Emotional Healing

Pastor Yoong Ying Wah

It's a pleasure to be here this morning. A little bit of introduction. I'm married with one wife, that's important to know nowadays and two children and two grandchildren. My grandson is already 6 years old and my granddaughter is 3 plus. I've been living in Melbourne for the last 28 years.

Some churches bring me in for one whole week where I may do three sessions of counselling a day. And some churches have been bringing me in for the last 14 years. I've not come out to Penang for years and years except for the last few months I come about two times. I come not only for individual counselling but also for special meetings and weekend meetings. They also have different cell groups taking me out for breakfast, lunch and dinner and when you minister to one person, you bless everybody in the group because everybody knows that person.

An example was 2 years ago, I flew to KK after transit in KL so I told them tomorrow please no counselling because I was too tired. Just take me out for the 3 meals. So one pastor brought 3 ladies to come along and before I could start on my Char Koay Teow in KK, I felt God asking me to talk to a lady on my right.

I asked her why do you worry about money when God has given you so much money? Money should be the last thing you're worried about. Wah…she panicked and said I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be worried about money. I think I took up my mother's habit. Blame the mother. The mother was not there to defend herself. So when I wanted to start on my Koay Teow again, I saw something in my spirit and I asked why you keep scolding your husband. He's the nicest man you can ever find in this world. Wah, she almost burst into tears.

Had it been somebody I'm church telling her that she'd probably say you go and mind your own business. But I don’t know her. She said ya, I keep worrying about money so I take out my stress all on him. I spoke to one person, 4 people repented. Sometimes we think counselling we just sit down but this just saved me two hours of counselling because God just cut I'm like that.

And she had to be a very brave woman not to change after that. Sometimes we have very set ideas, so I told God I want to be creative. You'll never know what hits you. God is creative. We are the one that make God so boring. Some people go up to the pulpit and we say aiyah we know what he's going to talk about. I hope I'm not one of them.

Sometimes we have very set ideas but God is a creative God. Through the years, over 20 years, I've counselled many emotional healing on individual cases. You can't imagine the pain I come across. All kinds of depression, suicidal cases and those sexually abused people.

Then drop there I went into severe marriages issues. I've never met somebody who married to torture the other person. But a good marriage is more than just good intentions. You must know how to make it work. So a lot of people do not know sad to say but they don't ask for help. Most of the cases that comes to me already ICU cases. Incentive care. Terminal. The pulse is already about to become straight line. They try to fix it themselves so they medicate. So instead of helping themselves they poison themselves. So they end up in ICU. By the time I come in to find out what poison have they been taking and all the he wrong ways of dealing with each other.

Last few year I've also been doing ladies seminars. It's very interesting because a lot of things I don't plan. Now I'm moving into the youths too.

The youth ministry to really reset the thinking of young people. Yesterday I spoke about what it means by falling in love. What is chemistry? Examine and remove all these myth about chemistry and so on and so forth. And to give them the biblical standards of proper understanding. This world has a lot of voices for the young people. God has open the door for me to speak to the youth to readjust them. So instead of just looking at the pure beauty of a girl we should be looking at the inner beauty. The world tune the mind at the outside beauty. I always say guys, you can get the most beautiful dog in the world but if it keeps biting you, don't care how beautiful you'll still kick it away.

I never wanted to write books, but in the last few years I wrote books mainly for ladies. About emotional meltdown and how to change your husband without nagging and how to forget the past and so on. We always tell people to forget the past but how?

Two years ago one Singaporean bought my book and wanted to meet me with her husband. When I landed from KL, I saw on the cover of the Business Times was a full page of them and their family fortune. I am a simple man and don't have that kind of air. I have nothing tangible to offer them. They actually wanted intangible wealth. They realised that their tangible wealth can cover only a certain distance. God has been teaching me to lay hold of intangible wealth. Look for gems in the darkness. I was wondering what God was leading me to.

Last year in PJ, an American came to stay in a house I was staying in. He was there for 2 weeks. One night his host cannot have him so my host had him on board. And while fellowshipping he asked me about my life story. And he told me to write everything into a book and he said if I've nobody to edit for me he said to send to him and he'd pay for it to be edited. I was so shocked he was so keen on my life story.

He's a professor of missions for 36 years in charge of a doctorate programme at a seminary. Little did he know I started writing 6 months ago but halfway I stopped because I was not sure and had no bearing. It was God who sent this man for one night to come to the he house to tell me to finish it. So I told God I'll finish it. But I hated writing books because so much details.

Two days later in a cell group I asked one person if he knew anyone who could edit my book for me and he said he's a book publisher. Give it to me. I almost cried at Starbucks but men don't cry publicly. We only cry in the shower.

For many years as I counsel people one on one, some people can just fall asleep. I was offended because someone is talking and they find it boring. Then I realised that everyone who fall asleep are demonised or demon possessed. The demon would knock off their conscious mind. Because when I speak the word, it cuts like a surgical knife. When I counsel I cut like a surgical knife. I am a spiritual surgeon. I cut line upon line. Their conscious mind were knocked off so they cannot hear the words that is coming out. I don't look for demons. They will appear and knock off that person's conscious mind.

So this morning anyone feeling sleepy? Too early to do any deliverance. I always tell people when I speak nobody fall asleep. It's not that I'm very good, it's just that people dare not fall asleep.

Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

To do the work of God you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A man of the word is made at the Bible College. But the man of God is made in the wilderness. In the wilderness God destroys you. You come out depending on the Holy Spirit. But the man of God and depend on the theology. Nothing wrong with that. But too often some of us take our brain and our knowledge as God. We treat out knowledge and our mind as though it's God. No. What is bigger than your mind and all the experience that you have gone through?

 As a young boy, I grew up in Kuala Lumpur and once in a whole I'll followed my father to Stadium Negara.
At about 6.30 in the morning, when the air once upon a time still fresh. Up there I saw all these old men doing Tai Chi. As a curious young man I was wondering what they were doing. They say it's good for blood circulation as you move your arms and legs. Also it is good for self defence when your enemy attack you take his force and pushbutton away. And you are left unharmed.

