The Judgement Seat of Christ

Tonight I'd like to retell a story that was told during college church last Wednesday night. An author named Richard Howard was going through a time of searching, and at the end three full days of searching God's word and praying he fell asleep, exhausted. He dreamed a powerful vision that has changed my perspective on eternity. This is what he saw.

Richard Howard was in Heaven, standing in the throne room of Jesus. He saw great masses of people, just as it says in Revalation 20:11-13, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to thier works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works." Richard stood in that throne room, facing the Jesus of Revalation, who was glowing brightly and had fire in his eyes. He heard two sounds: a massive praise greater than the largest sporting event. This praise resonated through the heavens. The second sound was a great wailing, a sound that Richard tought he would only hear in Hell, but he was in Heaven. These were God's children wailing.

Next, Richard saw a lady from his childhood. This lady had long since passed away, but when Richard was growing up she would alwasy come up to him in church and say "I'm praying for you Ricky, God has a great purpose for your life." She had been the one to eventually lead him to The Lord. In front of her was a pile of wood, hay and straw. The Lord Jesus held a flaming torch in his hand. He approached her, called her by her full name, and dropped the torch on her pile. As it burned it revealed a massive pile of precious jewels. She began throwing them at the feet of Jesus, praising Him with all her being.

Richard's attention was now drawn to one of his college buddies. This man had been a powerful prayer partnerer and dear friend, and had felt God's calling on himself to be a pastor and a missionary in Africa. He had fallen in love with a beautiful Christian woman, but when he proposed to her, she made him promise to give up the mission field, or she would not marry him. He did. The Lord approached him, called him by his full name, and dropped the torch on his pile of wood, hay and straw. When it finished burning, there was left a charred circle on empty ground. Richard's friend began to wail and cry with deep pain evident on his face.

Next, Jesus approached Richard. "Richard Howard," he said, and he dropped the torch. At that moment, Richard woke up.

Put yourself in this vision, and imagine Jesus walking up to you with his flaming torch. He dropps it on your pile of wood, hay, and straw. As the pile burns the materials with which you have built your life are revealed. Are you weeping or praising?

1 Corinthians 3: 9-15 says, "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 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 as 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."
Can you imagine yourself entering heaven scorched, slightly burned, and with a charred pile of nothingness. All you have built your life on is gone, because it was not of God. I definately don't want this to happen to me! I hope this ministered to you as it did to me. Let this truth remind you to build your life up with things of God, walking in the works that He has preordained for you to do, instead of following after the world. I pray that we will all have the grace and perseverance to walk with Him.