“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).
TEXT — Revelation 20:11-15
Message
In a sermon on “The Signs of Divine Judgment” preached recently, Pastor Matthew Kratz narrates the following story that sounds the alarm on the inescapable approaching day of judgment: ”A Scottish lawyer was a wicked man. Once, he hired a horse and, either through accident or ill-usage, killed the animal. Naturally, the owner insisted on being paid its value, together with some compensation for the loss of its use. The man of law acknowledged his liability and said he was perfectly willing to pay, but at the moment he was a little straightened for ready cash. Would the hirer of the animal accept a promissory note? “Certainly,” he said.
The lawyer further said that he must be allowed a long date. “You can fix your own time,” said the creditor. The wicked man then drew the note, making it payable at the Day of Judgment. Eventually, the creditor took the matter to court, and there, in defence, the lawyer asked the judge to look at the note. He did so, and then replied, “The promissory note is perfectly good sir and as this is day of judgment, I decree that you pay tomorrow.”
The inescapable day of final judgment for mankind is emphasised in the passage today. We are confronted with the reality that everyone that has ever lived on earth will that day come to stand before the judgment seat of God and would be judged based on the way they lived on earth. Only those whose names are in the book of life would be spared this judgment. There will be no room for any excuse or appeal against the judgment and no chance for reprieve. All your actions and secrets will be brought into light.
Note that the opinions of men or noise of false preachers cannot alter the unchangeable decree of heaven. The day of judgment will definitely come and only those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour here will escape the judgment.
Thought for the day
Salvation procures escape from the coming judgment.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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