Aaron’s Angle

This is our final day of The Next Level.  This last chapter on “The Ultimate Report Card:  The Judgment Seat of Christ” is very meaningful to me.   I have been listening to Scott Wilson preach for over 20 years, and his ministry has had a huge impact on me.  Scott has also been an encouragement to me on a personal level.

Of the many sermons I have heard Scott preach, his teaching on “the Judgment Seat of Christ” had a profound impact on me.   I hope you take time to read the last chapter, and learn about the two separate judgments we will face as Christians.  I thank Jesus Christ that his death and resurrection has given me the right to heaven in the Great White Throne Judgment.   In addition to this, we who are Christians will be judged at “The Judgment Seat of Christ” for the quality of our lives (this isn’t about salvation) (see I Corinthians 3:12-15).

Our aspiration to go to the next level is so that we can present good thing to Christ when He judges our conduct.  Let’s go to The NEXT LEVEL for HIM!

Yesterday, I preached on “The Wilderness Test”  based on Mark 1:9-13 and Luke Chapter 4.   If you missed it, here is the outline:

1. The wilderness test often comes after a great experience

2. In the wilderness, the enemy tries to shakes our confidence
Luke 4:3-12

3. We leave the wilderness with power
Luke 4:13-14

To watch Scott Wilson’s video blog on Day #30, click here.

Day 28 – The Courage Test
Everyone fears.  It’s not wrong to feel feelings of fear, but it is wrong to stay in fear.  One of the characteristics of a relationship with the Holy Spirit is new courage in our life.   If you feel smothered by fear today, where is the Holy Spirit in your life?   As you position yourself to be full of His Spirit, your fear

To watch Scott Wilson’s video blog on Day #28, click here.

Day 29 – The Direction Test
God wants to give you direction.  There are so many chances to go your own way, but time after time God will test us to see if we are really allowing Him to lead.  Scott Wilson cautions us to not just make decisions based of “peace”.  “The person who committed adultery might have felt a strong sense of peace that he was doing the right thing, but it was hormones, not the Holy Spirit (p. 198).”  The longer we walk with God, the more we will recognize His voice and direction.

To watch Scott Wilson’s video blog on Day #29 click here.

This statement is so true . . . “Many people would rather complain than take responsibility (p. 184).”   When we become comfortable with our dysfunction, we work harder at explaining the defect instead of improving it.   Scott shares a very dark story about abuse in this chapter that grabs our attention.  However, most of the excuses we make are far less dramatic.  We make excuses for ourselves in small daily choices hat keep us from the big changes God desires.   No more excuses if you want to go to the next level!

Watch Scott Wilson’s video blog on Day #27 by clicking here

As we read about the rich young ruler, we discover we are no different from him.  All of us “have something that we want to cling to, to trust in, and to give us an identity.  For many years God may not shine his light on those things.  He lets us wander along with “two minds” and “competing hearts,” but if we’re really serious about following him, sooner or later the bright light of this love points out the one thing that competes with his rightful place in the center of our hearts (p. 179).”

I have followed Christ all my life, but I am just now discovering the benefit of my longevity.  I always think I love God solely, but at each stage of life I realize how little of my heart has been His.  I pray that each year I walk with the Lord that my heart becomes more and more His.   Let’s not be like this young man who spoke with Jesus, and keep that “one thing” from surrendering our hearts completely to Him.

To watch Scott Wilson’s video blog, click here

Everyone lives with disappointments.  As believers in Christ, we must remember that our disappointments are not final.   There is a heavenly reward for us that will erase the memory of earthly disappointments.  Jesus told Jarius, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”   Even though Jesus had not healed Jarius’ daughter immediately, Jesus had a plan.  Scott Wilson wrote, “When we demand that God get on our schedule, we’re trying to control him instead of trusting him (p. 174).”   Ouch!   I’ve been guilty of that more times than I want to admit.   Don’t let your disappointments get you down today.  The story is never over with God!

If ever there was an example of someone passing “The Ego Test”, John the Baptist did.   He put aside personal popularity and advancement so people would look to Christ.   I think I have a long way to go to develop this kind of attitude.  The more I live for His glory, the less my desires will matter.   Let’s pray that our egos decrease, so Jesus will increase.

To watch Scott Wilson’s video blog on Day #24, click here.

Last week was my birthday, and I really enjoyed various birthday wishes I received from my Facebook Friends.  Even if 75% of them consisted of two words (which were “birthday” and “happy”), those 15 seconds of effort are still nice to read.   Before Facebook, when did the guy in your 10th grade Geometry class remember your birthday?

I decided to personally respond to each wish, which took longer than I anticipated.  I’ve noticed in recent months a lot of status updates like this on people’s birthday:  “Thanks everyone for your birthday wishes!”   One status update like that takes care of dozens of birthday wishes.   It’s so appropriate that on one day of the year an average person can feel like a celebrity.   On our birthday, we can be so overwhelmed by birthday wishes, that we can issue a Face Book “press release” through our status update to appease all our fans.  It’s like an added gift on our birth day.  For one day we are a celebrity.  So on your next birthday, don’t take for granted this new phenomena of social networking.  It may by our only chance at celebrity each year – the Facebook birthday wish!

On this Memorial Day, we are on Day #23 of The Next Level book.

- “The Confusion Test” was a sobering reminder of the story of Job.   Like Job, we can be confused when the circumstances of life are negative.   Yet, the story is never over for those of us who are believers.   Scott Wilson wrote, “The story of Job is the grad school of testing . . . .When we experience confusion, we enroll in the grad school of testing (p. 144, 148).”   Day #21 reminds us that if you’re confused, God hasn’t forgotten you!

- “The Yes Test” was the sermon my wife Beth preached about on Mother’s Day.   She gave an excellent sermon on Day #22, that you can listen to at the CIL pod cast for May 9, 2010.   To access CIL sermons, click here.

- “The Out-of-the-Box Test” is the day #23 focus.   There are several examples in the Bible of how Peter operated outside of this tradition and experience.   If we are going to completely follow God, there are times we will be tested in this way also.  I pray you and I both are ready for anything God calls us to do.

Earlier this year I spoke a message series on Wednesday nights our of Nehemiah called “Turning Vision Into Action”   Preparing for that series made me appreciate the book of Nehemiah in a deeper way.  Nehemiah is a great story of perseverance.   This is a quality that is greatly missing in most of this generation.   Like Nehemiah, we must remember that accomplishing great things from God happens little by little, stone upon stone, brick up brick (just like Nehemiah’s wall).

To watch Scott’s video blog on Day #20  click here.