Just For Show

Read Matthew 23:1-12

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. - Matthew 23:11-12

Reflection of Tommy:

We are a hypocrite when we do not live by what we preach and making ourselves look good and holy with what we have done, how much we know or how obedient we are to God. We may even compare our ‘greatness’ to others and criticizing them for lacks of faith or discernment.

To Jesus, true greatness comes from humility and a serving- giving ourselves to help God and others. Instead of constantly glorifying and focusing only on ourselves, we seek ways to be a good servant for Christ to the world with love.

Dear Father, forgive me of sometimes displaying the hypocritical attitudes of the religious leaders. Remind me always to do and say everything to bring glory and honor to You and what Christ has done for us. Guide me as I lead and bring more people to know You, that it will always be motivated by love and desire to glorify You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Fake Family

Matthew 15:1-9

Clean and Unclean
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, 'Honor your father and mother'[a] and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'[b] 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6he is not to 'honor his father[c]' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[d]"

Reflection of Tommy:

It is easy to appear good and faithful to God in front of others. We can be helpful at Church serving God’s people, saying the right words and even advices others with our Bible knowledge. But, deep down inside, we may not be entirely committed to God, disobeying His commands and not loving Him as we should be. We may also reason our condition by blaming our inability to reject what is not pleasing to God. This is hypocrisy.

Although it is true we can’t be good on our own, but we can always allow the Spirit to work within us to change us. He can give us the strength and discernment to reject all forms of hypocrisy and be faithful to God in all situations. Through this; we will be able to grow more Christ-like each day, relying on God’s power to be a true good and obedient Christian.

Dear Father, thank You for Your constant reminder and guidance when I’m in the dark or being pressured to compromise. Reveal to me through the Holy Spirit any area of my life that are not pleasing to You and help me to change and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Guide my every step, protect my heart and mind with the atoning blood of Christ that I may walk faithful in Your way always. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Changing The World

Luke 6:41-45

41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit
43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Reflection of Bee:

How can we ever change the world or anyone when we find it so hard to even change ourselves? Even the great Apostle Paul acknowledged that he couldn't change himself when he said in Romans 7:15,24,25:

15For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Right, only God can change or transform us when we do according what Romans 12:1,2 says:

1 ...offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In fact the above were the main verses quoted by the speaker of the seminar I attended tonight on "Discerning God's Will". When our minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit, we will learn to apply the 7 principles in discerning God's will for our life.

Yes, when we can "see clearly" we can then help others see clearly too (v42).

Dear Lord,
Thank You for tonight's devotion and the seminar I just attended. Thank You for speaking to me clearly tonight concerning the principles of discerning Your will for my life. Help me to be obedient and present myself as a living sacrifice to You. May Your peace reigns in my heart as I follow Your will.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Reflection of Tommy:

There are many sincere Christian out there who are afraid and worried for being a hypocrite. This is the devil’s best device to discourage us from growing in our faith, standing still in our Christian life. We need to know that trying hard to do what is right but often fails is not a hypocrite. Neither are repeatedly asking for forgiveness from God but continually being weak in our faith. We are hypocrite when we put on religious behavior to gain attention, approval, acceptance or admiration from others.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me the true meaning of hypocrisy and not to condemn myself because of failures. Teach me also not to stand still, hiding my faith and stop growing altogether because of setbacks and discouragement. Lord, guide me through the Holy Spirit, that all my ways will be always right and pleasing to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.