Hey Friends,

Better late than never! I asked a question on a post last week and you guys did great with your responses. I think I’ll do that once a week. My question today is: how do you see rewards in the Scripture? What do you think about them? They seem to be forgotten or rejected totally today. I am working on the next series at FPC and could use the input.

There must be a reason no one ever talks about them anymore!

I pray you have a great summer filled with Jesus and fun and rest.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

We all want to live a life that reaps rewards in heaven, right? Well, what in the world did Enoch do to get rewarded with a one-way pass to heaven while he was still alive? I would like one of those, how about you?

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…for those who come to Him must believe that He is and He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Are you seeking Him?

Enoch walked with God for 300 years! He was diligent and he was determined to stick close to the Creator.  It was said of Enoch that “he pleased God.” If you read Jude 14-15, you will see that Enoch did not try to please man. His goal and prize was the same as the Apostle Paul’s – pleasing God above all others. Is that your goal?

Enoch walked by faith and he was rewarded. 2 Corinthians 5:7  says, “We walk by faith and not by sight.” This is a key and critical component of a close connection with Christ. It is so easy to get entangled in this world. We are pre-occupied with what we can see and forget what we can’t. That is why, before our feet hit the floor in the morning, we must determine to walk by faith. We place God on the throne of our lives and live it out all day long.

It appears that is what Enoch did and he was rewarded for it. Are you ready if God desires to take you home today? Enoch was. As he was walking with God, the Lord said, “Why don’t you just come to my house today?” Wow – we must live ready! I want to live a life God can reward. How about you?

Just a thought,

P.C.

Hey Friends,

We have a new Children’s Ministry Director coming and I am fired up about her. Her name is Gina and she and her family are moving from Edmond, Oklahoma. She spent the last ten years on staff at LifeChurch.tv with Craig Groeschel.

They are sending their stuff to storage until they find a house. In the meantime they will live in a furnished apartment. Have you ever packed and sent your stuff ahead to meet the movers later at your house? That is what we are doing with our works and rewards. We are serving the Lord and giving here, and He is putting our rewards into storage. A storage that can not be broken into, ruined by rust or eaten by moths.

We are sending our stuff for the Savior’s storage. That is what He said: “Do not lay up for yourself treasure on earth…but lay up for yourself treasure in heaven…” I promise you then, all we do for Jesus will more than “pay off.” He will reward us and give us treasure. Wow! What would it have to be to be called treasure in heaven? Since the streets are gold, it would have to be pretty cool.

You and I have the ability to send our stuff to storage as long as we are good stewards. Everything we have is God’s and He is watching to see how we use it for His glory. Are you faithful with His money? Do you give at least 10%? What about serving – can Christ count on you? More stuff for the storage.

It is cool when we move and 2 or 3 weeks later we finally get our stuff. Just think how cool it will be in heaven when our Lord opens our mansion and our storage unit and gives us our treasure! I hope and pray we have piled up treasure by giving it away here.

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Are you ready for that day? It almost sounds ominous doesn’t it – that day? In the first chapter of II Timothy, Paul writes about a man he led to the Lord. His name was Onesiphorus. He helped and cared for Paul and so Paul prayed for him about that day. What day was he talking about?

I am convinced that day refers to the Bema Seat of Judgment. That day when Onesiphorus would stand before the resurrected Lord and his works would be judged. Here is where we will receive our rewards, if we get any. The Canon is clear – not every believer will receive rewards. Salvation is by grace and rewards are based on what we do with what He has given us.

This is one reason why I push so hard about your potential because that is what you will be judged against. Since the Lord placed our potential in us, He knows what it is. There will be no bluff in heaven. Jesus warns us many times to “lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven.” The only way to do this is to live with an eternal view. It is easier for an eternity eye to give, serve and love others, knowing he or she is laying up treasures in heaven.

For those of us with a short view, here and now only, it is hard to give and serve for we are focused on the temporal. I wonder how many in the church today think anything about the judgment? Do we think that when we give, love, serve and do for others we are investing in our rewards? We will have treasure in heaven.  I guess most of us like the treasure here and now, and we will regret it later.

What do you think?

I have your back,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Last week I threw out a thought about rewards. I am planning a teaching series on the topic sometime in the future. Today, I want to list some of the things for which Jesus promised to reward us and let you see how you fare:

1. For seeking Him (Heb. 11:6)

2. For submitting to authority (Matt. 24:45-47; Eph. 6:8; Col. 3:22-24)

3. For self-denial (Matt. 16:24-27)

4. For serving those in need in His name (Mark 9:41)

5. For suffering for His name (Luke 6:22-23)

6. For sacrifices to follow Him (Matt. 19:29)

7. For “stewarding” your resources to further His Kingdom (Matt.6:3-4; I Tim. 6:18-19)

We will cover this to a greater degree later, but just in case you are wondering about rewards: Hebrews 11:6 says, ”And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that and He is a rewarder of those who seek him.” Coming to God is believing He is a rewarder! Now, how do you like that? So, how have we missed this one?

I hope as you review the list above you see where you are doing great and possibly see some areas you need to add or improve. The Revelation is replete with teaching on this truth. Getting to heaven is by faith and our rewards are based on our works. Most Christ-followers tend to lean to one or the other of these two sides, but both are true and must be taught.

I hope this gives you much food for spiritual thought. As you meditate on the Word this is a great thought to “chew” on. I love you and I want to hear Jesus say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Let me ask you a question: When did we remove rewards? For most of the time I have gone to church, which is almost 30 years, I have not heard a peep about rewards. Why did we remove them? This is a topic found all through the Revelation of God, and by that I mean the Bible.

Many of the earliest characters of the Canon believed they would be rewarded by God for their life or service to Him. They thought that because, He said so. Abraham, Moses and most of the others thought they would be rewarded. Remember Nehemiah? He reminded God several times throughout the book that bears his name of all he had done for God.

Why is it that we rarely remember our rewards? Do they not motivate us anymore? Maybe we feel it is really not spiritual to consider the rewards offered by our Lord. For whatever reason, we have omitted them. God did not forget and He will reward His faithful and His fruitful. It seems odd how He says we are blessed when we are persecuted and suffer for His name’s sake. It is because we miss the next phrase, “Your reward is great in heaven.”

Do you ever consider what reward will be revealed to the righteous overcomers? Getting into heaven is totally by grace, but the rewards we receive at the Bema Seat of judgment are totally by our merit. Are you living a life that will be rewarded in heaven? Do you know what kind of life He rewards? Do you know the crowns He will pass out?

I am going to teach a series on rewards later this year or next year, and most will have never heard a series or a sermon on the topic. I wonder why? What do you think?

Live like it could be your last day,

Pastor Chris