"For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begins with us, what shall the end be for them that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”    1 Peter 4:17-18

 
It is interesting to note that when God planned the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he began with judging the righteous first—the people who profess to believe in God.  Doesn't sound familiar? Let’s look it up.  In Genesis 18:23-26, Abraham asks God, 

“Will Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure, there be fifty righteous within the city; will Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should get as the wicked, that be far from Thee; shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

In a more modern version it would say, “Lord, suppose there were only fifty righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, would You destroy the righteous with the wicked?"  And of course, God responds,

“If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

An entire nation would have been spared if fifty righteous people existed in Sodom and Gomorrah.  Most of us already know the dismal end of this story. Abraham, wondering if God will find fifty people, negotiates the number of the righteous down to ten people.  So, God promises Abraham if He finds ten—ten righteous people in the nation of Sodom and Gomorrah, he will spare the entire nation.  We can imagine that God, being God, searches the hearts of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and after not finding ten people who within their hearts stand on the side of righteousness, He destroys the two cities and its inhabitants.

Let’s fast forward to today’s world. In our fast paced era with all its bells and whistles, fast cars and fast people; quick fixes and hot tempers; high tech and low standards--where do you fit?  Many of us spend far too much time looking at, and complaining about, the routines of non-Christians and those who do not believe in God.  When in fact, we should be paying attention to the caveat found in today's verse, remembering that when the time comes, we will be judged first, not them.  Will we be found righteous in the eyes of God or as the verse says, scarcely saved?   

So, the question today is, if God approached a beloved human being today, the same way he appeared to Abraham, and told him or her that He planned on destroying your city tomorrow; would your city and its inhabitants be saved because of you?  Or, would you ignite the flame that burns the city?  L. 

Study Reference: 1 Peter 4:17-18, Genesis 18
From: "Starting With Us." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“And Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked Him, saying, “Art thou the King of the Jews?”  And Jesus said unto him, “Thou sayest.” And when He was accused of the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.  Then said Pilate unto Him, “Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee?”  And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.”    Matthew 27:11-14

 
In physics, Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion is, “For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.”  Strangely enough, I remember my middle school science teacher using the example of a subway straphanger.  “If the train sways to the right,” He said, “you automatically go to the left; if it sways left, you automatically go right.”   

“Okay,” I thought to myself. “This is simple enough to prove.”  I couldn't wait to see if it were true.  I got on the subway, and sure enough, when the train swayed to the right, I automatically swayed left, and vice versa.

Like the subway test, this theory also works in the motions of everyday life. Yet, it does not necessarily have to work when it comes to speech.  Every verbal statement does not require an equal and opposite reaction. Some verbal responses are simply unnecessary. If you are trying to start a rough and tumble fight, Newton is the place to start; simply incorporate Newton’s third law of motion to fuel the energy you need to ignite a tiny spark into a full-blown flame. It is like the verbal street game The Dozens, a game where the participants berate one another in front of an audience to see who has the verbal acumen to destroy the other.

 As we grow in our Christian walk, we will realize that not every verbal attack deserves a response.  That’s not to say you cannot respond, or that you do not have an arsenal of responses to give; it’s simply that you choose not to respond. It is where you select your words so wisely, it does not fuel the embers of what could become a roaring fire.  It is where the other person calls you a name other than your given name, or says something not to your liking, and you simply do not respond. You allow the other person to own their own words, owning what they've said to you, not your response.

In today’s verse, the condemnation is not to Jesus, the condemnation belies the Pharisees, chief priests, elders, and other members of the Sanhedrin who were His verbal accusers.  We know that in today’s vast technological climate of instant communication, we can receive a response to any query in an instance; however, we must remember, like Jesus, there are times when we will offer the greatest and loudest response—with silence.   L.

Study Reference: Matthew 27:1-14  
From: "An Unequal Reaction." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto Him, if now I have found grace in Thy sight then show me a sign that Thou talkest with me.”    Judges 6:16-17

 
We often plead with God to answer our prayers; however, sometimes we do not recognize or accept when God responds. Many times we reduce His response to good fortune, luck, or coincidence.  In discussing a difficult assignment we were working on, one of my colleagues shared a story concerning God’s response to his prayer request for a “sign” to assure him the job he was praying for would come through.   

