Matt 7:1-2 !!!

[Dave_UK]

Love covers a multitude of sins!?

But there is no justification for wickedness.  Paul "nails it down" in the old familiar touching passage in 1Cor 13:4-7 : -

"Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; not selfish, not quick to take offence. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over other mens sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.


also Jesus great statement in John 15:13 "There is no greater love than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends"

Am reminded of Jesus parable of the good Samaritan, despised by the Jews - so who is our friend our brother, out in the wider world?  Think it has to be those we should care for, and have a concern for - wanting God's best for them - assuming we know what His best plan is!

What high standards for us to strive to live up to - and how we often fail!

Have recently seen 2 articles that have made me ponder about "judging".

  One related to a New Zealand thesis on gay men (which described 12 sad cases involving loneliness in old age and various other factors, such as rejection by their families when their orientation was made known, when/how their sexual activities started, inability to find another partner after their previous one had "passed on" [the elderly are virtually "invisible" to younger generations], worries about later care, etc).

  The other  article concerned the study of the puzzling disparate sexual orientation of female identical twins that were deemed to be genetically identical (reported recently in the Daily Mail). Despite the twins receiving the same parental nurture.  Even from an early age, there were indications that one was more "tom-boyish" than the other and preferred more "boyish" activities/interests.  Then later in life the differences became much more noticeable in their choice of life partners (lesbian/hetero).  Very puzzling indeed - pre-destination???

We (my wife/I) recently got a book  by Kevin Zadai describing an "out-of-the body" experience in which he had a heavenly encounter with Jesus.  I felt particularly sceptical about his description when Jesus said to him "What's really troubling you Kevin?  What do you think is the root of your problem?". An omniscient Lord knows all about us, so knows the answers and could tell us! Questionable or not, it made me think of the real root behind my "besetting sin" of "wicked imaginings" and "fabricated" erotic dream scenarios.  Followed by realization later (sometimes a day or so later!) of my degradation - feeling too unworthy/filthy to open my Bible to do my normal readings - then the necessary confession and crying out to The Lord for forgiveness - yet again - despite knowing that Jesus has already born the horrendous load of all our guilt and shame - past, present, and future!  Like the loving father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, He calls out to me - "Come back to Me!" - such boundless grace and mercy is truly beyond all expression!!!

How often I have repeated the heart-felt words of David from his psalm 51 : -

"Be gracious to me O God in they true love;
in the fullness of thy mercy blot out my misdeeds.

Wash away all my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
For well I know my misdeeds,
and my sins confront me all the day long.
Against thee, thee only, I have sinned
and done what displeases thee,
so that thou mayest be proved right in thy charge
and just in passing sentence.
...
Turn away thy face from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.

Create in me a pure heart O God,
and give me a new and steadfast spirit;
do not drive me from thy presence
or take thy holy spirit from me;
revive in me the joy of thy deliverance
and grant me a willing spirit to uphold me.
...
Open my lips O Lord,
that my mouth may proclaim thy praise.
Thou hast no delight in sacrifice;
if I brought thee an offering, thou wouldst not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a wounded heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

I love the Celtic hymn "Before the throne of God above" which contains the words : -

"Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied, to look on Him, and pardon me!"


All my hope on thee is founded dear Lord!!!

Was born in !936 (so grew up, an only child, in world war II) with my father away for most of my youthful years - a rather introverted lad with very few friends.  Round about the age of 12 (Yeah puberty, raging hormones and all that stuff!) I had a couple of "encounters" with a like-minded school chum, during which we "explored our kit", talking dirty probably.  He confided, to my astonishment/disgust, that he and other pals had stuffed grass up their foreskins - could not imagine why, but obviously engaged in other "explorations"  (expect it's a relatively common thing when young lads get together!).  At the time I had never even retracted my foreskin to clean my glans (didn't know that it could be retracted!), until much later when I saw whitish smegma emanating from my own, needing attention.  Somehow, I yearned for skin-to-skin brotherly contact/hugs ("Frotting" to relieve sexual tension!?) - so I can testify to the validity of what Paul wrote in Romans 1:27 where he mentions "burning with lust". I really looked forward to continuing such "encounters" until the (final as it turned out) occasion, when my chum moved behind me  in pretend preparation for an act of sodomy. I was really only interested in front-to-front contact (Frot!?), but did the same to him.  My conscience burnt me "This is wrong!" - that moment was the end of our friendship. 

In my consequent shame, I made a "pronouncement" to myself (Ah! the power of words!) it was - "I can never be trusted to have another chap as a friend" - and this has "dogged" the rest of my life.  I have never had a friend since.  Yes there are a few chaps I chat with, on a very superficial level - but never disclose the thoughts of my heart!

Coming back to the "Judging" topic - Am really angry and disgusted how those at the low end of the Kinsey sexual spectrum, promote their ideas publicaly (Gay Pride Marches etc - oblivious to Paul's comment about rudeness and boasting quoted near the start! ).  IMO the principle of "not offending the public sensitivities" should be considerately observed by the non-heteros since they are (despite media exaggerated reports) very much in the minority.

I don't know where I read about it, but think it concerned some college head with mixed sex alumni, who imposed the rule "NO PDA"=NO PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION out of consideration for others. So that's the same sort of thing as above!

There was a time when engaged with one's wife out shopping to stock up the food cupboards from a supermarket (me pushing and leaning on the trolley so I don't fall over ), one would very rarely see two chaps doing the same sort of thing - but it has now become more common - but maybe there are quite innocuous reasons for that (at least one doesn't see one chap fondling the bum of another - NO "PDA" PLEASE!).

Now that we are informed that our oceans and, even the very air we breathe is polluted with minute plastic particles and other harmful things - can this be a contributable factor to gender "disorientation"?  Think it was only a short time ago that nursing mothers were advised not to use plastic feeding bottles for their babies - but use glass ones instead (the BPA scare. which I think referred to possible future gender problems)?

Is it yet another indication of the approaching end-times?  We seem as a race, to be more divisive in our opinions, less considerate of others, victims of our own folly e.g. the curse of "PC" obsessions? Why do we always seem to sink to the lowest level of decency in most matters - wheeling/dealing/cheating etc?  (As Jesus said I think - "Now does the Prince of this world approach!" referring to satan, who claims that the world is all in his power since "The Fall" - re: his tempting offer to Christ when fasting in the desert).

It seems like there is no better future here, it's all been ruined! Yet in the wild untamed places - beauty can still be seen - it's as if Man by his works, has "profaned" things - hence in the OT the Lords instruction to build altars of unhewn stone, so that Man's handiwork would not be involved!