Many of us have a favored candy bar, either a recent product or one from yesteryear that we still hold with delicious memories in mind.  Since childhood, one of those bars that I enjoyed such nice relations was a PayDay™ bar.  To this day it is still a wonderful blend of salty nuts and caramel that is just perfect.  The brand name “PayDay” is also a marketing gem in that it projects a reward or compensation for the buyer who purchases it.  Its subliminal advertising promotes the subtle but intended meaning, we long for our “reward.”

As a follower of Jesus Christ, we have a “payday” in our future as well that is also well advertised in our Bibles and yet today there are some misconceptions about the event.  But Paul is emphatic that the “payday” event he references is predicated on “kakos.”  What is “kakos?”

The Bible talks about the Judgment Seat of Christ, otherwise known as the “Bema Judgment,” and is found in three primary places: Romans 14:10-12; 1^st Corinthians 3:10-4:5; and 2^nd Corinthians 5:1-10.  It is not to be confused with the Great White Throne judgment found in Revelation 20:11-15. 

“For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what He has done.” (Matthew 16:27)

“Judgment” Seat is translated from “Bema” Seat in the Greek.  During ancient Grecian games held in Athens, the old arena contained a raised platform on which the president or judge of the games sat.  From here he rewarded all contestants and awarded all winners.  It was the “bema seat” or “rewards seat.” But it was never used as a judicial bench in the ancient Greek games. It is in this context that Paul likens our faith walk to that of a long distance race. (Hebrews 12:1; Galatians 5:7; 1^st Corinthians 9:24-27; 2^nd Timothy 4:7; Romans 5:3-4)   

“And now little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” (1^st John 2:28)

This Bema Seat Judgment is the first order of business for church-age saints who are translated at the “harpazo” or Rapture of the Church.  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2^nd Corinthians 5:10).  Everyone present is saved, salvation is not the issue here.  This is the “final exam” that focuses on our fruit-bearing, not salvation. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).  Every born-again believer will stand before Christ and give an account for their service as a Christian. It is here that the saints of God will receive or lose rewards.  The Judgment of Christ will not be a judgment of condemnation nor will anyone be subject to eternal damnation if they lose rewards.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”  (1^st Corinthians 3:13-15)

As an example, Lot was vexed daily, but Abraham was not vexed; he had separated himself from the world.  God destroyed Sodom but saved Lot, “yet as by fire.”  Everything he had lived for was burned up.

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1^st Corinthians 4:2)

So, what is the basis of our judgment?  How will Christ judge me?

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2^nd Corinthians 5:10) 

The question for most is, what is “bad?”  The English word “bad” is translated from the Koine Greek “kakos” which according to Strong’s Concordance (2556) means primarily “worthless.”  Thayer’s Greek lexicon definition of “kakos” reads as “1) of a bad nature. 1a) not such as it ought to be.”  A comparable use of this word is the rendering of a producer’s fruit brought to market as “kakos,” or worthless, that is, the fruit is deemed to have gone “bad.”  As a result, it is thrown out as unsuitable.

The believer’s works are brought into judgment, called “the things done in his body,” in order that it may be determined whether they are good or bad.  This judgment is not to determine what is ethically good or evil, but rather that which is acceptable and that which is worthless/unprofitable to the work of Christ. (Dr. Earl Toms)

This judgment is not punitive nor is it to judge believers for sin of any kind, confessed or unconfessed.  “Scripture teaches that for the believer, God’s justice has already been fully and forever satisfied at the Cross in relation to the believer’s sins.  If God were to punish the believer judicially for his sins for which Christ has already rendered payment, He would be requiring two payments for sin and would therefore be unjust.” (J. Hampton Keithley, III)

“For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more….For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 8:12; 10:14)

Okay, then help me understand what is considered “worthless” or “unsuitable?”

Essentially, we must give an account of what we have done after trusting Christ as our Savior.  In other words, now that you have been saved, what have you done with it?  Paul uses this brilliant analogy:

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I had 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 manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and fire will try each one’s work, of what sort it is.” (1^st Corinthians 3:10,12,13)

Notice that there are six commodities listed in two groups, in descending order of worth.  Three are products of God’s creative act (gold, silver, precious stones) and three are the result of natural growth and development (wood, hay, stubble).  The first three are permanent, the last three will perish under fire.  (Think on this: you could have the largest load of wood but it would be worth less than the smallest diamond).  But remember, it is the “work” being appraised, not the person.

