A Christian's foundation is his salvation in Jesus Christ (Mat. 7:24). Then after being saved, the Christian is expected to yield himself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit so he can be useful to Christ. If he does this, he will bear the FRUIT of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and please his Saviour. This fruit or good work is likened unto GOLD, SILVER, and PRECIOUS STONES, things of great value. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Godly Christian service produces TREASURE in Heaven for the Christian. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we (Christians) will receive our rewards. II John 8 says, "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." Most people are only concerned with going to Heaven or Hell, if even that, but the Bible instructs us to be concerned about our REWARDS. My eternal RESIDENCE was settled when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour, but my eternal REWARDS are only settled when I deny myself and serve God in the Spirit.
Notice that no one goes to Hell at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Some people lose rewards, but they are still SAVED (I Cor 3:15). This is like Lot, the righteous man who lost all he had, yet he himself was saved from the fiery destruction (Gen. 20; II Pet. 2:6-8). Jesus said there would be two kinds of saints in the last days: those who are faithful like Noah and those who are slothful like Lot (Luke 17:26, 28). Just as "one star differeth from another star in glory"(I Cor. 15:41), one Christian will differ from another in Heaven in regards to earned rewards.
In Revelation 3:11, the Lord Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (also see I Cor. 9:25, I Ths. 2:19, II Tim. 4:8, James 1:12, I Peter 5:4) Revelation 4:10 even has the elders casting their crowns at the Saviour's feet. Most Christians will have no crown to cast at the Lord's feet in that day, for they forfeited their heavenly rewards in order to live a more comfortable and conformable life in this present evil world.
The believer's judgment is threefold. At Calvary I was judged as a SINNER with Jesus taking my place and bearing my punishment. Today I am judged as a SON, being chastened by my heavenly Father when I am disobedient (Heb. 12:4-8; I Cor. 11:30-31). At the Judgment Seat of Christ I will be judged as a SERVANT, giving full account to my Master for my Christian service.
What "sort" is your service?
According to God's word in I Corinthians 3:13, the big issue at the Judgment Seat of Christ will be the "sort" of work that we have done while on this earth: "and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." God is interested in the QUALITY of our Christian service. Are we doing our very best for the Lord, or are we just doing "more good than bad?" Bob Jones Sr. once said, "It's always a sin to do less that your best." Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Christian, are you serving God with your "might" and doing your very best for Him? What "sort" is your service to the Lord Jesus Christ? Let's briefly consider the "sort" of work which God expects from us.
First, true Christ-honoring service must be done through a proper medium. The flesh profits nothing (John 6:63). Every Christian has God's Holy Spirit dwelling within them (Eph. 4:30; II Cor. 1:22; Rom. 8:9), yet not every Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit. Even though we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, we are yet commanded to be FILLED with the Spirit: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." (Eph. 5:18) We are told to mortify the deeds of the flesh and yield to the Lord (Rom. 8:13; 6:13, 16). The issue isn't what I do for the Lord, but rather what the Lord does through me. Jesus said, "without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) Friend, there is a proper medium by which we are to serve Christ, and that medium is the power of the Holy Spirit. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." (Zech. 4:6) Self denial is the first law of true discipleship. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23) There is a world of difference between doing religious things FOR Christ and allowing Christ to work THROUGH us. OUR will must yield to GOD'S will, not just on the day of our conversion, but on every day. Self denial is a daily sacrifice which allows for the filling and guiding power of God's Spirit. When self is not denied then the Holy Spirit is "quenched" (I Ths. 5:19) and our "Christian service" is that of the flesh, an improper medium. When we empty ourselves of all carnal efforts and yield to God's peaceful and guiding Spirit, we are truly serving the Lord.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23) Jesus said, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mat. 7:20) Friend, are you bearing the true fruit of the Holy Spirit or are you yet attempting to serve God in the power and will of the flesh? "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Romans 8:13)
Also, our service to the Lord is to be done in a prescribed manner. That manner is faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Paul told the carnal Corinthians, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (II Cor. 5:7) This faith is not to be based upon our feelings or our own plans and purposes, but rather upon God's word. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Our Christian conduct and service is to be based on the promises and commands of God's word.
For example, a man may be the best Bible teacher in his church and everyone may know it, but does he teach in God's prescribed manner? Does he labor to be a good teacher because he has great faith in the value of God's word in the lives of people, or is it because he enjoys tickling ears and impressing people with his knowledge? Is he really seeking to edify God's people with God's precious words, or is he just trying to meet everyone's expectations?
Does a Christian father exercise Biblical faith when he just assumes that his children will grow into godly men and women, or does he exercise Biblical faith when he endeavors to study and apply God's word in his home?
