Vol. 35, No. 8   August, 2011

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
             By Dr. George Mills

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? For we shall all stand at the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.”
(Ro. 14:10)
“For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2Cor. 5:10)

Every report must answer the following:
WHAT, WHEN, WHO, WHERE,  WHY, HOW. I will take these questions and try to answer some of the questions that some are asking about THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.

1. WHAT? What is the Judgment Seat Of Christ?
There are many, many that believe; “yes, there will be a judgment one day.” These believe in a “General Judgment,” or a time when everyone is judged at the same time. The Bible, (KJB) speaks of several judgments. Just to mention some:

(A) The Judgment of the believer’s sin.

This judgment is PAST. This is final. This is complete. The believer’s sin has been paid for by the finished work of our Lord on the Cross and His Glorious Resurrection from the dead. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed.”(1Pet. 2:24).Isaiah’s prophecy tells us that “God hath laid on Him,(Christ) the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6). The debt of the believer’s sin is forever settled and paid for. Christ did that for us. “Who forgiveth ALL thine iniquities.” On and on the Scriptures settle for us the sin question. As a believer in Christ, your past is forgiven, you will never face your sin again. Now, let that sink down deep into your heart.

(B) There is self judgment.  “But let a man examine himself…” “For if we (Christians) would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (1Cor. 11:28-32). This text is speaking about partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Before we partake, we should examine ourselves. This should be a daily self examination. We should check up daily and confess “that thing” in our lives that is not pleasing to God. The thing that hinders our testimony and robs us of victory. “If we, (Christians) confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9).
SIN, (singular) is the state of our natural birth. We are born sinners. In Christ, we are born again (John 3:1-16). This was taken care of in The judgment of the believer’s sin, (letter “A) above.
SINS, (plural) are the things that we, (believers) do that rob our joy and fellowship. This is why we must have that daily examination.

(C) The judgment of the nations at the close of the tribulation period. (Mt. 25:31-46). This text speaks of the time when Christ returns to the earth in fulfillment to many scriptures. His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives. The nations that helped Israel during that awful time of tribulation will be rewarded. The nations that opposed and did not help Israel will be punished with everlasting punishment.

(D) The Great White Throne Judgment. This is found in Revelation 20:11-15. This is the time that every unsaved person from every age will stand before the Holy God. This Throne is GREAT because of the One who is the Judge. This Throne is WHITE because of it’s purity. The Great God who can do no wrong will call His creation into account. This judgment is NOT for believers. Remember, our judgment was settled when we received Christ, the One who was judged for our sin.

(E) The Judgment Seat Of Christ.
This is the judgment of the believer’s WORKS. Yes, every believer will give account of his/her life to Christ. It does matter how we live. We will give account of our lives as Christians one day. Every believer should try to live that holy, separated, dedicated life. Let us not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind. (Ro. 12:1-2).

2. WHEN? When is the Judgment Seat Of Christ?
  The Bible (KJB) is clear on this subject.  This judgment takes place after the rapture of the Church. There is coming a day when the Church age will end. The last invitation is given for man to believe the message of the Cross. When that day comes this will be our day of accountability. The works of the believer cannot be judged yet, because our works continue after we have gone to be with the Lord. For instance; one of the great preachers of our generation, Dr. Oliver B. Greene went home to be with The Lord over 35 years ago. But his broadcast continues until this present time. He is still winning souls even though he has been in Heaven for a long time. His life work cannot be rewarded yet. And so it is with all of God’s people. Our work continues after we have gone to be with The Lord. Our prayers will still be answered long after we have left this life. The Judgment Seat of Christ cannot take place until after the Church age is over. Our daily prayer should be, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

3. WHERE. Where will the Judgment seat of Christ take place?
The answer is somewhere in the Heavens. Where Christ is. Christ is coming for his Church as He promised. “For the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we (Christians) who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with The Lord. (1Thess 4:13-18). There, in the heavens the Judgment Seat of Christ will take place.

4. WHO. Who will be at the Judgment Seat Of Christ?
As we have said before, this is the judgment of the believer’s works. What kind of works did we do for Christ? What was our motive? Did we do our best for Him? Did we try? Were we involved in soul winning? “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Every man’s work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” (1Cor. 3:11-15). The gold, silver, precious stone mentioned in that text are the things we have done for Christ, with the right motive, for His Glory. The wood, hay, and stubble represent the things done by us, but not for His Glory. These things will not stand the fiery judgment of God. O, the loss of rich rewards. This may not matter much now, but then…Well, let’s do our best for Christ!

