Daily Devotional for Sunday October 20, 2019

Judging

(Matthew 7:1)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, help me to be a blessing to someone I meet today. Help me to not be so self-absorbed that I miss the opportunity to be a good witness for You. Today, I yield myself to You. Use me for Your glory! In the name of Jesus...AMEN!!!

***THE DAILY LIVEPRAYER TV NUGGET: In an Oklahoma church, several in the congregation literally held down a young man who was engaged in sexual sin with other men, demanding he repent and renounce homosexuality before they would let him up. This is how Muslims convert people to Islam. They put a sword to their neck or the barrel of a gun against their head and demand they accept “allah” and become a Muslim or they will be killed. God gave us freewill to make choices. We CHOOSE to obey His Word and we CHOOSE to reject His Word. Do you notice God doesn’t force us to choose Him? He wants us to love Him out of our own heart. You can’t force an alcoholic to stop drinking, or a drug addict from not using, or a gambling addict from making a bet, or someone in bondage to sexual sin to follow the Lord’s Word regarding sexuality. IT HAS TO BE A CHOICE EACH PERSON MAKES IN THEIR OWN HEART! We pray for a person to turn from sin, we encourage them through God’s Word, and we talk to them about the consequences of our choices. Forcing a person through any type of coercive means doesn’t change behavior. A person has to make that choice in their own heart. Pray for those you know who are in bondage to sin to turn to the Lord and find His strength and His love to choose HIS WAY!

*Don’t miss the Liveprayer TV program, airing “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

Judging others. This is a verse that many use incorrectly, and I want to take a moment today to clarify what Jesus said when He shared this great truth during the Sermon on the Mount. Because I have never been afraid of calling sin exactly what it is when I share the TRUTH of God's Word with you, I get several hundred emails daily from people telling me that I have NO RIGHT JUDGING OTHERS.

The fact is, what I do in the course of this Devotional each day is NOT judge anyone, but simply expose people, events, and issues in our society in the context of encouraging you in your daily relationship with the Lord.

MATTHEW 7:1 IS SPEAKING OF THE FACT THAT ONLY GOD KNOWS A PERSON’S HEART IN REGARD TO SALVATION. HOWEVER, AS A CHRISTIAN WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO JUDGE A WHAT A PERON SAYS OR DOES BASED ON WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES!!!

Those who God has called into spiritual leadership must NEVER, EVER, shy away from calling sin sin. Those who commit acts of homosexuality or fornication are sinners. Not because we say it is sin but because God says it is sin!!!

Anyone who takes the time to read ALL of what I write each day, know that I ask people to pray for those who are lost and without hope. I always encourage people to PRAY FOR those who choose to engage in sinful sexual acts. I often use examples of real people in this world that we live in to drive home the point that I am making to YOU each day in relationship to your personal walk with the Lord.

I love you and care about you so much. I am not nearly as concerned for my own personal well-being, as I am for your ETERNAL well-being! THAT is why I do what I do each day. I will NEVER be silent. Pleased know today that Jesus was very clear about his admonition to "not judge others.” But never take that to mean that we have to turn our heads to sin and not speak out about what GOD declares in His Word!

We are living in the last days. The war between TRUTH and LIE will become more pronounced. Those who know Christ, who have found His forgiveness, know that HE is the ONLY WAY. I judge no one’s heart, only God can do that. But the Bible clearly says that "you will know a tree by the fruit that it bears". THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH CALLING A ROTTEN APPLE....A ROTTEN APPLE!!!

God will judge ME if I am silent!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller