"We see, in many a land, the proudest dynasties and tyrannies still crushing, with their mountain weight, every free motion of the Consciences and hearts of men. We see, on the other hand, the truest heroism for the right and the greatest devotion to the Truth in hearts that God has touched. We have a work to do, as great as our forefathers and, perhaps, far greater. The enemies of Truth are more numerous and subtle than ever and the needs of the Church are greater than at any preceding time. If we are not debtors to the present, then men were never debtors to their age and their time. Brethren, we are debtors to the hour in which we live. Oh, that we might stamp it with Truth and that God might help us to impress upon its wings some proof that it has not flown by neglected and unheeded." -- C.H. Spurgeon . . . "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31, 32 . . . . .

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Monday, March 14, 2022

ARE YOU READY FOR: The RAPTURE, REWARD and REIGN with CHRIST?

This teaching will be in three parts:
(you can watch this teaching on Facebook video, soon on SHINE BRIGHT You Tube Channel)

Part One – we’ll have a very brief review of the nine teachings we received at the Calvary Tucson Pastor’s 2022 Conference on Prophecy (these video teachings, plus a Q & A, are available on Calvary Tucson YouTube channel – for your convenience I also have them on TTUF).
Part Two – We’ll be looking at the rewards we may or may not receive once we are raptured into heaven, at the Bema Seat by Christ where He will judge our works as His disciples.
Part Three – We’ll see how these rewards are related to the degree of rule we will share in the reign of Christ.

PART ONE – A Very Brief Review of 2022 Prophecy Conference
#1 – David Guzik: Discerning the Times of the End.

The doctrine of imminence – every generation of the church has believed that Christ could come back at any time, and this is the right attitude to have because JESUS Himself told us to expect Him at any time, even at a time when we don’t think He is coming:

MATTHEW 24:42,44; 25:13

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour [In the Greek the word is ora] your Lord is coming. 44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour [ora] you do not expect. 13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [ora] in which the Son of Man is coming.

General signs of earthquakes, wars and rumors of such, diseases and famines will increase like birth pains (MT 24:8), but these things happen “before the end”, a time period associated with the Temple at Jerusalem, referred to by Daniel, the LORD Jesus, Paul and John. This is the sign to indicate THE end:

MATTHEW 24:15

Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), this signals the three and a half year countdown when the LORD returns to Earth (ACTS 1:11).

Everything that needs to happen in order for this verse and all prophecies associated with this verse to establish a one world government, religion and economy are currently in place. Everything needed to erect the Temple is virtually ready – and this wasn’t true just 80 years ago!

Yet for all of these alarming signs, the professing church is large measure is sleepy, lethargic, even ambivalent and unbelieving that JESUS RETURNS SOON – a sure mark of apostasy!

#2 – Mark Hitchcock: The Russian/Ukraine Conflict.


He asserts that the Ukraine is a part of the land of Magog, of which Russia is a large part, and so this takeover would fit the scenario portrayed in EZEK 38 and EZEK 39. Everything is ramping up, events accelerating, geo-political affairs that would normally take decades are happening in years or even months! Everything from the CVD19 Plandemic, to Russia’s maneuvering in Eastern Europe, China’s moves into Beijing and now Taiwan, and Iran’s continued posturing in the land of Syria against Israel.

Putin wants to verse “the greatest geo-political disaster of the 20th century”: the dissolution of the Soviet Union!

~ The former Soviet Union comprised of 1/8 of the Earth’s landmass.
~ Possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons.
~ Has the dominate presence of military hardware and troops in Syria, just north of Israel.
~ The set-up for WW III has been ramped up, potentially on our near horizon.

What’s important is that we don’t use current events to interpret the Bible, but rather use the Bible as our prophetic lens through which to see and interpret current events.

The Magog Invasion of Israel includes Russia, Ukraine (collectively Magog, located at the extreme far north), and also the Rosh prince (Russian prince), “Gog”; also Persia (Iran), Ethiopia; Meschech, Tubal, the House of Togarmah, Gomer (Western and Eastern Turkey), the nation of Put (Libya). “Many people with you” refers to other unlisted names of nations.

