Saturday, Jul 19, 2008

TWG - July 19, 2008

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TWG - July 19, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Leviticus 6; Acts 14

Today is July 19, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. TWG is a covenant to seek the LORD God with all our heart and with all our soul. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.

I don’t know how the day could possibly go so quickly. I’m not even sure what I did! Maybe it will come back to me. I know that I worked on my message. I grabbed my laptop and headed to the creek. I set up a table in my “executive office” with the beautiful stream running through it and went to work on a message called “what’s your SQ?” (Spiritual Quotient) John stopped in and we spent some time talking about the ministry and spent some time in prayer. During breaks I played a little in the water. After work, it was back inside for music practice. Then It was home again, home again. I put a picture of Kate on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Wood, hay and stubble don’t sound that bad on the face of it. Wood is useful for building material. Hay feeds horses, and stubble makes a good barn floor. I think you’re missing the point. The point is that no matter how nice it seems to you, when you add gas, it burns. Any work, no matter how good, once tested at the fires of what we call the “Bema Seat Judgment” is only as good as the product it produces. If it burns it’s bad! How bad? How bad are ashes? Shall we compare the ashes of wood to hay? How about stubble? Does it matter? Ashes are ashes! Let’s compare two Christians. The first we will call “Goodie Two Shoes.” Goodie is a very nice guy and doesn’t do a lot wrong… but he’s not living for Jesus. He doesn’t lie, cheat, steal, hate, do stupid stuff and has never been in jail. But when his works are tested he comes up ashes. That’s bad news for Goodie. The second Christian we’ll call “Anti-Social Andy.” Andy is not a great guy. He’s grumpy, crass, a practical joker… he tells lies when it suits his purposes, doesn’t mind “procuring” a few spare parts when no one else is looking (that’s stealing!), he’s been known to swear… he calls himself a Christian, but he’s had an affair! He is not living for Jesus. To everyone’s surprise Andy shows up in line at the “Bema Seat.” He made it after all! He is a Christian, even if he was a lousy example of what a Christian is. His works are tested and they come up ashes! Compare Goodie’s ashes to Andy’s – Oh look! They are both, hmm, ashes! Indistinguishable! They both were burnt up. Please pay attention to what verse 15 says “he himself will be saved!” I don’t think that’s a compliment! I think Paul said that out of disgust. Barely saved. Saved by a hair. Saved “as though through fire.” Smelling like smoke. Snatched from the fires of hell. Good thing Salvation is based on God’s grace and not my works or some of us would be taking the first elevator down on that day! This is another way that God pounds home the point, Salvation is “Eternal” life. We are saved eternally. But once saved, it’s a question of what we do with that wonderful gift. You can put yours under the coffee table and let it gather dust, or you can start living for Jesus. Remember this is not just ETERNAL life. It is also eternal LIFE! Live it for Jesus because your life’s work will be tested. I know I don’t deserve to be saved. And I know I don’t deserve a reward. There’s only one way to turn ashes into gold – by grace through faith. Walk in the spirit and let God empower your works and you’ll have the Midas Touch.

Dear Father: Thank you for the gift of Eternal life. I didn’t deserve it then, and I don’t deserve it now, but I thank you for your grace. And I certainly don’t deserve any bonuses like rewards… they too are by your grace. But I want to walk in the Spirit. I want to live my life by faith. Please help me to live in such a way that you are blessed by my life!

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him

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