Thoughts for Life: #56 Two Great Ages for the Church

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: For all humankind, history is divided into time and eternity. Our state in eternity will depend on what we do with our time. We refer to time as "here," and eternity as the "hereafter."

The separation point is death. For any individual life until death is his time; after death is his eternity. Time is brief at best; eternity is endless. Time is for sowing; eternity is eternal reaping. (Google image, Coffin)

This all adds tremendous seriousness to our lives as Christians — to our intercession and to our evangelism. Christians who live and think primarily of today are fools, eternal fools.

Throughout eternity they will never cease to regret that they made such little use of their time in sowing for Christ and His kingdom. Any Christian may be the only one who will ever pray for some people or witness to them. He may be their main hope of heaven.

But eternity is much more than the decision of heaven or hell. For those in heaven there will be great differences — differences in glory (Dan. 12:3) and reward (1 Cor. 3:8-15; Rev. 22:12). There will probably be eternal differences in closeness of fellowship with Jesus.

While Jesus was on earth all 5,000 who were fed by Him listened to His voice and had fellowship with Him. But the fellowship of the Twelve was much closer to Him, and the fellowship of Peter, James, and John was closest of all.

Christ is no respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of our response to His love, His commands, and the work He assigned us. Not all Christ's disciples were chosen to see Him and fellowship with Him after His resurrection (Acts 10:42).

Undoubtedly we are determining by our obedience today the degree of fellowship with Christ we will share in heaven. Every believer will spend eternity in heaven, which will be Jesus' headquarters and home, but in what forms that fellowship will consist, how frequently each will have in reigning with Jesus and serving Him will be decided at the judgment before Christ's throne.

That will be based on how faithfully each is praying and living for Christ today. Heaven will not be the same for all. Jesus made that very clear again and again in His teaching.

One of your great responsibilities as a shepherd is to prepare each believer for the greatest possible eternal reward. The reward does not consist merely in words of commendation as the person stands before Christ's judgment throne.

The reward is announced then, and everyone will have some praise from God then (Cor. 4:5). But on the basis of the just decision of Christ, the rewarding roles of eternity which He announces then will go on forever. Salvation is by grace alone; reward is according to our works — how fully and closely we lived for God and His kingdom.

Most Christians are daily wasting opportunities which could increase their usefulness to Christ and the degree of their reward. This is what saddens you as a Christian Shepherd.

This why you must plead with your people, pray with tremendous burden for them, weep for them and, like Paul, warn them with tears. Woe to you as a shepherd-leader if you fail to prepare your people for Christ's judgment of rewards (1 Cor. 3:11-15)!

Life on earth is work time — work for Jesus. Heaven is rest and reward time. Jesus committed His unfinished task on earth into our hands to complete. Paul said that his great desire and ambition was to "complete the task the Lord Jesus [had] given [him]" (Acts 20:24).

Many Christians are living as if the Lord gave them no task, as if they have no accountability for Christ's kingdom. It is your responsibility as their shepherd to teach and warn them of their responsibilities and of the questions Christ will ask them when they stand before His judgment throne.

It is not enough to avoid sin, attend church, read the Bible a bit, and pray a few minutes each day. It is how one invests time in prayer, blessing others, and extending Christ's kingdom that will decide his reward. Oh, the opportunities for great eternal reward now being thrown away by Christians! What sorrow this brings to Christ!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#56 Two Great Ages for the Church
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 174-175) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Man praying

Father, as history is divided into time and eternity, may we take it seriously what we do with our time while we're alive.
Our separation point is death and what we do with our time now will determine the result of where we'll spend eternity; heaven or hell.
As Christians we understand that time is brief at best but eternity is endless, and our obedience today
will determine the degree of fellowship with Christ we'll share in heaven.
Forgive us for sometimes failing to live as though Jesus didn't give us a task for ministering in Christ's kingdom. May Your Holy Spirit urge us to seek His will, and to get busy at what we know we've been assigned to do.
I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Rom. 6:23 (KJV) " For the wages of sin is death; but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord."

Eph. 2:4-6 (KJV) "But God, who is rich in mercy, for
his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus."

1 Cor. 4:20 (KJV) "For the kingdom of God is not in
word, but in power."

Today's quote-

~ John and Carol Arnott- [pastors of the Toronto revival] "We must understand that the truth is this — the Spirit of God will nurture a deep and meaningful relationship in every believer when they come to know Jesus as their Savior, the Father as their heavenly Abba (Daddy ), and the Holy Spirit as their close and faithful friend. He doesn't leave — He inhabits us. We are called to live in such a way that we cultivate and nurture that relationship, that we choose to fall in love with Him more and more every day." (Taken from p. 92 of PREPARING for the GLORY, Getting Ready for the Next Wave of Holy Spirit Outpouring).

~ Kim Butts- Are you willing to confess, repent, and ask forgiveness of your children when you sin against them? There is no better way to train your family than by your own integrity in handling the Word of God. If you are quick to ask for forgiveness when you have said or done something in an unloving manner, then your children will learn that what you are teaching them is valid for them to do also. It will also teach them how to extend God's merciful grace to one another and to others."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 5 (917), p. 8. Used by permission.]

Upcoming posts-

God's Loving Pursuit
26th- Saturday's post by Max Lucado

#57 The Two-fold Role of Every Christian Leader
29th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#58 The Day of Accountability is Coming
31st- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

3 Graduations: Grief, Greatness, and Glory
6/2- Saturday's post by Ron Hutchcraft