Friend, there is a prescribed manner in which we are to serve God in our daily lives, and that manner is applied faith based on the holy words of God. Anything less is sin, and, therefore, unacceptable: " . . . for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Rom. 14:23)
In addition to serving our Lord through the proper medium and doing so in the prescribed manner, we must also have a pure motive. In laboring for the Lord, our purest motive is love. Hebrews 6:10 says, "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." True ministry is rooted in a true love for God. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." (Mat. 22:37-38) My motive for giving financially to the ministry should be that I love God, not that I need a good tax write-off. My motive for working to produce thousands of gospel tracts and booklets per month should not be to get a name for myself or to bring in more donations for the ministry. My primary driving motive should always be my love for God.
What motivates you to serve God? What motivates you to teach a Sunday school class or sing in the choir? Why do you really take your turn in the nursery or help to clean the church building? Do you serve out of necessity, or do you serve out of a genuine love for the Lord?
Christian, God knows the true "sort" of our conduct and service, and His word declares that our work will be tried at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Now is the time to examine our hearts and amend our ways. The Judgment Seat of Christ will be a terrible day for many Christians (II Cor. 5:10-11), but it doesn't have to be for you. Confess your sins to God and find forgiveness (I John 1:9). Then purpose in your heart to begin serving God through the power of the Holy Spirit, in Biblical faith, and with a devout love for God.
According to I Corinthians 3:11-15, the Judgment Seat of Christ will reveal gold, silver and precious stones for some Christians, but wood, hay, and stubble for others. Some will have treasures, while others will have trash. What will YOU have when you stand before your Lord?
Apple pledges $100K in Calif. gay marriage fight!
10/24/2008 11:22
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple Inc. has joined the short list of publicly traded companies to oppose a ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California.
The Cupertino-based computer and iPod maker said on its website Friday it made a $100,000 pledge to defeat Proposition 8.class
The statement says Apple views the initiative as a civil rights issue. An Apple spokesman declined to elaborate.
Jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. gave $25,000 last month to fight the initiative.
Same-sex marriage became legal in California in June.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2008-10-24-gay-marriage_N.htm
Church-mansion 'minister' in more hot water Federal banking regulators concerned about his honesty
A Lake Bluff man who got his lakefront mansion exempted from property taxes by having it declared a church took the witness stand in a federal courtroom last week to explain why he and his brother shouldn't be removed from their banking business.
It seems federal banking regulators have concerns the two men aren't very honest. While I couldn't speak to that personally, I can attest -- based on his court appearance -- that the self-professed minister has quite a potty mouth.
Lawyers for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are asking an administrative judge to recommend that George and Robert Michael be prohibited from any further participation in the affairs of their Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Chicago because of alleged improper self-dealing.
The bank at 5700 N. Central was chartered in 2000 with the Michael brothers as the principal shareholders. Robert is the bank chairman. George is on the board of directors. They also operate a real estate business.
Their FDIC problems have absolutely no connection with George Michael's disputed attempt to avoid the $77,822 annual tax bill on his five-acre estate in the Shore Acres subdivision of Lake Bluff. Yet I think you may see some similarities.
Earlier this year, it was reported that George Michael, armed with his online ordination from the Church of Spiritual Humanism, had been able to convince the Illinois Department of Revenue that he had converted part of his home into the Armenian Church of Lake Bluff and that it therefore should be treated as tax-exempt property.
His church? His lakefront mansion
Michael, 53, said he did this for the sake of his disabled wife so that she could worship without having to travel. That was very thoughtful, but it shouldn't entitle him to any tax break.
Happily, village officials in Lake Bluff have stepped in to try to block this foolishness before it becomes a trend that could lead to even my neighbors finding themselves living next to the sparsely attended Holy Roller Church of Oak Park. The Revenue Department's decision is still on appeal.
In a tricky little squeeze play of its own, Lake Bluff also has sued Michael in circuit court, seeking $115,000 in fines for operating a church without a special-use permit. The idea obviously is to trap Michael into arguing out of both sides of his mouth.
n the meantime, Michael paid the first installment of his 2007 tax bill, although Lake County officials said Friday they are still awaiting the now overdue second installment of $39,494.
The FDIC alleges that the two men engaged in a pair of transactions involving Citizens Bank in which they either hid or misrepresented how the bank's money was being used to benefit them in personal real estate deals. In another instance, they are accused of pledging the same shares of Citizens Bank stock to simultaneously secure personal loans from two other banks.
The Michael brothers actions "demonstrated their personal dishonesty and willful or continuing disregard for the safety and soundness of the bank," the FDIC charged.
The brothers' attorney, Warren Lupel, said he believes he was successful in showing that banking regulators were incorrect in their interpretation of events, calling the case the most complicated fact situation he has handled in 40 years as a lawyer.
