if I should make a blog about this topic. Since I've been following the Basketball games that led to the Heat Basketball team winning their championship tonight! (Whoo Hoo, Go Heat!) I really saw a couple of links between what I was watching on the screen and the Christian life in general especially during worship.
So to start off with my Disclaimer here: I am not an avid Basketball "fan" per se but I do love watching Basketball and Football when they are playing for something big and important like the Superbowl and the Finals. And I guess the reason that is, it's a better game to watch then just a season game when players don't usually give everything but in these last make it or break it game, I usually see lots of passion and I just love it.
Any who... the purpose of this blog is 1/2 venting off frustration and  1/2 paralleling what I saw while watching the B-ball finals this week in correlating it with our worship to God. Now again, I know that worship is totally different from fans loving basketball but not as different as you might think.
Check out this picture... ridiculous I know. lol.

He won the MVP, he's not God. Like calm down. 3 lions?... 

So like I said, this blog is not that far fetch. So let's get started shall we? 
My Observation: 
As a new 'worship leader' at my church and the frustration of getting people to be free in worship... I saw that during the games these fans were W-I-L-D. I mean no holds bar, they looked crazy. Some downright looked foolish. 

They had no problems expressing their feelings towards the team they love. No one had to 'schooled' them before coming into the stadium .They were ready to praise their team. I think the reason they were READY is because they built up their expectancy for a long time. The ones who were engaged in 'worshiping' their team [play along with me here] were the ones who followed the Heat or OKC during their off-season, on-season, the series and now the finals. They felt like they had a relationship with these players. We can hear that in their speech when they say "we won" "we did it". Hunh? The 'fans' didn't practice and play hard, but somehow they felt this connection with their team and it was NATURAL for them to root them on, encourage them, scream and jump for them when they all came together. 

Now God does not need us to 'root' Him on. He is God and He is perfectly perfect all by Himself. But I do believe when it comes to corporate worship, the believers who PREPARED themselves for worship by maintaining their connection with God in their life, really do anticipate the moment when we all get to meet together and praise Him and because of that anticipation/preparation NOONE has to root you on, "Come on lift your hands" "Come on, give God the glory". No, because it just comes out naturally. It's okay to be excited for and with God, you know! You don't have to be all stiff and so mechanical (I use to do and be like that, but not anymore). I love being excited like kid for Jesus. He is awesome! 

Okay, so it's not like I'm saying that a person outward expression signifies their inward love or commitment with God. That is personal! and I really could care less, because I'm worshiping God too, not looking at you. But you cannot deny that a person outward, physical expressions does in fact speak volume to what's happening inside. You do not need a Phd in body language to know when a person feels uncomfortable or angry or sad or annoyed. As humans, God put this thing in us where we can pick up these 'vibes' without words being spoken. pretty cool hunh? So, if during worship a person has a huge frown on his/her face, eyebrows are burrowed down, arms are tightly cross and they have that look like "Is this done yet?" I think its safe to say, that person is not engaging in worship at that moment. Vice Versa, the person who is screaming and jumping may also not be engaged in worship but at least they are trying or doing something for Jesus. 

Observations from the last games where the Heat won the finals in correlation to Worship: 

- Spiritual Warfare 

* It is way better to be on the offense than defense. When the ball is in your court you say what goes when and where and how. You have more control of the game and the points you earn. When its in the other team court and you have to defend yourself you play twice as hard. 

* The devil would like nothing for us to stress and run around with a chicken with its head cut off when the ball is already in OUR COURT. We got the ball, so we call the shots. 1 John 4:4 says: "Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world." and in John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." But if a believer does not have a revelation of that (including myself) we will always be on the defense. And being on the defense is stressful. Playing twice as hard. 

- In worship and in all you do for God. You give it ALL you got. 

