Achuckallen

Instigating Better

God and Country

What I Learned – Firsthand – on Our Southern Border

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I never imagined that I would wind up on the US, Mexican border, but there I was, smack dab in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. I mentioned in an article that I wrote last Monday (you can read that here) that I had no desire for another project to take on. I’m the pastor of a healthy, growing church in Northeast Atlanta. What in the world was the Lord thinking when He told me to go south and then provided the introduction to a few folks that paved the way for me to be on the border last Friday.

Before I get started, please know that I have no bias in leaning left or right. I am not an ambassador for anyone other than my Creator. I care about policy, but I care far more about the people serving faithfully in our Border Patrol and for the people that are stuck in the middle somewhere between leaving their homes and entering the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

BE SURE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE!

Here is what I saw firsthand:

  1. I drank from the same “toilet” that Democrat Presidential hopeful, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did. It’s not a toilet. It’s a banos-or restroom in Spanish. There is hot water and there is cold water and in the restroom – separately from the toilet, much like your “banos” is fresh, potable water. I drank the water from the very same banos AOC drank from. Shame on her for having reported that people were drinking from toilets. I spoke with the Border Patrol Chief that accompanied her on her tour. He clarified and showed her the very unit and yet it was much more politically expedient to claim that folks awaiting processing or release were drinking toilet water. Shame on her and the media that went along with that story!
  2. I saw fresh, cold water available everywhere I turned. I drank from at least a dozen coolers without any problems. And before you get fired up, no! No, there was not a cleaned up version for the tour I was on. I waited my turn for water with migrants from Cuba, Venezuela, El Salvador and Guatemala.
  3. The very first thing that I noticed were the restrooms. The majority of the restrooms are porta-potties. I know that sounds gross, but they are all vented well. Most of them are indoors. When I walked into these portable bathrooms they were like brand new. They are serviced everyday and completely disinfected everyday. They truly were spotless.
  4. In the centers that I visited, you could see the aftermath of the massive migration of immigrants. Make no mistake, these centers, the same centers that have been in the news, have indeed been overcrowded and undermanned. The men and women of the US Customs and Border Patrol were hired and trained to secure and protect the borders. They have never been equipped either in their training or in their facilities to care for Unaccompanied Children or thousands of people each day,
  5. The Chief of the Border Patrol at each station I visited have lead their people with compassionate care and rapid flexibility to make the individuals and families as comfortable as possible. I got on the ground, next to families awaiting departure. I used the same memory foam sleeping pad and the same silver blanket that they had. The survival blanket is a luxury. You might have previously asked, why a survival blanket when it’s 110 degrees outside? Well, I asked that as well. The law requires that the Border Patrol maintain a temperature of 68-74 degrees inside the facility. If you had spent weeks in the blazing sun to get to the border, you’d be cold once inside the air conditioning of the massive facility that has been erected for you. You’d want one of those blankets.
  6. There are now three meals catered in for every person, every day, detained and awaiting release. There are three snacks available and small snack items available at every facility.
  7. Every person that comes through the process, regardless of how they crossed the border are given a fresh shower, new clothes that they keep and while they are showering and dressing, their clothes are washed and returned to them. They receive new flip-flops, socks, t-shirts, shorts and sweatpants. They are provided individual toiletries, including soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, brush or comb, deodorant, and feminine hygiene. By the way, the showers have all been upgraded and enlarged. In the centers that I toured on the Texas/Mexico border the facilities were created with four showers, they have all been upgraded to either sixteen or twenty showers, separated by gender. I’ve showered in far worse conditions in hotels and youth camps.
  8. Families are processed much faster than individuals. I was in a center that still had more than 150 people (families) and I witnessed the separation of men on one side and mothers with children on the other side. They are separated to protect the women and children from any harm, but there is no fencing or physical barrier that separated them. Dads are only 50 feet from their wives and kids and yes, there is an armed Border Patrol agent in each room. When I say room, I mean a massive tent that is set up for 125 people. Three weeks ago, there were 400 people in the tent. I guarantee you that it was overcrowded, but is was far better than being outside. They say that it’s hot but it’s dry. I say, so is an oven!
  9. Most folks are processed and released with a date to appear within 24-36 hours. And when I say released, most are released onto US soil. Sometimes at the center and sometimes via bus to somewhere that they have relatives or opportunities. Their date and place to appear is relative to their location.
  10. Since January, 2019 the three centers that I visited have processed more than 144,000 immigrants. They were built to accommodate 4500 in that same time period. There is indeed a humanitarian crisis on our Southern Border and Border Patrol are the first people to assure you of that. Three weeks prior to my visit, these centers were overwhelmed and in the midst of implementing all the changes that I saw. Were the centers over crowded, undermanned, underfunded and at crisis levels? You bet they were, and very well might be again. But I saw first hand how rapidly the Border Patrol has implanted significant changes to make this crisis far less painful.

I’ll write more in tomorrow’s article, but let me make a few observations of my visit last week.

  • The tariffs and the present administration have negotiated 5,000 Mexican troops on their Southern Border. That had lessened the pace of the immigrants from the South American countries which make up about 65% of the present immigrant requests. Nobody believes that is sustainable. As a result, our Border Patrol Centers are still prepping for another massive wave the balance of this year. They have added thousands and thousands of square feet, all air conditioned space. They have created Costco-like space with food and beverage service in mass quantities. They have added 24-7 medical care and in the Unaccompanied Children’s Center, they have added social workers and supervised play-times with qualified people.
  • The Migrant Protection Plan is slowing the flood of people into these centers, but that is not presently sustainable. It most likely will help, but will require millions of dollars to help create sustainable short-term housing on the Mexican side of the border.
  • The overcrowding creates a media circus and granstanding from either side of the aisle doen’t help. It’s creating a hightened sense of fear in the people seeking a new home and it’s hurting the work of the Border Agents. Most of the men and women I personally spoke with were 10-25 year veterans of the Border Patrol. They all were quick to tell me that a month ago things were horrific and that they will most likely be that way again. But this time, they are far better prepared for the onslaught.
  • The Church is the single best way to care for these folks on both sides of the border. I’ll outline more in tomorrow’s article.
  • Children are only separated from adults when, a) they arrive with a bio-metric proven person of criminal history, b) if the child is sick, where they are placed into a medical ward with 24-7 care until well, c) they arrive alone because mother or parents are sold into human or sex trafficking. By the way, did you know that the Cartel’s own most of the Southern Mexico Border and that everyone pays to cross and tens of thousands of folks are paying with their very lives to get their kids away from the likes of South American dictators and oppressive governments? Many of these folks, especially from South America and Cuba are professionals, or with labor skills.

I’ll wrap up for today, but there is so much that I learned. I’ll be returning to the McAllen Border Center (where Vice President Pence was last week) next month. I’ve been invited to participate in a partnership for serving and caring for the immigrant families and the Border Patrol across the entire Southern Border. I’m praying about that and about how the faith based community can serve the immigrants and especially the unaccompanied Children.

This is a long view effort and will require the help of multiple organizations. I’m still not certain what part I am to play, but I am certain that we (the church) must step up to meet this crisis face to face, hand in hand and hearts without political motivation, but rather, salt and light directives.

We all are part of the problem and can be part of the solution. I know you think that was a typo. You’re probably thinking, “Chuck, I don’t have anything to do with those folks on the border.” Well, actually you do. You can vote your convictions, share those convictions boldly with your congressional leader, your local governments, pastors and priests. But please do not hide from this or turn your heart from these folks.

Thanks for your prayers and for your continued prayers for my ongoing conversations and visits. Join me again tomorrow for what I believe are some very tangible ways to help improve the challenges ahead on the Southern Border.

Go in Peace,
AChuck

These are Superpowers

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These Are Superpowers by ACHUCKAllen

I grabbed a Delta jet to my hometown, Daytona Beach, Florida Sunday afternoon to officiate a friend’s son’s wedding. It was a rainy afternoon with thunderstorms strong enough to sweep the beach of every vacationing family. I thought that we would definitely be having an indoor wedding. This is a young couple that needed a wedding to happen on the beach, just outside the condominium that the groom has been vacationing at for 20 plus years. It wasn’t looking good as the skies grew darker.

But at 7:00pm, just thirty-minutes before the wedding, the clouds blew out and the sun started peeking around the now white and fluffy clouds. By 7:30, there was a nice breeze and it was a beautiful evening for a wedding on the beach.

What was the superpower that moved that storm away? A daddy that loves his boy and a couple that has chosen the path of grace and kindness over judgement and legalism. The answer the groom’s daddy gave every person regarding the weather was simple. To every person, whether they were Followers of Jesus or not, his answer was, “well, the Lord is good and He heard our prayers.” Was the prayer the superpower or the kindness? And the answer is YES!

Here is what I know with great certainty: When you openly speak about the things of God, good things happen.

On Monday, I was on my way from my room to the hotel elevator when I met Kadian . Kadian is a young mom from Jamaica. I said the usual “good morning and how are you today” remarks and she seemed timid and a bit distracted. I was hungry and hopped on the elevator and hit the button for the lobby. It was at that moment the Lord spoke as clearly to me as I was hoping a server would when I ordered my breakfast. The Lord was clear. “Chuck, stop the elevator, go back and give that girl some money.” He was specific about the amount and the action. I responded like I often do, “Lord, I’ll find her after breakfast.”

Here’s a life lesson. The Lord doesn’t desire His kids to delay in acting on His directions.

So, I got off the elevator at the Lobby, smelling the sausage, bacon, French toast and biscuits (sorry). And I got back on the elevator and road back to the tenth floor. I found Kadian and told her that the Lord told me to bring her this money. She teared up and asked me to stop in the middle of the hallway and pray for her. I did and decided to pray big. When I said amen and finished, two separate couples had joined in the serendipitous prayer meeting and we were all crying. Kadian looked me in the eyes and said that she told her son, as she left their apartment early Monday morning that “God would provide today.” Well, how bout that?

Was it the money or the act of Kindness the Lord directed me with. The answer is YES!

Again, When you openly speak about the things of God, good things happen.

You have superpowers at your disposal every single day. Prayer, Kindness, Graciousness and Obedience. I wonder what our world might look like if we were to lay down our egos, logos and personal preferences and replaced them with Prayer, Graciousness and Obedience? Imagine a day that you choose the superpower of openly speaking about the things of God…and good things happen? Would we really make a dent in this planet for the betterment of mankind? The Answer, YES!

Go in Peace,
AChuck

Why We Should Care…About the Border

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Why We Should Care by ACHUCKAllen

I’ve been stirred deep in my soul that whatever the truth is regarding our immigration crisis on our southern border, that the faith based community must become part of the solution, not just another mouthpiece of strife.

I’ve read through so many statistics and so many differing opinions on this topic and I’ve discovered one commonality among every party, person and platform. That one commonality? It’s a mess no matter what your thoughts are or party lines that you prefer. Honestly, you can do a simple Google search and discover every possible position that you can imagine.

There are folks firm in their belief that we should build a wall…a massive wall…a wall worth billions or dollars. There are folks that think we should open our doors and become a sanctuary nation. There are folks that want us is to bus, fly or pixie-dust the folks awaiting entry or asylum back to wherever they came from. There are folks that want a new bill that will ease entry and folks that want a new bill that will stop all entry.

I know we should care about our borders and our national security, but the one thing that seems to be lost in this political hot potato are the people in the MIDDLE. The folks that have left their countries to seek a new life in this great land that I was blessed to be born in. PLEASE HEAR ME! I am not suggesting that the US Customs and Border Control are or have been the problem. These hard working folks are undermanned, underfunded and under extraordinary scrutiny. I’m not even sure about whether the laws and legalities of acquiring US citizenship should be changed. BUT! But I do know that while folks that must be smarter and better equipped than me determine how to settle the political battles, people in THE MIDDLE appear to be in a mess. A big mess!

I started praying about this situation and honestly want to run from it. I told Jenny, “I have no way of making a difference in this issue, what could I possibly do. I’m praying that the Divine would raise up a leader that could stir a movement in the modern, evangelical community. Someone that could do something significant for the folks that seem to be trapped in the middle.” Her answer? “Maybe you are who the Lord might want to use you to make a big difference.” YIKES!

“I’m just Chuck. I pastor a great church, but honestly, really? Lord, I do not have time for this. I’m almost sixty-years old and my calendar is already out of control. Lord, I’m over committed and often stressed about how to get everything done already. How about you ask somebody else to make this their fight?” And then I started poking around the issue some more and discovered that discovering the truth about what is going on isn’t as simple as it might seem.

In my writing, research, phone calls and prayers I was completely out of the blue invited to join a couple of other folks on a tour of a few detention centers right on the border with the Deputy Director of Homeland Security. I know, right? Mind blown and stomach queasy. The trick, I had to find a way to get to El Paso by July 11, meet up with this small group and make a day of seeing the real deal most of the day July 12. Now remember, my plan was for the Lord to open this kind of door for someone else. Someone with a voice that carried great weight and urgency. And then the Lord said, “Chuck, GO!”

And so, I trust that you’ll be kind enough to pray for my trip and for eyes and heart to be opened to the truth about the folks in THE MIDDLE.

Why should we care about the individuals and families in the middle of this mess? Because they were created in the image of God and He loves them and has called us – the Body of Christ – to care about them and for them. If I were from Venezuela, or any of the other countries the folks are fleeing from and I were stuck in the middle, I’d be praying that God’s People would show up in force to love me, help me and serve me in the name of Jesus the Lord.

I promise you that this isn’t a political trip with some right or left wing agenda. I am biased. I am biased with a heart to serve and love people with a gracious heart and helpful hands.

I’ve heard so many stories that are on the ridiculous edges of reason, from both sides that I have now trained my brain to ask this question about every picture and every opinionated article: “But is it a true representation?” And each picture that I see, I question it’s authenticity. We should care about this because the only way that we can care for and love these folks caught in THE MIDDLE is to see firsthand the needs and issues that truly exist.

Will you care along with me and start praying about how to serve the folks serving in our Customs and Border Patrol and the folks that seem to be stuck in THE MIDDLE? One thing has become radically apparent to me in this quest. God cares for everybody in this crisis and He has a plan for how He will fix it. We should care because He cares and His plan to fix it is us…me and you!

Thanks for your prayers and thanks for caring.

Peace, AChuck

The Politics of Jesus

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The Politics of Jesus by AChuckAllen

I grew up in the home of a politician. For those of you that knew my father, you knew him as Brother Ken or Pastor Ken. But long before that he was Ken Allen, State Representative, State Senator, Chairman of the Republican Party and almost Lieutenant Governor.

You can imagine, there were no donkeys in our home and when I voted in my first presidential election and cast my vote for Jimmy Carter, my dad almost cried.

Over the years I’ve voted for folks on both sides of the aisle and I must confess that in my past 4-5 years I’ve discovered that there is a reason why we are such a diverse culture —- we don’t think the same way for a purpose. I’ve learned to lay down my party lines and sought after the line that God the Creator of the Universe has laid down. Friend, that’s worth this discussion.

Here are a few thoughts to prime your pump.

1. If Jesus had chosen to walk the face of this earth in our generation He wouldn’t sit on either the right or left side of the aisle. He has an aisle all His own. If Jesus were here in the flesh today, what would He do in our present political environment? Would He campaign to get His favorite candidate elected? No, He would still be declaring the message He spoke about when He came during the first century. The solution to man’s problems is not to reform present governments, but rather to replace them with the Kingdom of God.

2. If Jesus were to vote, He would vote for His Father and His FATHER’s ways. “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15)

3. If Jesus were to lobby the hallowed halls of Congress, He would hold up His Word as evidence. Under the scrutiny and temptation following 40 days without food, Jesus replied to Satan…”It is written” The Son of God knew the Word of God was the Bond of God as a Covenant with God and His people!

4. If Jesus were to be under the scrutiny of a special counsel, He wouldn’t be guilty of anything but being fully, completely and utterly the way, the truth and the life. The question we should be asking, then, isn’t whether Jesus is on our side, but whether we’re on his. This is the appropriate question not only for politics and government, but also every other concern.

5. If Jesus were to look at our present government, He would say, honor your government. Pray for your leaders and seek the face of the Heavenly Father before you vote…but vote! “Let every soul, be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” Romans 13:1-2

In the Old Testament, in a time of political upheaval…some might have called it a constitutional crisis, three young guys show us the way. In Daniel 3:1–30, the King builds a golden image (most likely of himself) and demands, by law that all the people of the kingdom fall tp their knees and worship this golden image when they here music. I mean, what in the world?

Friend, This World Wants You to TRUST in POLITICS and POLITICIANS

These men – really young men had been enslaved and removed from their homes forced into a new land with new faiths and new politics. Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar had become a godless and wicked land. It had become a land filled with angry people, living ungodly lives and were being ruled by even worse governmental leaders.

Their leaders, in particular the king had determined that he was THE MAN. He was the final authority and so he builds a massive statue that was to represent he and his government, his greatness and his power.

But listen to what James says about this problem that seems to be a problem today, just as it was in the day of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.. Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously? James 4:4–5

Now, maybe there were some folks that said to the king, “dude, this might not be the best or play.” “Are you sure that you want to require everybody to bow down and worship it?” But their world and this world wants you to worship something! And by the way, everybody is doing it, right? I mean, it’s a new rule, a new law. It’s what the king has requested.

We were made in the image of God, our Creator. We have been called to a citizenship that exceeds even the greatest country on the planet. The Scriptures teach us that we are citizens of Heaven! As Followers of Jesus, the priorities of our lives are to FIRST be governed by God.

So, a few dudes took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse the the three guys Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever. You as king have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.

There are some Jewish guys you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These guys have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up. Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to him. So these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar asked them,

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” Daniel 3:8–15

The Politics of this World will DARE YOU to Live for God

These three young men. Bright promising futures ahead of them as leaders and leaders of leaders have been dared, as we are today to step outside of the binary, silly political winds of donkeys and elephants and stand firm on the Word of the Living God.

They were being dared to stand when the political ways and winds said to kneel. Even facing a persecution that goes way beyond being ostracized on social media. Way beyond uncomfortable conversation at the dinner table. Light years away from losing a promotion. They were dared to kneel or die. Kneel or be thrown into the fiery furnace. We are talking cremation heat. Instantaneous death!

But here is what they knew…they knew that they had been made in the image of God. They were image bearers of the Most-High God. They knew He would never leave them or forsake them.

Notice that the King asks the most telling question: “Who is this God that can rescue you from MY POWER?

All of a sudden, these young men have to make three choices:

1. What should I do politically?

2. What should I do morally?

3. What should I do spiritually?

They Were Faced with the Task to TRUST GOD REGARDLESS of the CONSEQUENCES

They didn’t write an op-ed in the Babylon Chronicle. They didn’t form a protest. They didn’t set chariots on fire and pillage stores. They didn’t go on BabylonBook or Jewishgram and see what their other friends were doing. They had to stand on something that mattered with an eternal surety.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Talk about ticked-off. The King was outside of his mind!

So these men, in their trousers, robes, head coverings, and other clothes, were tied up and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Since the king’s command was so urgent and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames killed those men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego up. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. Daniel 3:16–23

This World and its Politics will dare you LIVE LIKE YOU TRUST GOD.

  • Our challenges aren’t the result of poor leadership, they are all founded in poor followship! If you want God to step in and walk you through your fire, you must choose to follow Him, not just acknowledge Him
  • We don’t need better political parties. We don’t even need better politicians. We need citizens with a heart and soul turned toward Heaven.
  • We are in desperate need for our politics to be in perfect alignment with who God has created us to be. We have been created in His image, in His likeness, to walk in His ways and trust Him, not the system. Not the party line, spin room or political platform.
  • To get our politics right, we need to get our hearts right!

Romans 8:5 give us the key: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 34:7 “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”

This desperate world needs to be rescued!

The King looks into the furnace and sees, not three, but four men in the fire. This is a King’s Holy Crap moment! These guys exited the furnace with all of the clothing intact. Without a scent of ash or fire. And the fourth guy? Well, He is no other than God Himself. He stepped in and didn’t let these faith-fille dudes avoid the fire. He did something far better. He got in the fire with them! Friend, God didn’t leave Heaven and come to this Earth to keep you from the fire, He came to get in the fire with you!

Politics is a game. A costly game. But listen, God isn’t playing a game. From the time of creation He has set His Kingdom in place and His Son, Jesus the Lord came to allow us entry into His Kingdom. A Kingdom with no term limits, no political limits and no limits of power. He has no boundaries, no treaties, no equals. He needs no allies, He isn’t elected and He has always been in charge, always will be in charge and doesn’t need the UN, NATO, presidents, kings, prime ministers or dictators. He is the Creator, Sustainer and Savior of the World and our allegiance is first and foremost to Him and to His ways and His will and we are to believe in Him, hope in Him, trust in Him and love Him. Why? Because He doesn’t need a strategy team, a press release, a spin doctor, a pollster, a pundit or a party.

He has one platform – YOU! You are who He has come to redeem and claim as His own child and in Him, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is the rule, the law and the truth.

When we get our politics in line with God’s will, we will receive the hand of God’s blessings. America doesn’t need to ask for God’s blessings. America needs to become a land that is blessable.

Looking for a better way? Looking for a fresh and simpler way? Need a platform you can trust and a leader you can follow with all of your heart mind and soul? Then Jesus, the other in the fire is here for you!

The political position of Jesus is simple! You live for Him and He’ll never leave you alone. He’ll never leave you in a mess. He’ll never break a promise.

Go in Peace, AChuck

Here Comes the Judge

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Here Comes the Judge by AChuckAllen

To judge means: to separate, to pick out, select, choose. By implication, it means to condemn, punish—avenge, conclude.

Our culture often uses Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter seven (“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.“) to promote a tolerance that often encourages acceptance of behaviors that the Bible forbids. We know that wasn’t Jesus’ intention. So, what did Jesus mean when He told us not to judge?

The Bible says we can’t judge what is in someone’s heart. We may assign bad motives to someone who ignores us when, in reality, they are fighting hidden battles. They may have just learned their spouse has been in an affair, or their child has cancer—or both.

Jenny and I were at her garden the other day and noticed a woman about 40 years of age in tattered clothing and a delapidated car parked at the garden park. I made a few assumptions like, “she is going to need money,” and “what’s she doing here?”

A few minutes later, she exited the junk car and walked our way. I asked Jenn if she had any cash, and honestly, I thought, “here we go again.” She stopped and gave us a lot of helpful gardening tips, showed us her thriving garden and then asked about our faith. For a pastor, I was convicted beyond undersatanding. I had assigned to this kind, gracious new friend an assumption that carried with it some significant judgement. Shame on me!

To judge another person shows our degree of selfishness and pride. Only God knows what is in a person’s heart and the effort it takes to function where they are. We might often assume that the late mom is irresponsible. But she may be a single mom working a couple of jobs and caring for a special needs child. We might not know what’s going on and not attempt to know simply out of the terminal certainty of our assumptions.

We can make vast assumptions without caring enough to know the story, heartache or need. The further we are from a problem, the easier the solution seems to us. Just nuke em! Until you realize there are children behind those closed doors, being educated by a missionary from the west. You see, a really good reason not to jump to our preferred assumptions is that the closer we get to a problem, the more complex the solution becomes.

John’s Gospel says “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” We aren’t to judge other Followers of Jesus who practice their faith in ways different than us. We may decide someone is spiritually immature because they don’t pray, dress, or practice faith in the way we do. But we do, don’t we?

Somebody is blasting away at another believer out on Facebook or Twitter about how they teach, preach, dress, sing and far too often we jump on the bandwagon of the mean string of comments. I really cannot find anything about that action that honors the Lord. Has it ever occured to you that you too could be blasted? As a person that gets blasted regularly, it’s often a matter of no significance, but rather, preference.

Maybe you don’t like the tattoo she wears on her ankle or that he has a cold beer when he comes in from cutting the grass. Maybe you think that neighbor that cuts their grass on Sunday morning should be in church, but you don’t really know if they worship at some other time.

Paul wrote, “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat… So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister” (Romans 14:10, 12, 13).

When we stand before God, He won’t ask us why our friends, neighbors, co-workers or family members did what they did.

He will ask us to give an account of ourselves. To manage ourselves is a full-time job. The Holy Spirit doesn’t need us to do His job.

The scales of justice, God’s justice are not blind at all. You are not to judge others because you have an entire lifetime – and it will take that entire lifetime – to work on you. For every minute you spend judging and criticizing others, you are losing 30 minutes of self-help.

As a Follower of Jesus, what we see in the mirror, and more importantly, what the Lord points out in our time of meditation is more than a lifetime’s worth of effort and surrender without wasting a second on judging, gossiping and critiquing others!

If we truly want a better nation, state, county, city, community, school or home, we might should start by working on a better us.

“Judge not,” like all of Jesus’ commandments, is summed up in love. “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).

Let’s lay down our gavels and hang up our robes. Let’s grow up spiritually and know the ways of God. Let’s be wise, be loving, be filled with grace, and let’s be overwhelmed by the mercy of the Divine.

Judge not, lest you be judged.

Go in Peace,
AChuck

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