53.1 Reward According To Our Ways

(Jeremiah 17:10-11)

“I, the Lord, search the minds and rest the hearts of men.
I treat each one according to the way he lives, according to what he does.”

The person who gets money dishonestly is like a bird that hatches eggs it didn’t lay.
In the prime of life he will lose his riches, and in the end he is nothing but a fool.

52.5 The Lord, King And Judge

Psalm 98

Sing a new song to the Lord;
he has done wonderful things!
By his own power and holy strength
he has won the victory.
The Lord announced his victory;
he made his saving power known to the nations.
He kept his promise to the people of Israel
with loyalty and constant love for them.
All people everywhere have seen the victory
of our God.

Sing for joy to the Lord, all the earth;
praise him with songs and shouts of joy!
Sing praises to the Lord! Play music on the harps!
Blow trumpets and horns,
and shout for joy to the Lord, our king.

Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
sing, earth, and all who live on you!
Clap your hands, you rivers;
you hills, sing together with joy before the Lord,
because he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the peoples of the world with justice and fairness.

52.4 The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30

Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching the people and making his way toward Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, "Sir, will just a few people be saved?"

Jesus answered them, "Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go  in but will not be able.  The master of the house will get up and close the door; then when you stand outside and begin to knock on the door and say, 'Open the door for us, sir!' he will answer you, 'I don't know where you come from!' Then you will answer, 'We ate and drank with you; you taught in our town!' But he will say again, 'I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you wicked people! How you will cry and gnash your teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, while you are thrown out! People will come from the east and west, from the north and the south, and sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God. Then those who are now last will be first, and those who are now first will be last."

52.3 Accountability For Each Word

Matthew 12:36-37

"You can be sure that on the Judgment Day everyone will have to give account of every useless word he has ever spoken.  Your words will be used to judge you--to declare you either innocent or guilty."

52.2 Parable Of The Net

Matthew 13:47-50

"Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Some fishermen throw their net out in the lake and catch all kinds of fish.  When the net is full, they pull it to shore and sit down to divide the fish:  the good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away.  It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up evil people from among the good and will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.