2008 April | Bad Days Better

by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized

Yesterday I started a little blogging series on judging so today I will continue with that series.  As stated yesterday the first thing I notice from Matthew 7:1-6 is that there is a definite command “do not judge” I also stated the greek word for judge used is (krinite) which also means to criticize.

Often times when a person has done what others feel is wrong and fallen the first reaction is to judge that person but judgment often times misses the point.  

When someone has messed up as we all do shouldn’t this be a time for compassion towards that person.  This should be a time of reaching out to the person and making an offer to love on that person and to pull them in even closer, not push them further and further away.  This is a time to speak kind words of them not bite and tear them down with destructive talk.  (Ephesians 4:30-32)

We should take time to show loving compassion for those who have come short why?  Well we realize that we too have come short so many times and in many cases much worse then the one we are judging.

Then why is it that people so often and so quickly move to judging and criticizing?  Not only that why is that so often these are the what we might call “Strong Christians”.  There are several reason why this takes place and let me say as I state these this was me and probably still is to a certain extent.  

1.  When we judge or criticize another person it boosts our self-image.  When we tear someone else down it makes us seem better at least that is how we see it, somehow we are better then that other person.  It inflates our pride, ego, and our own self image.

2.  We enjoy criticism.  Think of all the successful talk shows, movies, and so forth that are based primarily on this issue we love to hear and share bad news and others shortcomings.

3.  When we judge and criticize it makes us feel as if somehow our own life is better than the person that failed.

4.  When we judge and criticize it helps us justify ourselves and all the shortcomings that we have.  We begin to rationalize our own failures because we can point out failures in other people.

5.  Judgment and criticism we think is a sign of strength.  When we criticize someone else we believe it just once again proves our narrow minded beliefs by the other persons failure to live up to that standard.

6.  Judgment and Criticism gives us a chance for hurt and revenge.  We feel that somehow that person that we are judging and being critical of deserves it.  Our reasoning go’s like this “if he hurt me, he deserves to be hurt.”  So we look for ways to hurt them.

I am going to close with reasons why we should not be so fast to judge and criticize.

1.  We never know all of the circumstance and all of the facts.  What happened and why it happened are never really known.  So often there are all kinds of things that have taken place behind the scenes that are not seen by others.  Think about just these relationships Children and parents, wives and husbands, employer and employee, friend and friend, in all these relationships things happen behind closed doors so often.  In addition to that things are seldom remembered and when they are remembered the facts are messed up.  Usually the person that does the talking does not reveal the true fact but many times reveals only the fact that make them look good.  The one that is in a hurry to tell others the problem is the one that seeks self-justification.  The one that desires to be silent is the one who is caring and compassionate.  The spirit of silence is silent because it does not desire hurt for others.

2.  The second reason we should not be so quick to criticize and judge is that all people it does not matter who you are or what your position is come short, all fall, and all fail.  In addition to that we all sin (1 John 1:8, 10).  No one at any time is ever exempt from sin.  When we are quick to bring out the whip of judgment and criticism we have a big problem; we have forgotten that we are also sinners.  It is only when we acknowledge our own condition that we act with care and compassion to those that fall short.  We must realize though they may be failing now we failed before and we will fail again.  Sin is a cycle that is continuous and no one is exempt it started in the beginning when Adam and Eve ate of the tree and it will not end until Jesus returns.  Those that believe in Christ have His righteousness imputed upon them and we are dependent upon that (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:8-16).  We must always be seeking after God’s forgiveness and forgetting those things that are behind us.

I want to make it clear that I am not saying that we have a license to go out and sin all we want neither is our sin just excused.  We are not to continue in sin, not by being quick to judge and criticize nor by doing evil.  We all have weaknesses and shortcomings the person that really knows God is the one who is constantly seeking God.  ”And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

3.  Everything that there is to know about a person is never known.  How then can we judge and criticize?  Think about all the things that mold us into who we are.  Think about our parents what are they like, how were we treated for the 18 years we lived at home.  What did our fathers or mothers teach us?  What kid of friends did we have or do we have?  There are many factors that influence the person that may be failing.  Do we know what it is influencing them?  What kind of genes has this person inherited?  Are the loving, shy, strict, arrogant, strong, fiery?  There is so much that influences the human life that only Go can know a person well enough to judge him.  We can really never know someone well enough to pass judgment on them.

4.  Judging others usurps God’s authority.  When someone is critical and judges of another they are saying they have the right and are worthy to be the judge over other lives.  They are in essence claiming the right to be God, which is absolutely ridiculous.  Yet I believe most people including myself have laid claim to the right at one time or another, and some claim the right o exercise a judgmental critical spirit all the time. 

Lets not forget what the Scripture says “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master [God] he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (brackets added by me) (Romans 14:4, James 4:11-12)

Tomorrow I will look at verse 2 and how it is made very clear that we will be judged with the same judgement or criticism we use and we will be judged with the same measurement.

Let me also make it clear that this series is not talking about specific occasions when value judgments must be made, nor is it speaking of the careful discrimination that has to be made at times, finally it is not speaking of the moral judgment that we at times have to make either.  It is speaking of the harsh judgmental, and often critical spirit that has invaded our churches and our lives at times.

2009 November | Bad Days Better

by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized

Lastnight my wife and I were talking and enjoying some good conversation.  In that conversation I began to talk about how our perspective changes how we look at troubles, and trials in life.  Often times  I think we become so self focused that we somehow think that our problem are beyond God’s control.  Let me just put your mind at ease there is no problem that you will ever face and there is no trial that you will ever go through that somehow is beyond God’s control.  You see perspective makes a big difference.

I have been baffled lately by Christians who easily get angry and even outraged over things that really do not matter.  This hit home with me when I thought about my daughter.  I was very upset as my daughter has appeared to either not be challenged in school or in some ways just does not care.  So when I saw a D- on her report card I could have blown up about it, lost my cool, and even been outraged at the teacher over it.  However I began to think from a different perspective.  Does a D- in the fourth grade really matter in the grand scheme of things.  I mean really is she going to try to get into college and they are going to look and tell her “well I don’t know you did have a D- in one class in the fourth grade” despite the fact that she has tested above average in every category and here reading and comprehension is out of this world.  So rather then fly off the handle I chose to speak softly to her and talk through what is going on and encourage her to do the right thing for the Glory of Christ. It is perspective.

I have been a Student Pastor for awhile and now am an interim children’s pastor and I must say that I have often been taken back by they way I have seen Christians act and treat one another.  I have seen arguments over things that really do not matter but somehow we have made them matter because our perspective was wrong.  I have seen marriages crumble all because the perspective was wrong.  I have heard other Christians gossip, backbite, slander, be critical, and just downright nasty to others all because the perspective was wrong.  So why not just change our perspective.

Here is the deal I believe God is sovereign over all things.  I believe their is absolutely nothing on this earth that is out of His control.   I am not going to catch God by surprise and neither will anything else.  If we really believed God was in control I believe it would change our perspective.  An understanding of God’s sovereignty somehow takes away  my worries it causes me to trust in Him all the more.

I guess what I am saying is this.  If you are bitter, angry, a gossiper, a backbiter, a slanderer, a critical spirit, or one who causes ill repute of others then change your perspective.  If you really go around calling yourself a Christian but somehow it is just too hard to live it then change your perspective maybe the real answer is trust in God’s Sovereignty and quit trusting in yourself.

2008 May | Bad Days Better

by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized

I have been thinking alot about knowledge lately.  Sometime it seems we try to use knowledge as a weapon or as something to hold over someone else.  I know people that can’t seem to wait to get the inside scoop on a situation just so they can say they know about it.  Or to act as if somehow they know more about it than anyone else.  Some people even seek out to know more then others to the point of gossip because they have to know what is going on in a situation.  Interestingly enough these people never gain complete knowledge of a situation they merely gain what they want to know and hurl and cast their judgments from ignorance rathe than knowledge which seems odd when knowledge was apparently what they were seeking in the first place.  Not sure if this makes sense to anyone.  

This has become especially true over my circumstances in the recent weeks.  Though I have been through alot as well as my family I am amazed about what people think they know about my situation only because they heard something from someone else.  In reality these people know very little because they are acting on limited knowledge or in many cases ignorance.  Some even casting judgments or having preconceived thoughts without really knowing all of what has happened.

Tonight I read

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.  If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

These verse are primarily dealing with christian liberty.  The Corinthians were faced with a huge dilemma and in reality they needed help.  Not much different then us they lived in the middle of a sinful and pleasure filled society so how were they to act.  The Corinthians needed guidance from the Apostle Paul could they eat meat offered to idol and what about social function what were they to do?  What restraints were put on the Christians liberty or freedom?  Could the Christian do whatever they wanted to do?  Is there a difference between the Christians behavior and the worlds?  It is with that backdrop that Paul is writing here in 1 Corinthians 8.  What I wan to talk about is this knowledge that Paul is talking about in the first 3 verses.

It seems to me what Paul is saying is to judge according to love not according to knowledge.  This strikes me as different because we usually do the opposite.  Paul states in the very first verse that “we all have knowledge”.  I am sure that some of the Corinthian believers were stressing the importance of using the intellect to determine right from wrong.  There are three very important points Paul gives us concerning knowledge in these verses.

1.  Knowledge makes arrogant but love edifies.  

I think the point is clear.  Just because one can reason through the facts and clearly see something gives them no right to be arrogant about it.  Yet our quest for knowledge about circumstances and the like often is done so we can know more than another believer or so we can set someone straight.  The root of this is arrogance.  This is the very thing Paul is coming against.  

Paul is making it clear that the rule of all Christians is to be love not knowledge.  It is love that builds others up and helps them to grow not knowledge. The Christian is not to run around stressing their superiority because they know more than someone else.  We are to love and control our lives from love.  

2.  Paul tells us that knowledge is only partial.  

Here is the kicker no matter what someone thinks they know it is always incomplete.  We are totally incapable of knowing anything in its fullness or its totality.  Of course we like to think we know things but in reality we do not.  We often like to try to think rationally but the truth of the matter is to be rational is often weak especially when compared to thinking through things with love instead of rationally.  So the next time we think we know something or we think we know the whole story I would encourage you to stop and think again and react and be motivated from love rather than knowledge.

3.  Love unites us to God.

If someone loves God then that person is known by Him.  Did you notice that we are not known by God because we are always thinking rationally.  It also does not say that we are known by God based on our knowledge.  It is based on one thing and that is our love.  God know us because we love Him.  The person that decides to base their life on love rather than knowledge that person is loved by God.  

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him” (1 Corinthians 8:3)

I give this challenge the next time you seek knowledge about a circumstance or a situation try to seek love instead.  See if it makes a difference.  To often our knowledge leads to arrogance.  So much could be accomplished if we only sought love.

 

 

Tweet For Cash Scam | Bad Days Better

by Josh Monda | May 5, 2010 | Uncategorized

This may seem like a strange post initially because it is not my usual type of post.  However I do not like to see scams and I found one called Tweet For Cash.  This blog is about life amongst many other things and I like to give out information.  Some of you may have no idea what Twitter is so if that is you just disregard this post or you can go to twitter.com and find out more.  If you want to know more about twitter let me know I can help.

Anyway if you are thinking about doing Tweet for Cash and think you will make money please stop now because it is a scam.  I was scammed in a very similar way earlier this year and long a few hundred buck looking for a way to work from home.  It was by google profits.  Any I want to make you aware of this Tweet For Cash thing so I went to the website and guess what as usual this company has there page load in such a way that the terms and condition are hidden here is a screenshot of how it loads.

Real convenient.  now when you scroll down on the page you can see the actual Terms an Conditions.  So I click on them now this what you have to check out this is the scam part and why Tweet for Cash is a Scam.  Here they are well not all of them but the most important one

I hope you caught that.  It is a 7 day trial and then they will charge you 89.90 a month. What?  What a bait and switch.  They suck you in by saying you get all of this for 2.97 and then you must scroll down and click a link and read the Terms and Condition to see that really it will be 89.90 a month.  Guess what it will take them 7 days just to get the product to you so they nail you.  What is worse when you call the number you will not get your money back.  So just stay away from this Tweet For Cash.  Tell anyone you know that this is a scam.

If you are really looking for a great way to use twitter you can check this out http://bit.ly/D96Jf it has been working nice for me.  I can also give you a site that will help you add more twitter followers that is not in the above guide just let me know.

Why Guys Need God (Mike Erre) | Bad Days Better

by Josh Monda | Sep 29, 2009 | Uncategorized

I have not been able to update for the last few days because my hard drive crashed on the Mac.  I know it is hard to believe but it is my second hard drive in 2 years and dumb me never backed it up.  I took this time to do some more reading and finished one book and started another.  Thanks to my buddy Chris Baker.  He bought me both Why Guys Need God and Death By Church both by Mike Erre.  

I thought I would take a some days ahead and blog about some of the things I have learned while reading these books or just use some quotes.  I love to read and seeing what other have to say and these books have been great.  Alot of times I will grab a quote and blog about that.  So tonight I will blog about the first book and some stuff from the first chapter.

Chapter one is “In the Image” one of the first things that struck me as funny and sad was a story about his Youth Pastor.  Funny because I did something similar, and sad because it shows the state of some of our churches.

I remember our youth pastor getting fired because he dared to take his suit off during the sermon (he was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt underneath)  to make the point that God isn’t particularly impressed with our external appearance.

I am glad that I did not get fired when I did something similar to this though it did ruffle a few feathers.  Most of those that listened to the message ddi not get it because they were so stuck on the fact that I was in the pulpit and not wearing a suit.  The highlight was probably the fact that and elderly lady towards the front said while I was taking the suit off “take it off”!  She was an awesome lady.  However when I think about this I cant help to wonder why a church could be so caught up in there appearance ant not feel that this was wrong.  I am sure there is more to the story than this.

Here is another quote from chapter one.

We do not know what it means to be masculine.  If increased occurrences of abuse, immorality, divorce, homosexuality, and suicide are reliable indicators, then for all of our  correctness and gender discussion, we are not better off.

Often times we do not really know what it is to be masculine.  In some of the coming chapters the book laid out some great things that I will share at a later time.

Rap Music Theology? | Bad Days Better

by Josh Monda | Aug 17, 2009 | Uncategorized

I know that is seems that there is controversy over Rap Music in fact I know of some people that would hate rap music no matter how Godly the lyrics might be.  However I do not fall into that camp.  In fact I love Rap Music.  That reminds me of an old DC Talk song that said  ”I luv rap music, I always have, and I always will”.

A little over a year ago I started listening to Shai Linne and was immediately blown away by the lyrics.  This guy’s music in one song typically has more then you hear in one year of some churches.  This morning while exercising on of his songs came on the ipod.  The name of the song is Atonement Q and A.  I have to tell you as I was going through my exercise and listened to the song I could not help but think how often our churches are failing at teaching any type of theology from the pulpit yet in one song a lot is taught.  I may not agree with every minor point but at least and attempt is made.  So look at the lyrics below and perhaps learn some Theology from a rap song.

Verse 1

Who is God? God is the universe’s Creator

And Sustainer plus the only Savior, there is no one greater

He is triune, holy, omnipotent, omniscient, absolute

Loving, sovereign and righteous are a few of His attributes

How do we know this? Well, we know this from the Bible

Where God has revealed Himself- anything else is just an idol

What’s the Bible about? Man’s complete ruin in sin

And what God has done in Christ to bring us to Him again

What is sin? Sin is the breaking of God’s law

Plus our condition, which means from birth we all got flaws

What’s the result? The result is by nature we’re God’s enemies

And must pay the penalty unless God provides the remedy

What’s the remedy? The remedy is the cross of Christ

Where He suffered all the strikes for the lawless type

I’ve been rescued by the Lamb, I’m convinced that He’s risen

And blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven!

Chorus

Just fall back, and with the eyes of faith

Behold the beauty of surprising grace

Because the Lamb has died, third day He had to rise

He’s magnified- God’s wrath is satisfied

Just fall back- there’s an atonement now

The cross of Christ is holy ground

Because the Lamb has died, third day He had to rise

He’s magnified- God’s wrath is satisfied

Verse 2

Regeneration- the Holy Spirit’s true work in His love

To the elect, who receive new birth from above

Expiation- expiation means God’s removed my filthiness

The old testament type was the goat into the wilderness

Redemption- we’ve been freed from slavery to sin

And His very own blood is the price He paid, my friend

Propitiation- Propitiation means since the Lamb has died

His work is finished- God’s wrath is satisfied

Adoption- adoption means God is now my Father

I got the hottest Poppa and by the Spirit holler Abba

Reconciliation means there’s no more enmity

God is now a friend to me, we’re no longer enemies

Justification- God declares us righteous

Sanctification– we’re being made into His likeness

Glorification– that’s what happens at the finish

When God conforms believers perfectly to Christ’s image!

Chorus

Verse 3

God’s grace is magnificent, He slayed His innocent

Son- through faith and repentance we get the benefits

What is faith? Faith is a gift from God- when we receive this

We trust and treasure the person and finished work of Jesus

Repentance? Repentance is turning from your sin

And trusting Christ as the Spirit cleanses you within

What is grace? Oh, grace is unmerited favor

Our inheritance major ‘cause we cherish the Savior

Right, and if I may quote again, we were doomed with Satan

But believers get Jesus’ righteousness through imputation

Imputation? God takes Jesus’ righteousness amount

Through faith He credits it into the Christian’s account

Anything else? Well, I guess this overview must suffice

But none of this is possible apart from union with Christ

And finally, once you know the ways of the Lord than the

only thing that you can say is Soli Deo Gloria!

Chorus

Link To This Post

1. Click inside the codebox
2. Right-Click then Copy
3. Paste the HTML code into your webpage codebox Rap Music Theology?