A Great Judge Without The Punishment!

Hey It's 2012 Everybody, and Time 2 put away the failures of 2011,
look toward the manifest successes of this new year, launch out into
the deep, jump outta the boat, walk on water, go where no human
has gone before ... thus the reason for the new header above! And
in that spirit of adventure, I introduce to you this new blog.


A GREAT JUDGE WITHOUT THE PUNISHMENT!

Now, in the world of internet/cyber=speak, ALL CAPS usually means

SHOUTING!! Perhaps it is well-intended then, to get my point across ...

for this topic, this TITLE is one that should be shouted . . . from the rooftops!

God, or at least the concept of God, has been very maligned throughout the

ages, and particularly in our "post-modern, post-christian" world. Beliefs and

doctrinal systems and religions abound, in the hearts and minds of many.

Countless commentators have been critical of God's methods of dealing with

nations & peoples, critical of his judgments and supposedly destroying this

bunch and that bunch and wiping out mankind etc etc etc. So whenever

someone TRIES to describe God's true character, they often get laughed at.

One would have to be naiive to believe that all of mankind, or even all of

Americans believe in the same God as I do. Or the same Christ that you & I do.

Let me go further. You see (and my apologies to those of such persuasion), I

was raised Catholic, from birth and for a portion of my childhood. I went to Catholic school

for the first 5 grades, and had to, I mean had to go to Catholic mass every day

for those 5 years. Or at least, it seemed like everyday.  And even after my folks

moved across town, and thrusted me into a public school (6th Grade), many

masses after that. I was still in the thick of it for many years hence.

Anyway, I was indoctrinated.

They pumped their religion into my subconscious, overtly and subvertly over time.

And at home, I was also indoctrinated. As a kid I never questioned the authority

or reasoning of my parents. Their words were like "gospel truth" in my brain, lodged

in there almost permanently. There to guide us and correct us no matter what we did.

Later, as an adult, I could hear their words booming out to me through the auspices

of my subconsious. It took many years to figure out what was happening.

We kids never  were told that our parents were imperfect or might miss it here or there

on points of truth. We were told to do "whatever we were told", with a sort of implied

"or else" clause added thereto. To add to this, there were the specific doctrines of my

mother, who believed in the principles of "luck, bad luck" etc. and that you were duly

punished whenever you screwed up. Now ... I'm not talking about consequences for

SIN, that be a totally different subject! I'm referring to taking the "doctrine of punishment"

with you into your adult years ... and being trained subliminally that "bad luck" is the lot

of he who doesn't do according to the religion, or according to the family doctrines or mantras.

It has taken me this long ... over 50 years to discover certain hidden truths, specific revelations

regarding this so-called "bad luck policy" and the Punishment doctrine attached to it. Some

people today don't believe that there are actually "witches" who can target a person and wreak

havoc in their lives. Some of those same people don't believe in "curses" or that someone can

actually be cursed by another, and experience extreme hardships. BUT most people know of

or heard of or have witnessed cases of "bad luck".  I.E. "So and so is having a run of bad luck

this week ... I feel sorry for him".  And so it goes like that. Most people can see or recognize

"bad luck" and feel sympathy towards another.

What about Abraham & Sarah?? Did God come down on them "hard" and punish them severely or out-of-the-ordinary with the whole Ishmael episode? "Oh, they missed God!" 

No, they really didn't! That's the amazing thing about God! His promise was still good, and ISAAC still came forth! And how many other stories could I site, that mention God giving someone a "second chance"?

Religion will tell folks that are divorced, "See ... you blew it. Now you can't remarry, that would be

adultery" and blah blah blah. Religionists don't and never will understand grace & mercy or compassion which the Scriptures say God is FULL OF . . . but you still have this sector of society that believes God (or some deity somewhere) is out to punish you! So watch out! Hmmmm ... perhaps some negative persons are sending the punishment ...

. . . and it feels very controlling to have to live your LIFE by a set of rules anyway,

when Jesus said that only 2 were vital ... Love God and Love Your Neighbor

as yourself!  I would challenge any doubter to search and do a word study on how God is  

"rich in mercy" and how "GOD IS LOVE" and juxtapose that next to all the places he judges and disciplines! His judgments are designed to purge us, to make us better people in His kingdom. But to see Him simply as The Almighty Judge who punishes, and not the God who saves, heals, delivers, restores and makes NEW,

well, it's just not commensurate with His true nature and character! 

I had a friend recently ask me if God is punishing him for something, due to all of the crap he's going thru ... lost his sister, brother in trouble with the law though totally innocent, his own physical ailments etc. and I told him a resounding NO!

To have a relationship with a JUDGE who is always punishing you, even though you don't know why, is NOT  The God of This Universe. Besides, I know that guy's heart, God showed me ... and told me "No, I'm not causing any of that!" It is frustrating for some people to worship a God like this, when they've also heard he's a "God of Love" ... it confuses them and makes them angry. They end up lashing out, simply because of ignorance and wrong teaching.

And if God IS Love, then his desire is for his creation, his children to prosper, be successful and to be  filled with joy and fulfillment, because that's what HE IS. To link a relationship with him as "punisher/judge" is to miss the whole point of The Cross! And furthermore, I am tired of those discussions that make GRACE out to be something fragile, as if it can be abused! When Grace is working in someone's life, it's a POWER FROM GOD, to transform them ... you won't want to do the awful things you did before ... you won't want to go out and "sin" to see how much you can get away with . . . your desire will be to please the One who now holds your heart, and that same Grace is The Power  to blast you out of every bondage, or even out of every "hard luck" scenario!

Summation of the story? Yes, I did get delivered from all that "bad luck" junk that was foisted upon me and from all the spongy doctrines that I was taught as a kid. And from all the effects of stupid wrong teachings that hurt me and poisoned my insides.

Does that mean "I have arrived!" ?  

No, I'm still on the Journey.

And hope, you'll be a fellow traveller, too.

I close this blog with a reading from Pastor John Lynch.
Peace Be with you all!

TONY

The New Testament Gamble

  by John Lynch (True-Faced), The Cure

- What if I tell them who they are?
- What if I take away any element of fear of condemnation, judgment or     rejection?
- What if I tell them I don't keep a log of past offenses, of how little they pray,

   how often they've let me down, made promises that they don't keep?
- What if I tell them they can stop beating themselves up?

  That they can stop being so formal, stiff and jumpy around me?
- What if I tell them, even if they run to the ends of the earth and do the most horrible,  unthinkable things, that when they come back, I'd receive them with tears and a party?
- What if I tell them that they don't have to put on a mask? That it is OK to be who they are at this moment, with all their junk. That they don't need to pretend about how close we are, how much they pray or don't, how much Bible they read or don't?
- What if they knew I will never, ever use the word punish in relation to them?
- What if they knew that when they mess up, I will never get back at them?
- What if they were convinced that bad circumstances aren't my way of evening

  the score for taking advantage of me?
- What if they knew the basis of our friendship isn't how little they sin,

  but how much they let me love them?
- What if I tell them they can hurt my heart, but that I never hurt theirs?
 {The New Testament Gamble by John Lynch}