JUDGMENT: Pressed Down, Shaken Together and Running Over..

Do you remember the catchy old Ron Kenoly song? "Give, it will come back to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and, running over..." It got our feet tappin' and our wallets open every time we sang it before we passed the offering basket around. (I'm talkin' the 80's guys, for those of you youngsters who have no idea what I'm talking about) After all, who doesn't want finances coming back to you, using the same measure in which you used to give, but pressed down, shaken together and running over into your lap!

But the primary context of the scripture used for this song is not correct. The principle is fine to apply to taking an offering, because it is the principle of sowing and reaping which has to do with giving and receiving financial blessings. But personally, I'm a stickler when it comes to using scripture in context. In other words, I won't use that scripture or allow my worship team to sing that song when it comes to taking an offering. (On a side note to be discussed further down, even though I don't allow it in my Church, I don't judge others who do it in their Churches because it is not heresy. I'll even give when the basket comes around.)

Why not, you ask? Because the primary principle in the scripture is too important for us to understand to use it in any other way. It refers firstly to judgment.

Let's take a look:

Luke 6:36-38 (NIV)
"Be merciful just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Okay so giving is there. But giving what? Judgment, condemnation, mercy and forgiveness. Examples both to the positive and to the negative. Can we apply this to finances? Yes. But I recommend that you please find a different verse to use that is in primary context.

This is interesting though. Many times I have wondered, what is the open window? How is the enemy getting in, either to my life or to the life of the person I'm trying to help. We blame the devil and everything else, when the answer often is simply that we have been merciless or judgmental to someone else and now God is pouring it back into our laps, using the same measurement that we gave it with, only pressed down, shaken together and running over. If you judged someone a little bit, you are getting much more right back in your face. Not from the enemy, but from God.

Whoa! Remember some other scriptures that speak of pride? The idea is that God is with the humble, but He is the enemy of the proud. Jesus said He judges no one. Paul said not to judge, to wait until the end which is when Christ returns. Yet we do it all the time and we think we are under a generational curse or something when the cause of it all is simpler than that. It is condescending, condemning, gossipy, competitive judgement of other people.

It could be as simple as making fun of somebodies accent, economic status, car, home, education or mannerisms.

Or it could be something more, shall we say "religious." Scientists tell us that we are made mostly of water. But I believe we are made mostly of opinions. When someone believes differently than we do, we often judge.

I'm not talking about the non-negotiables. We all know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that nobody can enter into eternity with the Father except through Him. People who don't trust Jesus for their salvation exclusively, are not heading for heaven, but rather, they are heading for eternal destruction and it has nothing to do with how good or how bad they are.

What I am talking about are the legalistic things. Do you judge someone who drinks? I hope not! Should you drink? I don't. I don't think it's wise, but I'm not going to be more strict with others than what the Bible is. The Bible says not to get drunk. It doesn't say you can't drink. What about wearing a bikini? Do you think someone who wears a bikini is going to make it to heaven or not? Hey don't laugh. I just had this conversation with someone the other day. Seriously. Being a Pastor has it's moments. The Bible says to be modest. Is there such a thing as a modest bikini? I have personally seen many two piece women's swim suits that are more modest than many of the one piece suits I have seen. The thing is that we can all be very legalistic and religious in our thinking. What about tattoo's, movies, going to bowling alley's (my Grandmother would roll over in her grave!), etc. etc. etc.

I was in a country in Eastern Europe and the prevailing thought in the Church is this. If you wear gold jewelry, you are in the same category as a prostitute. If you wear silver jewelry, you are saved, but barely. If you don't wear jewelry at all, except maybe a wooden carving of the cross, you are a solid and strong believer in Christ. Wow! They also think that youth should not jump during worship because it's demonic.

I'm not trying to define or defend what is right or what is wrong when it comes to styles. I went to a Christian school as a kid that didn't allow us to part our hair in the middle because that was "worldy." My goodness! They also didn't let us listen to the Christian Rock Band "Petra" because they were Spirit filled and some of the folks thought that the Holy Spirit stopped working on the earth generations ago. They thought we were delusional or possessed. :-)

For those of us who have chosen to do some things that others have not and you believe that you are right before God, go ahead. But just remember that you are supposed to choose to not dress in a way that offends others and you aren't supposed to drink your mojito around people who would be offended, no matter how silly it is that they would be so torn up about it.

But for those of us who struggle with judging others, a group that often includes me. Let us take ahold of the Word of God, stop blaming the devil for our disasters and realize that when we judge, we receive judgment and we are simply reaping what we have sown. Our lives will immediately improve if we allow the Lord to change our attitudes and put our words into check.

Don't judge, or you will be judged.