Rewards

I pray that the Lord will allow me to adequately explain what He impressed upon me this morning.  I asked Him to fill and satisfy my soul this morning.  About the time I was driving to work He answered me.  What He answered me with is along these lines:

1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

As He was impressing upon me what is in store for us, I understood it more than in just words, I kind of felt it/understood it if you know what I mean.  It was as if He allowed me to peek behind the door of what is in store for us without actually peeking behind the door.

We know that we are to be kings and priests in our Lord's service but I do not think we are thinking big enough.

Rev 1.6 4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

There is a reason satan and his servants hate us so much.  What the Lord has in store for us goes beyond what words can describe.  The Lord has many times impressed this thought upon my mind:  if satan has been granted rulership and authority over this entire world, how much more will those who love our Father be granted?  Think about it.  Whatever our hated enemy has been granted, how much more will our Lord grant to those who love Him.

In more simple terms, we should think in terms of worlds, not a mansion or a city.  We serve an infinite God.  Is anything too difficult for Him?  How many of us will actually be kings over entire world(s) (plural)?

Ok brother D, so what?  So when we understand how high the stakes are and what we are fighting for here it changes the perspective on everything (for me at least).  What if the Lord told you that you are being tested and evaluated here for your fitness to rule an entire world like this one?  Let me be clear first, primary is our love and faithfulness toward our Creator.  An outward extension of that is our fitness to do other things (like be a king or priest).  He is always primary.  That said we are talking about rewards and what we are fighting for here on this earth.

Put things in perspective.  If after all the striving and all the battles and all the scars and hurt and striving the Lord was to tell you "well done good and faithful servant, here is the world you will rule over for me,"  what would your reaction be?  All the things the people of this world strive and lust after are absolute peanuts compared with what is on the table prepared for us.  We just have to cross the finish line.  We have to make it through that narrow road and small gate that leads to life (Matt 7:13-14).

When you put what is coming into perspective with what we are dealing with now here on this earth, everything makes sense.  What is 70 or 80 years worth of battle on this earth when it is compared to an eternity in paradise?  This place is a training ground.  This short life we live is 'basic training' if I can put it in military terms for all eternity.  The Lord sees things differently than we do:

Isaiah 55:9

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

He sees and knows from an eternal perspective.  He is not as shortsighted as we are.  Is anything written here a real 'revelation.'  No, He has already told us the same things this nobody is writing to you right now, but do we believe Him.  I will tell you that what He impressed upon my spirit this morning made His Word in the area of our rewards come alive.  I really really "got it" and I could barely contain myself at the thought of it.

Don't believe a word I have written but do look for yourself at what the Lord has told us He is going to do.  It is all right there in His Word and He meant every letter of it.  There is a reason and a reward at the end of this great battle being fought all around us and in us.  The stakes are much higher than the peanuts the people of this world fight over.  The stakes are eternal life, glory forever and the ruling and reigning with Christ over worlds....Can you find in the Bible where our Lord said we would rule over world(s)?  No?  So forget what brother D thinks the Lord said and read what the Lord actually did say.  He did say we would be kings and priests and He said this:


1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.


It has not even entered the heart of man how great the things are that our Lord has prepared for us.  Let your imagination run wild with that for a few minutes and you will start to barely scratch the surface of what the Lord impressed upon this servant this morning.  These thoughts I share with you as a means of encouragement to keep the faith, stay in the fight and never give up.  Truly we serve a great GREAT God.

grace and peace

Few Will Be Saved, Fear, Faith, Love

I was thinking about the post yesterday regarding Matt 7:13-14:

Matt 7:13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

For those who say you can't determine meanings from one piece of scripture, I would agree which is why yesterday we discussed only 2 out of all Israel who left Egypt went into the promised land, Israel over and over wiped out by the Lord and only a remnant saved, Matt 7:13-14 and the related texts in Mark, Luke and John, as well as the place we quoted in Rev 3 saying that out of an entire geographic church (Sardis) only a few were found worthy. The theme is as consistent as it is solid in the Bible.

But that ^^ is not what this writer needs to convey today. I believe the Lord spoke to me today (again) about this issue. What came across to me is that people willfully turn away from the truths in the Word of God that they don't like for a number of reasons. People choose to not love the whole truth in favor of a partial truth that is no truth at all. These are the people spoken about here:

2 Thessalonians 2:10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those ... ... He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction,
because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.

People say "well that piece of scripture would give me a "spirit of fear" if I really thought on it, so it cant be the truth." To that I would say, no, it does not give you a spirit of fear, God's Word never gives a spirit of fear. Its not what they have (a spirit of fear) that causes their fear, its what they do not have (a spirit of love) that causes the fear. The lack of love is what causes people to shy away from the whole counsel of God. These people would not be afraid of the full counsel of God if their love was made perfect. How can we say that?:

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out ... There is no fear in love. ... Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves
punishment, and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love.

When our love is what it should be, we no longer need buffet style babylonian churchianity, we can embrace true christianity, which is all about love. Yes, there will be judgement, and wrath and all kinds of other things that proceed from our loving God in the future, because He is not a one dimensional God as so many today would paint him. For us though, who are "in Christ," we should have the fear of God. The fear of God is not like the fear in the world. We have a healthy awe and respect for our God because He is awesome.

Another companion of our love, is our faith. We love and believe and these things enable us to embrace the full counsel of God, which is by definition the truth. And it is the truth that 1. sets us free, and 2. saves us:

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

2 Thessalonians 2:10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those ... ... They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

From the things we see here today, we understand that there are some harsh truths in the bible, like few will be saved, but these truths which are hard for the unbelievers, the backslidden and the apostate, are not hard for us who love and believe "in Christ."

