| Today, as I listened to a message by Leonard Ravenhill on the "Judgment Seat of Christ", I tried to imagine what it would be like to stand before the Lord on that day and give account for my life. To visualize standing before God and viewing on the silver screen of Heaven, the events of my life laid out for all to see. For that day will dawn just as surely as this one did. There is no escaping it. We will stand one by one before the great God of the Universe and tremble in His presence as He looks through the records that have been kept our whole life through. Everything we've done, thought or said that has not been repented of and cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, will be exposed at that moment in time. Nothing will be hidden from His sight. Everything we've trusted in will be stripped away. We will not be able to hire a lawyer to represent us on that day! Nothing will prevent us from keeping that appointment! I knelt before the Lord and began beseeching Him to reveal the condition of my heart - to show me what I would look like to Him, if today were the Judgment Day! In the Light of His Word and His awesome holiness, he began to expose areas that needed to be repented of and surrendered to Him. The deepest desire of my heart is to live a life of purity so that He can pour out His Spirit and reveal His glory in and through me! I so often say how thankful I am to know the Lord, but more and more I am beginning to ask Him, "Do you know me?" How tragic,oh, how tragic it would be, to stand before Him on that day, and hear Him speak the words that will strike eternal terror into the heart, "Depart from Me! I never knew you!" At that point, it will be too late to repent! Too late to search the heart and make necessary changes! As I've read those words, I have been struck by the knowledge, that it isn't sinners to whom He will be speaking! These are people who have had ministries; they've cast out devils, healed people and preached the gospel! They thought they knew Him! But He never knew them! I've been asking the Lord, "What does it take for You to know me? What in my life keeps You from knowing me?" I don't have all the answers, but I believe it starts with a fully surrendered heart that is willing to be cleansed of everything, even those things that appear to be okay, in order that He might fill that heart with His life and His presence. 2 Chronicles 16:9a says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." God has a work to do in these last days, but unlike the ministries of yesteryear that seemed more concerned with charisma than character, He is looking for pure lives and holy hearts through whom He can reveal His glory, and show forth His power! Vessels that won't take the glory for themselves, but tremble in the presence of a Holy God, totally amazed that He should choose to work through them! Will He have to look further than you and me? Isn't it worth it to get the sin out of our lives so we can be vessels of honor sanctified and meet for the Master's use? (2 Tim. 2:21) Is there anything more important than serving the King of Kings and doing His bidding? I would like to share with you a poem Leonard Ravenhill recited during his message. It poignantly speaks of these very things and challenges us to get right with God today, no matter the cost! For one day, it will be too late to change! |
| "His Plan For Me" When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, And He shows His plan for me. The plan of my life as it might have been Had He had His way with me, and I see, How I blocked Him here, and I checked Him there, And I would not yield my will. Will there be grief in my Savior's eyes? Grief, though He loves me still? Would He have me rich, and I stand there poor, Stripped of all but His grace; While memory runs like a hunted thing Down a path that I cannot retrace? Lord, of the years that are left to me, I give them to Thy hand. Take me, and make me, and mold me - To the pattern that Thou hast planned. I will close with the words that have pierced like an arrow through my heart since the first moment I heard Leonard Ravenhill speak them on a video teaching on prayer so many years ago - "I'll see you at the Judgment Seat of Christ!" |
| The Judgment Day |
| December 29, 2003 |
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