The Unjust Judge

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

___Luke chapter 18

1 And he spoke a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint,

2 Saying, "There was a judge in a city, who didn't fear God, nor regarded man.

3 And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary.

4 And he wouldn't for a while, but afterward he said inside himself, Though I don't fear God, nor regard man,

5 Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, so that by her continual coming, she doesn't tire me."

6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the dishonest judge says.

7 And won't God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night to him, though he bears long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.  However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

9 And he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others,

10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed like this with himself, God, I thank you that I'm not like other men are, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I have.

13 And the tax collector, standing far off, wouldn't lift up as much as his eyes to heaven, but struck his chest, 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 everyone that lifts himself up shall be brought low, and he that humbles himself shall be lifted up."

Chapter 2

In Luke chapter 18 (see above), a widow went to a judge.

She wanted him to avenge her of her adversary.

But the judge didn't really feel like doing anything about it.

And, as a widow, she probably didn't have much money.

The judge's idea was that nothing needed to be done for this woman.

But, as time went by, he began to see things a little differently.

The judge was not a God fearing man, nor did other men have much influence over him.

But the woman was rather making a nuisance of herself, as she kept coming to him.  And so, to avoid further inconvenience to himself, he rendered justice for the woman.

Of course, it was his job to render justice.  But sometimes people think they should keep on getting their wages whether they're actually doing their jobs or not.

But why did Jesus tell us about the widow and the unjust judge?

Jesus said, "And won't God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night to him, though he bears long with them?"

This word "cry" here I think doesn't necessarily mean the shedding of tears, but the calling on the Lord in prayer.  The presenting of our case to him in prayer.

The whole point of the story of the widow and the judge is that Jesus wants us to understand that if we're persistent with our prayers, even though the answer seems slow in coming, our prayers will pay off.

In another place, though, Jesus said, "When you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:24)

So then, when we pray, we should be persistent, but also, the Lord wants us to put our faith with our prayer.

Someone told about a prayer that was prayed by a woman, who, after she asked God for something said, "Well, I probably won't get it."

Now you see, that is neither persistent, nor believing.

She pretty much canceled out her prayer by what she said after the prayer.

And, as you present your case to the Lord it's good to quote some scripture to the Lord.

Kenneth E. Hagin said he prayed to the Lord for three days about his finances.  I think he was holding meetings at the time, a morning and an evening meeting.

But he did some extra praying, and I think he said he fasted one meal a day while he was praying about this.  This is in Hagin's book, "How God Taught Me about Prosperity."  It's one of Hagin's "Minibooks," and very reasonably priced.

Hagin found a verse of scripture, Isaiah 1:19, "If you're willing and obedient, you'll eat the good of the land."

So, in his praying about his finances, Hagin kept reminding the Lord that the Bible says we're supposed to eat the good of the land.

On the third day, the Lord answered Hagin, and showed him how he wasn't entirely willing (so, he got willing), and how, although he was using his faith for other things, he hadn't been using his faith for finances.

The Lord gave Hagin a three step plan.  The Lord said, I don't want you to pray anymore about finances, not like you've been praying.  (Step 1)  Claim whatever it is that you need or want.  (Step 2)  Say, "Satan, take your hands off my finances."  (Step 3)  Say, "Go ministering spirits, and cause the money to come."

Hagin answered, "What do you mean, Go ministering spirits and cause the money to come?"

The Lord said, "Haven't you read in the book of Hebrews where it says that the angels are ministering spirits sent out to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation?"  (Heb 1:13,14)

So, Hagin saw that he could give his angels something to do.  He could give them assignments.

Hagin started following that plan that the Lord gave him, and he prospered.

In Mark 11:23, Jesus shows us that we can have what we say.

So don't say you're not going to get what you asked for, because if you say you're not going to get what you asked for, then, you're not going to get what you asked for.

Here is Mark 11:23 from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version:

"For truly I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, be removed, and be thrown into the sea, and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that the things that he says shall happen, he shall have whatever he says."

So, better be careful what you say, and don't speak the wrong thing into existence.

Charles Capps has taught about this in his excellent little book, "God's Creative Power Will Work for You."

Dr. Norvel Hayes also teaches on this subject.

And Kenneth E. Hagin has taught extensively on the subject of faith and proper confession out of our mouths.  Hagin has books at www.Amazon.com and at www.Rhema.org

Charles Capps has www.charlescapps.com

Hayes has www.nhm.cc

Principles of faith and right confession from our mouths have made all three of those men financially successful.

Capps went fishing one time and was catching a lot of fish.  Another fisherman looked over and saw that Capps was catching a lot of fish, and asked, "What are you catching them on."

The question means, "What are you using for bait?"

Capps answered, "Psalm 1:3, Whatever he does will prosper."

That was a good answer, because Capps' faith was more significant that whatever kind of bait it was.

Kenneth E. Hagin has written nearly a hundred books, most of which are best sellers (sold over a million copies.)

Hagin was miraculously healed of a disease that was supposed to kill him before he reached age 21.

But Hagin learned to use his faith to get his miraculous healing.  Then the Lord told him, "Now go teach my people faith."

So, Kenneth E. Hagin taught faith for about seventy years before he passed on at about age 86.

Some people have the idea that if you're a Christian, any Christian church will do.  But Mark 16:20 talks about the Lord confirming the word with signs following.

I would like to see the signs following wherever I'm going to church.

And the signs following that I'm talking about are the signs in Mark 16:17,18,

"And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages,

They shall pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't hurt them.  They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover."

Now don't tempt God by playing with deadly snakes, but if you accidentally pick up a snake like the Apostle Paul did after the shipwreck in the book of Acts, you're covered by Mark 16:17,18.

Don't intentionally drink a deadly thing, but if you unintentionally drink a deadly thing, or if someone tries to poison you, you're covered by Mary 16:17,18.

Jesus said if you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. (And to her, also.)  Do you need a miracle?  Look at all the miracles that Jesus did during his life on earth.

Just because Jesus has gone back to heaven doesn't mean he doesn't do miracles anymore.  Hagin got his miraculous healing about nineteen centuries after Jesus went back to heaven.

Jesus is still very much in the healing business, and in the miracle working business, but we need to follow Mark 11:24 and put our faith with our prayers to get the proper results.

And we need to be persistent like the widow with the judge.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.