DON’T BE QUICK IN PASSING JUDGMENT ON PEOPLE

Years ago, when people whom I thought surely Would not get healed did, and when good church members I was sure would get healed but didn't, I almost was ready to accuse God and say, "Lord, why did you heal that person?" I was holding a meeting in South Texas at the time our second granddaughter was born. My wife went home to be with our daughter, and I was struggling along. The meeting was just dead for the first week. It was one of the toughest places I had ever been.

About Tuesday night of the second week, the Spirit of God moved on a man. The Word of Knowledge was manifested through him. Some healings took place. Others were used by the Spirit in tongues and interpretation, but God's using this particular man just really set the meeting off. I said to myself as I sat on the platform, This is the turning point. From now on this will be like another meeting. And it was. There was as much difference in the last half and the first as there is between daylight and dark. God blessed immeasurably. Great things happened. I saw people get healed. I was staying in a little travel trailer. I watched the 10 o'clock news, turned the television off, and went to bed—but something kept bothering me. You see, I had driven down the main street of that town that very day, and I had seen this man who was so mightily used of God go into a dark dive. When something like that happens, your mind just runs. You think What is he doing in there? Then the devil fills in all the blanks for you!

I drove around the block, came back, and he was still in there. I don't know how long he stayed. So I was lying there trying to go to sleep, and that thought just kept pestering me: Why did God use that fellow? Several days before I had heard him say some things that were just not up to par. That kept coming back to me, too. I struggled for 30 minutes to get off to sleep. (My wife can tell you that I usually go to sleep by the time my head hits the pillow.) Finally I sat up in bed and said, "All right, Lord! All right! I'm going to ask You: Why did You use that fellow? Didn't You see him go into that dark dive like I did? Didn't You hear what he said, like I did? "I know that was You tonight. I know the Spirit of God. I know that You revealed things to him, that You worked through him, and that healings took place. I saw them: miracles, right in front of our eyes. "But, God, why couldn't You have used old Sister So-and-so, 80 years old. She's been in The Way for 50 years almost. She's filled with the Holy Spirit, sanctified, holy, separated ... Or if You didn't want to use her, why didn't You use (and I mentioned a few others)." I got it off my chest. I waited for Him to answer.

Down inside myself I heard it. It hit me so hard it was like somebody hit me in the stomach with their fist. I grabbed my stomach. He said, "Your trouble is, you don't believe your own preaching." I tried to defend myself. I said, "Lord, You've hit me a low blow. Why, I'm a stickler for the Word. I believe the Word." "No," He said, "you don't." He said, "You were teaching the other morning in the Bible class from Isaiah 43, where I said, “I, even I, am he that blotted out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and I will not remember thine iniquities'"(vv. 25,26).

He said, "You may have seen that fellow go in that place, but you don't know what happened. When he saw what he was getting into, he said, 'Dear God, what's the matter with me? I didn't intend to get into this. Lord, forgive me.' And I didn't remember that he had ever done anything wrong." (And He didn't remember, did He? You see, we remember a person's sins, but God doesn't. How does He keep from it, you ask. I don't know. Go ask Him, if you want to know. I don't want to know; I just believe it.)

He said to me, "You asked why I couldn't use Sister So-and-so. What you don't know about that dear old saint is that she has been in disobedience for 40 years. You can't see that on the outside. I talked to her 40 years ago about doing some things and she wouldn't. She comes to church, lives right, and on the outside looks good. But this man had done wrong and had repented of it. I did not remember that he had ever done anything wrong." I said, "Thank You, Lord. Just go ahead and use him if You want to. It's all right with me. I'll believe my preaching." I lay down and went to sleep.

You see, people sometimes say, "You know that couldn't have been God. That fellow used to be this, or that woman used to do that. That couldn't be God working through them." But if they have repented, God doesn't remember that they ever did anything wrong! Can you see that? (Kennth E. Hagin)

Great topic. I would to God that christians would stop the attack. Some folks even use the word against believers who they know are true believers but with questionable past or mistakes. They forget that God gave us the word(sword of the spirit, ephe 6) to assault and attack the devil and not other believers.
The devil may truly be mocking us because we are the ones now doing ourselves greater hurt than what satan could do.
I have told believers over and over again. Your criticsm wont change some folks; because alot of them have been battered by criticsm and harsh judgement and are already getting used to it. But i am yet to find a person that love did not finally get through. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if we have love for one another" John 13:35

[quote author=idnoble135]Great topic. I would to God that christians would stop the attack. Some folks even use the word against believers who they know are true believers but with questionable past or mistakes. They forget that God gave us the word(sword of the spirit, ephe 6) to assault and attack the devil and not other believers.
The devil may truly be mocking us because we are the ones now doing ourselves greater hurt than what satan could do.
I have told believers over and over again. Your criticsm wont change some folks; because alot of them have been battered by criticsm and harsh judgement and are already getting used to it. But i am yet to find a person that love did not finally get through. Jesu

Really enjoyed your comment. Satan is actually using careless Christians to do what he wants done - esp in the area of CRITICISM. There's so much segregation. We as Christians ought stop fighting ourselves on matters of doctrinal difference and walk in love and reach out to the lost. We can never win the lost by fighting/criticizing other believers.