One day all Christian believers will stand face to face with our Lord Jesus Christ and He will judge righteously and fairly and with complete knowledge because He is God.  The Lord will look circumspect into our lives and will examine where what we did was with the right heart and right motive.  Many people perform acts of service today with wrong motivation.  They do it for competition, for compensation, for their own reputation, or even for narcissistic reasons (i.e. Facebook).  In some cases acts of service are done begrudgingly because they are forced to do it. God will look into our heart in all of these things.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward His name in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Hebrews 6:10)

Today might be a day to take our lives under review.  What are our motivations?  I might even become distressed, not so much for sins I have committed in the past….but for times and opportunities I have wasted, for time frittered away on selfish things or foolishness….for the people I might have helped…for moments I lacked the courage to exploit for Him…..etc. etc.  But, every day the Lord affords us gives us time to prepare for “payday” and possibly change our “grading.”  Is it time for you to assess?

“Of all the words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘it might have been.’ (John Greenleaf Whittier)

Sources: Donald Perkins, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Dr. Chuck Missler, Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, Dr. Earl Toms, J. Hampton Keithley, III, Arthur Pridham

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Update:

Due to a lengthy illness I was unable to accompany any of the earlier spring missions teams with Sons of Thunder that traveled to Zambia and, at present, it does not appear that I will be returning for the remainder of this year.  As the Lord is willing, I am hopeful to return early next year.

Carpenter Ministries is a full-time ministry and if you would like to support the ministry you can make donations via the “contribute” page on the “A Carpenter’s View” blog site.  Questions you may have about the ministry might be answered in the “about” section of the blog or you can email me at the address provided there.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12) The “Upper Room Discourse” is only found in John’s gospel account in chapters 13-16 and then concludes with Jesus’ high priestly prayer in chapter 17.  As you approach these chapters you are in the literal shadow of the cross that He will be suspended within hours. It is one of the most remarkable scenes found in the Bible.  Alone with His own and as He was facing sacrificial death, yet His concern was for His disciples.

Unlike the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) which are unifying narratives, the Book of John is more an editorial.  Almost one quarter of John’s gospel is devoted to the Upper Room Discourse.

It is here that Jesus shifts His focus from Israel to the founding of His Church and introduces brand new church age truths that they had not heard before.  “The Upper Room Discourse serves as a seed-plot of that which is found later in the epistles of the New Testament” (Charles Ryrie).  One of the New Testament concepts He formally introduces, is the Rapture of the Church.

We don’t know at what point in the Upper Room Discourse that it occurs, but they eventually depart for the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus will be arrested.   John 13:2 tells us that Satan entered into Judas and then Jesus takes off his outer garment, puts a towel around His waist and prepares a basin of water to wash the feet of His disciples, including His betrayer.   He demonstrates humility, as even in Israel at this time, a slave could not be forced to wash feet.  His act unnerved the disciples.  This lowly position showed the humility of our Lord as He laid out all He had for our benefit. Instead of a “top-down” organizational chart, Jesus calls them into a “bottom-up” organizational chart that emphasizes servitude to others first.

Our Lord declares in verse 21 that one of the disciples will betray Him and then discreetly identifies him to John as Judas gets up to leave at the end of the chapter.  “Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him” (verse 31) fully knowing that the plan of betrayal was about to unfold.

(“Iscariot” comes from “Ish Kerioth” which translates in Hebrew as “from Kerioth” or a “man from Kerioth” near the Dead Sea in Judah.  Thus, he is connected with Judah as a prototype as one of the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery.)

Jesus then says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (14:1-3)

Our Savior had told them that it was important that He return to the Father in order that the Holy Spirit would come to infill believers as our Wonderful Counselor.   And when He returned to heaven Jesus promised not only to prepare a place for each of us as believers, but that one day He would return and “receive you (us) unto myself” so that “where I am, there ye may be also.”  This is a completely different event than the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth.

