Comments on: Wage Issues

By: poohpity

poohpity — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:01:39 +0000

logmas,

I hope you are asking for help from your church. I understand about your despair from the church, I have experienced the lack of help and even concern, it is very sad. I pray for the Lord to open their eyes to the need. Our church collects money to send kids to a very expensive church camp which was a blessing for me when my boys were growing up because they have ADHD and for them to go away for a week was a blessing. Now I look at it in the times we are in and wonder if it is appropriate. It would be nice if our churches were the place to go for assistance rather than the government, I think that is what the Lord had intended but we all mess up.

By: kaliko88

kaliko88 — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:55:58 +0000

Maybe the dual emphasis is also to get us to have a balance on our thoughts. There are times when certain subjects come up in the bible like this, where we aren’t supposed to think of them too highly, but we aren’t supposed to ignore them either. We’re simply supposed to try to look at them and use them rightly.

I know we can’t earn the gifts we have already received, and I don’t really try to do things to earn the rewards that are promised. Thinking of wages works to remind me that there are consequences to everything, good and bad. Even before I truly believed in Christ with my heart, I kind of followed a philosophy that you don’t really need a reason to do good or help others. But knowing that doesn’t mean I can’t look forward to those rewards. My relationship with God is personal, and so it will not surprise me if those rewards are meant just for me. In a way that’s an extra reward, just knowing that he gave me something with me in mind.

I’m not being very clear, but I do know there is a balance to be sought in these ideas.

By: Mart De Haan

Mart De Haan — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:05:36 +0000

logmas, thanks for your comment. I can see that by referring to the problem of unemployment as a way of getting to spiritual “security” and “wages” could leave the impression of “using” the problem of unemployment rather than understanding, or at least respecting, its gravity.

By: daisymarygoldr

daisymarygoldr — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:07:09 +0000

Wages that will be paid at some point later will be the same for everyone… wages of sin is death and wages of righteousness is eternal life… and yes, it is not something we earn but a gift that is bestowed… because it is not our righteousness rather His righteousness that guarantees eternal security.

You are right, without the “gifts of God’s Spirit, mercy, and grace we cannot do anything to earn this reward.Thankfully, no one will have to settle for “a lower base wage”… whether one accepted Christ at the last dying breath or has been following Him their entire lives… we will be all paid the same wages/reward… so there is no complaining or competing.

Rewards however, will certainly differ. “Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor” (I Cor. 3:8). It is a special recognition for saints who have remained faithful against all odds… those who have forsaken all to follow Christ…

…those who have committed themselves to fulfill the great commission i.e. those who denied themselves to sacrifice their lives for the Gospel’s sake… those who toil and labor despite extreme persecution… and may not have been recognized by their fellow brothers and sisters here on earth.

I don’t if anyone here is able to relate to this but personally I had the privilege of witnessing such precious hidden lives in Christ…lives of saints with deep and unwavering faith… that silently suffered… enduring trials of inhuman proportions…

…unsung heroes of faith… they just kept marching on despite being forsaken by friends and family, riddled with perpetual illness which was like passing through the valley of the shadow of death for their entire lives here on earth.

They faithfully persevered to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” their single-hearted devotion to Christ surpassed their devotion to temporal things… because they considered the afflictions of their temporal lives as light when compared to the weight of eternal glory…

“Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (2 John 1:8)

By: logmas

logmas — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:44:53 +0000

From someone who has been there.

I hope you folks understand just how serious unemployment and underemployment really is.

When the rent is due then the rent is due.

I so wish the “church” could really get a handle on this.

By: poohpity

poohpity — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:33:26 +0000

I believe that scripture tells us whatever crowns we have received they will be cast to the feet of Jesus. I understand this to mean that we will understand that it was through Him and by Him that they were received and we will be humbled in His presence.

Our reward will be to see Him face to face with no fear but in awe and everything that was done here will be forgotten.

