#righteous judgment

December 29, 2020

The energies at play right now lean heavily toward themes of justice, judgment, dharma, and standing up for causes — personal or social — that challenge mainstream or conventional wisdom. A subtle rebelliousness simmers beneath the surface. As the year draws to a close, we encounter this Gemini full moon tonight in the stormy constellation of Ardra, bringing a sense of culmination and reflection.

Ardra is watery by nature and ignites strong passion for expressing our desires. It offers great strength to fight for dharma, or truth, but also reminds us to fully understand the principles we uphold, lest they become the very things that work against us. Integrity is emphasized here, along with the sacrifices inherent in the choices we make and our willingness to accept their consequences.

The story accompanying this constellation speaks of Lord Shiva’s earliest form — Rudra — who battled Prajapati (Lord Brahma) after the demigods determined that Prajapati sought to commit a grave sin against his own daughter. Rudra, the great howler and divine archer, releases the righteous arrows of death, disease, and destruction to bring about swift and necessary change. He is the God of storms — the wind’s cry and thunder’s roar. Such is the zeal attributed to this section of the sky.

Personal meditations have revealed that this is a powerful time to deepen our understanding of personal beliefs and Universal truths. These reflections illuminate the interplay between the Sun in Sagittarius — dharma, higher knowledge, and inspired practice — and the Moon in Gemini, which corresponds to personal truth and the passion to express it. Together, they bring Sagittarian wisdom to life through embodied experience.

Reflections also emphasize patience, resourcefulness, visualization, and spontaneity. There is a mental image of a great blessing emerging from something bitter or distasteful. We are in a time of transition, being quietly positioned for greater benefit — yet it may appear otherwise. A flowering is in motion, both collectively and individually, and the year’s end shines a light upon where we now stand. Emotions and environments alike may feel unstable. Mantras invoking the essence of Lord Shiva — or the deity you hold dear — are excellent aids in calming stormy emotions, as are activities that soothe the spirit and bring comfort. Do what nourishes your joy. Deepen your devotion to what inspires you.

I’m off now to stabilize my young children. Lol.

Happy New Year to all my online family and friends, near and far! I count myself blessed and grateful to have nearly lived through another year — especially this one, 2020.

Blessed Full Moon of transformation — ♥️

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You Who Know More Truth And Judge Others By It Are Also Without Excuse

1 Therefore you are without-excuse, O human— everyone judging. For in what you are judging the other person, you are condemning yourself; for you, the one judging, are practicing the same things! 2 And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth upon the ones practicing such things.

Do You Think You Will Escape God’s Judgment When You Do The Same Things?

3 But are you thinking this, O human— the one judging the ones practicing such things and doing them [yourself]— that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or are you disregarding the riches of His goodness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the good thing of God is leading you to repentance? 5 But in-accordance-with your hardness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing-up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous-judgment of God, 6 Who will render to each one according to his works— 7 to the ones seeking glory and honor and immortality in accordance with endurance in good work, He will render eternal life; 8 but to the ones indeed disobeying the truth and obeying unrighteousness out of selfish-interest, there will be wrath and fury.

There Is No Respect of Persons With God Regarding Sin And Judgment

9 There will be affliction and distress upon every soul of the person committing evil— both of the Jew first and of the Greek. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace to everyone working good— both to the Jew first and to the Greek. 11 For there is no respect-of-persons with God. 12 For all who sinned without-Law will also perish without-Law, and all who sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. 13 For not the hearers of law are righteous before God, but the doers of law will be declared-righteous.

For Gentiles Will Be Judged By Their Own Standards Insofar As They Agree With God’s

14 For whenever Gentiles, the ones not having the Law, are doing by nature the things of the Law, these ones not having the Law are a law to themselves, 15 who are demonstrating the work of the Law written in their hearts— their conscience bearing co-witness and their thoughts accusing or even defending between one another 16 on the day when God judges the hidden things of people according to my good-news, through Christ Jesus.

And Jews Will Be Judged By The Law They Rely Upon

17 But if you call-yourself a Jew, and rely upon the Law, and boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things mattering— being instructed out of the Law— 19 and are confident as to yourself that you are a guide of blind ones, a light of the ones in darkness, 20 a corrector of foolish ones, a teacher of children, one having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the Law, 21 then— the one teaching another, are you not teaching yourself? The one proclaiming not to steal, do you steal? 22 The one saying not to commit-adultery, do you commit-adultery? The one detesting idols, do you rob-temples?

Their Transgression of The Law Dishonors God

23 You who are boasting in the Law are dishonoring God through transgression of the Law. 24 For “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you”, just as it has been written [in Isa 52:5].

Circumcision Will Not Help Transgressors

God's Righteous Judgment

1 Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judges, for when you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge do the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things. 3 Do you think, O man, who judges those who do such things, and who does the same thing, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

5 But because of your hardness and impenitent heart, you are storing up treasures of wrath against yourself on the day of wrath when the righteous judgment of God will be revealed, 6 and He “will render to every man according to his deeds.” 7 To those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality will be eternal life. 8 But to those who are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath, 9 will be tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. 10 But glory, honor, and peace will be to every man who does good work—to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile, 11 for there is no partiality with God.