Interesting, that the word “receive” in verse 3 is the Greek word “lambano” which is the same word used in Hebrews 11:5 describing how Enoch was translated or “raptured” when God “took him” to heaven. (Genesis 5:24)

Prior to the age of the supercomputer, a Mennonite theologian named J.B. Smith identified that there is only one other place in the Bible whereby the thought progression found in John 14:1-3 is replicated.  These exact same thoughts in an exact and certain sequence can only be found in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18.  Here is the sequence replicated:

	Thought Sequence
John 14:1-3		1st Thessalonians 4:13-18
“troubled” (1)		“grieve” (13)
“believe” (1)		“believe” (14)
“God, Me” (1)		“Jesus, God” (14)
“told you” (2)		“say to you” (15)
“come again” (3)		“coming of the Lord” (15)
“receive you” (3)		“caught up” (17)
“to Myself” (3)		“to meet the Lord” (17)
“be where I am” (3)		“always be with the Lord” (17)

Three times Jesus said in the Upper Room Discourse to the effect, “I have more to tell you, but you are not yet prepared (until receiving the Holy Spirit).”  That this same exact pattern is found in 1^st Thessalonians is revealing.  Paul’s first epistle was written to the Galatians prior to the Jerusalem Council.  The next two were 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians that lays the foundation of Christian eschatology.

What we find is that the church at Thessalonika had heard about the Rapture from Paul directly but had developed a fear that their loved ones who had died would not see or participate in that day.  Paul reassures them that you will “go up” with your friends and loved ones.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Is the Rapture of the Church one and the same as the Second Coming of the Lord?  No.

Compare the Rapture versus the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Rapture		Second Coming
Translation of believers		No translation involved
Translated saints go to heaven		Translated saints return to earth
Earth not judged		Earth is judged
Imminent, signless, any moment		Follows definite predicted signs
Not in Old Testament		Predicted in Old Testament
Believers only		Affects all men/women on earth
Before day of wrath		Concludes day of wrath
No reference to Satan		Satan is bound
He comes for His own		He comes with His own
He claims the Bride (Church)		He comes with His Bride
Only His own see Him		Every eye shall see Him
Tribulation follows		Millennium follows

Jesus gave these 11 remaining disciples several other incredible new teachings in the Upper Room Discourse.  In addition to the Rapture, He shared in John 14:5-14 that believers in Christ will do greater works, about the New Testament ministry of the Holy Spirit (15-31), to abide in Christ, in effect living the Christian life (15:1-17), that the Holy Spirit would aid in evangelism (16:7-15), the course of the church age (16-25) and about prayer in the name of Jesus (25-33).  And in the midst, He shared that the world will hate you (us) as followers of Christ (John 15:18-16:6).  The Church has always been under persecution since its birth, but for many years in the West there has been a “peace” that is now reverting back to the “norm” as we are now experiencing a growing hatred by many for being Christ-followers.  But our motive of anticipation of the Rapture is not to escape responsibility, but simply the desire of the Bride (Church) to be with Christ.

The Word of God is infallible and perfect and harmonizes beautifully between both Old and New Testaments.  The Church is a “mystery” according to Ephesians 3:8-11 and is part of the “manifold wisdom of God.”  Nowhere else in Scripture is there a reference to a “manifold wisdom” or a many-sided, diversified wisdom of God. The fact is, the Rapture as a concept is preposterous to consider, but it is surely Biblical and irrefutable beyond any doubt.   (Take an OT view in Isaiah 26:19-21)

Our reminder today is that the Upper Room Discourse began with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in an act of humility and servitude.  His example is for the ages and for each of us today.  The question becomes, are we “People of the Towel” or do others see us as lording with a “scepter?”  I submit to you that we are to be “People of the Towel” just as our Savior served as our example.

Sources: Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, Dr. Thomas Ice, Dr. John Walvoord, Dr. Chuck Missler, Charles Ryrie, J.B. Smith

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We continue to ask for your prayers and financial support of the Zambian people who are being impacted by a severe drought.  Please go to the blog and review last week’s post.  Blessings, RC

“I am the head of a household of nine. I lost my husband 10 years ago and I have eight children to feed, including four orphans, my eldest sister’s children. I depend on farming, but there was a total crop failure this year.  We eat just one meal a day. What is it like to be hungry? Your sight is affected. Your heart runs fast. Your stomach hurts, your head hurts. You are confused and it consumes you.” -Lucia

• The drought in southern Africa has impacted a number of countries other than Zambia. Those would include Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.  In Zambia, the drought has been severely centered in both western and southern regions.  If you go to the website and find the April 10 blog you will find additional information on this climatic event.

 

• In Zambia, maize (corn) is the primary food staple and overall production is down approximately 20% from last year. However, in southwestern Zambia and where the Sons of Thunder Farm is located, this is misleading.   Renowned for its maize production the southern region of Zambia has seen its yield reduced from 30-50% in most areas.

 

• Maize (white corn) is ground into meal and sold in bags of “mealy meal.” It is prepared for “n’shema” which is the traditional porridge cooked widely for both morning and evening meals.  The cost of mealy-meal has doubled since last year and this impacts the low and middle income families of Zambia the most.  A 50 kilogram bag of mealy meal now cost K110-120 in Zambian Kwacha, the national currency.  For a family of 4-5 this would normally last 2-2.5 weeks but due to cost is now having to last much longer.

 

• At the Sons of Thunder Farm outside of Senkobo, many people come on a weekly basis seeking handouts or the opportunity to work briefly on the farm in exchange for a few days of mealy-meal. SOT has long been generous to its neighbors but is now running out of surplus mealy-meal to provide their relief.  We need an infusion of funds from external sources to help provide relief for many people.

 

• In the southern hemisphere, soil preparation begins in September and planting of crops occurs in November-December. The traditional “lean season” is November through March until the main harvest, but this year the lean season is highly extended.  Hunger is widespread and prevalent.

 

• The elderly, children, infants and the unborn are the most highly impacted by hunger. Malnutrition is prevalent and often accompanied by change of hair color and skin discoloration.  Immune systems weaken and susceptibility to diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia increases.  Rates of mortality of children accelerates.

 

• At Sons of Thunder Ministries we are praying for a miracle offering from God to enable us to go and purchase large amounts of mealy-meal to provide relief for the many people near the Farm. Can you help us?  On the top menu bar of A Carpenter’s View you can make direct donations to Sons of Thunder by clicking “contribute.”

 

• Hungry and thirsty,
  Their soul fainted in them.
  Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
  And He delivered them out of their distresses.
   And He led them forth by the right way,
  That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
   Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
  And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
  For He satisfies the longing soul,
  And fills the hungry soul with goodness.  (Psalm 107:5-9)

 

• As an approved 501(c)3 organization, all donations to Sons of Thunder Ministries are tax deductible. Carpenter Ministries, Inc. nor I receive any compensation from Sons of Thunder.   We are grateful for your prayers and your generosity.

It is a very unique chapter in the Bible, one where God is not speaking to a person, a people, or a nation.  He is actually speaking to mountains, to the land, and saying, “I will treat you better than you have ever been treated before.  And they will know that I am the Lord.”  Do you know that there are 2600 year old prophecies that lay dormant until our lifetime?

All too often we make the Scriptures more difficult than they were intended to be.  It is an anomaly that a people on a designated land for many years be deported for 70 years, return and live there for another 650 years and then be deported all over the world, only to return to the same land again 1800 years later.  Same language, same Scripture, same people.  There is nothing like this in any other facet of human history.

“Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.” (Ezekiel 36:1)   I encourage you to read this chapter in entirety.  It is here that God is not speaking to “you” or “them”, but to the mountains, the Land of Israel.  He promises that the Land would come under Jewish possession again and that this time it would be treated better than ever before (verse 11).  God says that after having been trod for centuries by Gentiles that the Land would be transformed from waste and desolation to a new period of fruitfulness.  When will this occur?  In verses 19-24 after Israel was dispersed throughout the world, God says He will “gather you (Israel) out of all countries” and bring them back to “your own land.”  The Assyrian and Babylonian captivities did not result in worldwide dispersal, so this did not occur then. Only after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and Emperor Hadrian’s crushing defeat of the final Jewish revolt in 135 A.D. led by Simon bar Kochba did the 1800-year “Diaspora” begin.  This prophecy has been and is continuing to be fulfilled today.

