The Electronic Church

Lately I have observed something that may be a good thing. I’m not sure.

In 1955 Robert Schuler started a church in a drive-in theater, so that people could come and have the church experience without getting out of their cars. That developed into the Chrystal Cathedral which was a mega church in the greater Los Angeles area. Their message was very positive but had little to do with Jesus, but the premise remained such that people could come sit in their cars and experience what is commonly called church. There was no community being built.

In recent years, most churches record the morning message and make it available on-line for those who are not able to attend. I am sure that in a lot of cases, this can hinder community.

When I speak of community, I am speaking of the body of Christ building up one another.

More recently I have seen mega churches broadcasting their messages live, with the stated intention of reaching people that may not even be in their area. Others make their messages available on their website or on YouTube. Also with the hope of reaching those who are not in their area with their message.

In recent years I am drawn pretty definitely to the message that we are to be followers of Jesus life and teaching with a view to becoming more and more like him. (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 8:29)

As I find Christians round about, I rarely find those who are interested in discipleship that requires a change of lifestyle. Most of the churches that I visit just seem to promote good behavior and ascent to specific doctrines. Discipleship is not required.

If someone is interested, there are churches that do promote discipleship, however they may be in another state or country. Thanks to technology we can find teaching that encourages discipleship. 

Some of these churches also encourage the formation of small groups in your local area. These groups are for the church to function to encourage and build up one another. Also, they can be involved as a group in the community to do beneficial service for the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus.

The question is, can these electronic churches be a benefit to the Kingdom of God. I think there is potential if we who want to grow and have not been encouraged by the classical church, will take initiative and promote in our area what we have found.

What do you think?

Humility, what's that?

Humility, what does that mean?

I once heard a brother quoted as saying, “At one time, I thought humility was the most important thing, I was wrong, humility is everything.”

Humility: another of those religious words that seem to be pretty difficult to pin down with a definite meaning.

There was another brother who came from Northern Europe to preach to churches in the United States. I wondered if that wasn’t kind of arrogant and surely not humble.

How can someone who travels around the world to speak to thousands of people and tell them what they need to hear be humble? If the easy meaning of humility is correct, this is an impossibility. A humble person would sit in a room alone and quietly be repentant and fearful of almost everything. 

Isn’t that something like the popular view of humility?

There are many examples of humility in the Bible, but Jesus is the perfect example of humility, and they called him a drunken party animal (Luke 7:34). Jesus told people what they needed to be doing and how they needed to change. How is that humble? Jesus condemned the religious leaders. Is that humility.

Jesus is our perfect example. Hebrews 12:2 says; “fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith…”. In everything he is my example. An example is something or someone you aspire to be like. How could Jesus be our perfect example of humility and speak the things he spoke.

In humility, Jesus said and did the things he saw and heard the father say and he did what he saw the father doing. Consider John 14:49

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

It seems then that a humble person might do outrageous things if he is instructed to do so. A humble person might travel around the world and give instruction to strangers, if he believes that is what is required of him. A humble person might be the lead pastor of a mega church if that is what he believes he is suppose to be doing. A proud person might be doing the same thing.

The difference is hidden from our view. There is no way for me to tell if the confidence of the other person is arrogance or humble obedience. I must not judge, no matter how things appear to me, but earnestly seek grace to be obedient.

I believe that confident obedience may be a most humble thing to do.

It’s something to think about. 

Consider Joseph

This week we began a study of the gospel of Matthew with my wife, her sister and her husband. We are simply taking 1 or 2 chapters and looking at them together to see what God will show us. This week we looked at Matthew 1 and 2, not a very popular passage, except at the end of December. However, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

There are many stories found in Matthews genealogy: an incestuous relationship, a prostitute, a foreigner, an adulterous and murderous king, all of whom God included in the genealogy of Jesus. For me this is encouraging. God is not ashamed of these people but includes them and doesn’t attempt to hide their flaws. There’s room for me in the family of God. That’s encouraging!

But, the thing that really gets my attention is Joseph. For several years the faithfulness of Joseph has been an encouragement to me. Imagine if you can, being a man who has worked to establish himself in a trade and kept himself from women. Now he establishes a marriage covenant with this young Hebrew woman and, all of a sudden, finds out she is pregnant! Would you feel betrayed, angry, looking for justice?

This is not just a precious moments fairy story. This is real people just like you and me.

It says Joseph was a righteous man, but the text goes on to point out that he understood to be merciful. So, he decided not to make a show of her but to divorce her quietly. There is a lot to say about this, but let’s just leave it at, this was an extreme kindness.

