Chapter twenty-three
Somewhere around issue # 7 Richard informed me he was unable to assist me with the remaining editions. He was the only one I leaned on, and I was suddenly alone and lonely.
What Richard didn’t tell me was that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and wasn’t expected to live long.
One sunday morning I responded to an altar call for those wanting a touch from God. (I loved those altar calls, often the first to respond and lingering the longest.) When Richard came and knelt beside me, I knew he was giving me a message: I am with you.
Richard was an elder in my life, though he never considered himself as such. He wasn’t appointed by man to be an elder; Richard was an elder because the Holy Spirit moulded him into one over the years. Only Jesus makes elders.
We would spend hundreds of hours together over the years walking a nearby railway, Richard the chatterer and me the tagalong. He was a man of the bible, sometimes cutting out a page to carry in his shirt pocket, to later be taped back in place.
Richard was tough, never complaining of the serious aches riddling his body. What he wanted more than anything was time, time to spend with Jesus, time to feed on his bible. There was no guile in that Jesus-and-me brother.
Richard had two major visions. In the first the Lord caused him to feel what the damned are feeling, the hopelessness of hell. He didn’t see or feel the anguish of hell (“Jesus spared me that.”) but was made to feel what it was like to live an eternity without any hope whatsoever. But that’s not the vision I want to share with you, my brother….
Richard’s second vision was the judgement seat of Christ.
I often wondered why this relevant subject was ignored by most. Christmas and Easter are maybes, even probablies, but the judgement seat of Christ is a certainty. Every christian of every city of every country “must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ”. Why the silence on this event that is just around the corner? Why is it not in our conversation?
In issue # 6 of The Main Issue Richard writes….
I was at the Evangel Tabernacle one Sunday about fifteen years ago, in the old church on Bertram Street, listening to a guest speaker. This speaker was exhorting the people to use the gift of tongues to press into God. He reasoned that if we ignored what many consider the least of the gifts, the gift of tongues, how could we expect God to give us any of the greater gifts. It made sense. I took this message home with me and prayed in the spirit with new fervour.
Suddenly I was thrust into another dimension. I was given a vision. This vision was not what I expected a vision to be in the sense that it did not leave me feeling joyous. On the contrary, it upset me to the point where I became ill and remained so for days.
I was shown the judgement seat of Christ.
A great multitude of Christians were bowed on their knees facing Christ who was seated on the judgement seat. Each was dressed in a white robe. Each had his face hidden, almost touching the floor. A sea of white robes. None could look up. None could face their Judge. It reminded me of the verse, “[only] the pure in heart…. shall see God. (Mat.5:8)”
In my vision of the judgement seat of Christ, Jesus was grieved. Deeply grieved. Perhaps it was grief mixed with disappointment. Or grief mixed with anger. Of this I am certain – the Judge was not pleased.
This was the day that these Christians were to receive rewards for their obedience on earth. Jesus ached to give His beloved many precious rewards, the rewards that a Christian was meant to receive on this day “when each one of us will give an account. (Rm.14:12)” But Jesus couldn’t give them out. He ached to, but could not. His justice would not allow it.
Three times Jesus spoke, “I told you not to do it! I told you not to do it! I told you not to do it!” Jesus was emphasizing the “I”. It was like He was saying, “Yes, I know you heard many voices saying different things. But I, Me, the Eternal One, I told you not to do it!”
What was it that Jesus told them not to do? What command had they disobeyed. The Spirit gave the answer, bringing to mind the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19: “DO NOT LAY UP TREASURES ON EARTH.”
There was silence. No one had anything to say. Not one could look up.
“He shall suffer loss. (1 Cor. 3:15)” That is what these saints were now suffering: loss. They would be eternally poorer than what they could have been. If only they would have been obedient during their life on earth, how different this scene would be. But they forfeited their rewards for earthly gain. They had not looked upon the unseen (treasures in heaven) with the eye of faith, but that which they could see (worldly treasures) with the eye of the flesh. They had hungered for the temporal, the passing, the useless. And now they were in deep remorse, embarrassed in the presence of the righteous Judge.
Oh, what agony. Oh, what remorse. Oh, what losses.
I do not believe that for every Christian the day of accountability will be a day of remorse. Certainly not. For some it will be a time of great rejoicing whereby their cups will be overflowing with praise and joy and thanksgiving. Their rich rewards will never fade away. They will hear their Master say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” But this is the vision I saw, nothing added, nothing deleted. This was the vision of the judgement seat of Christ that God chose to give me that day about fifteen years ago. Do with it what you will.
And now I have something to say to you:
Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! This is the word I want to speak to you. I speak Jesus to you. Not a sermon. Not admonition. Not advice. But I speak Jesus to you.
Jesus saved you. Jesus hung suspended between heaven and earth by three nails, bearing your sins “on his own body on the tree”. Jesus is the only one who died for you. Do not spend your life impressing anyone else. Do not serve yourself. Do not be the foolish man who heard the words of Jesus but built his life on the words of another. Your house will surely fall. If you build your life on the words of anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ, your Christian life will end up in comparative poverty. Yes, you may make it “as by fire”. But you will suffer loss. You will be eternally poorer than the man who heard the words of Christ and had the wisdom to build on His words.
Can you see Jesus in the garden sweating drops of blood? Can you not picture Jesus suffering rejection before Pilate on your behalf? See Him now. Jesus being disrobed, left naked in shame. Spit upon. Crowned with thorns. Sneered at. His hands and feet pierced through with nails. He cried out, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus taking your place and mine so that we would not suffer eternal damnation.
It is this person that you put your trust in to save you. It is this Jesus who promises rewards for faithfulness. It is this Jesus who loves you and aches to give you priceless eternal rewards. It is this Jesus who cries out to you now. It is His voice alone that matters. Jesus calls you to turn from your dead works and build on His words.
Would you reject your Christ to build on the words of another? It is the I am that calls you. It is the eternal one who reasons with you to turn from dead works. It is He who longs for you to complete the course that He had laid upon your life.
There is an appointed time for you to stand before this Jesus. You will have to give this Jesus an account. Paul declared, “Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” The terror of the Lord. Though blood-washed, though His adopted, you will witness the terror of the Lord if you appear fruitless at the judgement seat.
Jesus will deliver you from any hindrance from doing His will. Jesus is on your side. Jesus does not condemn His own, but out of agape love He would warn of the certain tragedy that you are walking into if your life is consumed with laying up treasures in this life.
“Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Help me to hear Your words! Jesus, help me to prepare for that day of accountability. Jesus, I want to have the rewards that You want me to have. Jesus, let me feel the impact of Your words; may they move me, change me, challenge me. Jesus, help me to turn from dead works and selfish pleasures. Jesus.”