We Christians may not do physical Tai Chi. But a lot of us do spiritual Tai Chi. When the word of God come from the he pulpit to you, you say that word is for this fellow, so accurate and you hope he's paying attention. What you did was when you got the word of God you pushbutton away to someone else. They will say this word is for you. This is not for me. And when they leave the service they wonder why God never speak to me.

God does not gossip to you about somebody else problem. If he speaks he speaks to you not about someone else. He loves you and wants to help you change. So tardy every word is meant for you, not for your neighbour.

How many of you come to the church to torture or intentionally give your pastor problems? How many of you decided not to grow spiritually for the next ten years? It is illogical. Nobody intentionally do all of that. We never come to church to do it intentionally. But what is the reality? Some goes from church to church and criticise. After criticising, then go to another one.

It is important to know how to administer emotional healing. Nobody intentionally want to hurt another.

There's this man who had cheese on his beard. He went to the room and he said the room smells funny. Then he went on to the kitchen and he said his kitchen also smelled funny. Then he went into the living room and even the living room smelled funny. Looks like the whole house smelled funny. So he said he better go get some fresh air. He went out to the verandah, sniff sniff sniff and he said the whole world stinks. To him the whole world stinks. It's not because the whole world stinks but it's because he did not remove it from himself. Often we have something we are to deal with and we did not remove it in our life.

What you know about yourself consciously may not not necessarily be the truth about yourself. You may not be who you think you are. In counselling I realised 95% of those who think that that's the problem is actually not the actual problem.

One time I spoke to a church at Sungai Buluh In Selangor. It's a place where leprosy is treated. Leprosy is where you do not have feeling so when you scrape yourself you don't feel it. The same with many churches. They are so wounded they don't feel anymore. They built walls and say they don't want to feel anymore. So that they can't be hurt but at the same time can't be loved. In that state they can't feel other people so when they step on other people's toes they don't even know. They are shocked and said I did not hurt you. What's wrong with you? That's because they have emotional leprosy. Who's the real you and real me?

Computer. What's the real computer? The real computer is not just the screen. It's the screen and the CPU but many think it's just the screen.

If knowing the truth brings freedom then why are Christians who is more than qualified still struggling?

Two days ago I was supposed to fly in to Singapore to help a couple. One of them the in-law asked me to go down to help their son-in-law and daughter. That son-in-law speaks in 150 countries. A big Christian organisation. And he also speaks in all the churches in Singapore. A strings of qualifications, Masters in Psychology and counselling. To him, he said he tried to fix his marriage and he said if he can't nobody can. He wanted to divorce his wife actually. He trusted his knowledge but it's more than that.

One time, God showdown me the pictures of a horse. There was this horse that was galloping on the spot. And the people asked the horse why are you running on the spot? The horse was tied by a thick rope to a stake. All Christians want to advance but because of unresolved issues, you keep galloping on the spot. Cut off the rope for people and you'll see them move forward.

Head knowledge does not change how you live life. It just change how you think about yourself. Many decisions we make is because of our unconscious mind.

Many think they think it's what they know because they read the bible. Moments of discovery comes when it expose what you know in your conscious mind and what your unconscious mind does.

Otherwise it's just head knowledge. They you just know it but you are not it. You know of it but you can't do it. You talk it but you don't walk it. Many Christians are in this kind of state. The devil is a better theologian than many of us. He has been around and even used the word against Jesus. Although he knows the word of God he's still the devil. You may know the word of God but you may not change.

You make me so angry. You make me angry when I'm a nice man. We blame others for our actions. I had this man who came to talk to me and asked me to talk to his wife so that he does not have to beat her. He blamed his aggressiveness on his wife. I was wondering and asked him why she is so powerful  can make him beat her but cannot make him love her? It is obviously not in her hands. He's blaming her for beating her.

It's the example of a tiger cage. No matter how I rattle the tiger cage, you won't hear a tiger roar if there's no tiger in there. Too many of you already have a tiger in there. God send somebody to rattle that tiger cage of yours to have you deal with that tiger in there. But we ended up blaming the messenger from God.

What is your unconscious thought? It was once your conscious thought. It was pushed aside and became unconscious thought because it was suppressed. And as Christians as you grow in the word of God that became alive in us, but so are your past issues. The main reasons why Christians failed to progress is that they often blame the devil. Too often we blame it on the devil. Because of the emotional mess in us we self destruct. Most Christians self destruct because of emotional problems never dealt with. Your wounded self.

One day a lady came to see me because she had a new found love in Melbourne. She was having an affair with a colleague. She didn't want a divorce because of a bad name to her family. But she still wants to enjoy this new found love. As I talked to her I realised she was not intending to give him up. So I had to tell her God said if you repent I will restore you but if you insists on going your way I'll let you go. All of us Christians have the hand of God covering us. The anger of God is not coming to slap your backside but to let you go. My grace and mercy kept you but it's not a license to live in sin. To sin deliberately. If you continue I'll let you go.

That lady who committed adultery suddenly called the church to complain about me. The moment God let you go, you're no longer under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

In another case a wife really hate the husband. He could not understand because he took her for a holiday and even bought her a new car. She insisted on sleeping in another room. She went to a lawyer and wanted to divorce her husband. The lawyer brought her to Christ and found her someone to guide her on what a good Christian wife should do to her husband. She learnt all those things and still hate the husband. This time worst. Now you know what you're supposed to do and you can't do it. So she became suicidal. It was tormenting.

She could not even stand the husband touching her at all. We happened to know the person who was following her up so typical of me I just asked if you've heard of any lady who doesn't want her husband to touch her. She jumped up when she realised this was a divine appointment.

So I met her and I asked why do you hate your husband? She said I hate my husband because he asked me to do banking and to drive here and there in the hot sun. I asked if I can pray for her.

