Posted on by Christian Armetta

Perfect Love

1 John 4:18-19

18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.19 We love because He first loved us.

victory

It has been a long day, but these words circulate through her mind like a broken record, “Is it really over? Do I have the energy to fight for this marriage any longer?” She musters the strength to clock out after a 12 hour nursing shift which only leads to acknowledging bottled up emotions from a broken marriage.

She finds herself driving home in “autopilot” unaware of stop signs and passing emergency vehicles because fear has overwhelmed her senses. The thoughts once implanted deep within her brain have quickly surfaced into a single person dialogue. She thinks, “Why doesn’t he love me like I need to be loved? He’s just so angry all the time! Where did it all go wrong?” Yet, this time she hears a reply, “He doesn’t love you, and you aren’t good enough.” Stunned, she reflexively slams on the breaks yet her feet never move. She is disoriented because her reality doesn’t match her emotions. She quickly pulls over to catch her breath, “Am I having a nervous breakdown?” she thinks. At that very moment fear is born and rapidly growing.

As she enters through the front door of their single story country home, she shuts the door ever so softly hoping not to be noticed. She just can’t find the strength to argue any more. She removes her shoes and slides across the living room floor as anxiety and frustration increase. Her thoughts begin to take control, “Why do I have to act like this in my own home? I’m done with him and living like this!” As she enters the bedroom, her fears quickly multiply as she comes face to face with her husband. “Why are you just standing there?” she says forcefully. “Better yet, don’t answer that. I don’t have the energy to argue with you. Just get out of my way; don’t talk to me, and leave me alone. I’m obviously not good enough for you so why even try!”

As she walks around him, her eyes are unveiled for the first time in months. She sees roses and love notes scattered across the room. Her fear is crippling and attempts to induce confusion. “Wait, um, what is all of this?” she says under her breath hoping not to cry. He takes her hand and begins to speak, “I’ve been praying and God has revealed His perfect love to me. Even more, He has convicted me, and I first want to say I’m sorry.”

At that very moment, perfect love drives out all fear from their home and the Holy Spirit is allowed to begin the healing process. Trust and mutual respect will be restored. Love and generosity replace resentment and bitterness.

God reminds us that His design is perfect. His love is perfect. In fact, He sent His Son to die on a cross to save the entire world out of perfect love and perfect obedience. What a beautiful example for us all! Dear friends, always remember that fear is a spirit, one that we should not welcome and one that is not from our heavenly Father. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” Perfect love is so powerful, Christ-centered love, that it drives out fear.

Satan is well aware that He is no match for the Father, but the evil one has convinced you, your family, your relationships, your friends, etc. that bitterness, fear, anger, resentment, and failure are inevitable. Today we say – NO MORE! Under the blood covering of Jesus Christ, we take back our families and relationships as we stand on perfect love! We shall never forget that Jesus Christ is the author of perfect love, and we will thrive on His cornerstone.

Question: Are you in a struggling relationship? How will you use “perfect love” to drive out fear?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Choice Words

Isaiah 55:8-11

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

words

Words! —This passage brought me to my knees. I have read this passage many times before, but I give thanks to the Holy Spirit for always revealing something new. We must always be reminded that the Word is — ALIVE!

Language is a coded system shared by a group for communication purposes. It’s rich, deep, and intricate. There are literally thousands of different languages throughout our world; however, there is commonality in how we produce our words. We shape both voiced and voiceless air effortlessly with various combinations of tongue and lip movements. This motor act is acoustically perceived in language form as words.

I wonder, though, how many of our words are produced with the intent to harm, destroy, or teardown. Remember, the motor act is the same…so what changed? Matthew 15:18-19 says it best, “18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” In essence, it’s a deep rooted sin nature that springs forth words that go against our Christian walk. 

Ah, it’s making sense! We have a choice dear friends! As air passes through your larynx to activate your vocal cords; as you feel your breath rising over the base of your tongue, as you begin to shape your sounds, your words have the potential to edify or to corrupt! It happens in a flash. We must ensure that our hearts are filled with the fruits of the Spirit to have any hope in mirroring Father God.

I was humbled by this passage as it states in verse 11, “My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” —– I still have to pause and take a moment! God’s words are so powerful that EVERYTHING He says and EVERYTHING He promises WILL (catch that verb)…WILL accomplish what He pleases and what He designs. God does not verbalize a plan or promise hoping that it will come to fruition…NO! There is no doubt that what comes from the Father will always be fulfilled in His will! God’s words are never empty dear friends! PRAISE GOD! 

