1 Corinthians 2:11-15 GNB, “For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid. Some will use gold or silver or precious stones in building on the foundation; others will use wood or grass or straw. And the quality of each person’s work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that day fire will reveal everyone’s work; the fire will test it and show its real quality. If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward. But if anyone’s work is burnt up, then he will lose it; but he himself will be saved, as if he had escaped through the fire.”
THE MIPHKAD GATE (Nehemiah 3:31) We don’t read about this gate anywhere else in the Bible. I checked about twelve different translations of the Bible and most of them translate it as the ‘Mustering Gate’. The word ‘muster’ as you know, means ‘to summon or assemble troops for service, review or roll call; a gathering together.’ This is the word that is used when King David asked Joab to number the people. (2 Samuel 24:9) Obviously this was the gate where people were summoned together to hear an important decree or message, for troops to be inspected, or for people to be numbered. Some translations call it the ‘Inspection Gate’. Maybe this comes from the idea of the ‘pass muster’ which means ‘to be inspected and approved, come up to a required standard’. The Strong’s Concordance gives the meaning, ‘an appointment, i.e. a mandate, a designated spot, an appointed place’. This gate speaks to us about two important things. Firstly… OUR ETERNAL APPOINTMENT There is coming a day when each one of us will be summoned to the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is here that we will be judged for the things which we have done in this life and in our body. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” It is an appointment from which we cannot escape. It is a summoning that we should be preparing for all our lives. It should affect everything we do and say. There are many other Scriptures which remind us of this. Here is one more for you to read, “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.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) The Judgment seat of Christ is not where we are judged for our sins. This is where we will receive, or not receive, rewards for what we have done in our earthly life. The judgment for our sins took place when Jesus died on the cross. Every sin that we have confessed and repented of is under the blood of Jesus, is forgiven, and will never be remembered again. However, our eternal life in the glorious heavenly realm will depend on our life down here. Wow! I think we should be reminded of this truth every day, don’t you? But we must also remember that it is not so much what we do, but the motive with which we do it. All our works will be tried by fire. Not all will survive the fire. Jesus said that there are many who will do wonderful works in His name and yet He will say to them, “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21-23) I will never forget reading of a vision a man of God saw of the eternal realm and the Judgment seat of Christ. He was very surprised to see that many of the great ministries of our time were not sitting in the thrones near the Lord. Many of them were at the lower sphere of heaven. He was amazed to see that faithful, praying women and mothers occupied more thrones than any other group. This brings us to… OUR EARTHLY APPOINTMENT God gives to each person He creates a destiny for them to fulfill. There is no sadder thing than to go through life and not fulfill the destiny for which you were born. Every person is unique and every person has a different destiny. However, I believe that God has summoned mothers to an appointed place. This place is the home. The home is where God has divinely appointed mothers to raise their children. God planned the home for families, but especially for mothers. God created Adam before He planned and planted the garden home for them. But he had it ready before He made Eve. He brought her straight into the home. He created her to be a nester and a nurturer. He designed her to care for children in the security of the home. Daycares are a counterfeit for God’s ultimate plan for raising children! Our society today lures women away from the home - away from where God has appointed them, away from their God-ordained sanctuary, security and safety, away from nurturing their little ones and away from the very place they are meant to be. And what for? To fulfill a career that is temporary? To gain material possessions they will have to leave behind? To try and be “someone” in this world? And all the time they leave the most blessed place God has provided for them as mothers. God was angry with those who drove women from their homes. Micah 2:9 GNB says, “You drive the women of my people out of the homes they love, and you have robbed their children of my blessings forever.” Do you notice that it says, “the homes they love”? It is instinctive within women to love being at home, unless our brains have been programmed by the humanistic propaganda of our secular society. It is not only instinctive, it is divinely appointed. God gives the blessedness of the home to raise His children. Yes, they are His children. We are working for the King of kings. We have a mighty task, an awesome responsibility, a divine commission and a royal privilege to train our children for God. No other career comes near the enormousness of this task. Our faithfulness to this summoning from God will affect what happens at our eternal summoning. Love from NANCY CAMPBELL PRAYER: “Oh Father, please help me to live each day in the light of the Judgment seat of Christ. Save me from spending my life on that which is “wood, hay and stubble” and will one day be burnt up. I want to spend my time on that which will last for eternity. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION: “When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there!”
P.S. Other Scriptures to read about the Judgment seat of Christ: Matthew 12:36; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:6; 14:10b; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:23-24; Revelation 20:12; 22:12.
Bible Translations of Miphkad: Miphkad Gate King James Version
Mustering Gate Good News Bible Moffat’s Translation Amplified Version The Living Bible Revised Standard Version New English Bible Complete Jewish Bible
Watch Gate The Jerusalem Bible
Inspection Gate New International Version New American Standard New Living Translation
Judgment Gate Knox Version
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