Daily Message From Your Father

When Do We Judge?

John Mizerak — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:06 +0000

I know today’s message is going to sound like a contradiction to what I’ve been sharing all week, but then again, it’s not all about me, is it? Just because I’ve been challenged to be open to receive from others and to not judge them, that doesn’t mean we should simply open ourselves wide for just anyone to speak into our lives. We need to have discernment and trust God’s Word fully, knowing that it is BLACK and WHITE! God does warn us to guard our hearts and to find wisdom. Ultimately, we need to be open and learn from other believers, but allow God and God alone to be the source for all of our knowledge.

John 8:16-18 (NIV)

8:16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 8:17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 8:18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Who Are We?

John Mizerak — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:05 +0000

When I think of my “comfort zone” and the judgement of others that keeps me there, I realize that I am in no position to judge others anyway! Really, who are we to judge others? I know in my case, I have enough on my plate simply trying to build MY relationship with God, that I have no business hindering that walk because I am thinking about how others walk with God. Jesus made the ultimate example in the passage below.

How can we condemn others?

John 8:9-11 (NIV)

8:9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 8:10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 8:11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Flee from Comfort

John Mizerak — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:39 +0000

Sometimes, I think God expects us to flee from comfort instead of embrace it. It’s probably a bit of a stress, but in my case I compare “comfort” to sin. It feels good and secure and keeps us locked in a place that does not allow us to grow. Sometimes, we need to just go for it and jump out of the zone in order to see God move in our lives. Until we start to make these kind of steps, we can’t truly know if we are being obedient to God. We may not even know what His voice sounds like because comfort becomes an idol and a louder CALL in our life than the Holy Spirit!

Genesis 12:1 (NIV)

12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

Theology of Comfort

John Mizerak — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:48 +0000

I realized as God convicted me how quick that I am to judge and therefore shut down from receiving from people who think differently from me. That is one way that people create their own personal religions. We can get so caught up in our“comfort zone” that that is only place we hear from God. Instead of being stretched we become “religious” in our own little rut. Many Christians don’t see it that way, they feel as if they are simply defending the Gospel. In fact, what they are defending is only their version of the Gospel defined by their happiness and“comfort-zone”! In my case, when I stop judging others and begin to open myself up to learn from people I once thought were crazy (for the Lord), I will continue to grow beyond “John’s World of the Gospel”!

How about you…Are you creating YOUR OWN Gospel of comfort?

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV)

4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

Judging Others

John Mizerak — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:00:44 +0000

As I try and not focus on MY HAPPINESS to dictate my FAITH, I’ve also been challenged to not let my “comfort zone” dictate how I see people. As I continue to break down the way I see things, I realize that, like my happiness, I have also allowed that my level of comfort has caused me to judge people and not receive from them. When people don’t think and act like we do, we can discount learning anything from them even though God may intend to use them to teach us something. I even judged Molly because we were so different and would often shut her off out of frustration. Jesus challenged the Pharisees in the passage below to not judge him, because by doing so they would not learn the lessons needed to receive the fullness of God.

Are you open to learn?

John 7:24 (NIV)

7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

A Clear Picture

John Mizerak — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:00:02 +0000

In order for me to get a clear picture in my mind of what I’ve been talking about this week, I had to draw it out. It makes sense to me when I see this illustration. As we grow in our faith we are working toward total surrender to God and His Word. Even though we are still human and therefore get blown in the wind of life, if we continue to press into Him and the Word, we will continue to move up and finally fit in the pocket of full surrender!

James 4:7 (NIV)

4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Meshing is Messy

John Mizerak — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:00:57 +0000

When we try to mesh our happiness with our faith walk, it’s simply too messy.

God never intended for His Truth to be conditional and dependent on our moods. When we try to mesh the two, we end up feeling defeated all the time and then complain and whine about our troubles. It’s no wonder that we have a hard time being a good witness and showing the joy of the Lord! When we start to separate our feelings from the Truth, we can stand strong no matter what we feel like!

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Compartmentalized Truth

John Mizerak — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:00:28 +0000

So what do I mean by compartmentalized Truth? It’s keeping the TRUTH the TRUTH, no matter what! For me, I can no longer try to mesh my happiness with my faith. It’s a recipe for disaster. That is why we have so many inaffective Christians. They simply get blown by the wind of their emotions and can’t see God’s Truth as a solid rock to stand on. When we try and mesh the two, it simply makes no sense. If God is in us, then I shouldn’t be ruled my emotions, right? Wrong!

We are still human and therefore we are affected both positively and negatively by our emotions, but the Truth does NOT CHANGE!

2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)

2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Is God’s Love Conditional?

John Mizerak — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:54 +0000

The revelation for me came just a few weeks ago. I’ve always tried so hard to find joy in the Lord and when I didn’t always stay happy, I figured God’s love was conditional and then felt there were times were He didn’t love me. That’s what happens when we let our faith get affected by our feelings. It’s easy to play the game; He loves me, He loves me not! When we start to see the Truth as an umbrella that covers us no matter how we feel, we can start to trust God’s consistent love. Whether we FEEL it or not, God’s Word says He loves us ALL THE TIME. All we need to do is stand on that Truth and not on how we are feeling today!

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Truth is the Truth

John Mizerak — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:00:53 +0000

It amazing to me how long that I’ve attempted to mesh my faith with my happiness. Even though, I’ve heard it before, I now realize that the two have NOTHING to do with one another. Our happiness is ruled often times by our current circumstances and our faith is ruled by foundational Truth.

Do YOU believe the TRUTH?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 3:17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.