The people in New York City loved him because of his compassion, and caring for people. He often rode with the firemen as they raced to fires, went with the police as they raided the nightclubs where booze and drugs were sold. He loved kids and even took whole orphanages to the ball games.

     One night he showed up at a night court in one of the poorest wards of New York. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for that night and took over. Within minutes a tattered old lady was brought before him to answer charges that she had stolen a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that she stole the bread because her daughter, whose husband had deserted her with two children, was sick and the children had no food. She herself had no money.

     In her desperation she had taken the bread to feed the starving children. Mayor LaGuardia sighed and said, "I have to punish you. The law makes no exception. The fine is ten dollars or ten days in jail." But as he spoke he reached into his pocket, pulled out ten dollars, "Here is the ten dollars for the fine," he said, "and furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grand-children can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

     The following day the newspaper reported that a total of $47.50 was turned over to the grandmother to help her with her problem. Fifty cents of that amount was given by the red-faced bakery owner who had brought the charge against her in the first place! The mayor was given a standing ovation. How fortunate that this little old grandmother had such a kind, gracious, and wise judge.

     Isn’t that the kind of judge you would like to have, as you stand before God in the final judgment? The Bible tells you how you can. And, friend, that is good news! Do you know that you’ve been summoned-legally "invited," if you will-to appear before a judge in court? The Bible says that each of us has a case pending before God-that even now, we are being given a summons to appear in that judgment to give an account for the way we have lived and what we have done.

     Every man and woman who has ever lived has a case pending before the judgment bar of God-the highest court of the universe. The apostle Paul tells about the appointment that the whole world must keep:

"He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world." Acts 17:31

     No one will be excused. No one can escape the summons. The Bible clearly states that everyone will have to appear:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:10

Whether we believe it or not.
Whether we like it or not.
Whether we profess to be Christians or not.
Whether we are rich or poor, black or white, we must all appear.

     God has no favorites. When a person is summoned by the court of heaven, he must appear. Why? Paul gives the answer:

"So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12

     The decision of heaven’s court will forever seal the destiny of every person. And the decision will be irreversible, for there is no higher court of appeal! But before a verdict can be given, or a sentence passed, there must be a trial or investigation. Let’s turn to the Bible and notice the picture of this tribunal, or court session, in heaven. The prophet Daniel wrote:

"I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:9, 10

     Here Daniel pictures God, the Father, or the Ancient of Days, seated upon His eternal throne, and countless angels seated in awesome silence. Now notice what Daniel saw next in his vision:

"I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him." Daniel 7:13

     Here the Son of God is pictured standing before the Ancient of Days. How very much like a courtroom scene on Earth! There is a presiding Judge: the Ancient of Days. There are witnesses: the holy angels who have seen and recorded everything. And standing before the throne is Jesus-man’s Advocate, as John wrote:

"...We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1

     "Well," you say, "everyone seems to be there but the one who is to be tried!" In essence that is true, but let us notice what the Bible says:

"...The court was seated, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:10

     Evidently these books contain the records of the deeds of those who stand trial, for Solomon wrote:

     "For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14

     Malachi adds:

"Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name." Malachi 3:16

     King David also knew about records, for He said:

"Put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?" Psalm 56:8

     Of course, God knows all about us, for David also wrote:

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me ...you are familiar with all my ways ...All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:1, 3, 16

     You see, God knows all about us. It is not necessary for Him to keep records for His benefit. The records are kept for the benefit of the universe, so there is clear evidence of God’s love and justice in every case. Our accountability to God is a solemn thought. Everyone must account for the most precious gift of all-life! This is what Solomon was saying when he wrote:

"Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment." Ecclesiastes 11:9

     Matthew wrote:

"For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36, 37

     Someone has estimated that the average person speaks enough words in one week to fill a book of 320 pages! In 60 years, that could mean more than 3,000 such books! What will your library of books have to say in the judgment?  And more than that, even the motives behind those words and actions will be open to view:

"He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts." 1 Corinthians 4:5

     There will be no erasures, nor cover-ups in that day! Men may be able to fool their friends and even their families, but no one can fool God. He reads the secrets of the heart! You see, when our judgment day comes, we will find ourselves in one of two positions: either our entire record of past failures will have been covered by the blood of Jesus, or our record will stand to condemn us. And of course, it is not what we profess, but what we are and what we do that makes the difference! We are told that when Jesus comes,

"He will reward each according to his works." Matthew 16:27

     Now, perhaps you are saying, "If we are saved by grace, why are we judged by our works?" That is a good question! Dr. Sakae Kubo recently wrote:

"Let us consider what it would mean if the judgment were not based on works. By what would God judge us, our skin, our race, our social class, our education, our looks, our talents, our strength, our membership in the church, or our mere profession of Christ? God can judge us only by our works, good or bad."
                                                                                 Your Summons to Court, p. 20. 57

     Good works obviously are not done by the true Christian to earn merit. They are the spontaneous result of a heart full of love for God and man. It is a love relationship with Jesus that motivates His followers to do good works. Summing up in the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said:

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment." Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14

     Since man’s relationship to Christ is to be judged by his conduct, there must be some clear standard by which to measure that conduct. In our judicial procedures here on earth, the usual purpose of a court trial is to determine if a crime has been committed-if a law has been broken. Only when a law has been violated can a man be found guilty. In God’s judgment there is a law or standard, and James makes it clear which law will be upheld.