“You are right;” He said, “it is a blessing.  I actually found out I got this job on my birthday. You know, it’s a funny thing. I was out of work for 15 months, the longest I have ever been out of work in my life, and I was very depressed. One evening, while visiting a friend of mine who lives upstate, I was sitting on the deck quietly praying, asking God for a job. I asked Him for a sign; something that would let me know that He really heard my prayer. When I looked up at the sky, I saw a shooting star!  I couldn't believe it!  I thought that I was seeing things, so I rubbed my eyes, and checked my glasses. When I looked up again, I saw another one, then another and another.  I couldn't believe it!  I called my girlfriend to tell her what had happened, and she told me that there was supposed to be a meteor shower that evening. As I told her the story, she said she thought it was a coincidence not a response from God; and, that I must have somehow known subconsciously that there was going to be a meteor shower that evening from the news. I explained that I didn't know there was going to be a meteor shower, and I hadn't even heard about it.  But she still didn't believe it was a response from God.  But I did!  It was too precise.  I had just finished asking for a sign, and there it was.  Then on November 18th, my birthday, I found out that I had gotten the job.” 

As he told the story, I thought about all the people who often pray about a circumstance or problem, yet somehow do not recognize the response when it occurs. It happens to all of us. We are reminded of this in the biblical story of Gideon, found in the Book of Judges, chapter six. Although, told by an angel that he is selected by God to lead Israel into battle against the Midianites and Amalekites, Gideon does not believe he is the one God really wants. To gain confirmation of the angel’s message, he requests that the angel show him a sign.  When the sign occurs, he still does not believe he is the chosen one.  Believing instead that the sign was a coincidence, he requests yet another sign in the reverse order.  Throughout this story, although he is obedient to God, he is confused by his own fear, ultimately questioning almost every direction. 

Sometimes our doubts and fears get so far ahead of us that it becomes hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Yet the light is always there. There are times when you may need a sign to encourage you in your quest; if so, ask. But remember, it was Jesus, in response to Didymus ‘Doubting’ Thomas’ unbelief who said, “Blessed are they who have not seen, yet have believed.”  —Because, sometimes we simply have to have faith in understanding that no matter what happens, God is working on our behalf.   L. 

Study Reference: Judges 6:1-40, John 20:27-29
From: "Show Me A Sign." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

  “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.”       1 Corinthians 7:23-24

 
Imagine being at the tribunal that would eventually lead to the fulfillment of Jesus' death at Calvary.  Although Jesus responded only a few times, He truly had the opportunity and strength to defend Himself against the accounts of the Sanhedrin.  Instead, He accepted their accusations without a fight, understanding that His sacrifice would ultimately save the human race. 

Eventually, as a Christian, you will have to make a sacrifice that will benefit others without an apparent benefit to yourself; you may have even done so already. However, there’s one small caveat. Unlike Jesus, your sacrifice may lead you to some type of resentment against your fellow Christians, or even, the church itself. You may even believe you did not receive your price for the sacrifice, i.e. recognition, position, accolades, fanfare, love, etc. It is so easy for the human ego to get caught up in the pomp and circumstance of Christian churches, where we eagerly desire to become part of the hierarchy.  Resist the urge.  Somehow, desperately keep in mind that any sacrifice you make is not for you; and, it’s not really for others; it’s for God. We can never repay the sacrifice of Jesus. Our worship is not enough, our praise is not enough, and what we believe to be our sacrifice is not enough. Our life and love is the only thing we can offer; it is the only thing that counts. 

Think about this; has a child you loved ever given you a homemade gift?  Do you remember your reaction?  Did you display it with pride and satisfaction? Could that gift really equal any of the gifts you have given to that child?  No, probably not.  Your love sees the sacrifice, time, and love that the child has put into the gift.  Our gifts, sacrifices, worship, and praise is like that to God. Know that God loves you already, and anything you bring to Him is accepted with love.  So beloved, do not wait for your sacrifice to garner recognition, position, accolades, fanfare, love, etc. from others; know that you already have it from God.   L.

Study Reference: 1 Corinthians 7:23-24  
From: "Sacrificial Deeds." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell