Judgment Seat

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done. Romans 2: 5-6 (NIV Bible)

Who will be judged? Everyone! Clearly, God is worthy of or our honor and gratitude, and yet, people do not give this to Him. Who are these people? We can find the answer in Romans 1:28-32; “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Talk about convicting! There is more!

It is written in Luke 12: 4-5; (Jesus is speaking.) “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” There is no group and no one not subject to judgment; whether you be the President of the United States, a CEO, a member of congress, a teacher, a laborer, an actor, a pastor, a union leader, or any other person, you are subject to the judgment of God. This design reflects the judgment seat of God. It is regal. It is royal. It is commanding. It is over-powering. All will come before this Judgement Seat and will be judged. And in Romans 2:8, Paul writes; “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Makes you think, doesn’t it!

It is by grace through faith we are saved; not of ourselves. But it is truly a gift from God. The way we respond to this gift is the key. Our deeds, our works do not earn us our salvation, but they show our faith and love for the Lord. It is recorded in Matthew 25:46 that Jesus said, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Trust in Christ and choose life, delighting in the glorious hope in Jesus!

Pharisees

(25) “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (33) “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Matthew 23: 25 and 33 (NIV Bible)

I have to admit I thoroughly enjoy reading the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. The power and strength of Jesus in his words thrills my heart and lifts my soul. He really puts it all on the line to the Pharisees. I like the first four verses; Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” If Jesus were here today, he could very well say the same thing! We have not come very far in 2000 years.

This design is to represent harsh authority. Notice how it is rigid and not free flowing. It is set and commanding. It portrays power and authority without love, hope and faith. It is not inviting. It is cold. It has authority without conviction. It represents what Jesus saw and heard from the Pharisees and it represents the same today. The design is actually clean and fine, but what is behind it? What lies hidden beneath it? It is filled with hypocrisy, lies, and self-serving. This design reminds us that, as written in Acts 4:20, we must speak; “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” How long fellow Christians will we continue to be silent? How long will we continue to play the game called “politically correct” and not speak for Jesus?

In verse 12 of Matthew 23, Jesus said, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Throughout this 23 chapter Jesus calls out woe on the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, blind men, white-washed tombs, snakes, vipers, and wicked. Today we have religious leaders who are moving away from the Gospel to the wishes of society. We have political leaders who care only about their station in life and what is in it for them. We must follow the law.

In The Garden

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes a seed to grow, sot he Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11 (NIV)

In 1912 C. Austin Miles wrote the music and words to the song, In The Garden. As I drew this design, that song was reverberating in my mind. “I come to the garden alone...And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known!” Now that is powerful! In this design I have drawn a garden with lush plantings and colorful expressions with a walking path. Imagine walking with the Lord in the garden, talking with Him, sharing your deepest thoughts and the joy you would feel as you walked amongst His creation. I can only imagine...Can you?

Sometimes people ask me what is my favorite verse in the Bible. That’s easy to answer - all of the verses are my favorites depending upon my need on a given day. Today I am thinking about Chapter 55 of Isaiah, verses 10-11; As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. If you have a garden you know the importance of moisture so that the plants will grow and provide food for you and family. As disciples, the marketplace is our garden. It is our task and responsibility to take God’s Word and deliver it to others. We are to nurture others with the Word so they too can grow in the Spirit.

It is written in Isaiah 58:11, The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Jesus did not ask us to go and make disciples. He commanded. As Christians in the marketplace we must share God’s Word through not only telling others about Jesus, but also by being like Jesus. As a farmer tills the soil, so must we go out and work in the marketplace, telling them about our Lord. If we don’t do that, how will they know about Jesus? As Isaiah wrote, we will have the Lord guiding us and giving us the strength we need to do his will. Amen!

Art Work Displayed

Recently, Ted and Karen Ellis from Lexington, Ohio, purchased a print of my design, “Choose Life.” This is one of my favorite designs particularly due to the message it carries regarding the sanctity of life. The original was a commissioned work for me at the request of a high school classmate, Bob Snyder of Port Clinton, Ohio. The original is displayed in Port Clinton to help women make some important decisions.

Karen and Ted have displayed the print in their church, First English Lutheran Church in Mansfield, Ohio. Karen wrote this to me: “Thought you might like to see how we displayed the print in our contemporary worship space. Our service is called Proclaim, thus the Proclaim Welcomes You. Everyone thinks it looks wonderful and I understand a friend from church has ordered a second print from you!”

Here is some information about the design:

This design is dominated by the cross in the upper left quadrant illustrating the love of Christ for the children. The design illustrates joy and movement with the blocks, swinging cradles and the linking lines. The linking lines and ribbons create a sense of motion in the design and the two hanging cradles appear to be moving with the wind. As I prayed about and worked on this design, I found myself feeling and experiencing the joys of childhood, the feelings of love and trust. I remembered holding my new born son and daughter in my arms, and then years later my two grandchildren. Blessed be the Lord!

