The Court Room of Your Life

It would be scary to be in a court room with judge Judy, especially if your guilty. This also true if confronted by Judge Dredd in the Hollywood movies is the most famous judge, Sylvester Stallone portrays a cop with instant field judiciary powers to bring about immediate sentence on the guilty. The law is made for those who break it but to those who have a strong integrity to do what is right at all times the law is of no effect to them. the law cannot touch those who are not guilty. However, to those who are guilty of wrong guilty of sin the will hound the guilty until due justice is served. Jonathan Edwards preached a stirring message on “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” many souls were convicted and many got saved. The thought still remains for those who reject Jesus Christ and His salvation for a certain fear of pending judgement awaits those who rebel against His good grace. What people need to hear is that one day we will stand before a Judge of all judges, Lord of all lords, King of all Kings and His name is Jesus Christ. His judgment will not just be for a few months or years in jail but an eternity in a blistering insatiable fire of hell. Think about this do you want Jesus as your defense attorney or as your prosecutor against all the known sins you have ever committed?

What a great God we serve who is full of grace and mercy that he would give everything just for us to be with him! That he would lovingly and patiently give us as sinners who shake our fists up at God every opportunity to turn our minds and give our hearts to him in spite of all that we do against him and His word. The very fact that He gave His very Son to suffer and die in order to pay the sin debt that we owe in John 3:16. Imagine someone coming to your home and paying off all your debts that you owe. Jesus did this with our most costly as well as priceless possession that we have that belonged to Satan…….our soul. He bought, redeemed, and paid in full our debt to buy our souls back from destruction. Not only did he do this but he regenerated, transformed or basically cleaned us up brand new, just as if we were never tarnished or sinned, its what we call being justified. What a thoughtful loving God that loves us unconditionally who gave up His son to pay in full the sins we have committed against him. Those who have been forgiven, who have been redeemed, who have been transformed in newness of life to an everlasting hope the Son of God has become your defense attorney. In Romans 8:1 “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” No matter what the devil throws up in the face of God against you, Jesus steps in to say in your defense those sins have been paid in full by my own blood and God says we have no record of any sins that the prosecuting devil has stated against you. God sustains you at that moment at the throne of His justice he reads your name in the Lambs Book of Life your sins being washed cleaned by His blood thereby another soul the devil has lost his grip upon and has been been redeemed from certain pain and suffering for all eternity. Praise the Lord. No wonder paul says in Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren,by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Intimacy With Christ,

Richard W. Wafford

Advertisement

Christian? D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette 1968 hit

The 2nd annual Country Music Awards in 1968. Tammy Wynette takes home the female vocalist trophy with the help of the hit, “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” Telecast from Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. Isn’t it ironic that such a song should became a hit and in 1968, what is the world coming too. However, before November of 2009 I previously like the catchy tune and the southern twang of Tammy Wynette who is truly an vocal artist in the era of country music that we just do not have with todays music. After experiencing divorce with the devastation that it brings to every family member and no one is immune to the sting of it. I somewhat feel differently now than what I did then for if I had the opportunity to turn back the hands of time along with the knowledge that has been given me, my marriage to a woman given to me by God would have been a totally different ending to the story I now know. I can clearly understand the heart of God concerning the matter of D-I-O-R-C-E-.

Malachi 2:15 (NIV) Has not [the Lord] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

Malachi 2:16 (NIV) “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel, “and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,” says the Lord Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.

How many Christians have let down their guard and broke their faith with the wife of their youth? I know of one who did and that was me, my wife and I were of one flesh one spirit with God, we raised children who became Christians at a very young age of 6 and 4. I admit I that I failed and broke my family, broke that bonding that only a man and wife can have. This was hard for me to admit in  the beginning and God forgives and forgets however the pain is still there to all involved. God’s healing in such matters takes time, takes counsel, takes prayer and takes the reading of God’s word, but eventually healing does come to the heart. Now I am thankful and humbled that God has continued this process in me.

Divorce no matter if you spell it or speak it still hurts the same and no one comes out the winner. Devastation, accusations, blaming, shouting, anger, bitterness, and revenge are traits not uncommon with the world that we live in. Its sad but it seems every family ancestry has at least one broken home. However, to have these extremely hurtful traits within the home of a Christian is a paradox, for “God so loved the world that he gave” in John 3:16 is the very essence of love and who God is. So, for those who believe in God, believe in His word, and believe he is the very epitome of love, for the very ones who call themselves Christians to even bring it up in a marriage let alone go through with it is an extreme paradox, unacceptable even contradictory to all we stand for and believe in. For if we cannot truly love the gift that God has given us in human form how can we love him who is spirit. Those who are contemplating D-I-V-O-R-C-E please consider all the variables before going through it and exhaust all your resources at your disposal before finalizing it. Please consider these words from a man who is now on the other side of divorce who is telling you divorce is not the answer. The hurt you will cause, will cost you and those you love more than you can imagine. No one can make up for the loss only Christ can heal and restore what you will destroy.

Intimacy With Christ,

Richard W. Wafford

A Dog on a Leash

leash |lē sh | a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other animal. Satan’s nothing more than a dog on a leash, he cannot do anything without permission from God the Father. Remember Job? Satan could only do what God allowed him to do, no more, no less. However, don’t ever take Satan for granted for if faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain then we better start trusting in the Lord for we’ll never know what will come our way? Whether God will send boulders our way or Mount Everest Mountain down our way. Whatever comes our way God has just as much confidence in us as he did on Job when Satan inflicted him with several mountains in a row. Remember troubles and trials are never easy and they are always meant to stretch our faith to the limit in order to make our faith more stronger. Look at what Satan wanted to do with Simon Peter and God granted his request, but then look at the verse, “when you have turned back strengthen your brothers. What Simon Peter went through strengthen his faith enough so he could strengthen the faith of his brothers.

Luke 22: 31 Simon, Simon Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

It is interesting to note that Satan still has to ask permission just like he did with Job 1: 7; 2: 2 God has and always will be in control. Always!

However, Satan is a powerful adversary who was once the highest-ranking angel in heaven. We are no match for this fallen angel of light who seeks to devour, rip to shreds or sift as wheat any believer of Jesus Christ. He will deceive, masquerade or disguise himself as an anointed one from God using powerful words that will stir the emotions, excite rage and anger. He will entice you to do something without praying first or comparing to God’s word, it will feel right and sound good but his deception is without equal. He is one not to be trifled with but is an enemy we cannot fight alone without the aid of Jesus Christ through the power of His word.

Satan will entice us to be like him. We will stand to defend God’s honor and His word, but in our haste and lack of waiting upon the Lord we will destroy and devour one another. For when you attack another person you will be thinking you are doing the very works of God, you will think that God himself told you to attack, however, a season mature Christian who rightly divides the word of truth knows that all we do is to be done through prayer and love. We are to be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove in dealing with any person in the affairs of spiritual enlightenment. We are to have the perspective of hating the sin but loving the sinner. We are to be seasoned with salt so that those who have not tasted of the Lord knows not how good he is and can be to those who are spiritually discerned or even those weak in the faith who have not seen the power of God move through their life.

We are ambassadors, representatives of the most High God. We are to mirror the truth of His word, surrender to the power of His might and to be led by the Holy Spirit of God. We must do all things to the glory of God and we must at all cost forbid to do anything in our own strength. We must allow the master to use us as a vessel of honor as living sacrifices for him. Remember when the mountain comes your way I’ll pray that your faith fails not and when you have turned back strengthen your brothers and sisters in Christ when you do.

Intimacy with Christ,

Richard