5. WHY. Why a Judgment Seat for believers?
After all, believers are saved, safe, and secure in Christ. All sin, past, present, or possible were placed on Christ and He bore all of the penalty for our sin. So, WHY a Judgment Seat?

(A) First, The Judgment Seat Of Christ is not to find out if you are saved or not. You must make sure of that today. Now, if you put off salvation too long, the Great White Throne Judgment is waiting for you. You most certainly do not want to go there. Today is the day of Salvation. You may die today, or, Jesus may come for his Church today, we just do not know, but both will happen. Today is your day

(B) The Judgment Seat of Christ is to cleanse the Church before the wedding, (Rev. 19:6-9). The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5:25-27, that Christ “might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” This will be done at the Judgment Seat Of Christ. There are those who say that the Church must go through the tribulation in order to be cleansed. NOT SO! The tribulation is for the purging of Israel. The Church is that peculiar treasure. The Church is Christ’s own possession, bought and paid for with his own blood. He knows every member. He knows where we are. He will not turn His Church over to the antichrist to be “beat up” just before the wedding.
All differences between believers will be settled. Denominational differences settled. Petty things that should have been settled down here will be settled there. Sometimes our Lord has to chasten us as believers and we hold things in our hearts against Him. All of these issues will be eternally settled at The Judgment Seat Of Christ.

(C)The Judgment Seat Of Christ will be a time of our giving account of our stewardship.
The New Testament believer is more than a servant, we are stewards. A steward has been given responsibility. Read the account in Luke 12:42-48. We are responsible for our time, our talent, our ability. Are we doing our best for God? Did we give it our best shot? I believe that when at last we see Christ face to face we will be so sorry that we did not give our all for Him. Nothing will go unnoticed or unrewarded. Every trial, every witness, tract, every deed done for the Glory of Christ, God will honor.

(D) The Judgment Seat Of Christ will be a time of rewards, or loss of rewards.
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.” (1Cor. 9:25).
What a time in Glory that will be when the saved who have earned a crown cast their crown at His feet and Give Him Praise and Glory.

“Must I be carried to the skies,
   On flow’ry beds of ease?
While others fight to win the prize,
   And swim through bloody seas?”
                          (Isaac Watts)

6. HOW. How can we face the Judgment Seat Of Christ?
 The answer; in one of two ways…

(A) With great dread. So many just waste their Christian experience and never do a thing for Christ. We have already mentioned the Rapture of the Church, this great “Catching away.” (1Thess 4:13-18) Suppose that glorious event happened today. Many Christians around the world would be embarrassed to face our Lord like He found us. Many would be “dirty” so to speak and in need of cleansing. And so many live with a dread for the fact that they must face our Lord and give account.

(B) With great confidence. “And now little children, abide in Him, that when He shall appear, we may have CONFIDENCE and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” (1Jn. 2:28).Yes, we can face the future with boldness and unafraid. We can face death or the rapture with CONFIDENCE knowing that we did our best to live for Jesus. Give it your best shot. Stay busy for Christ. One million years from today you will still be rejoicing that you did. Let us bind our hearts together and do our best for him. He did that for us.
There is so much more to share with you on this subject. Study your Bible (KJB).

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

BOW HERE, OR BOW THERE, BUT BOW WE WILL…

“That at the Name of Jesus, every knee SHOULD bow…”And that every tongue SHOULD confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Ph. 2:10-11) This is what everyone SHOULD DO TODAY!

“Every knee SHALL bow, and every tongue SHALL confess to God.” (Ro. 14:11-12)

I cannot tell you what words to say to God. I cannot tell you what prayer to pray. I can only tell you that Christ wants to save you from the penalty and power of sin. He will hear your heart’s cry. Tell Him in your own words that you believe, that you receive His forgiveness of sin as a FREE GIFT!
(Romans 10:9-10)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
              By Pastor George Mills
“For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ..” (Ro. 14:10)

When I stand before my Lord,
   On that Great Judgment Day,
Will my life’s work pass every test,
   Or will it just burn away?

Have I done my best to do His Will,
   With the talent that He gave?
Or did I pass my time away,
   Never telling His power to save?