Sheba, Dedan (Sudan, Yemen, and moderate Muslim states) and the merchants of Tarshish (England and probably USA and Australia – colonies of England) will quietly protest but take no action against Gog. There are different views on when this will happen, but it will happen, the Bible says so!

#3 – Dr. Ed Hindson: Seven Huge Mistakes About Bible Prophecy.


The concept of the rapture is found everywhere in Scripture:

~ Enoch was raptured “translated” before the wrath of GOD poured out at the Great Flood of Noah – Enoch was pre-Flood!

Note: Enoch being a Gentile, not of the nation of Israel was taken up and delivered from the Flood Judgment, whereas Noah and his family, including his three sons were preserved through the Flood Judgment. One of his sons was Shem, the father of the Semitic races, including the Hebrews – so in type, we have Israel going through the time of the flood, while this Gentile saint was raptured beforehand: a perfect type of the rapture of the church, and Israel going through the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”.
~ Elijah was caught up in a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. Elijah was also taken up before GOD’s judgment on the government of Israel/Samaria.

~The LORD Jesus was caught up at His ascension (prior to the judgment on Israel in 70 AD); the apostles Paul and John (in their case either physically or spiritually).

~In these New Testament examples it’s the same word in the Greek as we see in 1 THESS 4:16-17: “caught up” is the word harpazo “to snatch up suddenly; the action of a pick pocket thief (Can we say “a thief in the night” 1 THESS 5:2)?

~ The errors of post-Millennialism and Replacement theology are examined [explained in the video teaching].

Regarding Replacement Theology: the promises of a coming land, kingdom, and King of Israel are all unconditional promises that GOD will fulfill by Himself based on GEN 12; 15; 2 SAM 7; PS 89 – not based on Israel’s performance, unbelief or even rebellion; Israel would receive the conditional promises only if they did their part by obeying GOD’s Law, outlined in DEUT 28 and DEUT 29.

Nowhere in Scripture does it state that the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Twelve Patriarchs would be transferred to the church and Israel would lose out on what GOD had declared to the fathers of the nation because of her disobedience.

~ He makes the distinction between persecution of the church from time of Jacob’s trouble (JER 30:7) which is judgment on Israel (and Gentiles) for rejecting their Messiah (DAN 9).
In point of fact, the saints of GOD have been persecuted ever since Cain killed Abel. If persecution could be equated to the great tribulation, then we’ve been in this time period ever since Abel’s martyrdom!
But the bride of Christ doesn’t reject the Messiah, she is married to Him!

~ We are delivered from the wrath of the GOD/LAMB (ROM 5:9; 1 THESS 5:9) which is stated in REV 6:16 when the sixth seal is broken but it’s evident that it begins when Jesus opens the first of these seven seals (including this sixth), but Israel is promised to go through the time of indignation (the Old Testament word for tribulation); ZECH 13:8-9.

#4 – Gary Hamrick: Our Blessed Hope as Believers.

TITUS 2:11
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

~ The doctrine of the rapture is not to scare us but to sanctify us; not to scare us but to prepare us. And if we are RIGHT with GOD, then we are READY for GOD to take us Home!

1 THESSALONIANS 4:18
Therefore comfort one another with these words.


~ The events that take place in REVELATION 6–18 are an expansion of DANIEL 9:24-27 which is all about Jerusalem and her people the Jews; no prophetic content here deals with the church; all twelve aspects of this prophecy in DANIEL 9 which is fulfilled in the book of REVELATION are all about Israel, Jerusalem, the Jewish nation – not about the church.

Christ’s return was explicit in the words of the two angels in ACTS 1:11, where they told His disciples that the LORD will return in the same way that they witnessed Him leaving this world.

He was on the Mount of Olives when He left, and His feet shall (eventually) touch down on the same Mount when He returns to set up His Kingdom on Earth (ZECH 14:4).