"So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty."
James 2:12

     In the previous verse, James mentions two of the commandments, "Do not commit adultery," and "Do not kill." So obviously, God’s Ten Commandment law is called the "Law of Liberty" by which the lives of men will be judged. The judgment will simply determine on which side we stand in the great conflict between Christ and Satan.

Are we with Christ?
Have we let Him live out His life in us?
Have we had a supreme love for Him and His will as expressed in the Ten Commandments?
Is it our desire to follow His will by His strength?
Has He written His law in our hearts?

     You see, when immigrants desire to become citizens of a country, they are required to pledge their allegiance to that country, promising to be loyal citizens and to uphold the laws of the land. Just so with Christians. When they accept Christ and desire to become citizens of His kingdom, God asks them to pledge their love and allegiance to Him and to uphold the laws of His government.

     However, not all immigrants remain faithful to their solemn vows. Some outwardly seem to be loyal citizens of the land, but later are found to be subversive. When this is proved, the citizenship of that person is revoked and he is deported. Likewise, not all Christians remain faithful to their vows. It is not enough to be declared righteous now, we must remain faithful to Him until He comes. It is not enough to profess that we are followers of Christ, we must allow Jesus’ perfect life of obedience and faithfulness to be lived out in us. Jesus said,

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Matthew 7:21

      The whole controversy between good and evil, between Christ and Satan, is about God’s character of love. And the law is a written standard of that character. Small wonder it figures so prominently in the final judgment! But a most astounding fact little known by Christians is that the heavenly court is in session now! In fact, the Scriptures reveal that the investigative phase of God’s judgment began in the year 1844. That is why, in the closing chapters of the Book of Revelation, John outlines the world’s last warning and invitation in these words:

"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth- to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people- saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’." Revelation 14:6, 7

     You will notice that this message does not say "the judgment will come," it says "the hour of his judgment has come." The second part of this threefold message calls God’s people out of the false religious systems that will exist in the last days. The final part of this last message to the world warns God’s people to beware of worshiping the beast power of Revelation 13.

"If any man worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God..." Revelation 14:9, 10

     Now, notice verses 14 and 15, which follow the proclamation of the three angel’s messages:

"Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe’." Revelation 14:14, 15

     But we must pause to investigate this subject in greater depth. Maybe you are wondering how 1844 can be established as the beginning of the heavenly judgment. The key is found in a most remarkable prophecy in the Book of Daniel!

"Unto two thousand and three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Daniel 8:14, KJV

     This is the longest time prophecy in the Bible. In prophecy, we note that a day represents a year:

"I have appointed thee each day for a year." Ezekiel 4:6, KJV

     This 2300-day period began at the command of King Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem and restore its economy. The Israelites had been captives in Babylon for 70 years, and they longed to go home and rebuild their beloved city. Finally, in the year 457 B.C., the king issued the long-awaited decree. Twenty-three hundred years from that date terminates in A.D. 1844.  That year the court in heaven convened in heaven, and God began to "judge the world." The yearly Judgment day or cleansing of the sanctuary for God’s people took place on the day of Atonement.

     You see, for more than a century God’s court has been in session. But you may ask, "What does the heavenly Day of Atonement mean?" Well, in ancient Israel, the people daily brought their sacrifices to the sanctuary. There they confessed their sins and took the life of a lamb to show their faith in the future death of Jesus, the Son of God. Today, if we sin, we ask God to forgive our sins because Jesus died in our place to pay the sin debt. However, before Calvary, the people had no sacrifice to look back to, so by faith they looked forward instead to the time when the "Lamb" of God would die for them.

     By the act of sacrificing an innocent animal, they acknowledged their belief in a Saviour who would come and die to make it possible for them to have forgiveness. Then their sins were symbolically transferred to the sanctuary by the priest sprinkling the blood from the animal before the veil of the Most Holy Place in the sanctuary. Then, one day each year, the children of Israel held a most solemn and sacred service called the "Day of Atonement," which the people of Israel viewed as a day of judgment.

     Ten days before the Day of Atonement, the trumpets were blown, reminding the Israelites that it was time for them to take inventory of their lives-to repent and confess their sins. All who failed to do so were banished from the camp.