Holy Spirit come and search her heart. After a while she said yes I remembered 5 years ago he did this to me so I hate him. So I prayed Holy Spirit search deeper. I remember now, 10 years a go he did this to me. Holy Spirit search deeper. And then suddenly, she just cried out.

17 or 18 years ago when they were still boyfriend and girlfriend he imposed himself on her sexually. And she said when that feeling came out it felt like it just happened seconds ago. The feeling is so real and the anger she had on him as a boyfriend then is still very much alive. So much so that even though the husband has changed to be a better person what had locked up in the unconscious she couldn't forgive him. And it came out finally.

I asked if she wants to forgive her husband and she said she always wanted to forgive him but I didn't know what it was. Now I know. So I prayed for her. She went home told the husband come back to the room. That night, Tarzan met Jane. Imagine that. But don't imagine too hard alright.

A marriage about to be destroyed because of one thing that happened a long long time ago was saved. The root was not dealt with.

Some things that hold us are personal secrets. One of the worst is sexual mistakes. You normally cannot pray it away. You need someone else to pray with you. Especially for young girls. For the young man it's enjoyment but for the girls it'll mess you up.

What you don't talk out you will act out. External things don't help you. It is important you seek help and deal with it.

Many people are corrupt in their mind. That's why they cannot get rid of it until somebody talk and pray with them.

If you wonder why you can't move forward seek help. Talk to God and God will arrange a suitable person for you.

Pastor Yoong Ying Wah praying for the congregation.

Three Questions

Rev Gideon Lee

All of us go through life with questions. Like our children who grows to a stage where they start to ask lots of questions. I think it's important we learn to ask the right questions. Today we are going to look at the first three questions in the Bible. These questions did not come in a good way because they were asked to deceive man. We want to see how we can learn from this.

Genesis 3:1-11

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The serpent asked the first question and notice how it was phrased. Eve wasn't really sure when you see how she replied the serpent. And it was not with conviction.

The Second question. God asked them "where are you?". God is still asking this same question today. Maybe to the lost or to some of you who have strayed from God.

And the third question was God asking them who told them this. When God asked the question where are you, God knew exactly where Adam was. He is God.

The serpent was very crafty when he asked Eve the first question. He is a master deceiver. He is real even though I'm not glorifying him we need to be careful. As children of God we are assured of victory.

The serpent asked Eve in a very sly and non threatening way. When God gave Adam the instructions, Eve heard it secondhand. Often when we hear certain things our brain processes it first. God gave us a brain and to rationalise things out. But after that it moves from our mind to our heart. That's when the conviction comes.

Like you have head knowledge of how you are saved. And if I ask you how do you know that you are saved it has to move from head knowledge to heart knowledge and the best answer is that you know that you know.

When God says you will surely die, yet the serpent told Eve you will not surely die. If the conviction was in Eve's heart would she have eaten from the tree? She heard it secondhand so the conviction was not there. If you ever have this thought, did God really say that? It is not from God. The enemy comes with this questioning quote. The devil has only one agenda. To come to steal, kill and destroy.

God's promises come with no strings attached even if there are conditions. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly.

The serpent knows about God's word.

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

The enemy knows the word of God. He wants us to answer him "I think". The best way to response to him is through the word of God. The serpent presents you with something that sounds like the word of God but is not the word of God. "Did God really say you cannot eat any fruit…" He did not say from this tree.

During the temptation of Jesus after fasting 40 days.  He was hungry and he asked Jesus to turn atone into bread. He knew Jesus was God and is easy for him to do that. But Jesus answered him with "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God." He was quoting scriptures. We need to know the word of God accurately. It cannot be I think this is what God say. Then no conviction already. It has to be I know God says this.

What was the second temptation? To throw himself off the cliff. The devil quoted scriptures too. He knows the Bible. Don't read the Bible from just the mind but to meditate on the word so that it is a conviction that we can live by faith.

But Jesus says do not test the Lord your God. The devil was trying to get Jesus  to work outside his authority. Jesus  never used his power for himself but for the needy.

The third temptation the devil showed him the kingdoms of the world.

The devil presents himself like the angel of light. But he is a counterfeit. He showed Jesus  an alternative, bow before him and he'll give to Jesus  the world. No need to go to the cross and suffer all that pain. Just kneel before him.

Jesus replied, worship the Lord your God and serve only him. Jesus spoke with conviction. In what area has the enemy come to you and asked you this question: did God really say so?

Did God really say that there's no other God but him? Did God really say that Jesus was born of a virgin? Did God really say that he came back to life? Did God really say that Jesus is the only way to find eternal life? Did God really say that you have come to church? Did the enemy ask you these questions? He's trying to get you to think. You have to know that you know.

When we can answer these questions with full of faith and conviction, his lies becomes powerless. You cannot rely on secondhand knowledge. You cannot come to God based on your parent's faith. Your walk with God has to be your walk with God. Someone said to me, you cannot subcontract your faith to God.

The second question God asked where are you? God asked to reconcile Adam back to him. As parents we can relate to this. Sometimes my children drink their Milo and then leave their cups on the table. They are supposed to go and wash the cups. But sometimes they forget. I know whose Milo by the colour of their cups. So what do I do? I ask "whose cup is this?" I know whose cup this is but I asked. Why? Because I want them to own up.

But they try to get away. They use somebody or nobody. Then there's that not me. When God asked where are you Adam, God knew exactly where Adam is. He wanted Adam to own up to what he's done. Sometimes we blame Eve or Adam, that we are interested his state.

The first act of redemption was the sacrifice of an animal.to cover their nakedness. God is asking some of you here. Where are you? Have you walked away from him and God is wanting your fellowship. Where are you? I pray when God ask where are you, you'll know this is a question to bring you back to him. A reconciliation question and not to punish you.

Adam answered he was naked and afraid. And God said who told you you were naked? Adam did not get it. He hid with shame. That's what sin does to us. We hide away from him. God ask you told you so. God when he look at us sees Jesus' righteousness in us.

Sometimes we do that with ourselves. We say we are not talented. Who told you? I pray we will not hide when God ask us where are you.

