Week 5 Day 4:Facing God

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages
2 Corinthians 5:10
Matthew 25:14-28 *
1 John 2:28
Luke 19:24
Hebrews 4:13
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 *
2 Timothy 2:20-21 *
1 Corinthians 4:5

My Daily Response

My Daily Meditation
Jude 1:24-25

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages

The passage in Matthew 25, which has been the core passage for this study, has usually been interpreted as a teaching on stewardship or money. But taken in context, it is clearly a teaching about heaven. At the beginning of the chapter, Christ says" The kingdom of heaven will be..." and he tells the parable of the virgins at the wedding . Then he begins the parable of the Talents with the words, "For it is just like a man...." He is referring back to his original statement, "The kingdom of heaven will be...." So today's study is right on when the comparison to the return of the Lord and the bema judgment is made.

For believers who have taken what God has given them and used it for his glory, that judgment will be a blessed event. But for those who have buried (ignored, misused, wasted, etc.) God's gift, judgment day will be a frightening . I certainly want to be one who makes good use of God's gifts to me. Better get started!

The 1 Corinthians passage speaks of our works being burned by fire; the gold, silver and precious stones will survive; wood, hay and stubble will be consumed. The things we do that are of eternal value will survive; everything else won't.

We were given 5 tools to help determine whether our works are the kind that will survive:
1 Viability: Will it pass the test of time? Will it still matter to God and others after you are gone?
2 Virtue: Is it excellent? Is it pure? Does it bring glory to God, or to man?
3 Visibility: Is it attractive to the spiritual eye? Is it something you would like God to see? Could seeing it help make you or someone else more like Christ?
4 Variety: Does your work for God make a unique contribution to his kingdom? Does it utilize your unique spiritual gifts and makeup?
5 Value: Does it have real worth and importance? Is it useful to God?
Is it initiated and directed by him?

My Daily Response

The list I made Monday and worked on Tue. and Wed. was put to the test using the 5 tools listed above.
My role as husband, and what I want my wife to say about me at my funeral scored high.
My role as an employee scored high
As a church member scored high
As a son-- this is short range, as my mother is dead and my dad a short-timer; I will try to be the best son i can be. This didn't score too high
As a father and grandfather scored the highest.
As an artist, not so much.

My Daily Meditation

"Now to him who is able to keep me from stumbling, and to make me stand in the presence of his glory blameless and with great joy, and to the only God my Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever." Jude 1:24-25 (emphases mine)

In yesterday's post I talked about how God brought me to the lesson on the Fear of God at just the time I asked for guidance about what was missing. His timing was impeccable. Tonight at men's Bible study, we studied Hebrews 4. The first verse talks about fearing God, and we spent several minutes talking about the necessity for the fear of God in our lives. I shouldn't be surprised when God works like that, but I'm in awe of his goodness in showing me what was lacking in my journey to become a man to whom God will say, "Well done."

I stand, I stand in awe of you
i stand, i stand in awe of you
Holy God to whom my praise is due
I stand in awe of you.

Tom