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What Grade Did You Get?

By / 2 minutes of reading / , ,

At the end of a course, when I went to college, the professor would type a one-page list showing each person’s name (no political correctness) and the final grade they received. He or she would then take a thumbtack and post the final grades on a corkboard outside the professor’s office.

When the students found out that the grades had been posted, they rushed to learn their grades and the other students’ grades – we wanted to see how we’d done compared to all the other students.

What Will Be My Eternal Grade?

Occasionally, I think about what it will be like when I die. I agree with the apostle Paul: “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better 1.” Then, in heaven, when Jesus Christ judges each of us for what we did in our lives2, I think it will be kind of like those final grades from college.

As children of God, our judgment is not about heaven or hell – our Savior has redeemed us – but it is about gain and loss. God separates the lost from the saved. But even when we are saved, we can score well or poorly on Christ’s test of what we did with the life He gave us.

“12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” – 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT

Good News

Like in college, I am both eager and apprehensive about my “grade.” How did I do? Where do I rank with my fellow believers? What is it that I should have done now? Our “grades” hold eternal gain or loss, but we have no fear of God’s condemnation 3, for Christ, our King, has rescued us from eternal punishment.

Image by vicwag from Pixabay

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[1]: Philippians 1:21 NLT – For to me, living means living for – Bible Gateway
[2]: Romans 14:12 NLT – Yes, each of us will give a personal – Bible Gateway
[3]: Romans 8:1 NLT – Life in the Spirit – So now there is no – Bible Gateway

a pic full of rocks with a question mark painted on one of them

Between My Ears

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Scientists, generally, and archeologists, specifically, as well as anti-Israeli nations, have argued for decades that the nation of Israel doesn’t deserve the land it possesses because there is no evidence that the Jews ever actually possessed this land. But the time for that conjecture has passed.

In 2015, a ten-year-old boy discovered an “unprecedented” find. He found a rare 3,000-year-old seal, from the time of King David. And now, a clay document, written by the Moabites, containing explicit references to King David has been confirmed. From a scientific perspective, the veracity of a real Jewish man, named David, who was a king in Jerusalem, has been undeniably confirmed. If we trust science, then we must trust that the land that the nation of Israel possesses has belonged to them for millennia. And, once again, the trustworthiness of the Bible has been confirmed.

Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash

a pic full of rocks with a question mark painted on one of them

Between My Ears

By / 2 minutes of reading / ,

As Christians, we often speak of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, the Son of God. But, if asked, can we give an immediate, concise answer? A dear friend and spiritual mentor taught me to always have a one-minute, five-minute, and twenty-minute “message in my pocket.”

His thinking and I found it true, was that at a moment’s notice, I may be called upon to testify to a person, speak to an ad hoc group, or be called upon to preach a message. In those situations, I had no time to prepare.

I saw this displayed on a street in Cluj, Romania. As a small group of us were walking along a wide city sidewalk, we came upon a young Eastern Orthodox priest. He stopped us because he heard us speaking English and wanted to find out if we could understand him. To his delight, we did!

With that out of the way, we began an enjoyable conversation. At one point, he asked how our belief was different from his. My friend had the answer. Within five minutes, the young priest was energized and uplifted. But when my friend asked if he could pray for the priest, the veil of orthodoxy fell, and the priest immediately took off down the street.

It’s never our job to force the outcome from a divine appointment, but it is our job to be ready with an answer. (1 Peter 3:15) Speaking of answers, here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

– Romans 1:3–4 NLT

Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash

a pic full of rocks with a question mark painted on one of them

Between My Ears

By / 1 minute of reading / ,

Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

John 12:26 NLT

Jesus spoke this text shortly before He was arrested, tried, crucified, and then resurrected. Forty days later He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1-3 NLT). His message to us is straightforward. We must obey the spiritual law of sacrifice. Our goal is to be made useful and serve Jesus where He is working – this is our reasonable sacrifice (Romans 12:1). To follow Jesus leads us straight to the cross. To serve Jesus we must die to the ways of this world and be born again. Only then can we serve Christ Jesus in His work in this world, and someday serve Him in heaven. If we are obedient to these things then the Father will honor us. How amazing is that!

Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash

Snowing road in the middle of snowfields

Difficult Road

By / 2 minutes of reading / , ,

We’ve probably all heard, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” This may be true, but I can do one better. If the road you’re on is easy, you’re on the wrong road! Jesus said:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow, and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Matthew 7:13–14 NLT

Difficult Road

It doesn’t matter how worldly people judge us in this life. Their motives are to make believers’ lives a difficult road. Their judgment comes from pride, envy, or other wickedness, but their judgment is temporal.

Let’s not focus on the difficulties of the road we now travel. Instead, let’s rejoice in the new life that God has given us. As believers, all we do will be judged by the King of kings! Jesus is our judge. (John 5:22) And our judgment will not be for our sins because we have passed from death into life. (John 5:24) Instead, Jesus will judge us for what we did with what He gave us – like the servants that received the talents. (Matthew 25:14–30)

But That is not Us

For some believers, all they have accomplished in their lives up will be burned up when Jesus judges them. They will enter heaven empty-handed. (1 Corinthians 3:11–15 NLT) But that’s not us, I pray. We will not be defeated, but we will be overcomers. (1 John 5:4) We will do the works that God prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), works that have eternal value. We will not enter heaven empty-handed. We choose to obey the commands of Jesus (John 14:15) for we are not ashamed of the gospel. (Romans 1:16)

Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

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