You see, I want us to learn that God is perfection, even in His words! God does not produce empty promises! Yes and Amen. God does not produce even empty speech. He does not manipulate others with His words. He cannot lie. I could keep going, but I believe we are beginning to understand the magnitude of this passage.

So where does this leave you? We are instructed to live like Christ yet our words are tainted! Dear believer, I encourage you to speak words of life, love, encouragement, hope, faith, and deliverance. There is absolutely no room, and frankly no more time, for empty words and especially words that do not glorify the Father.

My prayer is that our words will also return to us full and fruitful as we share the gospel across the world!

Question: Do your words return void or fruitful?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Keep Going!

Galatians 6:9

9 So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.

never give up

Will it ever end? Maybe those words have crossed your mind this week. Between reoccurring natural disasters and the recent attack on innocent lives, there is a lot to mourn. In fact, The Psalmist said it best in Psalm 56:8, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

Is God paying attention? YES!

Does He care? OF COURSE!

Is He still in control? ABSOLUTELY!

What strikes me the most is learning to remain faithful through tragedy. In essence, I yearn to have a “prison like deliverance” similar to Paul and Silas. You see, they chose to pray and sing hymns while in jail…did you catch that? Did they sulk? No, quite the opposite; they were praising God and being powerful examples of Christ in the worst of environments. The best part of the story could arguably be the resultant salvation of the guard and his family…wow! It all started with worship in the midst of tragedy. Please hear me when I say that dear friends…it starts with simply focusing on Christ and humbly worshiping the Creator; the One who is ultimately in control!

You have no idea who is watching you! You are charged with being pillars and examples of the Most High! You have a powerful responsibility to praise during tragedy; start with worship and expect God to always show up! If you believe, the Spirit is willing and able! So, do not get tired of doing good! Keep pressing forward in the faith and making disciples. Remember, you are in the business of Kingdom authority.

P.S. Check out this great blogger who posts inspirational messages on life and faith in God: “Humble Mumblings” by Ali – click here.

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Sharpening

Proverbs 27:17

17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

sharpen

I am blessed to belong to the FaithWalk South Louisiana community. FaithWalk is a ministry that “focuses closely on the person of Jesus Christ and his teachings as they apply to real experiences in our daily lives.” In addition, “It is best described as an opportunity to have a spiritual encounter with Christ. Many who have attended the weekend have experienced a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Christ as they sense His love in a dynamic way.” If you are interested in learning more about this weekend, ministry, and community, please search for your nearest community and get involved.

FaithWalk South Louisiana      https://faithwalksl.org/

[Other 4th day weekend ministries include: ACTS Retreat, Discipleship Walk, Tres Dias, Great Banquet, Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis, Cursillo]

I wanted to share a profound lesson that I learned during my FaithWalk over a year ago, which was then reinforced when I worked as a servant. The devil has done a good job at convincing men that we don’t care about each other and therefore we most certainly wouldn’t be interested in developing meaningful, Christ-centered relationships aimed at building, sharpening, and edifying one another. In fact, the devil has deceived us so well, that we simply avoid each other – convincing ourselves that we are being “self-protecting.”

We think, “Why would I subject myself to judgment by a group of men? It’s easier to stay where I am.” We continue in our irrational thoughts by saying, “Men aren’t interested in ’emotional’ concepts even when it comes to Christianity; I have too much baggage so why get involved?” Our minds take us down even darker roads when we believe, “This sounds too much like high school, and that didn’t turn out very well for me. I don’t feel like being teased, bullied, or judged for my past so why try?”

Within just a few minutes of this ministry experience, doubt is erased; fear is destroyed and love WINS! You quickly realize that you are not alone. Of most importance, we must identify that there is a spiritual war on godly men. The evil one will do everything in his power to keep us apart because as the passage above states, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” I have learned that most men carry baggage from their youth and superimpose those negative experiences onto adult encounters.

For me, I carried the baggage of being the short, skinny, red-headed kid who wasn’t big enough to play football. Was I teased? – Absolutely! Did I inadvertently give myself permission to own these negative feelings? – Most certainly! You see, we define our young men by ability. Sadly, most of us carry this weight around our necks for decades. I am thankful that I was able to not only identify the devil’s ploy but to release the negative permission over my life! Yes, I’m still short; I’m still skinny; I’m now bald and only wish I had my red hair. Yet, I am a child of the King, and I’m not the only one carrying baggage!