Oh Saviour, just to give myself,
   My best, my all to Thee,
To use me as you know what’s best,
   To be all that I can be.

Lord help me use my talent, small,
   To send abroad thy Word,
To tell to all Salvation’s plan,
   To tell of the Living Lord.

Help me Lord that in the day,
   Before Thy Judgment Seat,
That I may have a crown for Thee,
   To lay before Thy feet.

It is my prayer that in the time,
   When my work is put to test,
To know that with the Grace He gave,
   That I gave to Him my best.

Oh, just to pass that fiery trial,
   The dross all burned away,
And Silver, Gold, and Precious Stones,
   To remain through Eternity’s Day.

Lord take my life, my ability,
   And mold me to Thy plan,
That against that last accounting day,
   That I may do the best I can.

 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

IF ONLY I COULD START OVER.
 By Pastor George Mills

Sometime ago I was called on to speak to the World Religions Class at a local college. Here are some things that I shared with the students..
FIRST, I sure hope that someone would lead me to Christ at an earlier age. I was saved when I was at age 29. I got on my knees and asked Christ to save me. He did that day. My life was changed. Since that day I have tried to live right, to be a Christian Gentleman, to be a faithful Husband and Father. I have been privileged to share the Gospel in Missions, Jails, Prisons, Hospitals, Churches, and Revivals. I have been privileged to preach the Gospel on mission fields by way of Missionary radio with the CHURCH IN THE WILDWOOD BROADCAST. I have been able to publish unknown quantities of Tracts, and the WILDERNESS Publication is now 35 years old. These have been busy years. I say these things to bring out this point; Look at the wasted years. The best years wasted. If I could start over, I would not want to waste those years of youth.
SECOND, I would seek to find God’s Will for my life and settle it early. It was not easy for me to settle on God’s Will.
THIRD, I would depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me. I would ask for His Power and Presence in my life daily.
FOURTH, I would devote myself to be a student of God’s Word, (KJB). What a wonderful Book God has given us. But it is a neglected Book.
FIFTH, I would find and refine my talent. I would use it for the Glory and Honor of Christ. Everyone has a talent, an ability. Everyone is unique.
I would go all the way. I would hold nothing back. I would give it my best shot. BUT I CAN’T START OVER AGAIN. I wish I could, but I can’t. So I’ll do the next best thing. I’ll do these things TODAY, in the best way I can. I’ll give to God what I have TODAY. Young person hearing or reading this, Don’t have those wasted years. Give your heart and life to Christ TODAY!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

              FROM MY HEART
                By Mildred Mills

               REMEMBERING

Our children are all grown up now, married, and have children of their own, but I REMEMBER well their childhood years. God gave us four precious gifts when He gave us our children. They are in my heart and always on my mind and in my prayers. Each and every day I think of them and I pray for them, I smile when the precious memories of them come to my mind. I REMEMBER when they were just learning to talk, I made sure that their first words included “please” and “thank you.” I wanted them to learn to be thankful. I wanted them to REMEMBER to say “thank you.” I REMEMBER God’s goodness to us down through the years as we have tried to serve Him and I am thankful. I remember His healing in our lives and I thank Him. I REMEMBER the many times He has made His presence known to us as we faced troubles and trials and I thank Him for His ever presence. REMEMBER, He is with us through every storm that comes our way and we can count on Him, He is always there. “Jesus is near, to comfort and cheer,
  Just when I need Him most,” and for this I am thankful! REMEMBER, “He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.” (Psa. 111:4).
Just as I REMEMBER daily the precious memories I have of our children, I REMEMBER a lifetime of love, mercy and compassion our Lord has bestowed upon us.
REMEMBER, just as we want our children to be thankful, our Heavenly Father wants His children to be thankful also. REMEMBER the ten lepers that cried out to Jesus for mercy and He healed them, but only one gave Him thanks. Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17). Don’t be like the nine, REMEMBER to be a grateful Christian.
“Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.” (Psa. 107:8).

