Kami: Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged...

Subject: Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged...

Or at the very least, Judge not with the black hatred you have in your hearts for those around you that you do not understand or agree with. As shepherds of the Lord, I find not a caring and compassionate family who wishes to help those who are so clearly on a thorned path. I do find, belittling sarcasms, anger filled articles and Bible thumping scare tactics. These actions are not the actions of my God. The family pictured you show do not match up with your holier than thou approach. I do not understand how people who are clearly intelligent must resort to speaking to others in such a way that it gives the impression that you think of them as less than human. I find your tactics extreme and distasteful and while I would never speak for the Lord, like you seem to do, I do question weather this way of teaching His word is what he had in mind. Peace be with you and yours,

Kami P.

In response to your Email, which won our "Most-Judgmental-Email-of-the-Day Award", I would like to cite some Scriptures in an attempt to show you that such approaches as "rebuking," preaching judgment, and warning of hellfire are Biblical way to communicate God's Word.

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and SHEW MY PEOPLE THEIR TRANSGRESSION, AND THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR SINS” (Isaiah 58:1).

"I am truly full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of JUDGMENT, and of might, TO DECLARE UNTO JACOB HIS TRANSGRESSION, AND TO ISRAEL HIS SIN” (Micah 3:8).

“And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over kingdoms, TO ROOT OUT, and TO PULL DOWN, and TO DESTROY, and TO THROW DOWN, to build, and to plant... I WILL UTTER MY JUDGMENTS AGAINST THEM TOUCHING ALL THEIR WICKEDNESS, who have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands” (Jeremiah 1:9-10,16).

“I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and GIVE THEM WARNING FROM ME. When I say unto the wicked, THOU SHALT SURELY DIE; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou WARN THE WICKED, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezekiel 3:17-19).

“Then said he (John the Baptist) to the multitude (not just Pharisees) that came forth to be baptized of him, O GENERATION OF VIPERS, WHO HATH WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance... And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire...” (Luke 3:7-9).

Jesus said, “WOE unto thee, Chorazin! WOE unto thee, Bethsaida! and thou Capernaum which are exalted to heaven, shalt be BROUGHT DOWN TO HELL: for if the mighty works, which had been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that IT SHALL BE MORE TOLERABLE FOR THE LAND OF SODOM IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, THAN FOR THEE” (Matthew 11:20-24).

"Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!, for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater DAMNATION. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the CHILD OF HELL than yourselves. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how shall ye escape THE DAMNATION OF HELL?" (Matthew 23:14-15, 27-28, 33)

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel (not Old Testament gospel) to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice (not in a soft tone), FEAR GOD, and give glory to Him; for the hour of judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountain of waters” (Revelation 14:6-7). This is the everlasting Gospel!

So you see, Kami, our methods of preaching the law of God, of provoking men to fear God, of rebuking sinners and hypocrites, of warning of future damnation, of expressing righteous indignation over the havok of sin and rebellion, are indeed, Biblical and Christ-like. Although our words might not appear loving to someone whose ears are tickled numb by easy-going preaching that tries to make sinners feel good more than they try to make sinners feel the condemnation of their Creator, our words are indeed expressions of the love of Christ for this wicked and perverse generation. He longs as we do for men to abandon their sin, their excuses, their pride and their self-esteem, and the broad way that they are on that leads to destruction, for the narrow path of holiness that leads to life. You should abandon the Jesus you've made in your image for the one found within the pages of God's Word. And He commands His disciples to judge (http://www.rightremedy.org/tracts/25).

Patrick Johnston