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Psalms 119:60-69 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments. The cords
of the wicked have bound me, But
I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments. I am
a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. The
earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes. You have dealt
well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word. Teach me good judgment
and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went
astray, But now I keep Your word. You are
good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes. The proud have forged a lie against
me, But I will keep Your
precepts with my whole heart.
Father God, we thank you for all your
love. This is a hard winter and we ask that you provide for those that don’t
have much. Bless them and provide shelter for all in need. In Jesus name we
pray, Amen!
Revelation 20:11-15 NKJV
This lesson is about the Great White Throne
Judgment, which is hard for some to accept and believe the truth of your words..
This judgment will take place after the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and
His Saints. This judgment is for all from the beginning of time that never
placed their faith in God. Any one that has been Born Again will not see this
judgment because they already received their reward prior to the thousand year
reign. So let’s see what these verses tell us this week.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat
on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found
no place for them.
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Great
White Throne
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Art used; by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
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Then
I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it; With God sitting on a throne it can be
no other color but white, a pure and spotless white throne that represents
complete righteousness. It isn’t actually God seated on this throne it is one
of the persons of the Godhead, and that being Jesus Christ. Jesus is our
Saviour today and will be our Judge tomorrow. Matthew 25:31 "When
the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He
will sit on the throne of His glory.
From
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for
them; This phrase is
talking about the earth and the first heaven that will be no more because of
how sin has corrupted them. It isn’t saying the earth or our sky will vanish,
it is simply saying there will be no more place for the corruption of sin.
Things are being set in order for the new heaven and earth. Revelation 21:1
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first
earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
12 And I saw
the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And
another book was opened, which is the
Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the
things which were written in the books.
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The
Books Are Opened
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Art used; by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
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And
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; This phrase speaks of the second
resurrection, the resurrection of damnation. The first resurrection is that of
God’s Saints before the thousand year reign and the second resurrection will
take place after the thousand years. John
5:28-29 Do not
marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will
hear His voice and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection
of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. The dead, small and great, pertain to all
from the beginning of time that haven’t placed their faith in God. It doesn’t
matter how great or small, color of skin, rich or poor, if a person hasn’t had
a spiritual birth and been regenerated into a new being, they will be
resurrected whether buried in the earth, at sea, or cremated and stand before
Jesus Christ for judgment.
And
books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; At this judgment the books will be
opened. The Book of Life contains the names of those who have placed their faith
in Jesus. The other book contains the life history of each person, good and
bad, everyone's life will be reviewed and evaluated, no one is saved by good deeds.
Jesus will look at how we have handled gifts, opportunities, and
responsibilities. Did we use them to glorify ourselves or God’s kingdom? Was
our faith in Jesus or ourselves? God's gracious gift of salvation does not free
us from the requirement of faithful obedience and service. Each of us must
serve Christ knowing the books will one day be opened.
And
the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written
in the books; The dead will be judged, meaning those that have
died living for themselves and not accepting Jesus as their Saviour. Anyone
that is not a true believer will be judged according to their lifestyle while
here on earth. What will be in this book that recorded your every move will be
things like sexual immorality; out of
wedlock sex; pornography; praying to any person, place, or thing other than
God; sorcery; hostility; lying; stealing; jealousy; envy, grudges, vengeance, outbursts
of anger; selfish ambition; gossip; homosexuality; greed; drunkenness; wild
parties; cursing & using God’s name inappropriately; etc. Anyone living
this sort of life will inherit Hell not Heaven the Kingdom of God. Romans 1:22-32; Galatians
5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7
The following is a story
that has been around the internet for a few years. There is a couple versions,
some say it was a dream, some a vision, and some an essay written in school.
Whatever, if true, it give an example of how our life may be recorded in Heaven,
a very humbling example.
THE ROOM
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I
found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the
one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in
libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But
these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in
either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of
files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I
Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the
cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names
written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life.
Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my
memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror,
stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their
content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and
regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was
watching.
A file named "Friends" was
next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed." The
titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I
Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort
I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At."
Some were almost hilarious in their
exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others
I couldn't laugh at:"Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things
I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never
ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than
expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume
of the life I had lived.
Could it be possible that I had the time in my
years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card
confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my
signature.
When I pulled out the file marked "TV
Shows I Have Watched," I realized the files grew to contain
their contents. The cards were packed tightly and yet after two or three yards,
I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, by the quality of shows
and also by the vast time I knew that file represented. When I came to a file marked "Lustful
Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the
file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I
shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had
been recorded. An almost animal rage broke in me.
One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see
these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In
insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty
it and burn the cards. But
as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not
dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find
it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I
returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out
a long, self-pitying sigh.
And then I saw it. The title bore "People
I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than
those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box
not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it
contained on one hand. And
then the tears came. I began to weep, sobs so deep that they hurt. They started
in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out
of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves
swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I
must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw
Him.
No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.
I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I
couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to
look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively
go to the worst boxes. Why
did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across
the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that
didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to
cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many
things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of
files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one,
began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted
rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the
card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written
in red so rich, so dark, and so alive. The
name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the
card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll
ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I
heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on
my shoulder and said, "It is finished."
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There
was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
I
pray all will read the Sinners Prayer at the bottom of the lesson, think about
it, and make a decision from their heart to ask Jesus to forgive them and ask
Him into their heart to help them live a life that will honor God.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and
Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged,
each one according to his works.
Every
man and woman who has rejected Jesus will be at this White Throne Judgment.
Those drowned in the sea, those eaten by animals, those whose ashes are
scattered in the winds will be there. God who made the elements will know where
every cell is to resurrect those that have rejected him. He will only speak the
word and they will rise for this judgment of their works. This is a judgment no
one wants to be present for.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.
The
death of an unsaved individual physical and spiritual is separation from God.
Sin is the cause of this death for scripture says, “the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23. Spiritual death is the second
death.
Hades
is Hell and this is the place the unredeemed go at death. The idea is that
everything sin has caused, which is death and hell, are cast into the lake of
fire. The final destination of the unsaved along with the Antichrist, the False
Prophet, Satan, fallen angels, and demon spirits is the Lake of Fire for
eternity.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life
was cast into the lake of fire.
If
you haven’t given your heart to Jesus and living for Jesus, Gods Holy Word
tells us you will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. The Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit are one but three different persons and the Word is the Son of God who
is God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in
heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. Revelation 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called
The Word of God.
Many people don’t want to
believe what the Bible states, but we know from history that what is stated in
the Bible come true. God’s Word is Holy and True!
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Lake
of Fire
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Art used; by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
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Colossians 1:16 For by Him all
things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things
were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23
for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say
to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with
your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I
am a sinner. I confess my sins to you; I
am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful
lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my
sins. I believe that only you can
forgive sin. I commit my life to you and
ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” (John 3:16,17;
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