We must embrace the whole counsel of God, the full truth so we can be free and be saved. These thoughts were on my mind today. Blessed be the name of the Lord, AMEN.

grace, peace, truth and love~brother d

There doth remain faith, hope, love

1 Corinthians 13 -YLT The love doth never fail; and whether there be prophecies, they shall become useless; whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall become useless; 9 for in part we know, and in part we prophecy; 10 and when that which is perfect may come, then that which is in part shall become useless. 11 When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe; 12 for we see now through a mirror obscurely, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I shall fully know, as also I was known; 13 and now there doth remain faith, hope, love -- these three; and the greatest of these is love.

We know that we are supposed to be watching and ready for the Lord's return each and every day. That's the only 100% sure way to be watching and ready on the day he returns. For every speculation out there for when our Lord's returns, there's someone else who does'nt believe it. This attitude we have taken of readiness always is THE way the bible tells us to be ready for his return. With that said, what if the Lord does'nt show up until Dec 21,2012? The date that you pick in the future does'nt matter, what I'm getting at is the patience necessary to wait for years for the Lord's return if necessary.

The people in this world have a terrible time sticking with ANYTHING these days that's longer than the nightly showing of "dancing with the stars" or whatever other garbage is on TV these days. The divorce rate is very insightful because our relationship with the Lord is a parallel to earthly marriage. How many stick with it till death do they part? This isnt a bash on divorced people but making a point about people's lack of ability to stick with anything. What if the Lord delays? Then what? He could show up any day, today or 2 years from today, meantime what are we doing with what we have been given (parable of the talents Matt 25). What are some of the talents from Matt 25 you ask? I'm sure there are many opinions but here's mine: Go back to the initial scripture posted at the top:

12 for we see now through a mirror obscurely, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I shall fully know, as also I was known; 13 and now there doth remain faith, hope, love -- these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Todays babylonian preachers like to twist the parable of the talents into another tool to fleece your pocketbook but do you really think our Lord needs your money? What is our God looking for out of you? FAITH, HOPE, LOVE. It is through faith that I give my money directly to the poor and needy with no hired hand middlemen to fleece it along the way. Every penny goes into the mouth of the hungry. I do this out of love for the poor. I do this in faith that our Lord's heart is with the hurting and needy in this world. This isn't about me though, its about using what we've been given, faith, hope, love. The various ways these "talents" can be expressed is limitless.

Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

How exactly do we "watch?" Stare at the sky all day? No, we watch through faith. Faith apprehends things that are not seen. Faith expects things that other men scoff at to appear. Faith activates the power of the word of God. Faith gets someone like Noah to build the ark when the entire world was ridiculing, laughing, mocking etc. Hope tells us theres a point to what we are believing for. Love solidifies both faith and hope in the knowledge that the word we trust in, which is Jesus himself (the word) will deliver on every promise made, every time.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 In the presence of our God and Father, we constantly remember how your faith is active, your love is hard at work, and your hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah is enduring.

When the Lord shows up whether that be today or Dec 2012 or anytime before or after, he expects to find REAL faith, hope, and love. The sinfulness and wickedness of this world hardens people's hearts. People can believe today then fall away tomorrow. Once saved always saved is a satanic lie from the pit of hell, your faith must ABIDE the test of TIME, through the waiting, through the economic crisis, through the pig flu, through it ALL. The Lord gave me this perfect illustration to destroy the lie that making a "decision" one day does NOT mean you are "saved forever."

Here it is: What does it really mean to "make a decision." Do you know what the latin root in that word "de-cision" means? It means to CUT OFF permanently from any other option or opportunity. How do we KNOW that someone has made a real decision for Jesus? The test of time. We are all familiar with the new years syndrome where people all over the world "make a decision" that this year they will lose weight, go to the gym etc etc. How exactly do we KNOW if their "decision" was real or not? At the end of the year they are LIVING, acting out the "decision" made and weight is lost. How do we know that a decision was'nt really made? They weight 10 pounds more this year. It's no different in any other area where people make decisions. So called christianity would have you believe that today you can "make a decision" for Jesus then fall away later, and still be saved. That's like saying I made a decision today to lose weight, then tomorrow and every day after the doughnuts and cheescake look better than my decision, I don't work out and I still expect to lose weight. Does that wash AT ALL? That's utterly retarded, its ridiculous, its illogical and its a LIE. People know it does'nt work with diets, workouts, learning a new language or anything else worthwhile in this world but somehow magically when it comes to the Lord and the kingdom of heaven we have this magical ability to "make a decision" one day thats not really a de-cision/cutting off of every other possibility and still expect to get into heaven.

A REAL de-cision means a true cutting off, NO GOING BACK, bridge burned behind us, the rest of our life lived for Jesus PERIOD. Anything else was not a decision. Do we fall on our face as we go forward? Sure. Make lots of mistakes? Yep. Are we perfect? No. But we are expected to get up after every fall, to learn from every mistake and to become PERFECT as he is perfect.

Matthew 5:48
... So be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Our Lord expects RESULTS. Go read the parable of the talents again if you don't believe me. He wants to see SOME PROGRESS with what you have been given. The one who buried his "talent" in the ground was called wicked and lazy then thrown outside with the hypocrites. Where can you use your faith, hope and love "talents?" Question is.....where can you not? Engage....go all in, use what you have been given as a conscious act of your will exercise those gifts. It's what our master expects. We must have something, ANYTHING to show for progress. Do not bury your talents. We are dearly loved children. grace and peace