OF JUDGMENT copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo, ON, 2017
Judged They have not known the Father They have not touched His Life Hence their murders and pilfering All kinds of strife And they chase down His servants Like hounds at the bay And they fashion sick rules Which they call their just way. These the leaders and wisdom Of this fallen place And they strut out their stratagems Spitting at Grace. And they totally miss out On Empty Tomb praise And they stumble through darkness Of get-ahead days. All the while their tried targets Have learned of the King Who suffered a world's hate Redemption to bring And joy unrelenting And peace like the dawn
All singing and glowing And thrilled to move on. Oh the Prince of this world Is a dark one you see Whom Jesus has judged At a dark court's cruel tree.
John 16:11
Never Met Such a Judge
The seat's for her Don't say different. And those little ones Right beside. Let your faces Show a welcome. Dump your postures Dump your pride. No she missed The teaching series. Coming new here Without shine. And she needs some care That's obvious. But she's precious And she's mine. The collection Will scarce miss her But she gives much more You see. She is needy And she knows it And she's not ashamed of me. Much unlike The current fashion Where the name of Christ Is hid. Talk of marriages And finance And the way to tame that kid.
And the suppers Pot-luck pretty And the baseball when it's hot. She is seeking out My City. And you trendy bunch Are NOT. So the lesson Sits among you And the litmus test is here. Come up forward Gracious daughter At my feet Where all is clear. Psalm 68: 5 – A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
The Convicting Aspect
In Luke chapter five we have the incident of Jesus instructing Peter to set out again in the morning after a night of futile fishing. A number of possible interpretations have been offered for Peter's response: 'Lord, we have been at this all night to no avail; nevertheless at thy word we will launch out.' The extraordinary yield of fish which followed caused Peter to say "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." Here is the rabbi, obviously inexperienced in the ways of fishing, showing some supernatural knowledge or authority concerning the fish. Perhaps Peter had responded in sarcasm or in doubt as to Jesus' prospects of success. The Lord's calm, sincere and hopeful demeanour had a convicting effect. It is likely that anyone who got within range of the Master's words or extraordinary deeds would respond in like fashion. In am reminded of one of the Psalms which states, "But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." (Psalm 130: 4) Later in the same chapter of Luke Jesus has healed and forgiven the palsied man lowered through the roof, has incurred the wrath of the scribes and Pharisees for absolving sin, and has gone to dine at the house of Matthew, straight from the publican's bench. His comment is very revealing as to his mission: Luke 5:
31And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. These days I hear a lot of talk about mimimizing doctrine and right orthodoxy and maximizing the winsome nature of the Man of Galilee. But what about the quest for intimate knowledge of the real Jesus and the real love which only He imparts? To know Him is to vigorously explore all resources available as to His purpose, courageous selfoffering and ultimate victory in the heavenlies and upon earth. Man hopes to behold the totally righteous One and yearns for an opportunity to unload his sin. Time and again it is shown that Messiah attracts, wounds by the evident contrast of His nature and then ministers healing and a fresh start. In one place in Acts the Gospel is described as "repentance unto life" (chapter 11:18).
Who's to Blame?
You done set it up first And it run itself foul Listen to it burn And listen to it growl This wasted opportunity A Paradise so green Sweet peace gone out a-wailin' For somethin' quite obscene The critters used ta frolic But now they tooth and claw And mothers leave their chil'ren The worst I ever saw And man who held dominion And ruled in Eden's calm Now plannin' out each ghetto And playin' with the bomb You coulda done it different You coulda stayed the hand That wanted to play God instead But didn't understand Your one Law held the seed of choice And that the seed of Love And Love is all you ever asked Your perfect plan to prove. Instead man took the steerin' wheel And drove the bus to hell
I'm askin God please intervene And all this rot dispel. I'm guessin' that you're much too grand To jes come down and fix But what if one clean Man you chose To join us in the mix?
When the Spirit Comes
In the 16th chapter of John, perhaps more than anywhere else in the Gospels, Jesus explains to His friends what influence the Holy Spirit will soon have in their lives. They can expect much greater intimacy with Jesus and His agenda because of the Spirit's influence. They can expect an increase in the convicting power in their words, actions and demeanour, because of the sway of the Spirit. And they can expect a much greater degree of ostracism and persecution, just as their Lord had seen it. Jesus is honest. He knows what is in the heart of man. He will not spare his friends the news that things are going to get tough. Idols will be shaken. Pass-times and associations will be held up to the light. Hypocrisies will become transparent. Man-made rules will be exposed in all of their futility. Not only the wicked but the self-righteous are going to balk at this, even to the point of violence and murder, whether it be of the person or of the reputation. And when you stumble, which you will, the hounds will be quick to say, "See he blew it. He isn't perfect. This thing doesn't work. Forget about Jesus. Go on with business as usual." That is the spirit of anti-christ. It needs to be prayed down, loved down, served down by the extraordinary Person who dwells within us. (Acts 10:38) And we have been assured that 'greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world'. Some who deal with us start out peeved or fuming, but end up drawn by our indomitable asset..."joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). That too is the working of the Spirit. The fumers may become family. We are not to respond blow for blow, but rather blessing for blow. This takes supernatural love, and the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, etc. (Galatians 5:22,23)
Controversy with David's Psalm (37) Whadya mean “fret not�? Can't ya see all
The wickedness Manipulation Outright oppression Slippery talk Unjust gain Pain and grief Ignored By rogues who Could easily help? Even the King Sold over To darkness. And you say...fret not. Ha! But you say more Don't you. “Trust” That's a good one Trust others? Trust family, myself? That's pretty shaky. Oh, trust you Lord. But I hardly know you And can you be known? You say “delight” Easy perhaps for the shepherd With the psalms And fresh air and liberty. ...Oh but that shepherd Became the hunted animal Despised and tracked And nearly trapped But got through somehow. And that was you right? Well I've had some Narrow misses too. Should I be thanking you Looking higher for provision And protection? HHHMMM... Obviously that shepherd “Delighted” in you Got to see really That there was No other Source. “Committed” his ways And hopes unto you. Found that he could “Rest” in a mighty confidence
Found only in Another. Made the conscious quality Decision to “cease from anger And forsake wrath”. Started to realize That nothing, absolutely nothing Could better the new-found process Of “waiting” upon your majesty Your timing, agenda and pathway. But all that is really Just for your special anointed No? “The steps of a good man are ordered...” Could that ever be me? “You forsake not your saints They are preserved forever.” Could that ever be me? “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Could that ever be me? This process of delightful dependence? Surely such a God Is all Giver and not Taker. And I think I am beginning to see And I praise you For your justice and mercy And sing out my thanks. Starting now.
Greyfriars The children went there once again With food for those dismayed They watched as love relieved their lot And listened as they prayed For these were simple country folk Who raised the Bishop's ire By spurning worship run amok For hillside faith and fire. Their preachers would not take the oath No other shepherds matched Now hunted by cruel men on horse And to the wilds dispatched The birds and sheep would share their psalms And hear of faith hard tried Now kirk-yard locked them up in shame And starved them as they cried. And hierarchy called the bunch Crude radicals to tame And strained at gnats while having lunch Besmirching Jesus' name. So let the children break the rules With mercy in their bread And learn from martyrs tried like gold The Hope of Spirit-led.