July 16, 2019

I thought it would be great to take one week and share some devotions from evangelist Harold Vaughn. He was a blessing to our church recently and I would love for you to get to read some of his comments.

BIBLE READING: LUKE 13

People sometimes have strange notions. Tragedy can strike another person’s life, and immediately some people believe that this person’s life must be under the judgment of God.

While God may certainly judge anyone for their actions and attitudes, it is not wise for us to become judges based on what we see happening to others. The disciples of Jesus were like mini ordinary people of their day. They believed that people were suffering because God was judging them.

By example, they thought the man born blind was being judged for sins he perhaps committed in the womb in John chapter 9. On another occasion, people asked Jesus about the Galileans who are gone into the temple to hide from the authorities. They were criminals, and Pilate decided to violate the temple, as a Gentile, and go in and take the criminals out.

Luke 13:2-5
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Think about some bad things you know that have happened to other people. Why do you think those bad things happened? Should we consider those people to be worse sinners than we are because those things happen to them? Do you think God knows more about what is happening in all our lives than we do? It would be very wise for us to leave the judging to God for we to will stand before him one day.

Harold Vaughan

James Stallard