Bible Word Study: Understanding ‘Judge’ in Scripture

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • This month, we will revisit the classic #BCUWord of the Week video series here and on YouTube.
  • “Judge” is this week’s word. One definition in Hebrew is “shofet” meaning, to select, decide or discern. It can also mean, “a deliverer from potential defeat” (that is very important).
  • Would you like to watch the video? Click here: YouTube | BCU Classic Word of the Week.

Scripture references

Luke 7:41-43

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

I Corinthians 11:28-31

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Matthew 7:1-5

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

John 7:24

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Luke 18:10-14

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Proverbs 18:13

13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

BCUFam, did it surprise you that we make judgements daily as it relates to decision-making? What about the phrase “you cannot judge me”? It is a blessing to now have a deeper understanding and wisdom around this important word. With the help of the Lord, let’s make it our business to judge only according to how the Lord instructs us. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the Name of Jesus, we come before You with a thankful heart for more insight into Your Word, and for helping us to judge things the way You would have us to, or not at all. We ask that You would help us to turn the spotlight on ourselves on all the areas needed to be more like You. Also, as we are speaking and commenting about things, please help us to remember to acknowledge You first, so that our speech is edifying, administers grace to the hearer and is seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6 and Ephesians 4:29). We ask that You continue to bless and strengthen us, as we continue to walk upright before You, in Jesus name, we pray and thank You, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, YouTube podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and many others podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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The sauce story

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • I am not the most organized person in certain areas, however I do like order for certain things.
  • Lack of preparedness is one of those things–I have a hard time functioning with “thoughtless” last-minute requests.
  • I accepted one such request and was very displeased about it—murmured and fussed for a good bit of time, BCUFam!
  • The Lord heard my cry and answered it in way that I was not prepared for, but it blessed me!

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Psalm 63:1

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Philippians 2:12-15

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Colossians 3:23-25

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

BCU Fam, when we think about those verses, it helps puts our tasks and assignments in a proper and godly perspective, doesn’t it? Note that we may feel some sort of emotion about what we need to do (upset, angry, frustrated, etc), and that is fine—–for a mature/maturing Christian, that is a signal for us to take our feelings to the Lord in prayer. This way, He calms our feelings down, speaks to our hearts, teaches us the lesson(s) from the situation, blesses us to get through the tasks, and with His help we walk out Philippians 2:12-15 and Colossians 3:23-25. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for this day You have made–we rejoice and are glad in it. As we come before you, we are reminded that whatever tasks, assignments and projects, You assign us, they should be done in a way that reflects You, Jesus. While we do/did not always get it right, from this point forward and with Your help, please bless us to carry out our duties with excellence and distinction in Your Name and with Your strength, Jesus. Help us to remember to acknowledge You in all of our ways, and to respond according to Your instructions versus being cajoled or guilted into doing things You have not authorized us to do. Please help us in the care-taking, administrative tasks, dealing with difficult people, and all the tough day-to-day things we do not always enjoy doing. Please give us the grace, strength, wisdom, knowledge and understanding to help us complete our tasks successfully so You are glorified, honored and praised, and we are blameless, harmless, without rebuke, considered Your children, and lights in this crooked and perverse nation. It’s in Your Name, Jesus, that we thank You for granting our request and all You do for us, we pray and we bless Your name, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify,  Stitcher Radio , and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Obedience x sacrifice

Hey there BCU Fam!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:
  • Every so often I like to take a vacation day to take a break from my very busy life.
  • In anticipation of those days, and even just for the weekends, I try and complete all tasks during the week so I can enjoy my time off as much as possible.
  • On this particular vacation day, I was planning to skip a morning conversation/prayer I have with the family, to start my “slow hurry” day, but the Lord had other plans.

KJV Scripture references

 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (I Samuel 15:22).

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

BCUFam, I will confess that my body did not want to rise at that early hour! I just bless the Lord for heeding to His nudge and sacrificing my comfort for the conversation and prayer. Only the Lord knows if a plan of the enemy was cancelled, maybe a demonic force was rendered helpless, some formed weapon did not prosper, or if was the planter and/or waterer for the Lord to finish His work on the kids in terms of salvation. I may never know specifically what was abated, but I thank God for it!

Obedience may be costly, but that cost does not compare to return on the obedience investment.

Something else to keep in mind——obedience does not always net a tangible blessing. Sometimes we feel that every time we obey God, we will rewarded with a new car, mansion, yacht, bags of money, and other such things. I am not saying that God will not bless us with earthly things—–I am a witness that He will. However, God is not obligated to show “His appreciation” to us tangibly, or at all, otherwise, we only obey to receive.