We sometimes wallow in our sin instead of coming to God immediately. Our relationship is restored only when we come back to God but we want to wait or hide. I encourage you to come back and be reconciled back to God quickly.

Three ways we need to avoid deceit.

1. Stay away from temptation. When Joseph was being tempted, he ran. When you like something the enemy will come and tell you it's okay.
2.  Know what God says. Not just hear but be gut sure. You have to double confirm, if there's such a word.
3. Don't hide your sin or yourself from God. When we try to hide from God we are making excuses and hiding in the bushes. He wants to reconcile with you.

There was once a famous lawyer who was dying. He was one of the best Lawyers in the country and he won almost all his cases. At his deathbed, he called for his doctor. He knew he had no time left. He called for a Christian doctor. The lawyer asked for a bible. The doctor asked why you want a bible when you're not a Christian? He said he is sitting for his final exam so he want to try his best to see if there's any loophole in the Bible. I hope you're not like this lawyer.

There are no loopholes in the Bible. There's no back door. There's only one way. God's way. Know it in your heart.

It's Okay to Cry

Rev Gideon Lee

Sometimes we can come to a place where we must be dignified because men don't cry. Psalms 6 must be read with Psalms 51 because they are Psalms of repentance. At this point of writing he was a very broken man. In his brokenness we will see how he placed his hope in God.

Psalms 6

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

3 My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

Who praises you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping

and drench my couch with tears.

7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,

for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Note that David is not saying to God not to discipline him but not to discipline him in his anger.

David was in such anguish that even his bones were in agony. This was how intense it was for him.

Verse 7 onwards show the turning point of David's repentance. Earlier he was just pouring out his heart. He turned from the negative to the positive.

Your prayers are not in vain this morning. God accepts your prayer.

Our heavenly Father loves you. The Christian life is most of the time filled with abundant life. Sad that sometimes we walk along with a papaya face. Sad face. The Bible says rejoice in the Lord and I say to you again rejoice.

But our Christian life is also sometimes a life a tears. Solomon says there are times for tears. Tears are neutral. It can be tears of joy or sorrow.

A good cry before the Lord helps us to release that tension. Tears are also beneficial for our health, it lubricates your eyes and also remove irritants. When things get in your eyes you start to tear up. Tears are beneficial for our spiritual wellbeing. Some songs as we worship and connects with God we cry because God touch us.

At Bible school there is the altar and it's a place where we soak it with our tears. There are cushions at the altar where the students go up front to cry before the Lord. It was a sacred time. I remember seeing people cry at the altar.

Part of what I do is weddings and funerals. At weddings we shed tears of joy but at funerals we can sometimes be so numb that we fail to empathise with the family. It becomes routine to you. Like doctors who are so used to treating people that we can become very rough with our words. That's why doctors are now taught bedside manners. We can become so numb to sin.

That is why I felt I should share this message not just for you but also for me. That is to not take God for granted.

David wrote this Psalms because he purposely sent Uriah to the battle front to be killed because he wanted to marry Bathsheba. The prophet told Nathan that because of what he did the child will not survive. I can imagine David was at the bed grieving for his son who is dying because of what he did.

On our day we can become numb to the call of God in our life. We can hear God speaking clearly to us and we ignore him. Or his commandments, we become numb and take it lightly. Don't get me wrong. I believe in his grace and mercy but let's not forget that he chastises those he loves. He considers you his own. Like how we chastises our children. Let's not harden our heart and take him for granted.

We become numb to the call of God, sin and his conviction. We become so cold and so hard. David was different. He wrote Psalms 6 and 51. It was not a victory shout. He was in pain and was in anguish.

David at this point was on his way back to a right relationship with God. He is not there yet but was on his way to restoring his relationship with God. But there will be tears along the way.

The type of tears are the tears of sorrow as in verse 1. Sorrow is a feeling of deep distress. God confronts our sin just as in David's life and there will be tears of sorrow. Not just on what he did but who he did it to.

Not just the act but it is God whom he sinned against. That he sinned against God and fell short. The first step is not knowing you sinned but that you sinned against God.

Psalms 51:4

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

David understood that he was sorry for what he did to God. When will we realise that we have sinned against our heavenly father. Are you ready to return to God? Remember the story of the prodigal son? He asked for his inheritance, squandered his life but came to his senses when he had to fight with pigs for food. He wanted to go back to his father's house to be a servant. He was willing to trade his position as the son to be a servant. Just as he was coming and from still afar, the father did something a Jewish man is not supposed to do.

His father ran towards his son, a Jewish man will not do that. The story of the prodigal son is about the love of the father. He hugged him and gave him a kiss. He told the servants to bring clothing and put a ring on his finger. He couldn't care less what the people were thinking. He was in full view of the people. This was what God did for us.

David also cried tears of anguish in verse 2 to 7. He was in such deep pain that his bone hurt. It was through a period. Not just immediately but it was for a period.

How many of you have been in such a desperate situation that you just cried before the Lord and you wet your bed with tears. Sin affects us emotionally, spiritually and physically.  That was what David went through.

Don't you think sin affects you physically? When we are in stress we are affected physically. Our blood pressure go up, you can't sleep, your immunity goes down and you lose your appetite. If you sleep around, it will also have consequences to your sin. Physically.

Spiritually also it will make a divide between us and God. Our relationship with God won't be as good or sweet as it used to be. 

Psalms 51:17

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

Contrite heart means crushed by the weight of sin. God's chastisement will come if we continue to sin. We can play church. I have to say this. If you continue to hurt God and sin, we will face his chastisement.

There were tears of repentance in David's heart. David came before the Lord offering a contrite heart and tears of repentance before the Lord. God will still restore David, that's why he's known as a man after God's heart.

There was this traveling evangelist and after his meeting he took a train to his next destination in the morning.

In the train sitting with him was a young man who was downcast. He looked worried and stressed.  He struck a conversation with this young man hoping to help him.

