Week #51 – Time For Judgment To Begin With The Family Of God

1 Peter 4:12-19 – Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

 

Are you eager for Christ’s Kingdom to come to earth?  Do you strongly desire to see His will done in this world as it is in heaven?  If so, you are in conflict with the agenda of the world, the flesh and the devil and you may expect to suffer the same opposition and painful rejection of your hopes as Christ did.  This should not come as a surprise and Peter wants believers to recognize that this conflict of agendas is exactly what will identify us with Christ and qualify us to share in His glory on that day when every eye shall see Him, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!  So, we can proudly bear the title of Christian and boldly say with the Apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel…”

However, this is a time for judgment to begin with the family of God!  It’s easy for us to look at others who do not claim faith in Christ and to judge them as sinners and rebels to God, but what about those of us who claim to belong to the household of faith?  Are we passionate about doing what is pleasing to God and what is right in His eyes?  What are the things in our lives that may be hindering the rule of Christ and the fulfillment of His will for us?  Is it our priority to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, or do we just kind of work it in when it’s convenient?  I think we all recognize that such passion and priority conflicts profusely with the culture we now live in and that’s a hard thing.  But, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”  So, don’t grow weary in doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right reason!  Keep your commitment to our faithful Creator and continue to do what He has defined as good and right!

 

Thursday:                   

• Meet together with at least 1 or 2 other believers to enter the Throne Room of Grace.
• Join our 6:00pm Thursday night prayer team.         

Friday:             

• Give thanks for the Word of God that teaches us how things look to God.
• Pray for the Good News families of the week: Allen Grandin (Junior), Christina Griesch (Derek, Alisha), Ryan Hackett.

Saturday:       

• Thank God for revealing to us His righteous standards!  Confess any ways that you have fallen short of His righteous standard.

Sunday:                      

• Pray that believers will not shrink back from doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord!
• Join in with our Sunday prayer services to pray for God’s presence and blessing.

 Monday:                                 

• Pray for the Church, the family of God, to take a serious and critical look at our lives to make sure that we reflect what we really believe.
• Attend “In Touch” Prayer meeting at GNCC at 10:30am or join in prayer at that time.

 Tuesday:       

• Pray for a revival of God’s righteousness in our nation; that a generation of national leaders will be raised up with a strong desire to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord!

Wednesday:   

• Pray that many will repent and turn from anything that is evil, wicked or unrighteous in the eyes of the Lord! 

 

Prayer Challenge: Confess any known sin or unrighteousness.  Repent and begin to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord regarding those matters.  Pray for fellow Christians to have the courage, strength and purity to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness above all else.  And, pray that God will deliver us from being a people who pollute our lives with the clutter of worldly agendas and things that don’t last.