The Judgment Seat

The great day at the Judgment seat of Christ

"But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you
regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the
judgment seat of God" Rom. 14:10.

The judgment seat of Christ, the "bema." There is a vast difference
between the Judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne
judgment Rev 20:11ff. At the judgment seat of Christ, saints will be
judged to determine their rewards in heaven. At the Great white throne
sinners will be judged to determine their retribution on hell. More on
each later. Stay with us.

What is the "bema"
We have been to Corinth, in Greece, and seen the "bema," the "judgment
seat," of the Greek Olympic games where the winners were given their
rewards. Dr. Lehman Strauss, who was a great Bible teacher and friend
of mine wrote, "In the large Olympic arenas there was an elevated seat
on which the judge of the contest sat. After the contests were over,
the successful competitors would assemble before the bema to receive
their rewards or crowns. The bema was not a judicial bench where
someone was condemned; it was a reward seat. Likewise, the Judgment
Seat of Christ is not a judicial bench...the Christian life is a race,
and the divine umpire is watching every contestant. After the church
has run her course, He will gather every member before the bema for
the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to
each."

YOU are a winner
If you have seen the Olympics on TV when the gold, silver and bronze
medals are given to the winners, you know it is an awesome and
wonderful moment. So it will be when the Lord Jesus gives out the
awards to the winners in the race of life we all go through down here.
It will be a very humbling but happy time.

Saved by grace; rewarded for works There is a lot of difference in
what you do to get married and what you do because you are married.
There is a lot of difference in what you do to get saved and what you
do because you are saved. We are saved by the finished work of Christ
when He suffered and died for our sins, we will be rewarded by the
works we do for Christ after we have been born again, saved. More on
this to come.

Prayer:  Father, bless Your children and help us to work and put to
use what you have trust us with and what you have told us believers to
do for You so we will have treasures in heaven and crowns to cast at
Your feet in heaven. In Jesus name

God loves you and so do I, all because the Lord Jesus suffered and
died for our sins, paid our debt in full and rose again so we can be
forgiven and go to heaven, sumner.

"If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a
reward" 1 Cor. 3:14.

Heavenly Rewards

Prophecy Conf. "my reward is with me" Rev 22:12

"I am coming quickly and my reward is with me" Rev 22:12

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" 2 Cor. 5:10.

The next event
Now comes the day of reckoning and reward. Remember, only believers will be taken up at the rapture. This is very clear from 1 Thes. 4:13-18. "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" 1 Cor. 3:11. The foolish man builds his house of the sinking sand and it perishes. The wise man built his house on the rock, and "it fell not" Matt. 7:14-27.

"Certainly the believers will be missed! It is evident from the Bible that the sudden disappearance of both Enoch and Elijah (two Old Testament types of the Rapture) caused considerable confusion and alarm among their friends.

"By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God" Heb. 11:5.

Especially interesting are the words, "and was not found." Enoch was doubtless the object of a great manhunt! Imagine what it will be like when all the true believers are suddenly missing. Imagine what it will be like when the "salt" of the earth Matt. 5:13 and "light" of the world 5:14-16 plus the restraining of the Holy Spirit 2 Thes. 2:5-7 are removed. Romans 1:18-32 will be the way of life in those days and Rev. 6-18 will be fulfilled. More on this later.

The Scriptures describe the later translation of Elijah in even greater detail, as the citizens of Jericho ask Elisha about the disappearance of his master.

"They said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send." But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him" 2 Kings 2:16,17.

How much more confusion and alarm will come from the sudden and mysterious disappearance of literally millions of men and women, boys and girls

Today, we visited the cemetery where we have friends and loved ones buried and Celeste and I have a grave site. I choked up as I saw the names of many who never gave a bit of evidence they knew the Lord Jesus. Then Celeste and I both looked at each other and said, "I don't believe we will need these graves." We sincerely believe. Jesus is coming before we die, Wouldn't that be fantastic! We must all live as though Jesus is coming any minute.

Prayer:  Father, bless Your dear children and help us to live in the light of eternity. In Jesus name.

And I love you, all because the Lord Jesus suffered and died for our sins, paid our debt in full and rose again so we can be forgiven and go to heaven, sumner. Do you believe in the finished work of Christ for your salvation? Believe and pray to receive Him as your Lord and Savior right now. "He that believes on the son and he that has the Son, has life" John 3:36, 1 John 5:12.

"I am coming quickly and my reward is with me" Rev 22:12. What will you receive? We will tell this week. Don't miss it.