So today, I speak directly to our godly men. Stop giving the evil powers permission over your life. Your baggage does not define you, but most importantly please know you are not alone—you are loved! The best thing you could do is release these wrongfully planted evil thoughts and seek the counsel of other godly men who can mentor you, sharpen you, and build you up. Do not run the other way. That’s the devil’s hope for you. As long as you are alone, then you are “dull.” A dull sword is not as effective as a razor-sharp weapon that had been sharpened time and time again.

Question: Are you interested in attending a FaithWalk weekend or another 4th day ministry? Feel free to contact me directly, and I will help you get connected.

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Instruction

Proverbs 9:9-10

9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.


How is our society different today than just a few decades ago? For starters, our culture is consumed with a rebellious spirit. I was always taught to say yes sir, no ma’am, and to represent my family’s name with the utmost of integrity-no matter what situation I found myself in. 

Yes, there were plenty of times when I wanted to express my dislike, distaste, or down right disagreement in certain situations. However, I always understood my position. Where do you see our current culture today? How can we glean upon the Word to develop a more mature Christian walk? Don’t get me wrong! I don’t mean pious. I pray that we stretch ourselves into the deepest of God’s understanding which allows us to be better servants! As we see in the passage above, it starts with the fear of the Lord.

We are seeing an increasingly large number of people in this world who lack this fundamental principle – fear of the Lord. In fact, they fail to demonstrate fear of anything because they are driven by selfish desires. This is true sin-nature – the essence of Satan himself. The world teaches us to please “self” at all cost! It also instructs us to step on those who disagree with us or who get in our way…what a stark contrast from the life of Christ! 

You cannot turn on the news without seeing report after report of frustration, hate, murder, abuse, injustice, revenge, and tournament. Yet, I refuse to think things are hopeless. My God is the Author of hope and while the Holy Spirit is still operating fully in this world through believers like you, why wouldn’t we think otherwise. 

Yet, we must exercise our spiritual muscles. They do not become conditioned and exhibit increased endurance without hard work and exercise. We must first fully surrender to the King. We must stop giving the spirit of rebellion and control permission to inhabit us! They must be gone in Jesus name! Then we open ourselves up to the power of the Holy Spirit through fear of the Lord. We gain wisdom and a deeper knowledge of the Spirit like never before! YES and AMEN!

I pray that the Spirit pierces your heart to dig deeper into your relationship with the Father. Start by humbling yourself at His altar! Humility and pride cannot coexist. They are always battling. Dear friends, you hold the power as granted through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. 

So today we say collectively, “Satan, you cannot have our homes and you do not have permission to inhabit my life. I fear Jehovah, God Almighty; the One who has already written your fate evil one! I will become stronger, wiser, and more powerful as I seek the Father’s will above my own. I rebuke rebellion and pride through the blood of Christ that covers me. You can’t stand in the way of this power because you were defeated at the cross. So, get behind me Satan and tremble as I worship and fear the King!” 

Question: Are you giving permission for the spirits of rebellion and control to inhabit you? How will you break the chains now?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta 

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Never Alone

Joshua 1:8-9

8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

by your side

In our current society, there are not many things that we can rely on. In fact, we are instructed to not place our hope in this world. Jesus Christ is the author of hope, faith, and love; it can never be replaced by anyone or anything.

All too often, we transfer our faith, which is designated for the Father, to people and things of this world. In fact, some of us place more hope and faith in our friends than we do our Savior – the One who came to set the captives free. What I know for sure is that your friends will disappoint you; your family will even disappoint you. Even more, the things you hold close will most certainly fail you at some point; it is inevitable.

Many of us experience feelings of loneliness and sadness when we encounter these moments of failure or disappointment…either from people, things, or yourself. I encourage you to stop placing your faith in these things. We must be still and know that God is always there. He never leaves us. As the passage above says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

If you find yourself struggling with circumstances, people, or things, place your faith in the God who never leaves you. Surrender your control to the One who goes with you wherever you go! You will begin to see your relationships and your world-view in a different light when you look through Christ-filtered lenses. Abandon your former way of thinking, a corrupt way, and place yourself under the authority of the Most High.

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 1 Comment

Blaze

James 3:2-6

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

flame

We’ve all been there…with just seconds separating the two episodes, both edifying words and destructive gossip inhabit the same space—your tongue! We have all seen the destructive power of the tongue. Sadly, many of us have been the “lingual pyromaniacs” before!

We know from science and psychology that pyromania is an impulse control disorder where an individual cannot control the urge to start fires. However, I am here today to shed light on the truth that many of us have the same impulse control disorder when it comes to controlling the tongue.

Many of us are never fully aware of how our words catastrophically impact others, situations, events, etc. We simply express negative thoughts, hurtful gossip, and wrongful lies without ever thinking of the whole impact; in fact, we feel somewhat reinforced when we are able to spread information to others, even falsely. This is true sin-nature.

Just as the passage above denotes, your “tiny spark” of negativity and gossip has great potential to set an entire “forest on fire.” To be fully transparent, I was a witness to this exact phenomenon recently. I was approached by a friend who “heard some gossip” about a local leader. These defamatory words were being shared in rapid transformation between multiple parties creating a “forest fire” of lies, hate, gossip, and division! Sadly, the information presented was not even worth sharing, repeating, engaging, etc. However, the devil used just the right people at just the right time to create a fire storm in order to destroy a leader…for what…gossip!

Let’s be real…Does the instigator know that he or she created such a mess? Honestly, probably not but that’s the point! Most of us are never fully aware. I am here to tell you that the impact is always great! Do not assume that impact is proportionate with volume. Meaning, “If I share this hateful speech, negative thought, or wrongful gossip with just one other person and it ‘stops’ there, then it won’t be so bad!” —WRONG.

The damage is done when the language leaves your mouth and travels through the atmosphere awaiting the acoustic clearing into another’s mind. Satan is granted permission to use your “spark” and create a firestorm of destruction. Dear friends, do NOT be used by the evil forces surrounding us. For starters, I strongly want to encourage each of us to focus on the cross, mind our manners, and stop thinking so piously of ourselves.

You may find that you have so much to say about others because you find yourself so important. You begin to find peace and stillness in speech when you humble yourself before the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and make you keenly aware of such sin; repent and allow the Spirit to feed you correctly. If you find that you are instigating such hurtful speech, I encourage you to extinguish such behavior through prayer and worship. Use your speech to glorify the Father, which gives you less time to focus on yourself and what other’s are doing or not doing to your satisfaction. As God is faithful to forgive, I implore you to seek forgiveness from those you have hurt as well.

Question: How are you using your words lately?…[edification or destruction]

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Whose Thought is it Anyway?

1 Corinthians 2:9-16

9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,     and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

Brain Loss

Do you really get it? Do I? After reading this passage today, I’m not so sure. I was brought to a vulnerable place after reading this chapter. The apostle Paul delivers a soul-piercing message relating cognitive processing (i.e., thinking and comprehension) with the Spirit of God. Paul most certainly would have made an exceptional neuropsychologist; yet, he was beyond the science. Paul GOT IT! This is how Paul introduced his message in the very first verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

“When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

Yes sir, Paul got it! As faithful as he was, he approached in weakness. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that Paul did not overcompensate for his feelings of weakness, timidity, and nervousness. Instead, he released it all to the Father and simply “forgot everything except Jesus Christ.” Yes—-there it is. At that very moment, in our weakest of human ability and character, God’s strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness.

There is absolutely no need to even attempt to put “self” into the equation. When it comes to spiritual matters, our abilities come directly from the Father; all others are dust in comparison. Because Paul allowed the Spirit to control his tongue, his message, and his delivery, he was able to speak wisdom that does not come from human ability—this is Spirit-led. Even more, Paul continued to explain that believers have “the mind of Christ” living within them in the form of the Holy Spirit—“For who can know the Lord’s thoughts” except the Spirit Himself?

Have we fully acknowledged, allowed, or even understood that we hold the mind of Christ deep within our soul? Again in verse 10 we read, “But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.“

Are you beginning to wrap your head around this? I have a hard enough time comprehending the deepest parts of the ocean much less the Father’s depths. In fact, it’s impossible to understand. Yet, the Holy Spirit who shows us even God’s secrets and knows the Father’s thoughts lives in me!

So, the questions now become:

Why are you blocking this Spirit-filled power?

Have you prayed for God to bless you with His greatest of gifts so that you may go forth and use them to further His Kingdom?

Are you communicating with the Spirit through prayer and Bible study so you may hear God’s thoughts?