The young man opened up to him and told him his life story. He said he used to be a wild child and was a handful for his parents. He said it was so bad he punched his father. And on that day his father said as much as I love you, you can no longer stay in this house if you continue like that.

So he left the house but he said three weeks ago he got saved. So he wants to get right with his parents to see them and say sorry. He was not sure he would be accepted. So he called his father that he wants to come back. He said if you still want me back tie a white ribbon on the apple tree outside the house. If he sees it he will come down and if he do not see the ribbon, he would move on.

So he told the preacher if he could see on his behalf the white ribbon because he could not bear to see it. As the train approached he looked out and he said you don't have to worry. Not only was there a ribbon on the apple tree but ribbons were all over, every branch and fence and a big cloth with the words "Welcome home my son".

There is always a place for you to come back. God will not turn you away. If you come back to God like David there will always be reconciliation. My prayer for you is to never harden your hearts.

The Best Gift on Christmas

Rev Gideon Lee

This morning I want to talk to you about the Twelve days of Christmas. How many of you remember the Song?  On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…up to the Twelve day. Someone actually took the trouble to calculate based on those twelve days and do you know how much it would cost? Someone calculated and it would cost us RM34,000. Christmas can be a very expensive event. If you go to the shopping malls, they're trying to get you to buy stuff. To get you to buy things for Christmas.

I know Christmas can sometimes mean gifts. Take for a moment the presents that you have bought thus far. How much would you have spent? When I grew up, my family was not big on giving gifts. I don't remember getting a gift growing up. But on my wife's side it is very important. But how many of you know the gifts need not be expensive? It's nice but it need not be expensive. Not everyone of us will get an iPhone 6s. Or a Gucci handbag? The real one of course.

The greatest gift is from Jesus, God's one and only son. So it brings me to this point about Christmas. God didn't give much thought about the wrappings. He sent him to a carpenter. A working class person.

If it's me I would have chosen a better family, maybe royalty. But God sent his son to an ordinary carpenter. And not only that he was born in a manger. Joseph almost could not find a place. Imagine if I were the King of kings I would have maybe chosen the Ritz Carlton. Or E&O hotel.

And who announced the birth? Not on the tabloid or TV but by lowly shepherds. Back then shepherds were not important people. They were not rich. Politically they had no power. We always think expensive is good but Jesus' birth was so ordinary.

I need to say that it's not about the cost of the gift but it's the thought that went into it. Please don't misunderstand this, I value every gift received. But the gift that is most valuable are the gifts that have received a lot of thought when you were buying. It's the time you spent thinking about the person.

We think of what the person need for Christmas. And often it need not be expensive but the time spent thinking of it.

I want to share something. I've been married 15 years. And every anniversary, you think what can you get for your spouse. Diamond rings already bought. Wah, Sis Melinda say she has ten fingers! The dress already bought. Some anniversaries you just scratch your head on what to buy. One of those anniversary, I was thinking really hard. Then I thought of something. This is not copyrighted so husbands you can use it. On my wedding I kept everything. The invitation cards, envelopes, trimmings, everything.

My wife is not here so I can say this. I even kept the menus and the vouchers for each table. I'm an OCD. I'm quite sentimental. I had the vouchers from the hotel. I kept. I shifted from Klang so I could have thrown everything. But I kept them. So I thought of doing a walk down memory lane. So I took all the pictures, all the mementos and I went to Tesco without my wife knowing anything about this. I bought an album that you can paste things in.

From page one, I thought of what to put in. The guest list, I thought of everything. More than 20 pages and I wanted a story line. I did it all and the first time was not so nice so you know what I did? I took it out again. But the gum was not so nice anymore. So I went to Tesco again and bought two albums, the same one. Just in case. Oh my wife is here (laughs).

So to cut the long story short, I did everything and on our anniversary I gave it to her. When she first got it, no reaction. No reaction! I said dear, Happy Anniversary. She opened it, still no reaction. Page two, no reaction and she looked through the whole thing and she turned to me and no reaction. She just said thank you dear, close the book and put it in the drawer. Every guy understands what I mean right?

You have just climb the mountain and you would have expected your wife to say at least "I love you". At least a hug la. Thank you dear. I'm not saying this to embarrassed my wife. I know she love me. I appreciate her. I think what I did is not comparable to what she has sacrificed for me. She gave me four children. Your wife deserves the best. If you can give it to your wife. Appreciate your wife. Not only on Valentine's Day. We need to appreciate one another.

I want to talk about the gift the Lord gave us. It did not look impressive but God took time to send his one and only Son. In the fullness of time, God sent his only Son. He thought about each one of us and what we needed and he sent his only Son.

When he was looking at us struggling in our sins, he thought of what he can give us. If you needed riches. He would have sent you riches. If you needed wisdom, he would have sent a teacher. But on Christmas he sent the best, his one and only Son.

We could not save ourselves. He sent the best gift ever. In his coming, it may not look spectacular but he thought of us and sent his only son. He sent the best gift ever on Christmas day.

He sent his one and only Son. One and only Son. He did not have four or five, he sent his one and only Son. It was a very good gift he gave us. That's why we celebrate his birth.

So when you give a Christmas gift, remember that God also thought about us and sent to his one and only Son, the best gift ever. That's why he's Emmanuel, God is with us. God with us. As we celebrate his birth, I want us to remember he is coming back again.

When we look around us we say God please come back soon. When we look at the scripture and we know there is hope in the future. I don't know about you but we don't know what holds for us in 2016. But because of Christmas we can look at it with hope. Because God is with us.

Even as I come to an end, I pray that your Christmas will be a meaningful Christmas. For my children it's their gifts. They can't wait to open their gifts. Jayden just celebrated his birthday and all he was concerned about was his presents. He's asking when can I open my presents? Some of my children bargained with me. They said tomorrow busy so can we open our Christmas now? I said no, wait till tomorrow, Christmas day. They already segregated their Christmas presents.

