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We are now meeting
at the Kootenai School Gym
for our Adult Sunday School and Morning Worship services.
Adult Sunday School
begins at 9:15 AM. The Worship Service starts at 10:45 AM.
Children's Sunday School
meets in the church building across the street starting at 9:15
AM.
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Judgment Day
January 2004
Daniel 4:37, "Now I,
Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His
works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who
walk in pride."
I think we got a glimpse of what judgment day
is going to be like. This happened on the day that Saddam Hussein was
pulled from a rat-hole outside of Tikrit, Iraq.
We creatures seem to forget that we are
creatures. We tend to think that since we are at the top of the food
chain we are also at the top of everything else. We think of ourselves
and others much more highly than we ought.
We tend to forget that those who are presidents,
stars, actors, celebrities, sports heroes, congressmen, reporters,
singers, and yes, even cruel, oppressive, blood-thirsty dictators, are
just like us.
They are men and women. They are sinners with
the same fallen nature that you and I have by birth. They are mortal
and in the final analysis, they are nothing. . . just like you and me.
Judgment day will reveal that. Listen to what
John says about that day. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who
sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place
was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small,
standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead where judged from the
things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And
the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up
the dead which were in them and they were judged, every one of them
according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the
lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if
anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
This judgment is not upon believers. You and I
will not be there for this. Our judgment took place at a cross and
results in eternal life for us. This judgment results in the “lake of
fire.” This judgment is upon all those “whose name is not written in
the book of life.”
At this great White Throne Judgment, there will
be no labels, name tags, or recognition of status. The “great and
small” will stand before the Judge of all the earth. It won’t matter if
you were a down-and-out homeless drunk who panhandled the streets of
Boston or if you were a president who lived in palaces and paraded
through the streets of Baghdad.
At this judgment, celebrities will not be
shaking hands and congratulating each other on some Oscar nomination.
Heads of State will not be posing for cameras or hobnobbing with movers
and shakers. Dictators will not be standing in suits with adoring fans
clamoring to touch them.
All earthly accomplishments will dissolve
away. All the acquired wealth will vanish. Titles, degrees,
reputations, Nobel prizes, awards, and recognitions will all fade away
like the morning dew in the hot sun.
All that will be left will be the Judge, the
books, and the guilty. Everyone on that day will enjoy the same
status. It will be the status of one who is pulled from a rat hole.
All that Saddam accomplished means nothing.
His wealth, his power, his influence, his country, any popularity he
enjoyed among his own people, . . . all his “glory” ended in a hole.
That is a glimpse of judgment day. On that
day, all those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will
crawl out of their rat hole and stand before the One at whose presence
heaven and earth flee away. The books will be opened, . . . and there
will be no negotiations.
Without Wax -
Jim Osman
Pastor/Teacher
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