Charitable Judgments

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.’
-Proverbs 18:21

"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.’
- Matthew 7:1-5

‘For we all stumble in many ways….’
- James 3:2

‘If we are not loving our neighbors in the normal course of things, how will we ever do it when the stakes are much, much higher?’
- Paul David Tripp, War of Words, p. 166

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I’ve seen relationships destroyed because ill thoughts had been harbored from one party toward another. I have jeopardized and lost friendships because of my lack of love and my lack of genial deference toward others. The fact of the matter is that we are sinfully hard-wired to be suspicious and disparaging. More often than not our first thought is not charity, especially for those who are different from us. The corrosive effects of uncharitable judgments are like battery acid to the soul. They eat away at the most tender parts first and then form a callous all around. Soon our thoughts and then our speech become poison both for us and for others. It seems as if there is no escaping it. At points we may think we have a handle on it and then out of nowhere, there it is…an unkind word, an off-handed comment, or a tidbit of gossip. Truth be known we have no inherent power to change. We have no humanly possible remedy for uncharitable judgments. The war against these sinful habits must come from outside us. Thankfully, God has spoken a charitable judgment over us, but this not before he pronounced a severe judgment upon His Son. Christ died as a penalty for our uncharitable judgments. He received the just judgment of God due us and now He pronounces, not judgment, but benediction upon us. And in His benediction upon us He not only calls us to charitable judgments, but He gives us the power to make them for others.

Because of Christ I desire to make all judgments charitable judgments.

Pastor Dan

Abiding and Fruit-bearing

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
-John 15:4-5

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
- John 15:8

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Over the last several months we’ve planted a number of trees (both fruit and evergreen}, and a number of blueberries, and in recent weeks a small garden. Each is doing well. The fruit trees have new leaves and blossoms on them. The evergreens have doubled in size and have tufts of new growth at the ends of the branches. The blueberries have new small blossoms. And the garden is now taking off with new growth from planted seeds. Each plant is part of the whole and to remove any parts of these plants from their source is to invite death. A branch can neither grow nor bear fruit by itself. A branch by itself will not only not bear fruit, a branch by itself will die. Living in vital and vibrant union with Christ will bring fruit. The Christian faith is built upon a relationship. That relationship has been won by Christ in His redeeming work for His people, but it looks like a relationship nonetheless. In the gospel God has restored, even surpassed, what was lost in another garden. It was in this first garden that sin brought misery and separation. Man wanted autonomy and aloneness. The vine and branches seemed irreparably severed, but God, the great Gardner, has restored what no man ever could. The vine and branches are once again joined and it is here that relationship and the fruit-bearing of being joined again to Christ exist and blossom and grow. Fruit-bearing is proof that we are connected to Him and we belong to Him. A vibrant relationship with Christ brings fruitfulness in our lives. Fruit-bearing demonstrates we are connected to the life-giving vine. In bearing fruit we prove to belong to Him as His disciples.

Desiring new growth and an abundance of fruit with you,

Pastor Dan

Redemptive Proclamation

‘I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’
-Genesis 9:11-13

‘So Moses went down to the people and told them. And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’
- Exodus 19:25-20:2

‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
- Luke 3:1-6

‘For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
- Romans 10:13-15

‘The first and greatest work of ministers of of Christ is acquainting men with the God who made them; He is the source of their blessing. We should open up the treasures of His goodness for them and tell them of the glory that is in His presence, a glory that His chosen people shall enjoy.’
- Richard Baxter, quoted in Preach the Word, p. 127

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Surrounding the redemptive events found in Scripture there is proclamation. Either before, after, or both, God helps us by interpreting the redemptive event through human means. Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, Matthew, Mark, Luke John, Peter, and Paul were all ‘proclaimers’ of redemptive events. God graciously brings redemption and then interprets it for us so that we may understand. One of the great gifts God gives to the church is that of interpretation and proclamation. We are the recipients of good news proclaimed. God has provided redemption for us and His desire is that we hear the good news about it. Week after week we have the privilege of hearing the proclamation of redemption. God has reconciled us to Himself through the redemptive work of His Son and His ‘proclaimers’ bring us this news. We bear witness, by our hearing and assent, to God’s great plan of redemption.

May we have ears to hear and hearts to believe the redemption proclaimed.

Pastor Dan