After this Joseph is visited 4 times by an angel in dreams and given instruction. Each time Joseph’s response is immediate obedience. (Matthew 1:24, 2:14, 2:21-22)

How do I respond to unfaithfulness and injustice, by those around me? How quickly do I obey when I see the will of God for my life? These are questions that arise for me. I hope they are helpful for you.

May we each one grow in mercy and obedience.

Can We Agree Here

Last night as my wife and I were in bed, after we had prayed, I lay thinking about the things I’ve heard lately and the thought came to me. There are a lot of things that are unclear in the Bible. There are a lot of questions that men find to argue about. Look at all the different denominations and even divisions within denominations. Think of what makes your church right and your neighbors church not so right; things like baptism, communion, what happens when we die. All of these things men have parted company about at different times and sometimes with very strong and not loving feelings and words.

These questions are often truly difficult if not impossible to prove empirically. But as I was thinking about these things, a verse came to my mind that a precious brother shared several times in small meetings.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

There are so many things that we could disagree about, but here I see something that I need to give very serious attention.

God has given us all things, think of that ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness. There is nothing lacking; Not in what God has provided. What is lacking is my accepting and taking what God has provided.

How do I do that?

Through the knowledge that I can have through the Bible and by the Spirit of God, about God and about Jesus. Simply follow Jesus.

God calls us to glory and virtue so we can become those who live by divine nature and overcome the corruption that is in the world because of lust. 

How did Jesus overcome Sin?

How did Jesus Overcome Sin?

This may seem like a moot question, since Jesus was God and God cannot be tempted. That’s a whole other problem for another time, maybe.

In Hebrews it says He was tempted in all points in the same way we are yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15) After Jesus was baptized in Matthew 3, in Matthew 4 It says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.” Hmm?

The story that follows is one of Satan, the Devil, tempting Jesus with a proposition and Jesus answering with a scripture. It all seems pretty simple. Just memorize a bunch of scriptures then you will always have an answer for the Devil. Ever tried that? I have and I have found that when temptation arises I forget to think about the correct answer. Temptation doesn’t seem to arrive with an announcement on a schedule, there is no flashing orange light to alert you. Temptation is the flash of a thought to think or do something that in hindsight I will regret. Then, before I consider the words of Scripture, I act in the wrong way.

Why was Jesus successful and I am not? I believe the answer can be found in Psalms 119:11. “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, so that I might not sin against you.” My heart is where I need to hide Scripture. My heart is where I hold the things that I truly care about, the things I love. Memorizing scripture is not enough.

I need to hide God’s Word in my heart. David was speaking about the Scriptures. But, since I have a new understanding of The Word of God, I need to hide Jesus, the Word of God, and appropriate Scripture, also the word of God in that place where I love them.

This hiding process is the act of meditating on the life and teachings of God’s Word. Memorize, then repeat back to God until those words and the person of Jesus are firmly in residence in my heart.

When the Word of God has first place in my heart resisting the lusts of my flesh becomes much more natural.

Happily, I can say that this is how I have experienced some success. Still much to conquer.

It's something to think about.

A Letter To My Friends

To my Dear Friends,

Whoever you are, I have asked that the friends of my children and the friends of their friends from Facebook take the time to read this short letter, but if you are reading this for any reason, thank you for stopping by for a few minutes.

I joined Facebook several years ago when, because of my work, I couldn’t be around family and the friends that have touched my life. I wanted to keep in touch. I wanted to see where life took you. I have seen some wonderful developments and some developments that have not been so wonderful. Many things have given me reason to be very happy. Other things have caused me tremendous sorrow. Sometimes I have been tempted to unfriend you because of the directions you have chosen, but I have been stopped.

Over many years my life has taken several turns, some pretty good and others, well, not so good. I have made good choices, some really terrible choices and lots somewhere in between. For most of my life I have been what many would call religious, although much of the time I have hated that term. I hope you will keep reading anyway.

In the center of our body, each of us has a heart. When that thing works properly things are at least pretty good (some of us have other parts that are causing trouble). In the center of our being, each of us has a kind of a spiritual heart. Just as our physical heart is designed to provide nourishment to our whole body, that spiritual heart nourishes and affects our entire life and then the lives that we touch.

When I allow anger, hatred and disrespect to be the thing that my spiritual heart is pumping, even for the best of reasons, that anger, hatred and disrespect will spoil the good that I desire to do. I desperately need to examine what motivates my words and actions in order to accomplish the good effect that I desire. Anger, hatred and disrespect have always motivated people to action but the results of those actions have never been good.