It may be at this time, at the inauguration of the Millennial Reign that the Old Testament saints that died in faith of the coming Messiah, and were brought to heaven at the LORD Jesus’s ascension (EPH 4:8-9) will return in their own glorified bodies. Job spoke of this in JOB 19:25-27; this will likely coincide with the events recorded in REV 19:11-17.

~ The doctrine of the rapture has very practical application: it promotes holy living (1 JOHN 3:3). It adjusts our perspective on the temporary things of life and focuses our attention on eternal things (2 PET 3:10). It elevates our mission to be a good witness for Christ as salt and light (MATT 5:13-16).

Gary admonishes us that with all the information learned at such conferences as these, it’s all useless without application!

#5 – Dr. Ed Hindson: Seven Promises for Every Believer’s Future Glory.


1) In the rapture, we will know deliverance from this evil world, into the presence of our Father in heaven!
2) Jesus returns for His bride to take Home to His Father’s House where He’s been busy preparing the bridal chamber for His wife, working on them not for 6 days as He did for the entire creation in GENESIS, but for 2,000 years! Once the Father decides that everything is ready, then He authorizes His Son to go and retrieve His bride!
(DVD Before The Wrath preview).
3) We shall receive rewards for faithful service (2 COR 5; remember we’re saved by grace not by works: EPH 2:8-9), and empowered by grace for works with which to glorify GOD: EPH 2:10). “Works are the fruit of salvation, not the roots of salvation”.

MATTHEW 24:46-47
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

4) We’ll enjoy the marriage of the LAMB (REV 19) where we shall enter into perfect union with Christ that we enjoy in part now (1 COR 6:17), but then, fully when we see Him (1 JOHN 3:2).

In the here and now, we have a sin nature to contend with, and at times this interferes with our communion and fellowship with the LORD; yet on that Blessed Day, this corruption shall put on incorruption – and the sin nature will be no more! Then our blessed union will be complete, entire and the fulness of blessing!
5) We will share in the triumphal return with Christ on white horses and cheer Him on as He takes out the Beast, his armies and the False Prophet and consigns Satan to the abyss (REV 19; 20). Then we will have the marriage feast of the LAMB.
6) We shall reign with Christ in a renewed Earth during the Millennium – not sinless, but ruled in righteousness by Christ and us, the church, with rods of iron (REV 2:27; 19:15). Any form of rebellion will be promptly quelled, entirely disallowed with the utmost of intolerance! Holiness will be the law of the land then!
7) We shall partake of the Eternal Kingdom of GOD and experience NEW heavens, a NEW Earth, a NEW Jerusalem, at which time all saints, not just the church will be given NEW glorified bodies (REV 21; 22); sin, sickness, suffering, death, rebellion, loneliness, poverty, fear, oppression will be no more!

Something interesting here is that the word “new” in the Greek implies something that is “new, but different from the original”. So we can be excited about “exploring [this] strange new world” (to borrow a Star Trek phrase! and perhaps even worlds beyond?)

#6 – Skip Heitzig – Four Reasons To Know and Teach the Book of Revelation.

REVELATION 1:1-3
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants -things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

1) This book predicts the future and brings assurance to the righteous that “all is well that ends well” and the GOD of eternity Who knows the end from the beginning (ISAIAH 41:6; 42:9) has told us in advance how it all ends. The church ultimately is victorious and overcomes the kingdom of darkness, that will have it’s day in the end times, but whose day will come to an end! The Head of the Church – the LORD Jesus – has granted us this eternal victory!

2) The book of REVELATION is the only book of the Bible that specifically promises a blessing to all who read it!! Of the 404 verses in the book of Revelation, about 400 of them have Old Testament references and allusions!
3) This book portrays the person of JESUS, not as the son of a carpenter, Who laid aside His glory for the three years of His First Visit to Planet Rebel, but as the Heroic Glorious, Majestic, Almighty, Holy Conqueror Who is KING of Kings and LORD of Lords!
4) This book produces a positive response from true believers who love the Holy Bible which is about One Person: JESUS, and His Two Advents: the first time to destroy the power of sin; the second time ultimately to destroy all sin and rebellion and replace it worldwide with holy and righteous rule!

#7 – Skip Heitzig – The Importance of Israel in Prophecy.

Will Israel survive in these last days? Islamic Shi’ite authorities say, NO! GOD’s Word says, YES (EZEK 37 – dry bones come to life!).

The wars of 1948, ’67 and more recent wars could have spelled out Israel’s destruction: all it would take is one nuke to destroy her!
DANIEL’s 70 Weeks Prophecy centers around GOD’s plan for Israel (as well as the Messiah of Israel) and it’s being fulfilled!

GENESIS 12:1-3 lists these UNCONDITIONAL promises by GOD to Abraham:
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

1) GOD promised to Abraham to make of him a great nation

2) That Abraham will receive great honor and a great name among the nations
3) Through the seed of Abraham, great news in the inspiration of Scripture through the prophets of Israel and the Jewish Messiah that we His bride, adore!
4) Also, the land from the river Nile all the way to the river Euphrates is granted to Israel (GEN 15:18)
* A kingdom is unconditionally promised to David, over which the Messiah will rule (2 SAM 7).

#8 – Robert Furrow – Responding to Rapture Objections.

Be secure in your position on the doctrines of Scripture, including prophecy, study them thoroughly until you own them; this will prevent any overbearing aggressiveness due to any insecurities – the servant of the LORD must not quarrel (2 TIM 2:24-25).


How One Interprets Prophetic Scripture:
1) Do you take prophecy literally or metaphorically or symbolically?
2) Do you believe Replacement Theology?
3) Do you believe in the doctrine of Imminence – that Christ can return at any time?
4) Are you dispensational in your theology (details on what this means may be read here): do you believe that Israel and the church are distinct and that GOD has ordained periods of history for His specific purposes?
5) Do you believe Christ will come only once, not twice (that is, at the rapture and the Second Coming)?
6) Do you make a distinction between persecution of the church, and the tribulation against those who reject Christ?

PART TWO – REWARDS For THOSE COUNTED RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST

#9 – David Guzik – Our Future Rewards [and Rule] as Believers – Expanded On in the next Two Parts:


ISAIAH 40:10
10 Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. GOD says the same thing in ISAIAH 62:11 and REV 22:12!

MATTHEW 5:11-12
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Reward is mentioned 9x in this sermon! If JESUS Who is GOD made flesh says something is great, you can believe that this reward is GREAT!! MATTHEW 10:42 says that something as temporary as giving a glass of water in the Name of JESUS gets eternal reward!

2 JOHN 1:8
Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

The LORD desires to give us a full reward – we could say, full to overflowing: He is a generous GOD who desires to do a work in us and through us that enables us to work these good works, bearing good fruit – and then reward us, just for letting Him to these works in us!


HEBREWS 6:10
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

We might forget the things we’ve done in service to the LORD, especially those of us who’ve known the LORD for some time – but He’s keeping a record and will be faithful to remember each one of those deeds and render reward for them all!


COLOSSIANS 3:23-24
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Are we looking for applause from men or the LORD? We don’t want to turn into “men pleasers” but servants, pleasers of our LORD (GAL 1:10).

How will we be granted our own reward? By what remains after the fire of GOD:


1 CORINTHIANS 3:8,12-15
8 Now he who plants, and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day [Bema seat judgment] will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.


Of course what is our greatest reward, ever – freely offered by faith? GOD Himself!

GENESIS 15:1

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not be afraid, Abram. I AM your shield, your exceedingly great reward.

REVELATION 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.


What does GOD get out of all of this? Us! We are HIS inheritance!

EPHESIANS 1:18

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in [not for] the saints,

See also HEBREWS 12:2
…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross

Some Christians view being born again, saved by grace in Christ – as running across the finish line of life! Receiving salvation in Christ means justification is a completed work, but our life in Christ has only just begun: you entered the race, standing at the starting gate, heard the gospel gun go off, you responded, and started your race of life in Christ that we run to glorify JESUS (just as athletes in Rome ran in the Olympic games for the glory of Caesar):

HEBREWS 12:1b
…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set [by GOD] before us,

Note that this verse speaks of “sin” but also “every weight” – things that are not necessarily sin in and of themselves, but things that weigh us down, so that we can’t run the race as fast as we might otherwise. Hobbies, past times, relationships that don’t in any way advance the kingdom – those ‘neutral things’ that are unfruitful and must be pruned from our lives.