Also, if we don’t get a “treat” every time we obey, the enemy will trick us into thinking there is no merit in doing what God says—and that will lead us away from Him. So let’s practice being obedient to the Lord out of love and wanting to please Him—and knowing He’s pleased is a reward within itself. And whatever He may decide to bless us with, be it material, spiritual, financial, physical, now later or not, let’s just give God thanks in all things—it’s His will concerning us (I Thessalonians 5:18). Amen? Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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The cost of emotional decision-making

Hey 👋🏾 there BCU Family!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. This week you have a bit of both! Please tune into the podcast recording and refer to the written post for the highlights wrap-up and corresponding Scriptures. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

So in our *Periscope class, we’ve been talking about procrastination and how that cheats us out of out chronos and karios moments. This brief podcast is on the opposite–making hasty, emotional decisions and the consequences to that. A young man by the name of Jephthah had to walk out his vow. Read the entire chapter of Judges 11 to get the whole story, as you listen to the “podcast on the go” and the commentary afterward. As a point of reference, below are the action and consequence Scriptures from chapter 11.

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord‘s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Hopefully you caught the last part of the podcast where Jephthah had to keep his word about his daughter. The Scriptures do not go into detail about how he kept his vow, but suffice it to say, the remembrance of his victory would always be bittersweet.

You may be thinking, well I don’t vow anything, especially to God, but in actuality we do. Anything we say we’ll do is not just in front of the individual, but God is also there listening and recording all we utter.

We casually say, “I’ll call you this week,” or ” I’ll get that to you”, “I’ll take care of it”, “I’ll be praying”. And yes, we say these things with a well-intentioned heart, yet we often forget or skip over our promises due to competing priorities. Even when we forget, God remembers–He takes us seriously and He expects us to keep our word. Consider Ecclesiastes 5:3-6.

3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

This is serious business BCU Family! In order to avoid hasty mouth, we really should acknowledge the Lord in all out ways, so He can direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6). As we slow down to listen to what God is telling us and (yield to Him) we can make promises that God can bless us to keep.

So if you’ve made rash, emotional decisions that you have not followed through on (I KNOW I have), let’s repent and ask God’s forgiveness as we walk out Proverbs 3:6 in all our decision-making. Are you as excited as I am about that? Amen!

 Question of the podcast:

What are your thoughts on making emotional decisions?  There’s a comment section here on the BCU site, just waiting for your thoughts so we can continue our conversation! Let’s talk!

In the meantime, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter , Instagram, and  YouTube! You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and iTunes!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

*Join us on Periscope every Thursday night at 8:05pmEST on channel BlenCouragesU.

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But….I had plans!

Hi all!

It’s FABULOUS to be back with you! This topic is dear to my heart and I pray it will bless you!

Please, Lord? I had plans....
I was catching up with a dear saved sister of mine recently and somehow we started talking about past plans that had not materialized. She was planning to get married and I was moving to another state. We laughed and lamented as we recalled the details of our grand plans in detail. She was seeing wedding dresses and name changes, while I had visions of roaming NYC and meeting people on the weekends. We both sighed in exasperation saying, “I had plans!” Have you ever said that when God said “no” or “not now”?

As saved women of God, while we know that He is the ultimate planner and His ways and thoughts are above ours, (Isaiah 55:9), sometimes there are just some things we don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong–I’m not saying that we don’t accept God’s will, but if we are honest, we will admit don’t always accept it right away and cheerfully, especially if we don’t see the reasoning. For many of us, as we actively (rather than passively) wait for the Lord to bless us with mates (if it’s God’s will), while we are in a “holding pattern”, this is a perfect time to consult with God on what you should be doing while you wait.

Use this time to “take inventory” of yourself with God. For some of us, it may be that God wants to mature us a bit. For others, we may need to focus more on Him. Mayhap we need to make sure we are complete in Christ and draw closer to Him as we pray and fast.

I also read somewhere that it’s a good idea to pay down most, if not all of your debt. After all, do you want to go into a union with thousands of dollars to pay off? And even if you have “completed” this list, God may be working on your spouse–pray for him!! In addition, this is also a good time to immerse yourself in the Word, into a ministry (usher board, visiting the sick, etc.,) take a class, study a country, learn a language, help someone with a resume, babysit for a single mom–the possibilities are many! By doing so, you are bringing glory to God, blessing someone, allowing yourself to grow, becoming a more confident and more well-rounded person, as well as spending less time consumed with the lack of spouse. In fact, doing these things may even better prepare you for who God has for you!

So ladies, let’s trade in our little ol’ plans for God’s plans! Sometimes they take patience, which doesn’t always feel good, but take comfort in knowing He has the best planned for you!


In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6).

Love you!

Blen

*Picture courtesy of http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa23/cVitaNoble/2ndChance/D08-PleadingToGodSideview.jpg

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