Love, respect and dignity work much more slowly but the result is much better.

Please, allow me to suggest that you consider the man Jesus. I am not suggesting or attempting to get you to join any religion. There have been many negative results of the “Christian religion”. So, I simply ask that you look at the life and words of the man, Jesus.

Jesus came because of love, he gave respect to everyone and treated each one with dignity, because he only wanted to help each one find a better life. See his heart in his life and his words. I certainly see where I can improve.

Please… think about these things.

Oil and light

Jesus told a story about 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1-13) He said 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. The wise brought oil in their vessels.

I think I may have found a little more understanding about how this works in practical living. This morning I was reading in the Gospel of Matthew, endeavoring to listen for the Spirit of God to speak to my heart. Lately the analogy of salt and light has been coming to mind frequently (really for some time). I was thinking about things like 1 Peter 3:15. “…ready always to give an answer to all who ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you”. Suddenly I realized, no one has asked me for a reason for the hope that is within me.

The realization is clear and painful. My light is not shining so that those around me are amazed and interested.

The 5 wise virgins did 2 things. They brought oil in their vessels and they trimmed their lamps so they would burn clear and bright.

I think the oil in my vessel is the Word of God, the Scriptures, hidden in my heart (psalms 119:11). These are Scriptures memorized and meditated upon until they find a home in my heart. “In my heart”, that is the place where I embrace things and hold them dear, in reality, not just in a catchy tune.

They also all trimmed their lamps. This refers to the part of the wick that is burnt and will not allow the lamp to burn brightly. I am sure there is much to apply to my life here as well but the pain of seeing clearly my need is enough to think about for the time being. And I must take action to correct the problem.

It’s something to think about

Always a Servant

Of Jesus, it says;

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:7)

He took the form of a servant. I had never seen that before and cannot yet begin to comprehend the full impact of what it means for me. “the form of a servant.”

I have gone through my life thinking that I was free to be whatever I wanted to be. But in reality, whichever way I choose and whatever I choose to do I am a servant. The question is, “Do I serve sin or do I serve righteousness?”

Until I chose to be born again by the grace and power of God, I was the absolute servant of sin. The main sin being self interest and my rightness.

After I was born of God, I did not automatically stop serving sin or being the servant of sin. No, but then I had received the power (kjv) or authority to choose to be the servant of another (John 1:12).  Now I can choose to be the servant of God and righteousness. I do this by choosing to obey the word of God.

No matter where we are or what we do we are always servants. The question for me is will I serve sin unto death or because of the grace of God will I serve righteousness unto life everlasting.

I am learning to choose better and I pray that you are as well.

Let us each one learn more faithfulness.

Is That Really Funny?

There have been times when I would laugh at jokes about gays, disabled people and minorities. I even told some. There are other groups that are the subject of humor. You might understand what I’m talking about; People who aren’t like me; People who have different value systems.

Many of these jokes are for the purpose of dividing people into us and them.

Dividing; That is kind of the opposite of what I understand to be my calling as a follower of Jesus.

Jesus tells us to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations”, (that’s a lot of people not like me). In John 17:21 Jesus prays that we might all be one.

If I am taking part in divisive humor how can I truly have any part in creating the unity that Jesus has in mind for me?

I believe this is a serious matter for me. Jesus speaks of a plant having good fruit and bad. He says it is not possible (Matthew 7:15-20). And James speaks of a fountain bringing forth sweet water and bitter (James 3:11).

It’s something to think about.

FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU SHALL BE JUSTIFIED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU SHALL BE CONDEMNED. (Matthew 12:37)

Jesus Didn't have a Webpage

Today I began by thinking about prayer and how my prayer practice has developed over the years and I may write about that at another time. But then I was thinking about Isaiah 42:1-4 which talks about the servant of God that he will uphold, and of course refers ultimately to Jesus. But as a disciple, Jesus is a pattern for me to consider.

In thinking about the Isaiah passage I was thinking about how Jesus didn’t have any media to announce his upcoming revival meeting. There was no webpage for people to find out where he would be next. Jesus simply went around healing the sick and telling stories. Or providing free lunches for a lot of people, and telling stories.

Matthew 13:34 tells us that

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

Those who came to Jesus seeking, searching, requesting more understanding, more in depth teaching were shown more.

I see three things that I need to give close attention.

First: I need to suppress my desire to make others see the valuable truth that I have found. Mostly they are not interested.

Second: I need to be among those who ask, seek and knock.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:8)

And finally or maybe first I need to be finding the good that I can do and be doing that.