From popping in and out of court, I can't honestly explain the defense in any detail, except that it's all a big misunderstanding or somebody else's fault and that the Michaels never read any of the closing documents they signed that would appear to prove the FDIC's version of events. Outside court, they declined to speak to me.
A highlight of George Michael's testimony, though, was his colorful description of a commercial building in the 4200 block of Irving Park Road that the Michaels say they intended to rehab with John Galioto, a former laborer's union official who was ousted for alleged mob connections and then became a strip club operator. A bank loan for the building's purchase is among those in dispute.
"There was a sump pump in the basement, and the basement was filled with s - - -," Michael said, interrupting himself to look at the judge. "I'm sorry. I mean crap. I'm sorry.
Michael, a big Ditka-esque character with a bushy mustache, later returned to describing the building and asked the judge if he could speak freely. Reassured that he could, Michael testified: "It was a real craphole."
I'd love to hear his Sunday sermons.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/1242037,CST-NWS-brown26.article
Nun accusing Hindu mob of rape slams police
NEW DELHI (AP) — A Roman Catholic nun who accused a Hindu mob of raping her said Friday that she will not cooperate with local police, alleging that they stood by idly during the attack.
Hiding her head and face behind a scarf, the nun told reporters that she was raped after a mob attacked a Christian prayer hall on Aug. 25 in the eastern state of Orissa.
In her first public comments, the nun said a group of about 50 men tore off her clothes and raped her. Later, she said, she was paraded naked, together with a priest, past several policeman who refused to help her.
When she arrived at the police station, officers tried to dissuade her from filing a complaint, she said.
"I was raped and now I don't want to be victimized by Orissa police," she said, calling for a federal investigation.
vestigating the attack and only taking steps after the story appeared in news reports.
Police said they had been waiting for a medical report confirming a rape in order to begin their investigation. Police have since detained five men, though it was unclear whether they have been charged with any crime.
The Associated Press does not normally identify people who say they are the victims of sex crimes. The authorities did not provide her age or nationality.
The violence between Hindus and Christians followed the killing of a Hindu religious leader. Police blamed Maoist rebels, but conservative Hindu groups blamed Christian residents and set fire to a Christian orphanage.
The state government said 32 people died in the ensuing clashes. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India said at least 40 Christians were killed.
Relations are usually peaceful between Christians, who make up 2.5% of India's 1.1 billion people, and Hindus, who account for more than 80%.
However, Orissa has a history of anti-Christian violence with hard-line Hindu groups claiming Christian missionary groups are forcing or bribing people to convert to Christianity, charges denied by Christian leaders.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-10-24-nun-rape_N.htm
Atheist soldier drops suit against Gates, set to leave Army
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An atheist soldier who accused U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Defense Department of violating his religious freedom dropped the lawsuit Friday, citing his plans to leave the Army next spring.
But the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which filed the suit in 2007 with Pfc. Jeremy Hall, still plans to pursue allegations of widespread religious discrimination within the military in a separate lawsuit it filed with a second atheist soldier.
Attorneys for Hall filed papers Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., to dismiss the case, said Mikey Weinstein, head of the foundation.
Hall and the foundation sued over Hall's claims that a major prevented him from holding an atheist meeting while deployed in Iraq. That officer denied the allegation.
Dropping the lawsuit avoids a fight over whether Hall has standing to sue if he is no longer in the Army, which he plans to leave in 2009, Weinstein said.
"He broke the barrier for us to have more people come forward," Weinstein said of Hall. "He served as a shining light that attracted all the other potential witnesses."
This is the second time Hall, 24, and the foundation have withdrawn the lawsuit. They refiled in March, adding claims that Hall was threatened with retaliation from other soldiers and officers, including the blocking of his promotion to sergeant and a telephone death threat against him and his wife that was traced to another soldier.
Fort Riley investigators said that the threat wasn't serious and that the soldier who left the message was intoxicated.
Spc. Dustin Chalker, a combat medic who filed the second lawsuit in October, also named Gates as a defendant. Chalker alleged he was required to attend three events from December 2007 to May 2008 at Fort Riley at which Christian prayers were delivered.
The lawsuit cited examples of the military's religious discrimination by fundamentalist Christians, including programs for soldiers, presentations by "anti-Muslim activists" and a "spiritual handbook" for soldiers endorsed by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Defense officials have declined to comment on either lawsuit but have said the military has a longstanding policy against discrimination that preserves religious freedom for all in uniform. It also has said complaints about alleged religious discrimination are rare.
Weinstein said Hall recently was transferred to another military police company. He plans to attend college and serve as a liaison with the foundation on religious freedom issues.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-10-13-atheist-military_N.htm
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment