You'll Be Judge From What You Did!

People loves to compromise. Even christians do fail to do the right thing when faced in situations where most people compromise.

I still remember a friend of mine, he is June. There was a time before when he stole food items on a grocery store with his fellow friends even though he has the money to pay them all. Weird right? Luckily they were not caught by the guards.

Surprisingly, one of his relatives knew what he did and instantly talked to June's father about the matter. Of course, his dad do what every dad would. He disciplined June! When ask about the reason for doing such crime, he strongly said to his dad that its not his fault, that his friends planned it all. But no matter how good his explanations was, still he cannot blame other people. In fact, his dad doesn't have any rights to judge other parents son.

Same thing with our heavenly Father. He will judge us based from what we did, and not what other people did. You cannot blame them from influencing you. In our life, we are given free will to decide for ourselves. We are given options to pursue and its up to us whether we will do things rightfully or not.


Always Remember:
We are made christians to follow God and His will. We are ought to obey everything he commanded us. According to James 1:22, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

To be sure that we are doing the right thing, let us always based our actions on what God tells in His word. If you choose to do good, then you will rightfully be judged.

The Danger of Laziness

READ | 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10

The Lord has appointed believers to be His ambassadors to a lost and hurting world. As His followers, we are to represent Him in our character, conduct, and conversation whenever we interact with family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers.

God expects us to be diligent in our work and faithful to complete it. However, in our self-absorbed, pleasure-seeking culture, it is very easy to get sidetracked into laziness. This sin is dangerous in a Christian’s life because of the potential harm that can result—it can hurt our witness for Christ, damage our relationships with others, and waste both the time and the gifts the Lord has given us. One negative result of such a lifestyle is a character marked as unreliable and untrustworthy.

Laziness frequently shows up as procrastination. For example, despite saying that we will take action, we repeatedly delay the start time. Or we may begin a project and yet find reasons not to finish it. Being neglectful is another manifestation: though we make an attempt to carry out responsibilities, they are handled in a haphazard or incomplete way; relationships with loved ones go untended; or the needs of others are overlooked.

Irresponsible behavior doesn’t fit who we are in Christ. If you realize you’ve been careless in some area of your life, pray, “Lord, I have not lived as I should, and I ask You to forgive me. I choose to turn away from lazy attitudes and neglectful behavior. Please help me to follow through and become someone who is industrious for You.”


From: InTouch - Early Light Devotionals

THE FORK IN THE ROAD

"If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15


We live our lives in the realm of our own making. We set goals, have priorities, and establish a life-style that is suitable to us. Most of the time, the results are pleasing, acceptable, and we feel that we have "done quite well." But, has our life impacted others? Did we reach out to encourage someone else with care and compassion? Did we take the time from our hurried pace, to reach down and lift up those fallen by the wayside?

So many questions abound when we suddenly realize how selfish we have really been. How many things we would do differently, if we could only do it over again. But time waits for no one, and the opportunity passed us long ago. Why do we wait until the sunset of our lives to ponder what we could have done, and should have done?

I guess experience and maturity have a lot to do with it. Often times, through the dreadful encounters, we vow that next time we will do it differently. We find it difficult when we are young to accept the words of wisdom our parents and mentors seek to teach us. After all, they have been there, done that, and know well the consequences we will have to confront if we spurn their advice and do it our way. But do it we did, and we suffered from the folly of not heeding loving words from those who knew best.

God's Word gives us many truths and principles to heed. Examples of those who turned from their own selfish pride to humble themselves before an Almighty God. Their lives were characterized by faith and obedience. The secret of their "self-giving lives" is found in their realizing who they were before a holy, just, and righteous God. They came to the realization that, "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." They had to find their purpose for life in another...Jesus Christ. Until we come to that same fork in the road, we will plod along in a meaningless journey that will be without eternal significance and a total loss of human effort in every way, as far as God is concerned.

Moses faced the fork in the road. We read, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward...he saw him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:24-27).

The world was his! There was nothing he could not have, being the son of royalty...BUT GOD WAS GREATER! Many would say, "What a foolish choice." But they know not the Lord, and His saving grace. Moses had his eyes fixed on the ONE who created it all, and with unwavering faith, made the choice that will count throughout eternity.

Have you come to that fork in the road? If so, what decision will you make? Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). The ball is in your court, and you must make the choice that will determine your life throughout eternity!



From: Literature International Ministry - Ed Powell

The Context of Stillness

"Be still, and know that I am God"
Psalm 46:10


How many times have you heard this verse? A hundred? A thousand? This snippet of a psalm is a pet verse of mine. It constantly pops into my head when I start getting too busy or stressed out. Ironically, I hadn’t taken time to read the whole psalm in months until the other night, and I had no recollection of the verses surrounding my favorite one-liner. Here’s a sampling of the other verses in Psalm 46:

“Though the earth gives way…” (vs. 2)

“Though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea…” (vs. 2)

“The nations rage, the kingdoms totter…” (vs. 6)

“Be still and know that I am God… I will be exalted in the earth!” (vs. 10)

“The God of Jacob is our fortress.” (vs. 11)

I had been picturing an idyllic, Psalm-23-ish passage as the context for my pet verse, but the context is completely different. The psalm is actually the meditation a man holding back fear with faith. In a setting of uncertainty, war, and all-around “trouble” (vs. 1), the psalmist focuses on the peace that comes from being the presence of God – even though the earth around him threatens to fall apart. The verse holds even more power in this context than in my imagined setting, doesn’t it?

I love the Psalms because of their deep meditations on humanity confronted with God’s holiness and faithfulness. I can see real men writing the lines, reminding themselves of the bigger context for their troubles. I see men who – like me – wondered what would happen next in this life. But every one of them comes to the realization that they serve a God who supersedes their worries and replaces them with worship. These men heard the command to “be still and know” and found that God blew their imaginations.

I often look at the looming election and the financial woes and start getting jittery, wondering about outcomes and impacts. In these times, I slip into this mentality that thinks “being still” and listening to God can only happen in green pastures. But the real context of Psalm 46:10 tells me otherwise. God’s amazing peace works most powerfully when the world’s craziness reaches a crescendo. Like they say, context is everything.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Look up your favorite one-liners of the Bible today, and read the surrounding passages and chapters. How does the context add to your understanding of the verse? What more does it reveal about living the Christian faith?



From: CrossWalk Devotionals - Katherine Britton

Jesus Knows

“I am the one God chose and sent into the world.”
John 10:36

God with us.

He knows hurt. His siblings called him crazy. He knows hunger. He made a meal out of wheat-field grains.

He knows exhaustion. So sleepy, he dozed in a storm-tossed boat.

Most of all, he knows sin. Not his own, mind you. But he knows yours.

Every lie you’ve told.

Person you’ve hurt.

Promise you’re broken.

Every deed you’ve committed against God—for all sin is against God—Jesus knows. He knows them better than you do. He knows their price. Because he paid it.



From: Max Lucado

Team Colors

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
- Galatians 3:27 (NRSV)


MY son and I attended a football game in a city three hours away from our home. As we settled into our seats, the air was full of excitement over the game about to be played.

Although we didn't personally know any of the other people in the stadium around us, we were immediately accepted into the group because we were all wearing the colors or jerseys of the home team. Regardless of who we were or where we traveled from, the only thing that mattered on game day was whose colors we were wearing.

As Christians, we are called to be clothed in Christ, spiritually wearing his "colors" of truth, faith, and love as boldly as any team jersey. And we are called to accept all who share our allegiance to Christ, even if their homes are far away or they are of a different nationality. At the football game, fans of many colors and ethnic backgrounds cheered together as one for their team. As Christians, let us make sure we're wearing Christ's colors.


Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be clothed in you in our interests and behavior. Give us boldness to live for you as openly and enthusiastically as we cheer for our sports teams. Amen.



From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Larry Hashman