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In the SPOT Light

BrainerdDavid in the spotlightFor we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5.10)
I have had more than my share of spotlight experiences. I ran track in high school and was the anchorman in our 880 yard relay team. In one meet in particular our team was tied and our 880 team would be the deciding race.

The gun sounded and the boys ran hard. As I received that baton all seemed a blur for the next 220 yards and twenty-three seconds. As I breasted the tape an amazing thing happened. I was swamped by exuberant team mates who were yelling and screaming our victory. It was one of those, “head held high” moments that you want to last forever.

Being a missionary has had moments like that too. Speaking before large congregations, leading mission type trips overseas and building churches in foreign lands has often put me in the undeserved spotlight. It seems rare air.

Here  in Brazil, on the news daily, there is another type of spotlight show. It is a national news program called, “Cidade Alerta!” (City Alert). Its host screams and shouts for justice and quick punishment for drug dealers, thieves and murderers.

Video of such trash being hauled away nearly always has the thug trying to hide his face from the spotlight of the TV camera. The villain is on national news and doesn’t like the attention. There may be reprisals if he is recognized. It is one of those eternal, “head held low” moments.

In Second Corinthians 5 Paul give a quick look into every believer’s future when he tells of a coming “Spot Light” moment. Whether your head will be high or low at that point will be in the Lord’s perfect judgment. Think on that one. Do you really want what you deserve?

We have grown cold to true relationship with Christ. We know little if anything about communing with God in earnest prayer. Men like David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards and E. M. Bounds are unknown or little known to us. Their lives when studied or read seem strange, mechanical and outright impossible to imitate because of their devotion to Christ.

I go to church on Sunday and Wednesday and feel good about myself. If I miss a Sunday or two a month its no big deal. I can catch the preacher’s message on the church’s website and download it to my MP3 (or whatever) player. I rarely do but I can if necessary. If I have a Bible type question I can Google it.

So, where is the trouble in this mentality? My heart justifies everything that I do and I come out looking like a, head held high, meet-winning track-star rather than a, head held low sleaze ball.  The Lord’s judging eye is not beclouded by my wicked heart’s condoning perspective.

Here are some interesting verses for your study. They are definitely worth our consideration in future articles: Job 34:11; Psalm 62:12; Isaiah 3:10-11; Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:5-10; 1Corinthians 4:5; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:24-25; Revelation 2:23,  Revelation 22:12

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