"For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." Leviticus 16:30

     Now, the Book of Hebrews makes it plain that the earthly sanctuary and its service was an illustration of the sanctuary in heaven where Christ our High Priest forgives our sins. Paul says,

"We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man." Hebrews 8:1, 2

     Again:

"But Christ being come an high priest... by His own blood entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us... Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us..." Hebrews 9:11, 12, 24

     Christ’s death on Calvary provided a complete sacrificial atonement for our sins.

"...He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25

     In the judgment our relationship and attitude toward Christ will determine His attitude toward us, for He said:

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:32, 33

     You see, you don’t have to stand alone in the judgment! If we have confessed Christ, He will confess us before His Father. If we are Christ’s, He is our Advocate, and we will appear as though we had never sinned, for we will receive credit for the perfect life of obedience that Christ lived on Earth. Our records will show only the lovely life of our Saviour, and we get credit for His perfect life.

     So, Friend, there is nothing to fear about the Judgment Day for those who love and follow Jesus with all their heart and soul. For Jesus will present the merits of His own shed blood to cover every confessed sin, for John wrote:

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

     The judgment is good for those who love and serve the Lord! We are living in Earth’s last hours. The pre-advent judgment has been convening in the court of heaven since 1844. No doubt the judgment began with Abel, the first righteous person who died on Planet Earth. Paul wrote:

"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God." 1 Peter 4:17

     In other words, judgment begins with those who professed to be God’s people. We can just picture in our mind’s eye Abel’s day in court. As his case comes up to court, God sees the life of Abel, and there is the record of his acceptance of the death of the Lamb of God. One of the last acts of Abel recorded in the Bible was the sacrifice he offered, showing his faith in a coming Redeemer. The life of Christ is credited to his account. His sins are all covered by the blood of Christ. You can be assured that Jesus, Abel’s Advocate, stretched out His nail-scarred hands and said: "My blood, Father, paid Abel’s debt." And can’t you just hear those countless angels shout, "Keep Abel’s name in the Book of Life!" And his name is still there! Just as Christ promised:

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." Revelation 3:5

     And no doubt, Judas’ name has also been raised in heaven’s court. Judas had been a follower of Christ-one of His disciples. He was not all bad, but his life did not measure up to his profession. He didn’t love Christ supremely! At times he was drawn to Christ, but one weakness led to another until he actually sold his Lord for thirty pieces of silver! Then in anguish he hanged himself!

     Jesus loved Judas. He even stooped to wash Judas’ dusty feet the night of the Last Supper! Jesus hoped to touch that proud heart. He wanted to be able to stand by him in the judgment as his Advocate, but Judas turned away. How sad it must have been for Jesus to review the name of Judas. Judas had only his own righteousness in the judgment, and the Scriptures has something to say about that:

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags..." Isaiah 64:6

     Only those who have continued to make Christ first in their life can wear Christ’s robe of righteousness. Without that, no man can be vindicated in the judgment. So Judas’ name is wiped out of the Book of Life.

     It is a solemn time in which we live. Just like the Israelites, we need to be taking inventory of our lives. We need to maintain our commitment to Jesus, as it is the only possible preparation for our summons to court. Soon man’s probation will close and the decree will go forth:

"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still ... he who is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11

     At that time, the mercy and pardon God has so long offered man will be withdrawn. The saddest words in the human language will be the words of those who have put off salvation-who have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Advocate. They will say,

"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" Jeremiah 8:20

     Then Jesus returns to Earth, for we read.

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work." Revelation 22:12

     Friend, Jesus longs to be your Advocate in the Judgment!

He longs to have you accept His sacrifice on Calvary.
He longs to have you confess your sins to Him so He can blot them out.
He longs to have your name written in the Book of Life.

     John tells us that no one will enter the Holy City

"but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life." Revelation 21:27

Don’t you want your name written there?
Don’t you want Jesus to stand by you in the judgment?

     All it takes is a surrendered heart-a heart that has been toCalvary. A heart that has invited Jesus to come in and reign supreme in your life. And, oh, what a difference that will make, not only in the judgment, but for every day of your life!

     Would you like to open your heart to Jesus right now? Would you like to ask Him to take out of your life anything which would keep you from being in this kingdom? In the judgment God reveals everything about us. Everything is exposed before this whole universe. All of our sins are recorded.

     Would you like your sins covered-covered with the blood of Jesus? Would you like Christ to step forth and say, "Yes, this man, this woman, is one of mine ... I have forgiven their sins. I have canceled their debt. I have pardoned their guilt. Their sins are covered with my blood. Blot them out of the records forever."

     Will you give Him your whole life? Why not lift your hand to heaven right now as we pray and say,

"Yes, Lord, take my life. I want to be yours."