One day by the grace of GOD we’ll cross that finish line – our life here on Earth will be done, either by death or by rapture – THERE’LL BE NO DO-OVERS! What’s done, is done, and no undoing it!

So, we want to redeem the time now, in these evil days (EPH 5:16); we want to invest our time while we have the chance to benefit the kingdom of GOD! We want to honor the LORD by living overcoming lives of victory in our service to Him (check out this excellent book: Victorious Christian Service by Alan Redpath).

We have our "fire insurance paid up" (delivered by JESUS from hell); we have believed on Him who by His own blood paid ALL the premiums for that insurance! So we are secure in justification through Christ, we’ll go to heaven by grace, but there is the issue of rewards which must be earned:


2 CORINTHIANS 5:10-11
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.


"The terror of the LORD"?? I used to think that was a reference to Judgment Day when God sends souls either to heaven, or to hell. In this passage we see it’s not about the damnation of lost souls, it’s in reference to the judgment seat of Christ where He will be rewarding (or not) the faithful (or unfaithful) service of the saints!

He doesn’t judge saints for their sin on that Day, for our sins were ALREADY judged at the cross, that Altar of the Almighty where the LAMB of GOD was slain to take away the sin of the world! The judgment we face as Christians is for rewards based on our conduct and performance while on Earth, through obedience to His will, and empowered NOT by our own will or determination or struggling, but by our LORD Jesus Christ! How are we empowered? The answer is in JOHN’s Gospel:


JOHN 15:4-5, 7-8
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Christ has given to us His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit whereby we may be equipped with all that we need in order to live pleasing to Him (2 TIM 3:16-17; JOHN 20:22; ACTS 2:3)!


Still, I tremble: this Day coming as certainly as my birth and death; this Day when I see my LORD and Savior. I see His scars on brow, wrists, side, and feet. He’ll say:
"I have redeemed you with My blood, delivered you from sin, death and hell; I have indwelt you with My Spirit and freely imparted to you My grace, love and peace and joy; endowed you with spiritual gifts and granted to you my Holy Word and the Great Commission of the Gospel and the command to go forth and make disciples. All of these things I have given to you. What therefore have you done in life, in My Name?"
I shall stand all alone before my God and my Judge Whose eyes are a flame of fire, from Whom nothing is hid, and all my deeds done in His name will fall under His scrutiny. His all-knowing, all seeing eyes will then determine the quality of all my works, whether they are fashioned of gold, silver, and precious stones or just wood, hay, and stubble (1 COR 3:11-15).

Fact: Gold, silver and gems are refined, purified in fire; wood, hay, and stubble burn to ashes.
Due to our sin nature, even the works we do for the LORD empowered by His Spirit may have some impurities, but the fire of the Holy Spirit will purge these things away and present them completely flawless before the LORD Who will render rich reward to His righteous saints!

Those former works are done in and through me by Christ, selflessly for the glory of GOD: that earns reward! The latter works are done by me, for my own selfish ambition, self-righteousness, recognition, my own glory – and that disqualifies me from reward!
How I hope and pray by faith that I will have something to show for all the incredible wealth that the LORD invested in my life! That I will give glory to GOD with lasting fruit and holy work that will honor Him Who died for my sins!! Through Christ we are able!

REVELATION 5:12
…Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.


My sincerest, most heartfelt prayer for us saints is that we "apply our hearts to wisdom" and acknowledge that our days are in the hands of the LORD, and once He recalls us, there is no turning back, no more chances to produce fruit and good works for His glory and honor!

