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Ever read one of those books where they tell the ending first, then jump to the start of the story and work up to that ending. This subject warrants that. So without further ado, let's start or in other words end, and then lead up to that. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judging and Gossiping is WRONG. Some might even outright say bad, evil, contemptuous, arrogant, bias, and the list could go on for a mile and more. Why then do so many do it? Perhaps making others look lower than themselves they build themselves up in their own eyes. Perhaps they feel it is their job, right, priviledge. God is everyone's judge and all others fall pail in comparison to him. When we judge and gossip or mock others, we are sitting in God's seat of judgment, that is why it is so WRONG. Why is it wrong? That is simple. Let’s look at Matthew 22:37-40, “37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Notice the last verse does not say, law OF the prophets, BUT instead says AND the prophets. Let’s stay with Matthew 22 for a minute. What is happening here is that Jesus has verbally through debating beaten the Herodians and Sadducees. He has silenced them by showing they have been falling short. Then here comes the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a religious-political group. They wanted the Kingdom of David restored and brought back into power to remove Rome from the country. As a religious group, they could join with the Herodians, but vehemently opposed the Sadducees. Kind of reminds me of the Democrats and Republicans of today. In today’s terms, the Pharasees would be the Conservatives and the Sadducees were the Liberals. Like the other two groups though, they were all out to trap Jesus. So they sent their expert in the law, their lawyer, their representative, to pose a question to Jesus and he asked, Matthew 22:35-36 “ 35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?.” He replied saying the first commandment to love God completely was the most important. But he did not stop with that. He followed with the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. He was saying, you fool, in trying to trap me, you have broken the 2nd commandment. You do not love me as you do yourself. These 2 commandments actually summarize all of the Mosaic Law (Law of Moses). If the Pharasees were totally honest, they would have admitted then that they had fallen short and the law can not save them, but they need a Savior. You see, when we gossip and sit in judgment of others. We too are like these Pharisees. We will fall short every time. My Father’s most important command is to love him with all my heart. In loving Him, I have to follow his other commands. I do not follow them because it is a law, for Jesus took the yoke of the law off our shoulders. I follow them because I love my Lord (the first commandment). In closing, I want to use one of my favorite scriptures. As a writer, I like to think that if a verse is put in the first Chapter of a book, it must be important. Furthermore if it is in the first verses of the first chapter, it has to be very important. Let’s go to one of the most popular books of the Bible and look at Psalms 1:1, “1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” I put scornful in red because it means not only to scorn, but to mock or to gossip. Many years ago, I was working as a locksmith. Guess those years as a juvenile practicing magic paid off. I wasn't a Harry Houdini, but was becoming more skilled everyday. I went on a call to rekey a lock on an apartment for a business. When I took the invoice to the owner, she asked me if she could ask me a question. I nodded and she said, “There is a lady that comes in here a few times a week. She is a church goer, but she is always putting down homosexuals.” She continued, “I don’t believe homosexuality is right, but I also don’t think God wants us putting others down and talking about them behind their back.” I asked her to excuse me and proceeded to get my Bible from my car, then opened it to the above verse and let her read it herself. She then pointed to a lady a few feet away and whispered that was her. While going to my car, she had come in the store. I took my Bible and said louder than necessary so the lady would hear too, “I don’t think homosexuality is RIGHT, but God says…(I read the verse)” and then said, I think those that mock them and gossip about them are just as bad or worse.” The lady gave a humph type sound and left the store. Ok, I know I was not right in trying to make that lady feel bad that came in and it was many years ago when I was weaker in my walk, but perhaps she was the modern day Pharisee and my rebuke was in some way similar to how Jesus rebuked them in His day. I pray daily that my walk and yours get stronger everyday and I hope and pray that this post helps us all to be more like Jesus and not the gossipers, mockers and judgmental people of the world. Blessings, Michael Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 4 : Go to Church Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 3 : Sin and Repentence Christianity for Dummies: Chapter 2 Salvation Christianity for Dummies: Prologue and Chapter 1 : Praying In the Heat of the Night: Testimony Chapter 4 Judging and Gossiping , Commitment and Covenant: For All (Part 15, 16 and End) Commitment and Covenant: For All (Part 13 and 14) , Commitment and Covenant: For Men (Part 11 and 12 ) Commitment and Covenant: For Men (Part 9 and 10 ) , Commitment and Covenant: For Women (Part 8 ) Commitment and Covenant: For Women (Part 7) , Commitment and Covenant: For Women (Part 5 & 6) Commitment and Covenant: Relationships (Part 4) , Commitment and Covenant: Relationships (Part 3) Commitment and Covenant: Relationships (Part 1 & 2) , Walk the Walk Self Esteem....and the 8-Cow Wife , I am a Christian…So What Now? Communicating According to the Scriptures , Friend vs. Spouse Christ in the cells of our body. , The Love-Hate list |
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 6/27/2008 10:39 am |
Sin is sin but particularilay distastful to the Lord is self righteousness. We can do nothing without the Lord! He grants faith, repentance and salvation! His blood only is worthy!  Isaiah 42:8 " I am the Lord; that is my name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images."
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6/26/2008 6:14 pm |
Yes, gossip is wrong and sometimes it is best to just stay away from those that engage it regularly so as to avoid getting snared it in yourself. Judgment can be obvious, as in the examples you mentioned, and also a little less obvious...for instance what do you do when a friend doesn't return your call when they said they would? Do you rush to judgment, get irritated at them...or do you give them grace, the benefit of the doubt that there might be a legitimate reason for the oversight? I am so much better at avoiding the obvious...it is those subtle little judgments that trip me up sometimes...but thankfully my loving Father gives me a nudge and reminds me not to judge. Only God knows hearts and motives...but it is so easy for us to try and second guess those...and in effect we end up being guilty of judging others. Yet I think God is as displeased with that as He is the vocal, obvious judgment and gossip. He is no fool if he should choose to lose the things he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose.....Jim Elliott Deena 
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6/26/2008 3:33 pm |
Reading your post reminds me of the saying to hate the sin but love the sinner. Thanks for this reminder  Karen The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. - Fredrick Buechner
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6/26/2008 11:23 am |
Thank You for the reminder. GOD BLESS YOU.
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6/26/2008 10:42 am |
Excellent post, thank you for sharing. Off-topic, some years ago I was shopping in West Vancouver, brought my goods out to my car and promptly broke my car key in the driver's side door lock. I needed help ... so I proceeded to call some locksmiths in the area. Just my luck!, the only time I needed a locksmith in my entire life was on a night when all the locksmiths in the city were busy at, what else, a locksmiths convention!!  Save a life, please adopt your next pet from a shelter, pound or rescue. "Iron Chef Bobby Flay, willing to sacrifice life and limb all in the name of flavour!". Alton Brown "I'm disturbed, I'm depressed, I'm inadequate, I've got it all!" George, "The Visa". "If your actions speak louder then words, you're not yelling loud enough". Stephen Colbert
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6/26/2008 10:33 am |
Amem Amen and Amen Yahweh is my light and salvation.  
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6/26/2008 9:38 am |
Gee, I would say all us poor sinners on the blogs have been guilty of that one....in the church too! I am so glad for Jesus and his precious blood that he shed for us.....no one would be in heaven without his wonderful so indescribable irresistible grace! Praise Jesus for all eternity...aren't you glad that he forgives us cleanses us and covers us in his righteousness? I sure am! Isaiah 42:8 " I am the Lord; that is my name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images."
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