Following Jesus is a matter of doing what I can see he did and doing the things he says I am to do. 

Wars and Fighting

Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. You want things, but you don't get them. So, you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So, you argue and fight. You don't get what you want because you don't ask God. Or when you ask, you don't receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure.

Does this sound familiar?

How many ways do I try to justify my selfish, self-righteous attitudes?

So many times, I find myself getting angry with religious people who build little kingdoms so they can rule over others and get their living from others. Other times I see business people taking the larger part from the labors of others and I am angered by their greed. Politicians, take extreme wages when most of them are already wealthy, because they want to rule over others.

It is easy to point the finger. All pointing of the finger is just another way of wanting to rule over others.

The first paragraph is a quote from the Easy to Read Version of James 4:1-3. The passage goes on to say that this attitude is the manifestation of our unfaithfulness toward God, and that this love of power and things makes us the enemy of God.

God is a jealous God. You may not like that but it is true. The really good side of that is that He only wants us for our very best. We make ourselves God’s enemy when we make demands and strive to rule over others. God’s greatest desire is to bless us, but he can only bless us according to righteousness. That is why it says,

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6

It’s something to think about.

MUCH MORE... MUCH MORE

For a long time, I have really loved the book of Romans. In Hebrews, it says “The Word of God is Living and active…”, and as I go through Romans again and again, new things appear that have always been there. Just recently, as I was going through Romans with some friends, I saw something I had missed in several trips through this wonderful book.

In the introduction of the letter, Paul mentions the “obedience of faith”, (Romans 1:5).

After that, he proceeds to explain our condition as rebellious children who have rejected our inheritance and turned to away from our Heavenly Father to invent our own ideas of ‘what is good and pleasant.’ And he shows us the results that these actions produce in chapter 2 verses 6 to 10.

From there to almost the middle of chapter five, he exclaims the wonderful message of the redemption that God has made available, through Jesus. And he has shown us how that, because of this, we can be made right with God. By believing this message we are righteous before God because of Jesus’ righteousness. This is truly Wonderful!

But then in Romans 5:9-10 he says,

MUCH MORE then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

NOTICE: the message of the statement is repeated. “MUCH MORE… MUCH MORE”! We were justified and MUCH MORE we shall be saved. We were reconciled, and MUCH MORE we shall be saved.

Being justified and reconciled to God, being made righteous before God are wonderful things that God has done for us.

Jesus has shown us the way, by living a life surrendered to the will of God. Therefore, following Jesus, we shall be saved.

And that is MUCH MORE!

Where Did That Come From?

In a discussion, last night someone said it again and I am really wondering where the idea comes from. Is it written in some newer translation that I haven’t seen. Whenever the subject of living the life that we are called to live comes up, someone almost always comes up with a statement similar to the one I got last night.

“I think we can try to (live the life we are called to) but also realize we’ll never achieve it in our lifetime, and what we do achieve, we achieve with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus says, “Therefore be perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Where does this other idea come from?

Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Where does this other idea come from?

John says, “My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin…” (1 John 2:1). He does go on to say that God has provided an advocate if we do sin, but the point is he is writing so that we may not sin. Where does that other idea come from?

Peter tells us, “according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

I think I found it. In Numbers 13, twelve spies were sent into the promised land to spy it out. The majority came back with an evil report and said we cannot take the land (that God has promised to give us) there are giants and we are like grasshoppers. (Numbers 13:31-33)

The people agreed with the 10 spies and died in the wilderness. Joshua and Caleb believed God and went into the promised land.

Think about it.

Freedom for All

Yesterday, when I woke up I was thinking about people who had made bad decisions for what seemed like good reasons. Somehow, I suspect some help from God, I ended up in Isaiah 58. Most of the rest of the day I was thinking about “yokes”. No, not yolks, yokes.

A yoke is a harness that was used to control large powerful draft animals, often oxen weighing 500 pounds or more. The yoke was solid and once it was on, the animal could not get free and was compelled to go were directed, pulling a wagon or a plow for example.

As I was thinking and praying about the things I wrote, especially about Isaiah 58:9, I came to thinking about how we put yokes on other people and how we end up with yokes that others put on us and sometimes we put on ourselves.

Christians may be the worse. I am sure it is more wretched for Christians to do than for anyone else. We are following Jesus, right? Jesus came to break the yokes and loose the bonds that hold us down and set us free to become like him.

When we see someone with a lot of tattoos (whatever that means), what do we think? Even if we talk kindly to them how do we view them? We are such hypocrites! Well maybe not you, but I certainly am. It doesn’t stop with ink. What about homosexuals, prostitutes, people of another race or political persuasion? What about people who go to another church or don’t go to any church?

