the shakes
"Then He will separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats."—Matthew 25:32
Will you have "the shakes" on Judgment Day? Will you have butterflies in your stomach? Will you have sweaty palms? Will you feel nervous? Jesus will come riding on the clouds in great glory — the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will come "escorted by all the angels," perhaps a few billion (Mt 25:31).
All the nations will assemble before Him (Mt 25:32). You will be microscopic on this cosmic judgment day. Yet your love can be such that you can "have confidence on the day of judgment" (1 Jn 4:17). Our confidence is not based on how well we've done. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rm 3:23). Very few of us have served the least of the brethren (Mt 25:40). Many of us have never visited a prisoner or given more than a token offering to the starving. Even the sick we've visited may likely have been relatives and friends and not the least of the brethren.
We can't stand on our record, but we can stand on our faith on Jesus Christ. When we meet Jesus as Judge, we must already have met Him as Savior. Therefore, accept Jesus as your Savior today.
Prayer: Judge Jesus, may my personal relationship with You give me confidence despite my sinfulness.
Promise: "Nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake. I am the Lord." —Lv 19:16
Praise: St. Methodius gave up his government job to serve those threatened by not knowing Christ.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet on Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God or on audio AV 43-1 or video V-43.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, August 18 8, 2004
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 23, 2004