My prayer is that when it's Christmas we will be like that. Not that we look forward to our presents but to look to the best gift that God gave us. The best present that you can give someone is the gift of the gospel. That the person will come to know the Lord as Lord and Saviour. This is what Christmas is all about. The best gift ever. The best gift that I can give someone. I know you have your plans for today. I'm sure you'll gather together and exchange gifts. May you remember the best gift this morning. God in the fullness of time thought of what we needed and sent the Saviour. So this morning have a blessed Christmas.

I pray you will spend time with your family. It's a time to forgive. The best time, to be reconciled. Remember God sent his only Son so that we can be reconciled back to God.

To Judge or not to Judge

Matthew 7:1-6 “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

INTRODUCTION

Do you ever get the feeling these days that if you tried to tell someone that they are wrong or caught in sin, you might be accused of judging that person? Very often you will get Matthew 7:1, “Don’t judge me!” thrown at your face. 

According to Christian author and apologist Josh McDowell, Matthew 7:1 is now the most quoted Bible verse, surpassing even John 3:16 or Psalm 23.  Politicians, children, criminals, religious leaders, businessmen, the media, gay and lesbian groups, all quote it. 

Yet it is one of the most misunderstood and misused verses in the Bible. And it has the distinction of being the favourite verse of sinners. When we point out something that is detrimental to a person’s wellbeing, we often hear: 

• “Who are you to judge me?  Didn't Jesus say, "Do not judge"? “ 
• “Mind your own business.  No one has a right to tell me my lifestyle is wrong. In fact you’re the one who’s wrong for judging.”  
• “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

In his book Tolerance Is No Virtue  S.D. Gaede says, "These days it is a scary thing to stand face-to-face with another person and suggest that his ideas may be wrong.  We don't want to violate one of our culture's deepest values, which is tolerance."

People of all ages and from every walk of life insist that tolerance is the only acceptable moral absolute. Christians who do point out evil are rebuked on the grounds that the Bible says that we shouldn’t judge. We are told to stop judging people and to be more accepting. Christians who stand upon God’s word are often seen as narrow minded, judgmental, anti-“everything” and utterly prejudiced. 

Yet the persons who tell us that we need to stop judging others has just judged us. They are guilty of doing the very thing they tell us not to do.

Making judgments is a part of life. All people do it all the time. And it’s something we must do in order to get through life. As individuals, we make judgments about where we live (island or mainland), what we eat (where is the best char koay teow), what we watch (thrillers, chillers or rom-coms), and so forth.At work we give and receive evaluation.  In business we have judge whether it is worth it to take the job or not. We judge actions, beliefs, attitudes, circumstances, places, etc. 

We also “judge” people only in the sense of an assessment. Should I trust this person or not? Should I friend this person on Facebook? 

There’s nothing wrong with Christians – or anybody – making such judgments in life. Judgment is a reality of the way the world has been designed. We cannot escape from it, and as Christians we have a calling to exercise righteous judgment (John 7:24).

But look around us. How many churches are exercising church discipline these days?  Church leaders and leaders in general are afraid to confront wrong-doing in church.  How many times have we cared enough about someone to confront them?  Nowadays believers are looking for churches that agree with everything they already believe or that make them feel good instead of finding one that regularly challenges them with the word of God?  And how often do we stand around and silently refuse to speak up for what is right?

Someone has said: “A wrong deed is right if the majority of people declare it not to be wrong.” But the reality is that the majority is not always right.

The Bible says through Isaiah the prophet: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20).

It is clear that when Jesus says “Judge not” he means “Do not judge.” The question, however, is whether Jesus forbids all judging, or only a certain kind of judging. 

There are hundreds of passages in the Bible that instruct us to speak the truth in love, to use discernment and to use our best judgments to steer our brothers and sisters from evil.  We are to guard them against the attack of the evil one and to refute errors and false teachings.

• James 5:20 (NIV) says, "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."  
• In Matthew 7:15-16 (NIV) Jesus tells us "Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them."
• In Matthew 18:15 (NIV) Jesus says "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you."  
• In Ezekiel 3:18 (NIV) God says, "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sins, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."

How can we fulfill any of the imperatives of these verses without making some kind of judgment? Thus “judge not” of Matthew 7:1 is not an absolute for all times, places, and circumstances. 

First let us look at…

WHAT IT MEANS TO JUDGE

The Greek word translated judge and judgment  is krino which means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a situation. 

F.F. Bruce, a New Testament scholar explains that judgment is an ambiguous word, in Greek as in English: it may mean:

a.       exercising a proper discernment (to consider, analyze or evaluate to reach a decision), or 

b.       sitting in judgment on people (or even condemning them). 

To illustrate the difference let us look at John 8:1-11 (NIV)

¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

When one judges, one gives a verdict of guilty or innocent. After the person is judged, he is sentenced. If judged guilty, the person is condemned (sentenced to be punished). If judged innocent, the person is set free. Thus judging and condemning are two distinct actions, related but not identical.

By telling the woman, "Go, and sin no more," Jesus indicates that she did sin. Thus the Pharisees' accusation was correct, and Jesus did not condone her sin. 

While Jesus did judge the woman, He did not condemn her. She could go free; she would not be put to death. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1). In fact, Jesus was condemned for her and He bore her punishment, that she might go free.

Thus Matthew 7 passage is not a blanket prohibition against any judgment, just against the wrong kind of judgment. Verse 6 says: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. How are we to know who are the “dogs” and who are the “swines” if we do not judge?

In fact, every believer has the obligation to test others by their fruits. In Matthew 7:15 we are to watch out for false prophets. And it is by their fruit that we will recognize them (verses 16 & 20).

Jesus wants us to practice discernment. We are to “test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22). 

It is hypocritical, prideful and condemning judgment that Jesus disapproves of and He illustrates it in the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican. 

Luke 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

A hypocrite is critical of another person in order to make himself look good or justify  their own sinful behavior or beliefs. He points out others’ faults when he has bigger faults of his own and may even resort to slandering someone they dislike. 