LABELS! They are the same as a yoke. We have learned these things from infancy. They are buried deeply in our minds and hearts.

Jesus came and redeemed us from all of our sin and to remove the yokes that bind us. This means the yokes that we wear because of bad decisions we have made. It also means the yokes we place on others because we are still trying to be judges. These latter keep us from being salt and light in this dark world.

These things are so subtle and so powerful that we must have God’s help to be rid of them. I must humble myself, pray and mourn and seek God’s grace here. And He will be our help and salvation.

Be Faithful.

We Love the Promises of God

We simply Love the promises of God. They are so encouraging. In Sunday School, we used to sing,

“Every promise in the book is mine,

every chapter every verse every line.

All the blessings of his love divine,

every promise in the book is mine.”

And the Lord will be your guide at all times; in dry places, he will give you water in full measure, and will make strong your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like an ever-flowing spring. And your sons will be building again the old waste places: you will make strong the bases of old generations: and you will be named, He who puts up the broken walls, and, He who makes ready the ways for use. (Isaiah 58:11-12)

What wonderful, encouraging words. Shouldn’t we all just be really happy all the time? Why are so many Christians unhappy and down cast? Maybe we’ve missed something. Let’s look at another blessing in the same chapter. Verse 9 says.

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

IF

thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Something that I don’t recall hearing very much about is the part that comes after the “if”. Every promise that I have found in God’s Word has an “if” of some kind, but we are really inclined to highlight the promise and ignore the condition.

News Flash: God doesn’t ignore them.

God is not vengeful and mean! He doesn’t just want to make us unhappy for some sadistic pleasure. God wants to give us the blessings, every one. No loving father will reward a child for bad behavior. Our Heavenly Father desires us to be like his Son, for our pleasure. He is eager to bless us as we learn to follow Jesus example. 

I Just Want to be Happy

I remember once, a man got up to speak, and the first thing he said was, “Everyone wants to be happy.” A very few of you who read this may remember this man saying this. This same man also spent time in a prison in a far Eastern country for trying to spread Christianity. (That’s not why he went) I also heard him comment, “I was happy there.”

As I look at myself I see that I have ideas about what would make me happy. Many of the things I think about seem to be good even righteous things. Yet though I have prayed and sought them in every way I can imagine they have eluded me.

There, in that last sentence is the problem. I have been striving for that which I think, will make me happy. The answer that Brother Bratlie found and that Jesus clearly taught and lived is found in doing the will of God instead of my own will.

WHAT FUN IS THAT?

Well, fun is not the point. Here I am talking about being happy, satisfied, fulfilled. That is a different matter. The same man that I spoke of earlier is the first man that I remember saying that Jesus was the happiest man that ever lived. It takes a little imagination but if you think about it, it is very clear.

You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows." (Hebrews 1:9)

Jesus has said where His joy is. We can see it in John 15:11.

I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.

His JOY is in us. That is what he wanted. Did he seek it by looking for ways to make our life easy, or finding fun things for us to do. Jesus shows us the way when he says.

For I came down from Heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)

Jesus found his joy by doing the will of God. He is my Rabbi as well as my Savior. If I am to take his yoke upon myself then I need to follow his example. That is where I will find happiness.

Therefore, since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.

Inappropriate Behavior

My youngest grandson may be the smartest almost 3-year-old in the world. The other day my son was telling me that Finn is learning about inappropriate behavior. Really! When Finn starts to have a tantrum Ben just explains that that is not the best way to express himself when he is unhappy. It is inappropriate behavior.

As I am learning to be a disciple of Jesus, I see that there is a lot of inappropriate behavior that I have been willing to overlook in my own life. Right now, that seems to revolve around judging.

Judging is a lot more subtle than I have realized and I am much more inclined to judge that I ever dreamed.

Judging is at the very heart of all sin. Satan said

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:5

You will be able to JUDGE.

Let’s see how that works.

God’s word says we should do this or that, but I judge that for me the other thing is better.

The way I read God’s Word I understand that we should be doing this or that, but someone else believes that God’s Word says to do something else, so I judge that they are wrong and pronounce judgement in the way I talk about them.

I see someone involved in what is generally called sinful behavior, so I judge them and shun them and speak badly about them.

Is this how Jesus responded to the woman at the well, or the woman caught in adultery, or the thief on the cross?

God is the righteous judge, Getting up in His chair is inappropriate behavior.

Let us each one grow in faithfulness.