12 As many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law, 13 for the hearers of the law are not justified before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, not having the law, are a law unto themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, while their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them, 16 in the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Jesus Christ.

The Jews and the Law

17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest in the law, and make your boast in God. 18 You know His will and approve the things that are more excellent, because you are instructed in the law. 19 You are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, and a teacher of babes, who have the full content of knowledge and truth in the law: 21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach not to steal, do you steal? 22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 As it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25 Circumcision indeed has merit, if you keep the law, but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteousness of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 Will the uncircumcised one who is righteous by nature, if he fulfills the law, not judge you who, by the letter of the law and circumcision, violate the law?

by William Jay

"Give glory to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness." - Jeremiah 13:16

The removal of the gospel is darkness. The gospel will never be removed from the world but it may be withdrawn from a particular place or people. And this has been done. The Jews are an eminent example. The kingdom of God was taken from them. And when we consider the miracles, the institutions, the privileges by which they were distinguished and see how they were all laid waste, well may the apostle say, "Behold the severity of God; and if he spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not you." Where now are the seven churches in Asia? Where is the famous church of Rome whose faith was spoken of throughout the whole world? At present, you have the inestimable benefit. Be not as the swine who knows not the value of the pearl and therefore tramples it underfoot. What wonder if the manna should be taken away when you despise it as light food? And what if the Lord should send a famine in the land--not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord? Then we shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it. Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness.

Impenitence is darkness. A man may be surrounded with food, yet he dies if he cannot use and digest it. The means of grace may remain, yet we become incapable of deriving benefit from them. It is an awful fact that God punishes one sin by another, and judicially blinds those who provoke him. Because they do not like to retain him in their knowledge, he gives them up to a reprobate mind. Because they receive not the love of the truth in order that they may be saved, he sends them strong delusion to believe a lie. They are joined to idols, and he leaves them alone. They delight in error, and they find it. They seek objections to the faith once delivered to the saints, and they are overcome by them. They trifle with the gospel, and at length they cannot seriously regard it or feel any impression under it. Thus is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says, "By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive." Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness.

Public calamity is darkness. Was not the bondage in Babylon darkness to the Jews when their country--the glory of all lands--was desolated and they were carried away captives and oppressed as slaves, when they were insulted as a proverb and a by-word? And would not national distress be darkness to us? Some effects of this we have experienced, but how inconsiderable have they yet been compared with the sufferings of other countries, or with our own deserts. And is there no danger of greater? If God has a controversy with us, it is in vain to argue; we must submit. If he is provoked and determined to punish, vain is the authority of rulers, the wisdom of statesmen, the courage of warriors. "But he has a people among us," you say. He has; and he will take care of his own. He can secure them and destroy others. But even they themselves may help forward or even occasion the calamity, for no sins offend him like those of his own people. Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness.

The loss of reason is darkness. And how soon may the understanding be eclipsed! How easily may the slender and mysterious basis on which intellect rests be destroyed! See Nebuchadnezzar eating grass like an ox. See the philosopher moping in driveling idiocy. Religion can only operate through the medium of thought; and therefore, while you have your mental powers, employ them lest darkness come upon you.

The loss of health is darkness. Is it nothing to be made to possess months of vanity or to have wearisome nights appointed us? Yet in this season many suspend an attention to the concerns of religion. When thought is broken to pieces and every avenue to the soul is occupied with the anguish of disease and the anxieties of recovery, surely sufficient for that day is the evil thereof. Use your health while you have it, lest darkness come upon you. The same applies to age. Then desire fails, the grasshopper is a burden, sight and hearing, memory and judgment decline. "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when you shall say "I have no pleasure in them."

Death is darkness. Then you must give up your employments however interesting, your possessions however valued, your connections however endeared, your religious advantages however important. Stripped and silent you must retire into the gloom of the grave. This darkness is certain; it cannot be remote, it may be close at hand. There may be but a step between me and death before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death.

Hell is darkness - outer darkness - where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. The dreadfulness of this state it is impossible either to describe or imagine. But we know that it is possible to escape it. We also know that the present is the only opportunity. Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness.

by Rev. Thomas De Witt Talmage

"We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" - Romans 14:10

The Mogul of Turkey used to be weighed once a year. On the opposite side of the scales first was put silver, then gold, then jewels, and then the gold and the jewels were thrown among the people. My friends, the day comes when you and I must be weighed in scales of a different character—weighed not against the gold and the jewels of this world; but weighed by the law of the eternal right and the eternal wrong.

Painters have tried to sketch that day but always fail. It is easy to sketch a city on fire, but not a universal conflagration. ... All the mountains falling. All the seas boiling. All the stars dropping. All the heavens rolling. All the earth vanishing. Angels flying. Graves bursting. Dead rising. Thrones hoisting. God coming. The apostle Peter speaks of that day as “a great noise.” The slide of an avalanche deafens the ear; but what will it be when the Himalayas and Alps and Mount Washington tumble into the dust. A thunder storm reaches only five, ten or fifteen miles; but what will it be when all around the earth the artillery of God shall be unlimbered? The whoop of the wind; the blare of the trumpets; the chorus of the saved; the groans of the banished…