By: HEY REV

HEY REV — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:52:53 +0000

Mart: As I was talking to someone about this issue and repeated a little of what I bloged earlier I can see where they might have misunderstood. I did not want to come across that I’m trying to work up many rewards before I get there. Can’t and never will work out that way. Same thing as you said Bubbles. We all will receive some crowns (James 1:12–I Peter 5:4–Rev 2:10) I could be wrong but I believe there are seven available possibilties.
I repeat myself please: We cannot work up REWARDS OR WORKS for our salvation. When I get Home I will than see if I have ANY REWARDS. Again I’m not concerned how many I have, or even if I don’t have any. I’m HOME, AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.
I did not want you to think bubbles that you are trying to work out your salvation. If you took it that way, my appoligies.
I should have remember the quote: “SILENCE CAN NEVER BE MIS-QUOTED”
God bless all my sisters & brothers Lord as we walk our path you designed for each one of us till that day, in Jesus Name.

By: bubbles

bubbles — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:39:49 +0000

Hey Rev,

I responded to your blog to me on May 23rd. Hope you can refer back to that section. Thank you, bubbles

By: rdrcomp

rdrcomp — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:39:22 +0000

Mart, one thing you wrote that really holds the key to this post is: If we want his rewards, we need to remember the gifts of God’s Spirit, mercy, and grace that are necessary to do anything he will reward.

That is, we must of necessity have His grace first. We must be born again, which is what He does for us and in us as we trust Jesus as our Savior. The life of Christ is imparted to us, as is His Spirit, which is the enabling for us to “do good works which He has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2: 10) Good works aren’t done to obtain rewards but to show our love for the One Who has “loved us and given Himself up for us.” But then He has promised to reward us for a job well done. Amazing.

But the rewards aren’t meant for bragging rights. They will be cast at the Savior’s feet, showing that He alone is worthy.

It truly is ALL ABOUT JESUS!

By: HEY REV

HEY REV — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:46:13 +0000

Mart:I wonder where you come up with these two or sometimes three way understanding’s.
I will answer as best as I can.
I give gifts out (like most of us) with never expecting anything back from the individual. A gift should never be expected back in an action or reward. Scripture tells us “give expecting nothing in return”
LK 6:35b. A loan is not the same. It should be returned upon an agreement.
When God gives a gift He will never ask for it back. All of us have seen Spiritual gifts being mis-used by individuals yet we wonder why. Because it’s for keeps (Romans 11:29)
Why try and WORK for something we could never ever complete and that’s our Salvation. When Jesus said “it is finished” it’s finished.
Now rewards to me are an encouragement. If I save financially and there is a reward,so be it. I’m striving toward that mark. Most of us are working to that “RETIREMENT TIME” which really is a reward. We deserve it. We worked for it. I don’t think none of us know how God has got our rewards worked out. We might be very surprised. I was raised in my faith to try and please God not for WHAT HE DID FOR ME but to build up enough REWARDS to maybe make it into Heaven, and get a higher cloud number, and boy did I work at it. Just before I got saved I felt I had enough to not only get into Heaven but a very high numbered cloud.
Sure glad the Holy Spirit showed me otherwise. for now I only work for the pure joy of works to THANK MY SAVIOR for what He did for me just my salvation. I couldn’t work long enough, hard enough, or anything enought just to try and REPAY.
I don’t think much about my rewards because I do not want to concentrate ONLY ON THAT.
I’ve worked so hard to try and please others most of my life (and still find myself at times doing just that) I don’t want to fall into the same trap with my Heavenly rewards. If I have some GREAT. I know people when they found out the balance of their financial tally was much higher than they expected, they were elated. I guess I would like that same expectation when I leave this hotel and get back home.
Than I will see what I will see.
I have a quote I followed for many years now and it goes like this.
“THE POOR MAN’S CHARITY (LOVE) IS TO WISH (PRAY) THE RICH MAN WELL.”
Look out for the other one second. (of course God first)
Those of you reading this I pray you all beat me and have a higher cloud than I do. Most important thing is that we will; “ALL BE THERE.”
God bless.