The Judgment Seat of Christ

Are you ready to stand before God? That day is coming. "For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body" (2 Cor. 5:10). If you are a Christian, you are reading about yourself in this verse. Actually, this is something to look forward to.

You might wonder, "If God has forgiven all my sins, why am I going to be judged for what I've done?"

When you accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, all your sins were forgiven. This judgment isn't to examine your sins. It's to evaluate your faithfulness to determine your rewards in heaven.

The Greek word for judgment seat is "bema." After an athlete in biblical times won an event, he would go stand before the bema seat in the coliseum to receive his reward. A wreath would be placed on his head, similar to an Olympic champion receiving a gold medal. At the judgment seat of Christ, each believer will receive a reward from the Lord according to what we have done for Him during our lives on earth. This is why Jesus encouraged us to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:20) and Paul said, "Run in such a way that you may win" (1 Cor. 9:24).

Your rewards will determine your eternal assignments in heaven--what you'll be doing in the next life. Yes, you will have a job in God's kingdom! We will serve Him forever, which means will be fulfilling God's assignments (Rev.7:15). Heaven would be like hell if we had nothing to do forever. Jesus said these rewards are so exciting that, if we could see them, we would "leap for joy" (Luke 6:23).

See you at the bema,

Kent

Please feel free to forward this email to your friends. http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

What was the Bethlehem Star?

We all know the Christmas story about the wise men from the east following the star to Bethlehem. "And lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was . . . and they came into the house and saw the Child" (Matt. 2:,9,11). Was this a star in the galaxy that they followed? Let's think about that.

How could a literal star go before them and stop over a house? Don't you think the heat from a literal star would have burned up the house, not to mention the rest of the planet? Some people think the star was millions of miles away and it just looked like it was over the house from the wise men's vantage point. However, if the wise men had walked around to the back door instead of the front door, the star would have been behind them and not over the house. So what was this star?

Many Bible scholars believe it was a supernatural phenomenon--that God created what looked like a star to lead them to the Messiah. He did something similar to this in the Old Testament, when He led the children of Israel through the wilderness by cloud and by fire. "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night" (Ex. 13:21).

Others believe the star may have been a brilliant angel that led them to the house. Angels in scripture are also called stars (See Rev. 1:20, 9:1, 12:4,7-9, Job 38:7, Isa. 14:12). Since a host of angels appeared to the shepherds to announce Christ's birth, it's not unreasonable to assume that God used an angel to lead these Gentiles from the east to the Messiah.

O come let us adore Him!

Kent

Feel free to forward this email to your friends. http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Talking to Your Kids About Santa Claus

When I was a kid rumors were swirling around the school that Santa Claus didn't exist. After I got home, I asked my mom, "Is Santa real?" My mom smiled, hesitated, and then admitted, "No, he's not."

I thought it over for a few seconds and asked, "Is the Easter bunny real?" "No, he's not real either," she confessed.

Finally I asked, "Is God real?" Immediately she tried to assure me, "Oh yes, God is real!" I couldn't help but wonder if she was telling me the truth this time, since she had already admitted to lying about the other two.

Christian parents are faced with the same dilemma today. What should you tell your small children (who are too little to separate fact from fiction) about Santa? You have three options:

Option #1: You can lie and tell them Santa's real. But later when they are older, you'll have to admit that you lied to them. They might even start questioning God's existence, like I did.

Option #2: You can tell them up front that Santa's not real. The downside is you're taking away much of the fun experience at Christmas. Think about it, you don't need to grow them up that quickly. You withhold a lot of information from children about other issues until they are old enough to process it. Here's a better idea:

Option #3: You can tell them that Santa's a game that you play. This is what we told our young children when they started talking about Santa. "Santa and giving each other gifts is a game that we play." They never really thought to ask what the game was about. When they got older and asked about the reality of Santa, we told them, "It was all pretend and you figured out the game!" We never lied to them and we all enjoyed the fun of Christmas.

Remember, small children think like small children, and there's nothing wrong with that. As they grow and mature, they are able to grasp the truth. The apostle Paul explained this when he said, "When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11). So then, have a fun Christmas and remember to teach them that Jesus is real!

Kent

Feel free to forward this email to your friends. http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

Carrying Excess Baggage

As you travel through life, are you carrying any excess baggage? I'm not talking about physical luggage, but unnecessary burdens that you carry on your soul. Just like the man in the picture is loaded down with suitcases on his back, your soul can get overloaded with invisible weights. If you're carrying too much baggage your soul will get depressed. That's why Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:28-30).

To get rid of your baggage you must first identify it. Some people have been carrying bags for years without even realizing it. The first step is to get honest with yourself and admit that something is wrong with your soul. Here are some common burdens that people carry:

GUILT--refusing to allow Jesus Christ to forgive ALL your sins

GRUDGES--refusing to forgive others for hurting you

WORRY--refusing to trust God with your future

STRESS--refusing to hand your troubles over to the Lord

How do you get rid of your baggage? You have to let go of them. The reason you're burdened down is because you're still holding on to them. God's Word tells us to "cast your burden upon the Lord" (Psalm 55:22). Notice that God does not automatically remove your burdens from you without your permission. He tells you to cast them on to Him. You must let go and place them into His hands.

Don't put it off. "Let go" and "let God" remove the burdens off your soul that you don't need to be carrying.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Feel free to forward this email to your friends.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you'd like to subscribe to my devotionals by email, you can subscribe at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ You MUST click on the link in the email that you'll receive from Feedburner (Many potential subscribers have forgotten to do this last step)

Taking Inventory

David McLennon got his first job at age 13 working at a small-town grocery store. One day the store owner said, "It's time to take inventory." David had never heard that word before, so he asked, "What does that mean?"

"It's a time when we make a list of everything in the store," the owner explained.

"Why do you do that?" David asked.

"Well, it's easy to forget what's in the store. Only by counting each item can we actually know everything that we have."

Since this week is Thanksgiving, it's time to take inventory of everything we have. Do you realize that you live better than most kings have lived throughout history? Don't believe me? Here is a list of things that most of us have, but kings never had at their disposal:

TAKING INVENTORY: Things you have that kings never owned

Air conditioning. Heating. Thermostats to regulate both. Ceiling fans. Natural gas. Electricity.

Hot and cold running water in your house. Indoor toilets. Toilet paper. Soap. Shampoo. Conditioner. Toothpaste. Toothbrush. Deodorant. Floss. Mouthwash. Hairspray.

Appliance stores. Refrigerators. Freezers. Ovens. Stoves. Microwave ovens. Crock-Pots. Electric lights (just flip a switch). Television. Internet. Radio. Telephones. Cell phones. Computers. DVD players. Movie theaters. Watches. Clocks. Closets full of clothes and shoes. Sunglasses. Suntan lotion.

Grocery stores. Fresh vegetables. Fruit from all over the world--pineapples, mangoes, bananas, grapes, apples, oranges. (Remember, kings didn't have all these foods). Canned foods--every thing imaginable. Frozen foods--dinners that are already prepared for you! Ice cream.

Medical doctors. Medical equipment. Hospitals. Ambulances. Pharmacies. Medicines to treat nearly every sickness, headache, heart problem, and pain relief. Vitamins. Eyeglasses. Hearing aids. Dentists to treat broken teeth. Orthodontists. Dermatologists.

Automobiles. Gasoline. Airplanes. Airports. Taxis. Buses. Mechanics. Paved roads. Rest stops.

Restaurants--fast food, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, American, pizzas.

Music--iPods, CDs, satellite radio. (I could go on, but the list would be too long!)

Do you now understand that the average person today is wealthier than the richest people who have lived throughout history? It's a shame that most people have never truly thanked God for each one of these incredible blessings. In fact, they complain that they don't have enough!

Thanksgiving shouldn't be once a year. It should be every day. "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good" (1 Chron. 16:34).

Keep looking up,

Kent

Please feel free to forward this devotional to your friends.

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/

No Strings Attached

Have you ever wondered why God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to "let My people go"? The Lord could have led the Hebrews out of Egypt without getting Pharaoh's permission, but God wanted to give Pharaoh a chance to "let go." He needed to "take his hands off" the Hebrews and release them from slavery. If he had listened to Moses and let go, he could have avoided the ten plagues. But, he didn't heed God's warning and so he had to suffer the consequences.

Lots of people today have "Pharaohitis." They're holding on to people in their minds that they need to let go. Maybe they've been hurt by someone and won't forgive. God says to let the person go. Or, they're involved in an unhealthy relationship and the Lord commands them to let the person go. Some people have lost a loved one either through death or a breakup, and even though years have passed, they still haven't let go. Others are "controllers" and will try to make everyone do what they want. God says to them, "Let My people go so that they might serve Me" (Ex. 8:1).

You can let go by cutting the string that connects you to that person. As long as the string is attached, you're in bondage to that individual. Imagine taking a pair of spiritual scissors and cutting the string in Jesus name. Tell the Lord that you are releasing the person into His care and that there are no more strings attached. Now when that person tries to pull strings, it doesn't affect you because the connection has been broken.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Feel free to forward this devotional to your friends.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you'd like to receive my devotionals by email, you can subscribe at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ . You MUST click on the link in the email you'll received from Feedburner. (Many potential subscribers have forgotten to do this last step)

Your Time is Running Out

Do you know the difference between a clock and an hourglass? A clock has revolving hands, which gives the illusion that time goes on forever. An hourglass, on the other hand, reminds us that time is running out.

In Psalm 90, Moses reminds us that our brief time on Earth is running out. He says "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years . . . for soon it is gone and we fly away" (v.10). He then offers a bit of advice for all of us, in v. 12:

1. Count your days. Moses says, "So teach us to number our days . . . " We usually say, "I'm 25, or 45, or 65 years old" because we count our days from the time we're born. But I think Moses is telling us to count our days from the other end--from death. And that's assuming we make it to 70 or 80. No one is guaranteed the next breath. "Counting our days" means that we realize that life is short, and we have a ever-diminishing amount of time left.

2. Make your days count. Moses continues, "that we might present to Thee a heart of wisdom." Once we realize every day is a gift from God, we make our lives count for Him. You can only do this if you've given your life to Christ. Once you've done that, live to please Him in all that you do, which is presenting to God "a heart of wisdom." You'll not only make the most out of this life, but you'll also be rewarded in the next life too.

Keep looking up!

Kent

Feel free to forward this devotional to your friends.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you'd like to receive my devotionals by email, you can subscribe at http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com/ . You MUST click on the link in the email you'll received from Feedburner. (Many potential subscribers have forgotten to do this last step)