JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD
According to Apostle Peter, in 1st Peter 4:7, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.” Judgment is one side of a coin and Salvation is the other side. Mark 16:16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (SALVATION); but he that believeth not shall be damned (JUDGMENT-LOST).” Also John 3:18 reads, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned ALREADY; and verse 36, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” This is a judgment of hearing the truth of the Gospel of Christ and the Kingdom and rejecting it. This is final and I hope you realize it. This present world may look good, and you may be favored on earth; all this will be meaningless if you do not have Christ. You need to find Jesus Christ now, because sudden events can happen even as you are reading this tract; people suddenly collapse and are gone. Find Jesus now before it is too late. In the airplane if there is a problem with the cabin pressure or disruption with the air, you are told not to help anybody first, but yourself; even if you have children. Give your life to Christ first before worrying about anybody.
The bible tells us in 1st Peter 4:6, “For this cause was the GOSPEL preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” According to 1st Peter 3:19-20, “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.”
Everyone shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 4:12) who is ready to judge the quick and the dead. But we should remember that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God as Holy men of God were moved (2nd Tim. 3:16-17). One of such scriptures is 1st Peter 4:17-18 which states, “FOR THE TIME IS COME THAT JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD: AND IF IT FIRST BEGIN AT US, WHAT SHALL THE END BE OF THEM THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF GOD? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” What chance do you stand, how sure are you?
God runs his kingdom according to his own standards and not of man. You either live by his word or you make your own. God has commandments, doctrines, statues, judgment, precepts and man has his traditions and doctrines: the question is, which are you operating on? The end of all things is at hand and judgment must begin in the house of God.
The house of God is made up of people, believers, make believers and unbelievers. In the house of God there are leaders made up of apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, deacons and more and finally the laity (1st Corinth. 12:28). In the church you start from the pulpit coming down to the elders on high and front row seats, the choir and the assembly. Judgment will start in the house of God, nobody is immune. The church of today is a far cry from the earlier believers. One thing is obvious the church today and especially the leaders have lost the FEAR OF GOD.
When men had the fear of God they acted differently. In Acts 6:2-4, “Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, it is not reason that we should leave the WORD OF GOD, and serve tables. Wherefore brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word.” This is the formula for a church that has the fear of God.
Let us compare how the church is run today and see why the church of today can hardly produce a STEPHEN type of believer. The apostles spoke by the spirit of God and the result was evident. Judgment often starts during a revival; remember the revival of the day of Pentecost produced the swift judgment of Ananias and Sapphire. The apostles got their priority right. The word of God was their priority. Today money and material things and controlling power is their priority (1st Tim. 6:9-11), far from the apostles priority. Secondly, they called the multitude and told them their priority (the Word) and how to run the other church issues that was a problem. Today church leaders either do not know the real problem of the church, or they do not care for the flock and what they are fed them, if it is truly the word of God. The apostles committed the issues at hand, which involved things needed by mainly the widows who were not Hebrews. The churches today would handle it in an unpleasant way.
The apostles told the multitude to look among you and pick seven men to handle the matter and gave them what to look for, such as MEN OF HONEST REPORT, FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND WISDOM. When last did the leader of your church ever apply this formula? The members know who are the men with these qualities, but unfortunately the church leaders today have no more fear of God and do whatever they like: at best they will always tell you ‘I was led’, to make it spiritual. That is why you see wolves in sheep skins as elders and deacons who cannot pass the test of the formula of a deacon or bishop (1st Tim. 3:2-13).
These church leaders of today are busy building empires for their families and close associates. Every preachers prepares his son or daughter to taken over the business they call ministry. Their children are gainfully trained and employed by the ministry in a readiness to take over. The apostles had a different formula. They had different priorities. They gave themselves to the ministry of the WORD AND PRAYER with results. Today the church has becomes a stock market with financiers and fund raising experts, with all gimmicks of unrighteousness; while the laity is languishing in penury and starvation, looking up to God. James 5 is a comfort that God is aware of the wickedness of men.
Yes, judgment is coming and will begin in the house of God. To whom much is given much is expected. Many of the church leaders cannot give themselves to the WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER because, they no longer have the fear of God, they are in friendship with the world; money, popularity and power are their gods. Many have joint cults and it is accepted in the church, many are now pulpit politicians, immorality and even murderers are found in their pulpits. Self deception is terrible; separate yourself from such, otherwise judgment will catch you all together. Many in the church know what is going on, but cannot stand with the truth (JESUS CHRIST): Study Rom.1:32.
The leaders in the church will see judgment and it is coming and will soon start with the coming revival for the true believers. The make believers are those on the fence, hanging around as Christians for gain. Some are ushers and accountants who steal from collections and divert funds. Some are Christians for employment we need faithfulness in the house of God. There are faithful ones but many are gone with the cares of this life and the lust of the eyes and the deceitfulness of reaches. The last group in the church is people who come to keep up appearance, maybe to please family or friends but they are not saved. These are watching the ones that claim to be their examples. They may be saved or lost finally by what they see in you. You are either a good epistle or a bad one. Judgment will start in the house of God. God preached the same Gospel to the spirits and they who accept the message live according to God in the spirit. The same GOSPEL SPOKEN BY CHRIST JESUS is the yard stick for judgment.
New Heaven and New earth and Lake of Fire are real. The judgment will decide where you go based on the secret and manner of your life right now matched against the WORD OF GOD. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36). Many are raising their children in deceit in the church, especially the church leaders, giving their children the wrong messages of life and the gospel (Matt. 18:6). Rev. 22:12 reads, “And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Repent and return to the Lord Jesus Christ and forsake your evil ways: why will ye die? The Cross of Calvary is the way back to God, do not be ashamed, cry unto God before it is too late. If you are willing to repent God is willing to forgive.