Children are a gift from God, as written in Genesis 33:5; Then Esau looked up and saw the women with the children. “Who are these with you?” he asked. Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.” In today’s world, the killing of babies, called by some abortion while others call it a woman’s right to choose, we have lost sight of children and we are playing God. It is written in Deuteronomy, Chapter 30:19; This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. I believe that those who kill the children will, when they come face to face with Jesus, hear him say, “I do not know you.” Let us all Choose Life!

June Book Reviews

I really appreciate the writings of Randy Alcorn. He has been a pastor and is the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). He is the author of over thirty books with over 4 million in print. I have read several of his Christian fiction books and his book, Heaven. I have also read his most recent book, If God is Good. In my June Book Reviews I am focusing on his works.

In his book, Heaven, Randy writes about Heaven from a purely Biblical base. I am on my third reading of the book, and am still learning more with each read. There is also a study guide to accompany the book and I strongly recommend that you purchase the guide with the book. As a child I guess I imagined Heaven as riding on a cloud with wings on my back and my hands strumming a harp. In this book your eyes will be opened to pictures of a wonderful and beautiful eternity. You will study and learn about the New Heaven and the New Earth based on actual Scriptural accounts. I have recommended this book to several friends who have taken time to purchase and read the book. Their feedback has always been positive and they have recommended the book to others!

His novel, Safely Home, won the 2002 Gold Medallion Award. This is a book that once you start reading it you cannot put it down. It holds your attention from the beginning to the exciting, heart-warming conclusion. The book focuses on the development of the Christian church in China. You will meet characters in the book who are totally committed to their faith no matter what the consequences. You will find yourself on the edge of your chair as you read about the lives of these people who put their faith in Jesus above everything. I have recommended this book often and the feedback is always a great big WOW! I have given copies of the book to others and they also have come back to me with a great big WOW! The book is paperback and available in most bookstores and on-line at Amazon.com.

If you have not read his Alcorn’s novel, Lord Foulgrin's Letters, you really need to get a copy and read it this Summer. You might not want to read it late at night as it will probably keep you awake. This book is frightening, convicting, and too real! I guarantee that you will see yourself in the pages of this book. You will, through Alcorn’s excellent writing skills, experience the feeling of pure evil in the world. You will experience the feelings of desperation of those who have taken their eyes off the cross. You will witness how evil weaves its vicious web through our earthly lives. And, you just might want to read this with a friend.

His Crowns

Revelation 15:3

And sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. (NIV Bible)

I like to whistle. One day I started to draw and the hymn “Crown Him With Many Crowns” came into my mind. This drawing represents His crowns; Lord of life, Lord of love, Lord of peace, and Lord of years. The band at the bottom represents one crown with the others blended together above it. The crown of thorns placed on his head did not last. The Lamb of God replaced it with many crowns! This design is dedicated to Greg Keefer. You can read about Greg in my book, In The Beginning...The Art of Bob Spence.

Many years ago, when I wanted to be at baseball or basketball practice, my Mother had me at voice lessons. At the time I went under protest, but now, looking back, I sure am thankful she made me go to the lessons. Mom also taught me that when you sing a hymn, the music obviously is important, but pay attention to the words you are singing. Many times a hymn is from the Psalms and is a prayer. In Revelation, Chapter 4, verse 10-11, it is written, They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,” for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Know any songs with these words? I am sure you do. How about the hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy?

What crowns do we lay at His feet? Could they be our acts of mercy? Could they be the times we stood up for Christ? Could they be the times we helped those in need? Could they be the people we introduced to Christ? Think about it. And while you are, turn to the Book of James, Chapter 2, verse 17 in the Message: Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? And read on in verse 22, Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Wow! As you go out into the marketplace, the way you conduct yourself reflects your faith. There is no option. You must do all you can to be like Jesus. Our nation is going in the wrong direction. If we do not stand for the Lord, who will?

Splendor and Glory
Psalm 96:4-6


For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. (NIV Bible)


In this Psalm, the Hebrew for the word glory is radiant beauty to herald the exalted nature of the one, universal King. I wanted this design to be bright, colorful, and radiant to reflect the greatness of the universe created by our God. The design is a series of unique “stars” all known to the Lord by name!

Got any idols? You know what I mean. Idols such as described by Tim Keller in his book, Counterfeit Gods: empty promises of money, sex, and power! (By the way if you have not read this book you really need to pick up a copy and read it.) It is written in Psalm 84:1, How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty; and in verse 10, Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; and in verse 11, For the Lord God is a sun and a shield. Then in Psalm 97:6-7 it is written, The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. All who worship images are put to shame. We do not need idols!

In Psalm 86:11-12, it is written, Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. Walking in God’s truth as marketplace Christians means that we glorify the Lord in all that we do. We place him first. We do as Jesus commanded and go out into the marketplace and make disciples. It means that we place all of our hope in the Lord and not in men. It means that we stand up for Jesus and do not back down when confronted by naysayers. It means that we accept the Bible as the inerrant word of God and do not stand for “societal interpretations.” Our God is strong and all the glory is his as the creator of all that is seen and unseen.

Got Idols?