HOW NOT TO JUDGE

1. We should not judge based on outward appearance

John 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. (NIV)

People are often conned by con-men who deceive us by their appearance. Things aren’t always as they appear. In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Samuel was told to anoint a new king over Israel from the house of Jesse. God rejected all the sons that were present but chose the youngest – David. 

Illustration: When Susan Boyle stepped out on the stage of "Britain’s Got Talent," people laughed at her...like the scoffers in this Psalm. They made fun of her because her outward appearance wasn’t the glitz and glamour they’d come to expect. Members of the audience could be seen rolling their eyes.

But when she began to sing, her voice was like that of the angels. People’s initial attitudes about her were changed. She had an amazing voice that was perfection to their ears. The rolling eyes changed to looks of shock at the incredible talent this woman had to offer.

The resounding applause proved she had what it took to be a star. But after that they gave her a make-over!

 2. We should not judge based on human passions

Things and decisions may feel so right when they can be so wrong or unfair. Every baby is the cutest, smartest, most adorable child in the whole wide world in the eyes of its parents. 

We are swayed by our emotions and for that reason you cannot join a contest if you are employed by the company running the contest or are related to the judges. That’s how nepotism and cronyism arise. 

3. We should not judge based on personal preferences or prejudices

Judgments based on personal preferences and prejudices are often faulty. E.g., gender, colour of the skin, etc. 

Illustration: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about "the power of thinking without thinking." It's a look at how choices made in an instant aren't as simple as they seem. In one of his many examples in the book, Gladwell shows how the classical music world realized that their system for auditioning new musicians for a place in a symphony was corrupt. Though they believed their first impressions of listening to someone play an instrument were unbiased, they were quickly disproved once screens were erected between the judges and the individuals who were auditioning.

In the past 30 years, with the screens in place, the number of women in the top U. S. orchestra has increased fivefold. Instrumentalists who had previously been eliminated from consideration were now accepted. When factors like outward appearance and unconscious prejudice were removed, only pure ability was considered. Gladwell shares the story of one female instrumentalist:

When Julie Landsman auditioned for the role of principal French horn at the Met, the screens had just gone up in the practice hall. At the time, there were no women in the brass section of the orchestra, because everyone "knew" that women could not play the horn as well as men. But Landsman came and sat down and played—and she played well. 

"I knew in my last round that I had won before they told me," she says. "It was because of the way I performed the last piece. I held on to the last high C for a very long time, just to leave no doubt in their minds. And they started to laugh, because it was above and beyond the call of duty." But when they declared her the winner and she stepped out from behind the screen, there was a gasp. It wasn't just that she was a woman…. And it wasn't just the bold high C, which was the kind of macho sound that they expected from a man only. It was because they knew her. Landsman had played for the Met as a substitute. Until they listened to her with just their ears, however, they had no idea she was so good.

4. We should not judge hastily

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

Hasty judgments are often careless judgments. We jump to conclusions and they are mostly wrong. Sometimes they can be very embarassing as well.

Illustration: There was a lady in an airport who bought a book to read and a package of cookies to eat while she waited for her plane.  Well, after she had taken her seat in the terminal and began to read this book, she noticed that the man sitting one seat away from her was fumbling to open up the package of cookies on the seat between them.  

Well, she could hardly believe her eyes that a stranger would just open her bag of cookies and eat them.  He took one and ate it.  She was so hot and steamed.  She reached into the bag and took one and ate it.  Well, the man didn’t say anything. He just reached over and took another cookie.  

This woman thought to herself that she wasn’t going to let him eat all of her cookies, so she took another cookie.  When they finally got down to one cookie, the man reached into the bottom of the bag, broke the cookie in half, ate it, shared one half with the woman, got up and left.  This lady couldn’t believe this man’s nerve.  She was thinking to herself how fresh and arrogant he was.  Soon the announcement came to board the plane.

This lady got on the plane, still hot and bothered at the audacity of this man, sat down, buckled her seat belt, reached into her purse for a tissue, and there was her bag of cookies.

5. We should not judge based on insufficient or unsubstantiated facts

Illustration: There was once a widowed trapper who lived deep in the Alaskan wilderness with his 2 year old son. On one occasion their food supplies had run out and the trapper was forced to go and catch some more food. The weather outside was so fierce he reluctantly decided to leave his son behind, entrusted to the care of his faithful dog. While outdoors the weather had got even more violent and the trapper was forced to take refuge overnight in a stand of trees.

When the trapper returned the next morning, he got to the cabin to find the door open and the furniture overturned. A fierce struggle had taken place. There was no sign of his son and his dog lay in the corner looking at him guiltily, with blood all over his mouth. The trapper was deeply distressed, and quickly figured out what had happened. The dog, without food, had turned on his son and killed him. Gathering his axe from his side in a fury the trapper killed his dog.

He then set about searching furiously for some sign of his son. There was still a faint chance his son was alive. As the trapper frantically searched he heard a familiar cry, coming from under the bed. He tipped the bed up to discover his son. He was unharmed, without a scratch or drop of blood upon him. The trapper, flooded with relief, gathered his son in his arms. When he turned around he saw a dead wolf, lying in the corner of the cabin. Then the trapper realised why his faithful dog had been covered in blood. It was the one who had saved his son.

How often we can be like that trapper, quickly assuming to know the truth about a person or situation when in reality our judgments are terribly off mark.

Source: unknown

We often judge for motives, but we are not very good at accurately discerning the motives of others—or even of ourselves. 

We are to judge conduct (fruit), not motives. We can judge what people say but not why they say it. We can judge what people do but not why they do it. 

Only God truly knows the heart and understands the thoughts of a person (Rom. 2:16, 1 Cor. 4:5).Therefore, when we judge another person’s heart, we are sitting in the seat of God and taking a prerogative that alone belongs to Him. 

6. We should not judge hypocritically

In Matthew 7, Jesus follows up his warning against judgment with an explanation of what He actually means— For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you (verse 2). If we cannot hold to the standard we use, we have no business applying that standard to others. 

How would you respond to Jesus’ statement?

