Meaning of Judgment

The favorite mantra of many today is "don't judge me." There are those who insist that a Christian has no right to judge and that any judgment of another is unchristlike. I was discussing this with one of my classmates and he brought out a good point. There is more than one meaning to the word judge. To judge can mean both "to pass sentence on" and "to discriminate or discern between."
If one is using the first meaning then it is certainly true that no human can decide the ultimate fate of another. Our understanding of the facts is limited. Ultimate heaven and hell judgment will be left up to God. Each of us will one day stand before the Creator and give account for the things he or she did while on earth. According to scripture, some will enter into eternal rest and some into eternal judgment on that day. As a Christian, I believe the criteria of who will enter into eternal rest (and who will not) is set out in the word of God. Those who have been born again, and lived a faithful Christian life, are promised the joys of heaven. The unregenerate do not have that promise. Only God will be able to decide on that day who is allowed into heaven and who will go to hell. Our understanding of the facts of each case it too limited to make such a judgment. God is not unfair, however, and the decision will be made based on the path to salvation he has laid out for us in his word.
The second meaning of judgment is to discriminate or discern. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is discernment (I Corinthians 12:8-10). Any manager knows that he or she will one day have to make a judgment call. One does not do this based on his own opinion but according to company policy. Every company has a manual somewhere that tells what is and is not allowed on the job. No one questions a manager's right to decide who is right in a dispute, even if they do not agree with her decision. A managers job often requires that he make a judgement. We make judgments on a regular basis while driving. Do I have time to merge or should I let that car pass? Should I beat this yellow light (not a good idea) or sit through a red light? These are judgment calls and a skilled driver will take them seriously. The same is true in one's relationship with God. Everyday I am called on to make a judgment. Is this music good for my spiritual life? How should I respond truthfully without being critical or sharing gossip? Is this preaching according to scripture or is this man stating his own opinions? All of these are judgments that a Christian can and must make to ensure her life is in line with the word of God.There is nothing wrong with making the statement that someone's lifestyle is contrary to the Word of God. Although these comments are not politically correct, they are necessary to practice Biblical and spiritual discernment. So is a Christian supposed to judge? The answer is absolutely YES! While I can not and would not wish to decide someone's eternal fate, I must constantly practice discernment while on this earth.

Sincerely,
Spanish Pastor Jones

The Song of Humpback Whales

Psalm 148: 7 - Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths.

The King James Bible says in Psalm 148:7 that the dragons praise God. Dragons? Aren’t those mythical creatures that breathe out fire and smoke? Is the Bible really saying that dragons existed at one time? While our God is certainly capable of creating such a creature, this is not the intended meaning. The NIV translates the Hebrew word into English as sea creatures. So the sea creatures praise God? That makes more sense, but is it verifiable? Do the creatures of the sea really praise God or is this just the whimsical writings on an ancient poet? Let’s consider the evidence.

Today we know that Humpback Whales do indeed sing beautiful, intricate songs that can last up to 30 minutes. Katy Payne, a marine biologist and musician, has spent years recording the sounds of Humpback Whales. Being a trained musician, Katy first used computer programs to chart the melodies and rhythms she was hearing in the recorded sounds of the whales. Over time she realized that it is only the males that sing, and that their songs are not random. The male whales will at times all sing the same note together. At other times the rhythm, pitch, and variation of a song will change while one male leads the singing. Katy has memorized some of the music and recorded her own voice singing the notes along with the whales. It is truly remarkable to hear.

I first stumbled across this information about the whales’ singing from a passing reference in a magazine article. I am currently taking a class on Biblical Apologetics, the branch of Christian Theology that attempts to show the historical and scientific reliability of the Bible, so I was intrigued. As I studied the information about Humpback Whales and their singing I was reminded again of the majesty of our God. The lyrics of an old song come to mind as I ponder this:

Walk with me in a forest where the wild beasts trod, and then tell me again there is no God.

Certainly there must be a God who created the earth and everything in it (Acts 17:24). God could have created a bland world with drab, gray colors and no music. But our God loves beauty so much that he gave the Humpback Whales one of the most beautiful songs on earth. Aren’t you glad to be serving a God like that!

Awed in Worship,

Sullivan Jones

References

http://www.npr.org/2015/08/06/427851306/it-took-a-musicians-ear-to-decode-the-complex-song-in-whale-calls

Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

I John 5:3 – His commandments are not burdensome.

Have you ever heard that you shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition? This was told to me in school and it didn’t make sense to me then. It makes less sense now for several reasons. Don’t have a clue what I am mean? Let me explain.

In simple terms, a preposition is a word that connects two nouns (or a noun and a pronoun), such as table and elephant. In the phrase, the book about the elephant, about is the preposition; it connects book with elephant.  Examples of more prepositions are to, with, at, for, etc. Though we do it all the time, there are English teachers who insist that one should never end a sentence with a preposition. If we follow this rule, “who are you talking to?” should become “to whom are you talking?” Some more examples are below:

Ending with a preposition                                                  

Sandra has much to be happy about.

           

Corrected

Sandra has much about which to be happy.

Though the second sentence is possible, the first sounds more natural in everyday conversation. Below are some more examples where following the no preposition at the end rule just makes the sentences sound ridiculous are even like bad English.

Prepositional Ending

The house was not paid for, so she had to sell it.

There is nothing to be afraid of.

Corrected

Paid for the house was not, so she had to sell it. (Bad English)

There is nothing of which to be afraid. (Overly formal)

In the above sentences it is easy to see why it is simply easier, and sometimes almost necessary, to end a sentence with a preposition. The English language has always been full of phrases that end with prepositions. If so, where did this rule come from? Or should I say, from where did this rule come? The answer is simple. Until the 16^th or 17^th century, English had no consistent spelling. The English-speaking people who were literate wrote English as it sounded to them. This created a situation where one English speaking person could have difficulty reading what another English speaking person wrote. This was true even for people who lived in the same city and could converse quite freely when speaking.

To compensate for this, some educated people started trying to impose rules on the written language. One way they did this was by trying to impose Latin grammar on spoken English. This was almost impossible to do because the languages are so different. Yet in the minds of many, Latin was the language of education and English should follow its rules. The result was that several rules were imposed upon English that did not fit; this rule about prepositions was one of them. In Latin, misplacing a preposition can change the meaning of a word. In English this is not the case. “Who are you talking to?” and “to whom are you talking?” are both instantly understood. The first word order is the way that English naturally developed. The second one arose only when Latin speakers tried to tell English writers that they couldn’t end a sentence with a preposition. In other words, an arbitrary rule has caused headaches for English-speaking grammar school students until today (pun intended).

So what is the point of all this? There are some rules that we can get by without. They serve very little purpose other than to be, well… arbitrary at best. Other rules, however, are absolutely necessary. Usually these rules have nothing to do with grammar. (English teachers forgive me.) They are rules such as stopping at stop signs or not riding bicycles on the sidewalk. They do more than get on a grammarian’s nerves. Failure to follow these rules can actually cause someone much harm.

As I contemplated this, I began to think about the laws of God. There are some people who think that God’s list of dos and don’ts are somewhat like made-up English grammar rules. They might make a preacher happy but they serve little purpose in life. Sound familiar? Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The wisdom of God found in the Bible is not just a list of rules or a good moral code. God’s word is instruction for life. The things it tells us to do will cause us to prosper if obeyed. Things like telling the truth, being kind, and treating others with respect will ultimately prosper a person. Other things like lying, gossiping, etc. will cause heartache. Someone wisely observed that most of society’s ills would be fixed if people observed the seventh commandment. (I’ll let you ponder that one.)

I John 5:3 tells us that God’s commandments are not arbitrary (my translation of burdensome.) The purpose of God’s word is to give us strength and direction in life. It is not to make us follow an old-fashioned lifestyle, akin to speaking a dead language like Latin. We are not just following a system of outdated laws in considering what the Bible has to say; we are drinking from a wellspring of life by following it laws.

When I begin to talk about obeying God’s law, some always respond with, “no one is perfect.” Though this is true, it must not be an excuse to ignore the Bible’s teachings. Realizing that we are imperfect should make us even more apt to consult the word of God for direction. Doing so will only bring us clarity, peace, and joy. We ignore the Bible to our own peril. When we obey it we find life and blessing.

The word of God is not just a list of rules. It is a fountain of life for all who will hear and obey.

Sincerely Yours,

Rev. Sullivan Jones