* This Final game was like no other. I mean when a shot didn't go in, the players didn't shrug and say "Oh, well". It was like every player scrambled for that ball and attempted to rebound that ball at all cost. Some got hit in the face, some was stepped on, it did not matter. They left their blood, sweat and tears on that court. Everything was on the line in this game, so they gave EVERYTHING they got. :)


-When the prize gets closer, the battle gets harder

* OKC didn't just hand the Heat the championship. The Heat had to take it by force. In other words they fought for it. God spoke this to me through one of my devotion the other day. He said if I want this (Him, Blessings, Nations, Cities, whatever He told me is mine...) I CANNOT be passive and weak-minded about it. I have to fight for it!. It's already mine's but now I have to take it. Did you know that when the children of Israel came to the Promised land (the land God for sure promised to them and their descendant) there were people living there already? "The Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivits, and Jebusites." (Deut. 7:1). 7 Whole Nations living in a place God told them was theirs! I can just imagine the Israelites looking at their GPS (which would have been Moses at that time) 
Israelites: Ummm Mr. Moses Sir, are you sure we got the right place here? 
Moses:Yup, God says this is our land. 
Israelites: Umm you do see the people living here already right? Yeah, 7 NATIONS!  We are few, they are many. How on earth... 
Moses: Anh Anh Anh. Stop right there. God said, this is our land, He gave it to us. Now, we got to fight for it. 
*And you know some times fighting can just be RESTING in God and in His FINISH work for you.(Ps. 46:10, Exodus 14:14) Just resting.
Now that makes the devil mad, when you are not fighting in the sense where you are stressing about 'getting the land' but you are fighting by 'believing and resting in God and all his promises for you.' God never breaks a promise. 
So  the moral of this story is YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS YOURS... DO NOT sit there and let the devil sheepishly take your children away or all your precious belongings. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!
To be continued in Part 2....  

<3 <3 <3

The Gift of Receiving

Have the LORD ever told you something and you were like, "No, no Lord, it's okay." 0_o..............

I can just imagine God, (I mean the God who created this entire universe) saying,

"Son, Daughter, I want to give you a car or a house or a husband not because of anything you've done but because I love you and you are mature enough now to handle it" 
and then here we are in all our human-ness, "Ummm God, I know you want to give me this car/house/husband BUT it's okay, (insert  lame reason here)" 
Or worse yet have God ever presented the gift to you face-to-face like God moved on a person heart to give you that $40 that you've been believing him for but because it didn't happen the way you thought it should or the person that came to you was too young or someone you would never expect so you couldn't receive it?
In God's Kingdom all His citizens are givers, they are generous because they are abundantly supplied for. Why? Because their King (God) is generous and abundantly supplies them. THERE IS NO NEED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. EVERYTHING IS SUPPLIED FOR.
I believe a lot of mature Christians in the faith do have the gift of GIVING down pact. They got that piece. They are cheerful givers, they love to give to others, they share with the poor, to support ministry financially and any other ways but when the table flipped and they are in the receiving end for any reason all of a sudden we have a problem.
A lot of  us think of it as an act of humility; rejecting what is offered. "No, no keep your $40 you may need it." Many of us think that it's good manner. You have to always do this little word dance when someone offers something even if we already know our answer in our hearts. "It's okay I will pay for lunch." "No, no let me pay I invited you" "No, it's okay. I just want to bless you. I will pay." "Well, go ahead if you want to pay." 
Why can't we just RECEIVE from God and men. Why do we have to always make it harder than it is. I think one of the major reason is a little/big thing call pride hiding behind "false humility". Many of us know how to spot pride when it's in our face, when a person is blatantly arrogant or prideful, but pride has different faces. And not being able to RECEIVE what God has for you is another form of pride. Humility is being able to RECEIVE when God has given you something or someone.
So like any relationship it will get pretty frustrating if the person giving all the time always had to force the other person to receive something. The giver would probably not be so willing to give a gift anymore.
Well, I want God to show me how to properly receive when He send me something whether it be a physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual blessing. I want to be able to say LORD I receive it and I thank you for it.
Be Blessed! <3