Orange Moon Thursday, February 9, 2023 “Righteous Judgement”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

              "Righteous Judgement"

 

   Our weekly memory verse - "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" - must serve as a guiding light in our walk with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 7:24).

   "Righteous judgment" simply means whatever accords with God and His revealed truth in Scripture.  "What does the Bible, rightly interpreted, say about this matter?  We must implant this guiding question in heart and mind.  Of course "appearance" does not always conflict with the Lord and His truth.  Many circumstances, events, conditions, and people give evidence to God's presence and working, and are.  As Philip declared to Nathaniel, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45).  However, we do well to also realize that the things of God often belie the appearance viewed by our eyes and mind.  We will miss much apart from this understanding, and will also misinterpret much.  

   The cross upon which the Lord Jesus died at Calvary did not appear to bear "God… manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16).  It rather appeared for all the world as the final earthly venue for yet another guilty or unfortunate one.  From our vantage point, of course, we know better.  No more doing of God has ever occurred, or will occur, than the suffering and death of Christ on His cross.  However, in the immediate moment, it did not look at all like that.  It rather appeared as the absence rather than the presence of God, as taunters cruelly suggested, "And they that passed by railed on Him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save Thyself, and come down from the cross" (Mark 15:29-30).

   The scoffers stood on perhaps the holiest ground that exists on the planet Earth, stained by redeeming blood and graced by the sacrifice of the God who became man, and the man who remains God.  They missed such "righteous judgment."  They missed truth and reality.  I cannot criticize them, blind as they were, because how often in my own way, I have judged according to appearance rather than righteous judgment.  I too have stood on holy ground, but saw it as common, or even more, as condemned.  Thus, the determination to judge according to the righteousness of God and His Scripture-assured presence, involvement, and working must grow in my heart and mind.  Perhaps you feel the same.  If so, let us pray for each other that we will see all things in the light of our Lord and His truth, realizing that the presence of God often exists in direct proportion to the appearance of His absence.

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

(II Corinthians 5:7)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

(John 7:24)

 

    

   

  

    

     

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Orange Moon Wednesday, February 8, 2023 “The Highest Perch”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

              "The Highest Perch"

 

   During my childhood, some friends and I built a tri-level treehouse in a tall tree on the outskirts of our neighborhood.  From the highest perch, we felt as if we could see all over our city.  We did, in fact, have a much better vantage point from the top of the tree.

    "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (II Corinthians 4:18).

   The Apostle Paul references what might be termed our determined perspective regarding how we view God, ourselves, our lives, and the world.  Do we see things from a higher, Heavenly vantage point, or from a lower, earthly view?  The answer determines the experience and condition of our hearts.  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee… He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 13:58).

    First, we do not ignore earthly realities.  They will not allow us to do so.  The word "look" in Paul's statement above does not mean a glance, but rather a gaze.  We must engage with the matters of our present lives in order to function, survive, and most importantly, honor our Lord in "whatsoever ye do" (I Corinthians 10:31).  However, we do realize that the necessary horizontal view we must possess does not constitute the primary gaze of the heart to which our Heavenly Father calls us.  "I will life up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" declared the Psalmist, whose earthly view of trouble reminded him to embrace the Heavenly view of God's promised aid and provision (Psalm 121:1).

   Seeing the earthly view as opportunity to be reminded of the Heavenly perspective will greatly enhance our walk with the Lord and experience of His involved presence and working in our lives.  Consider:

    "The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord" (Psalm 33:5).

    "The whole world lieth in wickedness" (I John 5:19).

    Which is true of the present domain in which we live, "the goodness of the Lord," or the world's "wickedness?"  Both, of course.  But which is greater?  And upon which perspective will we set our gaze, our determined perspective?  Our answer determines much, most importantly, our faith in God and our faithfulness to Him.  The "highest perch" of a treehouse from long ago reminds me of such a calling, and such a peace that awaits when we choose to view all things from a higher and Heavenly vantage point.

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee."

(Psalm 56:3)

"God…hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

(Ephesians 2:4; 6)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

(John 7:24)

 

    

   

  

    

     

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Orange Moon Tuesday, February 7, 2023 "One By One By One By One"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

              "One By One By One By One"

 

    We rightly know the Apostle Paul for his teaching, included in the historical accounts in the book of Acts and the New Testament epistles he wrote.  However, we do well to also consider how lovingly personal were his relationships with people.

     "And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more" (Acts 20:37-38).

    "Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved" (Romans 16:8-9; Paul also mentions more than 25 other fellow believers by name in the Romans benediction).

   "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" (Philippians 1:3-5).

   Throughout the epistles, we find personal expressions of love and devotion to people in the Apostle's heart and communication.  Therein we see beautiful displays of the character of the Lord Jesus Christ formed in Paul, confirming his affirmation, "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).  Indeed, as wondrous a preacher and teacher as he was, the love of Christ made Paul something far more.  

    "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (I Corinthians 13:1).

   This is written not as a tribute to the Apostle Paul, but rather to the Christ who inhabited, motivated, guided, and empowered our brother of old to love those he had once sought to put to death.  Left to himself, Paul would have likely spent a lifetime traveling Damascus roads that led to slaughter rather than salvation.  God worked in Paul, however, to reveal the Lord Jesus unto and within him, bestowing a new heart graced with the Savior's love when he trusted the Lord Jesus.  Such love is most personal, numbering the hairs of the heads of its beloved, and imparting truth not only by communication of mind to mind, but devoted consecration of heart to heart (Matthew 10:30).

   When multitudes came to Him, we came be sure the Lord Jesus looked upon them as one by one by one by one.  He never saw a crowd in His earthly lifetime.  Nor will those in whom His love resides, empowers, and guides.  Count Paul among such a holy company, and let us pray we will join him in the personal devotion that must accompany propositional doctrine.  People in Paul's sphere of influence mattered - one by one by one by one.  As it will in our own through the love of Christ that makes our lives personal with God, and with people.

"And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me."

(Luke 8:43-46)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

(John 7:24)

 

    

   

  

    

     

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