“Therefore, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they have made you (the Land) desolate, and swallowed you up on every side….” (Ezekiel 36:3)

So, what happened to the Land?  There are documented quotes about the land of Israel from virtually every century since the fall of Jerusalem and they describe a land of desolation, for when the “people” are out of the land, the land lies desolate.  Flavius Josephus wrote, “what was once a garden, is now a desert.”  The historian Carl Voss said, “after the Arab conquest in the 7^th century and for the next twelve centuries, the region was laid waste.”  Under the Ottoman Empire (1517-1917) the Land was denuded of forest land due primarily to a unique tax whereby inhabitants were taxed for each tree that was owned.  Solution?  They chopped down all their trees to avoid the tax.  In fact, the Ottomans referred to it as “a cursed land.”  During the 1700s most of the land was owned by absentee landlords leaving impoverished tenants, land poorly cultivated and widely neglected.  It became a malaria-infested swamp and a wasted land that grew nothing.

In 1867 Mark Twain visited the Land and wrote that it was “a desolate country whose soil is rich but is wholly given over to weeds.  A silent, mournful expanse, we never saw a human being on the whole route.  There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere.  Even the olive and cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, have almost deserted the country.”

“But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.” (Ezekiel 36:8)

Trees and water changes everything.  When the first trickle of Jews began returning in the 1880s, they began to drain the marshes, introduced fish to eat the mosquito larvae, and they planted eucalyptus trees to absorb the swamp water.  But many still died from malaria as they began toiling the land.

And then they began to plant trees.  When trees return, animals return, weather patterns change, moisture increases, and the topsoil comes back.  Over the last 100 years the Jewish National Fund estimates that 250 million trees have been replanted in Israel.   Most of their trees are not more than 50 years old but the revival of the land began with trees putting forth their branches, just as God spoke it, just as God promised it.  It’s as if the Land responds to Jewish sovereignty and ownership, ironically that is what the Bible says.

“And I will multiply men upon you , all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded.” (verse 1)

In 1909 some 60 Jewish families began building the settlement of Tel Aviv (Jaffa) on a barren beach overlooking the Yarkon River and the Mediterranean Sea.  Mule trains can be seen in old pictures bringing supplies across the sands to the settlers.  The population of Tel Aviv is now 444,000 and the city today is the number 1 high tech startup capital of the world.  It is renowned for computer sciences, electronics, genetics, optics, biotechnology, medical electronics, solar energy, electric cars and water technology.  Apple, Samsung, Google, Intel and Microsoft have major R&D centers located in Tel Aviv.  The population of Israel edged over 9 million for the first time this year.

“In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.” (Isaiah 27:6)

What was once dead, brown and dusty is now fertile and green.  The land is reviving and producing like never before, even the desert of Israel is blooming with orchards and vineyards today.

Israel is one of the primary exporters of fruits and vegetables to the entire world and with the entry of refrigeration, this prophecy is now being fulfilled.  In 1980 Israel’s exports totaled $6 billion, in 2000 $31 billion, in 2015 $63 billion and this year it will surpass $110 billion.

Israeli agricultural and water technology is cutting edge.  Israel has pioneered desalination plants that can convert sea water to drinking water in just 45 minutes.  There are 4 desalination plants today that supply 40% of Israel’s water needs and it is estimated to provide 70% by 2050.  They have engineered precision agriculture, irrigation systems, ozone-oxygen processes, and water technology that is enabling Israel to becoming the first “drought-proof” nation of the world.  “And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the nations.” (verse 30)

Although I have never met nor corresponded with him, Doug Hershey has authored a book entitled Israel Rising, which I would encourage you to search online.  He has compiled a photographic summary of “Israel then, Israel now” pictures over the last century that capture this transformation in an extraordinarily beautiful way.

Many profound things are happening today in Israel.  It is nothing short of a miracle what has happened to the mountains and the land of Israel over the last 100 years.  Why is it happening?

Your Bible scriptures are coming to pass just as God said it would.  Israel is a signpost in many respects.  God has made promises to these people that will come to pass in tangible ways that we can clearly see.

Since the year of Israel’s rebirth in 1948 approximately 55 Biblical prophecies have been fulfilled.  I use the word “approximately” because some are in the process or are only partially fulfilled at this time.  If God is fulfilling Ezekiel 36 in our lifetime, why would all of His other prophecies not continue to be fulfilled?

Do you recognize the season?

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:10)

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A Carpenter’s View is part of  Carpenter Ministries, Inc. a fully organized 501(c)3 non-profit organization operating in the state of Virginia.