I despise giving the devil credit for anything. However, he has done a good job in blocking us from fully understanding this power, why? The evil one is fully aware of his demise, and he knows that a Spirit-led believer is more powerful than him…only through the blood of Jesus Christ and not of ourselves! The devil truly loves a lukewarm Christian. We have in fact discussed this before. The same God who raised Jesus from the grave is living inside of you as a believer. Why would we ever want to be quiet, dim, unconcerned, and unmoved?

Sadly, most of us are simply unmoved! We hold the Spirit like He is a life-preserver. We only pull Him out when needed in times of emergency. No, let us break free from the chains of misperception and misunderstanding. Let us challenge the idea that we can’t impact a Kingdom-sized change. What is your purpose dear friend? Why do you think you are here? I pray that the Spirit will unveil your eyes!

Question: Where are your thoughts coming from? [Spirit-led or worldly]

Question: How will you seek to be Spirit-led, casting off your abilities and trading them for God’s mind and ways?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

A Gentle Whisper

1 Kings 19:11-13

11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

whisper

“Yes My child?” the Lord asserts. “I’m afraid!” exclaims the broken. “I have had enough,” the exhausted continues. “Enter My presence, and I will restore you!” proclaims the Lord. With reverent fear, the fractured soul walks to the edge. He thinks, “Is this the end of my very existence?” At that very moment, the Lord passes by causing mountains to shake, rocks to crumble, and fire to erupt!”

With jolted spirit, the humbled says, “Thank you Lord for speaking to me in such a mighty display renewing a wavering faith.” Yet, a whisper moves gently across your neck as it peacefully reaches your ear. While the earth is resting from an awe-inspiring display of His majesty, His voice, ever so softly, bends your inner ear in order to force acute concentration to His words…”I wasn’t in the mighty wind, or the earthquake, or the fire. I’m standing right next to you!”

You hit your knees as your brain begins to comprehend the magnitude not of what you witnessed with your eyes but from what you heard. You begin to understand that the Lord’s presence is strong enough to move the entire earth; yet, His voice is gentle enough to draw you away from your deepest fears, anxieties, and heartaches to a place of tranquility and peace…His gentle whisper.

My dear friends, are you watching for God to speak through a “mighty wind” or are you humbly prone listening for a gentle whisper? What a lesson in this passage!

Thought: Awake with a renewed perception of God’s voice and presence!

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Heart

1 Samuel 16:7

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

different

The world is cruel. Society is ruthless. Peers are vicious. However, as believers we are called to a different standard – a higher one! Mark 12:30-31 says, “30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” [Pause]…Did we just read that correctly? Yes, yes we did! Now who feels the conviction? Me!

I have said it before and I will say again…the world does not have a policy problem, it has a sin problem. These two commandments cut to the “heart” of our problem…love and acceptance. From a sociology perspective, we tend to gather around the norm; it’s safe and comfortable. Sadly, we then begin to point fingers at what society labels as abnormal and different. The fundamental principle is that our hearts are all the same; there are ventricles, valves, atria, and aorta. It pumps blood throughout our bodies all day and night. We truly are not that different underneath skin, muscle, and bone. Yet, Satan has convinced us otherwise.

Matthew 7:1-2 says, ““Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Not only are we instructed not to judge, but Jesus clearly states not to judge based on outward appearance. Jesus is always concerned with the heart! 

One of my most favorite examples from such a cruel account involves the crucification story. In Luke 23:41, the criminal states “…for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” The criminal continued when he stated, “42 Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Ah, this is a beautiful example of a heart judgment by the righteous One; the only One who can truly judge!

Was Jesus concerned with this man’s looks? No.

Was Jesus concerned with this man’s religious correctness? No

Jesus was only assessing the heart! We ought to be ashamed of ourselves for superimposing our judgment over what Jesus clearly states is more valuable – the heart!

So, the next time you feel the need to condemn your fellow neighbor for not living up to YOUR standards, please humble yourself before the Lord and seek forgiveness. The old adage is true, “When you point one finger at someone, there are three pointing back at you.” Do not judge for you will be treated as you treat others.  Friends, the only way to change your heart it to allow the Master in! Digging into your relationship with the Father is a sure way of living a life like Christ.

Question: Do you have three fingers pointing back at you? Then put your hand down! Instead, lend a helping hand to those you initially judge or condemn.

Thankful,

Christian Armetta