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     TEEN TALKS THAT MATTER
 By Ashley Stevens

           THE TRIALS OF LIFE

Are you dealing with troubles, temptations, or a difficult time in your life? Well, we all have these and they are the Trials Of Life. No one’s life is going to be a perfect road. God puts things in our lives, little bumps and detours, but we have to just keep going and keep looking forward. Some of these trials will make us stronger. These detours and paths may lead us to something better than we have now. One thing that we need to keep in mind is everything happens for a reason. We may not see it now, or in a few months, but eventually we will be able to see what God planned for our lives. One of the most common questions that we ask during these times is “why me?” Sometimes we tend to ask ourselves, “why did God take them from us?” “Why did God let me lose my job?” “Why did God take that person out of my life?” “Why did God move me to another state or country?” “Why, why, why?” These hard times can be very difficult to face and overcome. We just have to take these events and learn from them. We need to always keep in mind that God is in control and He is going to take care of you. He knows why, when, and where to put things in your life. He is going to take care of you no matter what. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will put you back on the right path.. Now, how are we going to get on that path? We are going to get there through prayer and through our life’s road map, the Bible. The Bible will always help us and put us in the direction we need to be headed. Remember, don’t get discouraged, God is always there leading us on the path that He wants us on. It may not be the path that we want to take, or that we had planned for our life, but I can guarantee that His path is a lot better than the path we may lead ourselves in.
May God bless you each and every day.

Until Next time           Ashley Stevens

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

WANDERING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS…Answering some questions…

“Should Christians fight in wars?” Many seem to have trouble with this point.

Answer…Christians are for peace. Nobody wants war. This is especially true with Christians. In every war, good people, bad people get hurt, some lose their lives. We are not for war.

(b) Peace is costly. Peace is not free. People have fought and died for peace. They gave their lives that we may be free. Peace is costly, very costly.

(c) Peace must be maintained. The peace we have MUST be maintained. It MUST be guarded. Our Military guards our great nation. Great aircraft carriers patrol our coasts. Modern aircraft fly systematic patrols. Submarines patrol underwater. These are not looking for war, they are maintaining peace.

(d) Christians have a part in maintaining peace. If maintaining peace means going to war, Christians have our part in this. I thank God for every professing Christian in our Military.

(e) When helpless people are oppressed, we have an obligation to assist, to fight, to help, to free those who are oppressed.
Should Christians fight? You bet we should!  I thank God for the unselfish, generous deeds done by the American people.
                <><><><><>

Question. “Can a man be truly saved if he believes that he can lose his salvation, or that he must maintain good works in order to keep saved?”

Answer…A man is saved when he sees his need of the Saviour and He receives Christ. (Jn. 1:12). I believe that he is eternally saved. That’s what the Bible says. When I was first saved, I believed many things that I do not believe now. I believed those things because I was taught those things. But as I studied my Bible, as I listened to sound Bible preaching, I dropped those old ideas. Now while I held to those old ideas and teachings, I was still saved, eternally saved! I just had to grow in Grace and knowledge.”
                 <><><><><>

Question. “People that speak in tongues. Is this a deceiving spirit? Are they puffed up in their own minds?”

Answer. “Tongues” in the Bible mean “languages.” An unknown tongue means an “unknown language that I am not familiar with.” If someone speaks to me in Spanish, this would be an unknown tongue to me because I do not know Spanish. In the Book of Acts, ch. 2, every word spoken was understood by all. The miracle was in the HEARING. “Gibberish utterances” are totally unscriptural and serve no purpose. Every word spoken in the Church should be understood by everyone. God has NO PROBLEM with the English language, or any language; English, Spanish, etc. He invented them.

                 <><><><><>
 “Question. “What was your stand concerning the recent prediction that the world would end on May 21, 2011?
 

Answer. “I have repeatedly, through the years warned people about “date setters” and false prophets. Jesus warned us not to be upset about the moving of the nations. No one knows who the antichrist is, so don’t try to guess.  No one knows the hour of Christ’s coming for His own. Just be ready for His coming. If you are saved, you’re ready. If you are not saved, then you are not ready. One day He is coming for His own, ready or not!
                  <><><><><>

Question. “Will Israel lose some of their land in this current negotiation?

Answer. “I hope not. I am for Israel. I do not agree with the teaching that when Israel was accepted as a nation in 1948 that this was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. This was a vote of man. Since man voted Israel in, man can vote Israel out. God said that HE would call Israel to the homeland He gave. The Gospel of the KINGDOM will call Israel home one day.
                 <><><><><>

BENEDICTION… Heavenly Father, Bless every reader of this Publication. May souls be saved, may lives be transformed, and our Lord Jesus be Glorified. We ask for your Healing Grace upon all. Comfort those who need comfort. Help those who need help.
We praise you for your Immeasurable
Grace.