“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (Matt. 13:12)
Do you believe that if you employ yourself diligently, with great effort and desire to see the Lord glorified in your life that you will be rewarded above those who do not? Or do you see heaven as a place where all are equal, where all wear every crown, have received equal rewards, who all have the same amount of treasure awaiting them?
The Living God is not a socialist my friends, crowns are earned, rewards are given to those who worked for them.
The one who was given ten coins gained ten, the one who received five did not gain ten, but only five, and the one who was cast out lost even that which he had. The rich man and the beggar both kneel at the same level of the cross, only one is lifted up there, but that is where the equality stops, from there we are expected to bear fruit, to give more, to serve with vigor and great desire for the Lord Jesus Christ.
“But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.” (Mark 10:40) Two people out of the billions of brothers and sisters in Christ that we will spend eternity with.
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (Rev. 3:12)
I will let you contemplate whether some are loved more than others in the kingdom of the Most High, but I will offer you this to add to that contemplation, rewards in this life are not given to those that do not run the race with great desire.
I recall nearly two decades ago now when prizes and trophies were given to all that participated in certain events, and I saw the evil that was approaching in it, those who had strived over much time diligently and with great effort were awarded the same recognition that those who had not were given. The enabled society requires that all be forced to that level ground by those that wish to have the rule over them.
I have said this many times in these poorly written letters to you, and I believe it bears repeating here. If you see the Lord Jesus Christ, Moses, and Samuel in the distance as you are walking in the New Jerusalem, do you believe you have the right to just stroll over there and join in the conversation?
“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48)
Here is where the race is, here is where the fight is, here, in this life, right here, right now is where you need to make the decision of how much of your life you are willing to sacrifice, to die for the Lord Jesus Christ.
When you get home, you will be loved for all eternity, but you may not receive all the crowns and rewards you were expecting, and it will not be anyone’s fault but your own. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Love and obedience, even unto death, even unto the loss of all things, always for the glory of God.
There will be no animosity in heaven, but there will be tears, and many of them will be because of the knowledge of what might have been. “I wish I would have.” Said both in heaven and hell.
“Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” (Isaiah 9:7)
There is still time, you are still here, where the battle is, where the opportunity to reach out to all who will listen is, where the race is being run. The finish line is always in site, but the rewards there are reserved for those who ran that race well.