The Meditation of Heaven pt. 1

thepokingstick

It never ceases to amaze me how just a few stanzas could be so jam-packed with the truth of the Scriptures. As the name of the hymn suggests, we are invited to peer into the absolute majesty of that faraway land called heaven, wherein sits our Hope and Redeemer at the right hand of his Father. How could we possibly exhaust all there is to write and say and think of that wonderful Subject of our faith and affections, especially in this scene that Isaac Watts presents to us? Fortunately, he spares us the frustration of that impossibility and instead picks a few (but definitely not least!) sweet truths from that tree of life, as it were—those reminders of the reality of heaven.

Judge Not, You Swine!

thepokingstick

Matthew 7:1 is a favorite verse among modern Christians and their respective opponents. The verse is often complimented with the pious statement “who am I to judge?” The words “Judge not” have solidified themselves as the rallying cry of passive Christians. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the curmudgeons on the back pew who love to look around and scowl. The unfortunate reality is that the malpractice of judgment (or the lack thereof) has tainted the church’s perspective on what biblical judgment really is.