So, may we seek our LORD out with diligence (JER 29:13) and a heart thirsting for fellowship and communion with Him (PS 42:1); may we yield up our members (our hearts and minds, our bodies, words and deeds) to righteousness (ROM 6), petition His grace to work powerfully in our lives (HEB 4:16), and enable us in fruit-bearing and production of good works (JN 15:8; TITUS 2:14) which can only be produced by our good God Who works in us!

Remember, the LORD is interested in faithfulness, our work for the LORD doesn't have to be something huge that might impress all of us; rather He is impressed with and will reward faithfulness and good stewardship, no matter how big or small that stewardship might be!

He desires that we work for Him, not under the weight of forced obligation or loveless duty, but out of a passionate, heart-felt, yearning, zealous, joyous desire to love on Him by these labors of love, with a grateful heart for what HE has done in us, transforming us into His likeness, and for us (1 COR 13:1-3)! Our ministry for Him won’t be effective without His ministry in us!

2 CORINTHIANS 5:15
He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.


In the time that we have left on this planet, either until we depart and go to be with our LORD or until His Return, may we seek Him, sit at His feet, and receive from Him, and empowered by His grace, work in the fields and produce fruit for HIS GLORY and HONOR! In the Name of the LORD Jesus Christ!

PART THREE – Reigning with Christ: the Servant-King

REVELATION 5:10
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth. See also REV 20:6.

MATTHEW 25:21
His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.' The faithful will have authority over entire cities: LUKE 19:17

Again, the LORD is looking for faithfulness, more so than successful ministry: consider Noah who preached faithfully for 120 years; how successful was he? Only eight souls entered the ark. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet – he was faithful: how many repented because of his preaching: maybe one? This is not to say we shouldn’t win people to Christ, that we shouldn’t care about discipleship. Faithfulness will produce fruit that is well pleasing to the Father (if no one else) – and that is success enough!

2 TIMOTHY 4:8
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who love His appearing.

JAMES 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.


Do you see the connection between love for the LORD and these crowns? And who are the ones that truly love the LORD? Those who obey Him (JN 8:42; 10:17). The crown of life is also promised to those who are faithful in “tribulation” (meaning, persecution, affliction, anguish, trouble, suffering): REV 2:10.

REVELATION 3:11
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

Your crown could be taken? In the sense that crowns are available from Christ to be won; but if you live a carnal life, no sanctification, no growing in Christ-likeness, if you are influenced by the world (1 JN 2:15), and the god of this world (2 COR 4:4) to become worldly, rather than godly – in this sense, your crown is stolen. Remember Satan is identified as a thief (JN 10:10). Every saint can be a winner here – no one needs to see a pile of ashes at the Bema seat – not one!

Living life JESUS-STYLE, that’s what we want! With the heart of a servant, laying down our lives for the sake of the LORD and others, as JESUS did for all of us (JN 15:13).

Who Are The Greatest in the Kingdom: Check out Gayle Erwin’s series that you can watch for free on his website “The Nature of JESUS” found on www.servant.org. [The JESUS STYLE]. He collects a list among all the greatest of the Kingdom parables found in the Gospels, then examines the rest of the New Testament Scriptures to complete this portrait of our Servant-King; this list describes JESUS Who is:

Servant of all, Who doesn’t oppress others; He is the example for us: humble (even as a child); He is as the younger, the least, the last, uses no force on us, He isn’t driven by blind ambition, made Himself of no reputation, He’s completely human though He is GOD; obedient – even to death, giving up His life for us. That’s our Servant-King!


MATTHEW 18:1,4
1…the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? [Jesus answers] 4…whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

JOHN 13:14-17
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Who is worthy to rule alongside JESUS? Those who resemble Him the most by sanctification, where we allow the Holy Spirit to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ (ROM 8:29) by dying to self (MT 16:24), mortifying the flesh (ROM 8:13), and being renewed continually in our mind (ROM 12:1-2). We who do such things will be servant-kings, just like our LORD is, forever and ever (REV 22:3).

For more on this crucial subject, check out this three part article by Lambert Dolphin:

JUDGMENT SEAT Of CHRIST - Part ONE, Part TWO & Part THREE

Also by Lambert Dolphin, the article entitled, REWARDS!

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