The Brilliance of a Full Moon

Have you mooned anybody lately? I hope you have. Okay, not in the way you’re thinking. Let me explain what I mean.
I was mesmerized by the full moon this past week. It was HUGE! I later found out that the moon was orbiting closer than normal to the earth. That got me thinking about some things. Of course, we all know that the moon has no light of its own. What we see is its reflection of the sun’s light, but sometimes things get in the way of us seeing that reflection. As I came inside a few minutes ago, I noticed that for as brilliant as the moon was last night, it was not visible at all tonight. The reason? It is cloudy out there. In exactly two weeks, the moon will not reflect any of the sun’s light. In fact, there will be no evidence that the moon even has the ability to reflect light because the earth will be between the moon and the sun. The moon will be the same; the sun will be the same, but the world will get in the way. Does that ever happen in your life?
I’m sure we have all heard sermons and such on how we should be like the moon and reflect the Son’s light. That sounds good until you realize that for 14 days of each month the moon is waning—it reflects less and less light each night until finally, it doesn’t reflect at all. Is that really how we need to be? Naturally, we would all respond, “No,” but the truth is, many of us do exactly that. We don’t mean to, we just do. The world gets in the way, and we don’t do anything to stop it.
As we allow things to come between us and Jesus, we cannot fully reflect the Son’s Righteousness. Sometimes it is a gradual thing, like the waning of the moon. Something small and insignificant, in our estimation, attracts our attention away from God. It isn’t anything so serious that it will prevent us from serving God; it just diminshes our zeal for him until our light is barely visible. Unfortunately, as long as we are reflecting the Son somewhat, we deceive ourselves into believing its good enough.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5:16. Where does your light come from? It isn’t really your light, but the light of the Son’s Righteousness… “I (Jesus) am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” John 8:12. We have been called to be sons of light and to reflect the Lord’s glory. If we are doing anything less than that, we are being disobedient to God. He commands us in Ephesians 5:8-10 to live as children of light and to find out what pleases the Lord. According to that verse the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Those things don’t come through osmosis. You have to actively seek the Lord and pursue his righteousness. The Lord reveals himself in his word and rewards those who are faithful.
So, how do we then live? Commit God’s word to memory, study fervently, and don’t let anything come between you and the Lord because you can’t reflect what isn’t before you. God’s desire is for you to become just like Jesus. May the Lord’s righteousness be your own. Be faithful and don’t let the world keep you from looking like Jesus.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Cor 3:18
Go reflect the Son and "moon" the world!

Giving an Account

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Ps. 32:1-2

The scriptures very plainly say that everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and then, according to Romans 14:12, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Have you ever wondered exactly what you would be giving an account of? After all, your sins are forgiven. In Isaiah, God said he has blotted out our transgressions and remembers our sins no more.
I have heard many people say that on the day of Judgment we will watch a “video” of our entire lives and have to explain all of our actions and choices. I don’t think so. If God is true to His word, which I firmly believe He is, then there is no video or record of my sins. So again, what will we be giving an account of?
For generations, people have argued over the concept of works in Christianity. We know the scriptures say that we are not saved by works. Instead, Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And we know that James said that faith without works is dead. So obviously, there is a place for works. Is it possible then, that these works are the very things we will stand before God and give an account of? In Revelation 22 Jesus himself said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”
I guess the question now is, what are you doing? What are you doing to advance the Kingdom? What are you doing that could qualify as storing up treasures in heaven? Your spirit is saved, your sins are forgiven, but you are still here. Your work is not done.
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with your God, Micah 6:8. Our responsibility, now that we belong to the Father, is threefold: God, others, and ourselves. To act justly is to do what is right in the sight of God, to live in obedience to His teachings, to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. To love mercy is to love our neighbor as ourselves, to truly care about and minister to our brothers and sisters in the faith as well as to those living outside God’s kingdom. And to walk humbly with our God is for our own benefit. It is the time we spend in one-on-one fellowship with the Father studying His word, meditating on His teachings, being fed by His Spirit, and growing and maturing spiritually.
So, how are you doing in those areas? Are you ready to stand before the Judgment Seat and give an account? “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised,” Hebrews 10:36.
In the words of Paul, let me encourage you to continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Col. 3:23