REWARDS!         DO962    1/12/80
(From a tape to Faith & Juan at MWM:)

         1. MARIA'S JUST BEEN READING A LETTER to me regarding that couple who just left & gave their nice little caravan to someone else when Patience wanted it very badly & Patience & Ahimelech really needed it.
         2. I would certainly consider A&P far more important to the work & outranking most others in seniority & priority. I certainly wouldn't want to hurt their feelings, & A&P were the most important to the work & should have been given prime consideration for that better housing.
         3. You all had better get wise to who the geese are that are laying the golden eggs & who are the most important to the work there--& give them due consideration, "honour to whom honour is due" (Rom.13:7), & proper respect & deference & consideration in housing & all other amenities, to keep them satisfied & happy & contented & knowing that you are considerate of them & concerned about them.
         4. JESUS' SAYING, "TO WHOM MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN, OF THE SAME SHALL MUCH BE REQUIRED", IS AN EQUATION WHICH WORKS BOTH WAYS, that those from whom much is required, unto them much should be given! (Lk.12:48) And "those that are faithful over many things should be made rulers over many things." (Mt.25:21) There's much Scripture on the side of the equation of rewards, parallelling or equalling or counterbalancing the amount of good works that are involved.
         5. God definitely works on a reward & merit basis when it comes to works.--Not salvation, but works. He definitely rewards every man according to his works & every one of us will be judged according to our works. (Psa.62:12; Jer.17:10; Mt.16:27; 2Cor.5:10; Rev.20:12; 22:12)
         6. God is no respector of persons regarding salvation. He's no respector of persons regarding people's wealth or power or Worldly possessions or things like that. But when it comes to their works, their talents, their abilities & their contribution to His work, then He definitely is a respector of persons, & He brings that out in many Scriptures.
         7. Those who have been given much in the way of talent etc., of them shall much be required. "He that is faithful in many things shall be made ruler over many things, he that is faithful in only a few things shall be ruler over a few things." "Every man shall be rewarded according to his works". (Lk.12:48; Mt.25:21; Mt.16:27)
         8. Those whose works are more important, more vitally essential to His work & contribute more to His overall endeavour, should be given due consideration, top consideration. They should be considered more.--They should be rewarded more & given priority & seniority over others who are not as vital & essential to the work.
         9. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM THAT YOU MUST KEEP IN MIND IN YOUR VARIOUS CHOICES & DECISIONS & counselling & considerations there, & that is, you do have ranks! God's order is not a classless society! "Some shall shine as the stars for having turned many to righteousness, others will be raised to everlasting shame & contempt!" (Dan.12:3,4; Rev.2:10)
         10. There's going to be a great difference! Some shall have many stars in their crown, but it looks like some may not even get a crown at all, even though saved! They lost their crown because they failed to serve Him as they should have, & they failed in some work that God gave them to do. So there is definitely a difference in the Kingdom of God now as well as hereafter, & we are even rewarded today according to our works.
         11. God is definitely a respector of persons when it comes to works for Him--not salvation. We're all sinners & equal under the law, just as guilty, & all saved as easily & forgiven just as much under grace as any--there's no difference. "There's none righteous, no, not one!" (Ro.3:10) God is no respector of persons when it comes to salvation.
         12. But when it comes to works & accomplishing something for Him in His Kingdom here on Earth, here & now as well as in the future, He is a great respector of persons! He tells us even now to give "honour to whom honour is due"! (Ro.13:7)
         13. So you must learn that lesson too, that there is a difference! Whatever you think about God, if you think He's no respector of persons, you'd better be a respector of persons when it comes to talent, necessity, priority, seniority & all the rest! And just remember that God is a respector of persons when it comes to those things & in rewarding the amount of investment in His Kingdom, & the amount of sacrifice & the amount of labour & its quality & its importance in His Kingdom.
         14. REWARD EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS, JUST LIKE GOD DOES!--Give them what they deserve, like God does. If they deserve a crown, give it to them! If they deserve a crown with many stars, give it to them! If they deserve many cities in return for their talents, give them to them.
         15. If they have invested a great deal in the Lord's Work & they have that top priority for His Kingdom & that seniority--they've served the longest & most faithfully & are most needed--then give them that due consideration. If they should have greater honour than others because they deserve greater honour, give it to them! And you'd better get that through your heads if you're going to be wise leaders in His Kingdom there, & give due deference to the ones who truly deserve it. Amen?
         16. I realise we haven't promised anybody any more than anyone else, & the Lord also has a lesson in His Word about this: Those who worked long & hard & late & those who came late both got the same reward. (Mt.20:1-16) This is a lesson which He's trying to teach people particularly regarding salvation, that regardless of the length of time of service, etc., all receive the same reward regarding salvation.
         17. But when it comes to length & quality of service & faithfulness, etc., God definitely makes a difference in the quality & the amount of reward. He says, "Well done, thou good & faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!" (Mt.25:23) There are some who will receive crowns & some who won't, some who'll shine as stars & some who won't--even though saved & a part of His Kingdom!--Is that surprising to you?
         18. Because some failed & some were not as useful & some were not as talented by God Himself, & some were not as important & some were not as faithful. Some were not as diligent, some were not as hard-working, & some just were not, that's all!--But some were! So there will definitely be a difference of rewards in His Kingdom, & should be here & now as well. We're only equal before the law & under grace, that's all. Otherwise there's a difference in a thousand different ways!
         19. THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE TOPS & THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE BOTTOMS!--AND SOME SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN! And the ones who are tops in God's eyes & most needed, most faithful, most talented, most hard-working & most important, should be given the most consideration, the most material blessings, the most thoughtfulness, the most kindness, the most love, the most everything--just like God gives to us.
         20. This does not mean that anyone has a right to murmur & is condoned in murmuring & complaining & belly-aching & causing dissent & dissension & division. It doesn't mean that people have a right to complain if you don't give them due consideration. They should take it to the Lord, take it to the Family.
         21. You leaders should discuss it together first of all, & if you can't come to an agreement, perhaps discuss it with the whole Family there & let it be a united decision, & then no one has a right to complain. That's when a little democracy helps sometimes, if you have unity & a united action in which all, or as many as possible, agree--at least the majority.
         22. I WAS JUST SITTING HERE PRAYING ABOUT YOUR SITUATION & thinking about how you've recaptured all those musicians & prodigal sons who have come home to the Lord's Work & are now investing their time & talent for the Lord instead of for man & Mammon. And it just came to me how that you, Faithy, have certainly taken Rachel's crown! She forsook it for this World & men & things of this World, & God has passed it on to you because of your faithfulness & your diligence & your obedience.
         23. God has certainly delivered the Kingdom, & particularly the music kingdom, out of Rachel's hands into yours, Faithy, & there is no doubt in my mind that you have inherited her crown & that you are now the true Brunheld who is really defending the faith there with the warriors of music! PG! Hallelujah!
         24. You're a Brunheld fighter of the Faith out there on the front lines, a real Queen of the Lord in His frontline battle, Faithy, & so you surely deserve your crown! You had a crown of your own already & you can just stack Rachel's on top of it! PG! Hallelujah?
         25. "Crown Him with many crowns!" (Rev.19:12) Well, if that's true of Jesus, I guess it can be true of us too! If other people fail in their jobs, you can crown yourself with quite a few of their crowns if you take their jobs & do'm for'm instead. So "crown Him with many crowns", give them just reward, what they deserve. And if they deserve a lot of crowns as well as a lot of stars in'm, give'm to'm! PG! And if they don't, don't! And certainly don't reward some people above what they deserve when others deserve it & need it. So may that be a lesson to all of you!
         26. Rewards are like wages, they're like our pay for doing good work, & we get rewarded according to our work. You get paid according to the work you do, & the Lord rewards us according to our work just like the System pays, only much better! PTL! He doesn't necessarily always pay in money, but in lots of different ways. TTL!--What's your reward?

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family