2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Between Rosh HaShannah and Yom Kippur are ten days. These days are known as “Yamim Noraim”, “the Days of Awe” — or also translated, the “Awesome days”. In Judaism it has been long believed that these days seal your fate for the upcoming year — and also allude to your final destiny, concerning whether your name continues to be written in the Book of Life. Throughout the ages, Jewish people spend the Days of Awe in great reverence — aware of the holiness and judgment of YHVH; so repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and a general heightening of moral conduct are emphasized. After the holiday, for many, it’s back to life as usual.
But we ought to realize…there are nine verses in the Bible, Old, and New Testament, which clearly state that we will be judged and rewarded for our works. (The final one is Revelation 22:12). Salvation is by grace through faith, and all who believe have their names written in the Book of Life.[Eph 2:5], but our rewards will be determined solely by what we have done. One day, when this life is over, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah (Christ). Once we breathe our last breath we will never again be able to prepare for eternity! These are our days of awe; not just once a year, but every single day of our life. Our everyday deeds on earth will determine our destinies in eternity.
Each of our days — these Awesome days –should be held in awe and used to the fullest. Use them wisely! Get right with God, every morning; tie up the loose ends, forgive others their offenses, be filled with His Spirit, and walk in love. You won’t need to fear the Days of Awe, but instead look forward to a rich reward in God’s Eternity– yes, in fact, we are… truly we’re living in the Days of Awe!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Tonight begins the feast of Purim, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from one of many of Satan's attempts to purge them from the world. Mordechai gave Esther a great challenge then, "and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
Life can get so hectic sometimes -- we often try to do too many things at once. But when our schedule gets that hectic, we need to start investing in some quality time with the Lord. The operating word here is "investing".
The first man was called "Ah-dom", we know him as "Adam". The word used for "man", as in "mankind", in Genesis 1, is also the same word – "Ah-dom". "Ah-dom" is rooted in the three Hebrew letters, aleph-dalet-mem, and one of the Hebrew words for earth is "Adamah", which contains the same three letters, however it ends with the Hebrew letter "hay". "Adamah" means "red earth", or "red clay", and this word points to the natural earth elements, the "earth dust" that composed Adam’s body, and the body of every human being since. "Man" is "ah-dom", in a very real sense, "clay".
Yesterday, in our devotional I spoke of the two rains in Israel, the early rain and the latter rain. The prophet Joel speaks prophetically of these two rainy seasons in connection with the outpouring of God's spirit.
For much of the year, Israel receives little to no rain. The early rains ( "Yoreh") begin at the time of the Fall Feasts, September-October, and the "Latter Rain (“Malkosh”) concludes the rainy season around the time of the Spring festival of Passover.
En Gedi is a nature reserve about 40 minutes from our home. Surrounded by dry, barren, rocky ground, except to the east where the Dead Sea lies, it is an oasis, fed year round by springs of fresh water, and home to some of the most unique wild and botanical life in the world.
A father asked his son to carry a letter from their camp to the village. He pointed out a trail over which the lad had never gone before. “All right Dad, but I don’t see how that path will ever reach the town,” said the boy. “Well son, I'll tell you how. Do you see that big tree down the path?” asked the father. “Oh, yes, I see that far.” “Well, when you get there by the tree, you’ll see the trail a little farther ahead -- and farther down you'll see another big tree -- and when you reach that one you'll be closer and so on until you get within sight of the houses of the village.”