April 2000

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By Carole Forde

hese words have long struck fear in the hearts of men. Ever since the first unenlightened preacher began interpreting Scripture after the flesh, the phrase, Judgment Day, has been used as a "stun gun" to paralyze people into filling church pews and church coffers. Yet Scriptural history indicates that the only people to whom God ever raised His voice in righteous anger for rebellious or disobedient behavior were HIS OWN PEOPLE! This is not to say that God has not suffered unbelieving nations to endure all manner of plagues, famines, floods, fire, and brimstone; but always His holy wrath was aimed at checking their unbridled sin, not condemning their ignorance. God remembers full well that ‘We are but dust’, so we needn’t flatter our carnal minds that any evil we conjure up comes as a surprise to God. One of satan’s most cunning subtleties is to convince us we can hide our sins from God! Ha! If not so foolish, such ignorance of Scripture would be laughable! Tragically, when some men first hear the truth of God’s omnipotent, Righteous Judgments; they are actually disappointed or even angry to learn of their misconceptions about the devil and hell rather than embracing, with joyful relief, the supremacy of our loving Christ! "Doctrines of devils" are a mighty stronghold that try to act as a watchtower and vanguard against any invasion of Truth! (1 Tim 4:1) Their greatest line of defense is fear which breeds maggots like hatred, unforgiveness and condemnation! And these are all the offspring of unbelief! And where does ‘unbelief ‘ originate? (Humanists hate this one!)

"GOD, HIMSELF, IMPRISONED ALL MEN IN UNBELIEF
SO HE COULD LAVISH HIS MERCY ON ALL MEN!" (Ro 11:32)

                It is vexing, mortifying, and inconceivable for the carnal man to concede that his "free will" could be completely manipulated and overridden by the Power of God! Religious heretics insist that the Holy Spirit is too much of a "Gentleman" to interfere with man’s free will! But how amazing that such spiritual blindness actually testifies to the fact that these are still shut up in UNBELIEF?!
                 These same unenlightened minds have completely distorted the Beauty of Godly Judgment! But if we understood its true meaning, perhaps we would rethink the word, "JUDGMENT"!

(Dict) "AN AUTHORITATIVE OPINION! DISCERNMENT! SOMETHING ASSERTED OR BELIEVED AS FACT; THE PROCESS OF FORMING AN EVALUATION, OR ESTIMATE, BY MEANS OF COMPARISON: AND ALSO THE CAPACITY TO RENDER A DECISION !

"Judgment" comes from the word, ‘judge’ when stems from two roots- "JUS" - meaning: "RIGHT, AND LAW"; and "DICERE"- meaning: "TO DECIDE, TO SAY, DICTION; i.e. TO DECIDE AND SPEAK RIGHTLY AND THAT SPOKEN WORD BECOMES THE LAW"!

                 Consider this: if someone was going to do you a favor but first asked for any instructions, and you replied, "Use your own judgment"; what have you done? Have you not simply authorized them to use their own sense of reason to act on your behalf (like an unofficial power of attorney)?!
                 Just some of the synonyms given for "judgment" are: "Wisdom, common sense, determination evaluation, discretion, decision making, conclusion, diagnosis, assessment, informed appraisal, opinion, ruling and Discernment!" Are these not positive attributes? Aren’t they, in fact, desirous, beneficial, and enviable qualities? And doesn’t the natural man even possess them?

[TO BE CONTINUED]