Response #1. Since no one can possibly live up to a high standard, no one should ever judge anyone else, since we’re all sinners. 

Response #2  We should deal with our behaviour first before exercising judgment and helping others to do the same.

Option 1 is popular in our culture that exalts “tolerance” as one of the highest virtues but Jesus is advocating Option 2 in this passage where He continues by saying:

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.

First of all, judgment should be withheld by people who haven't dealt with their own faults. Oh, how we conveniently forget our own sins! A father rebuked his daughter for the clothes she was wearing. Meanwhile he was addicted to pornography. 

The focus should not be on the "speck" in another's eye, but first the "beam" in one's own eye. An object that is nearer to the eye appears larger than one that is further away. Thus we should be more concerned about the fault in our life than that is someone else’s life.  So deal with your flaws first before you start pointing out the faults in others. A classic example is King David. 

Secondly, Jesus pointed out that it is only after correcting one’s own behavior that one can see clearly enough to make adequate judgments and help anyone else correct his/her own behavior. The scribes and Pharisees were blindly self-righteous while condemning everyone else.

There is a human tendency to see ourselves in others. If we are arrogant, we tend to see arrogance in other people. If we are cruel, we tend to suspect cruelty in others. We ascribe to them bad intentions and evil purposes that may not be true. By doing so we also reveal something about ourselves, for the faults we see in others are actually are reflection of our own. As long as we hold to our own faults, we will see them in everyone else.  

SO HOW SHOULD WE JUDGE? 

John 7:24, NKJV Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

The positive part of this verse makes it clear that we may judge, but when we do so we must judge righteously.

1. We should judge according to the Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The Word of God divides between truth and error, right and wrong, fact and fiction. If we are to judge righteously we need to judge by the righteous standard of God's Word. It is there we find "instruction in righteousness." As a standard of righteousness, it is also the medium for "reproof" and "correction." 

The Bible shows us what’s right, what’s not right, how to get right and how to stay right. We need to be like the noble Bereans who "...searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11).

Christians are to judge or "call into question" those things that clearly contradict God's principles. In 1 Corinthians 2:15, the apostle Paul said that those who are spiritual should judge and discern all things.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but the conscience of the state." Serving as the conscience of the people has been one of the primary functions of the church since its conception. Scripturally, we are commanded to differentiate between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and error, light and darkness. We are to judge according to the truth.

Regarding moral issues that destroy lives and dishonor God, we are to judge ("call into question") behaviors, choices, and lifestyles that lead people to destruction, especially if these issues are to become social policy and legally sanctioned.

When Christians persist in sin, they are to be judged by their fellow Christians (1 Cor. 5:9-13).

When Christians come in conflict, some wise man should be found to judge between his brethren (1 Cor. 6:1-5).

We should not reserve judgment when faced with clear manifestations of evil. Jesus reprimanded the church at Thyatira (Rev. 2:20). We must not compromise on doctrine. 

2. We should judge ourselves before we judge others

We are often blind to our own faults. We are to tend to our own behavior and attitudes before attempting to help anyone else. If we attempt to judge before others, our judgment will be flawed by our own “splinters.”  This was the problem of the Pharisees. 

How often do we listen to a message and say that it is meant for someone? Believe me, if the Lord wants that person to hear the message he will be here! 

One author notes --

"Christ gives us the right to help others after we have straightened out our own lives. He did not say that it was wrong for you to help your brothers or sisters get rid of their sins; but He did say that first you should take care of your own sin. In other words, we should be as severe with ourselves as we are with others."

Again we look to God’s word “that is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12)

We are to examine ourselves before Holy Communion. Daily confession and repentance is good for the soul. 

3. We should judge redemptively 

Forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration assumes a previous negative judgment that is superseded by the extension of mercy towards another. 

It is easy for us to go overboard with our judgments and become unduly harsh.  It is all too easy for us to focus on the negative and destructive instead of on the positive and redeemable characteristics of others.  

John 3:17 (NIV) says, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

This is a good measure of how godly we are. When we have to judge do we condemn or do so with love and with mercy.  Do we judge to gloat or gossip or to reconcile, restore and renew. Our goal is a judgment that leads to repentance. 

   

The Bible says, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently"(Gal. 6:1)

If we say we love our brother or sister can we see him or her going down the path of destruction aund still keep quiet?

CONCLUSION

1. All of us make judgments. It is part of life. We cannot not make judgment.

2. We should not judge superficially, out of pride, a feeling of superiority or in a condemning manner.

3. We ought to deal with our own sins before looking at anyone else’s. Let us first check ourselves against the mirror of God's word and concentrate on our own repentance of sin. Without this, we have no place in helping another brother or sister. Neither are we in a place to tell others how sinful they are acting.

3. We should judge righteously. Our foundation is the truth of God’s Word and not our own philosophies, preferences and traditions. Having the right foundation will help us to know the difference between truth and lies as well as right and wrong. Our authority is, “Not I say, but the Lord.”

4. There is a value judgment underlying every decision we make, even when we do nothing. Silence means consent. Therefore, to take no position is to pronounce an affirmative judgment. For example, tolerance of adultery is implicit acceptance of it. 

5. No one should ever let himself/herself be shouted down by cries of “don’t judge,” or accusations of being “self-righteous.” Such quotes are often used out of context and as a pretext for defending ungodly behavior. It is God who judges based on His word.

6. We ought to judge righteously even if it brings upon us the ridicule and contempt not only of the world, but also of many who call themselves Christians. To make righteous judgment will not make things easy for us in this life. 

7.  Our judgment should be redemptive in purpose. Loving one another includes “admonishing one another” (Rom. 15:14). We are to speak the truth in love, not in condemnation. We are to go with all humility, grace and mercy, not arrogance or self-righteous pride. 

“Judge not” isn’t a call to overlook sin; but to address it for the right reasons, from the right foundation and with the right attitude – a concern for the other person’s welfare, not my own satisfaction. 

Proverbs 27:5, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

May we be bold to confront when necessary. May we always be willing to come along side and bear their burden with them.