My Reward Is With Me 12

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— "He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery"—just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26,27—NIV)

If we continue to live as the Father and Christ govern in us, when the Lord returns we will be invited to sit with them on the throne of our personality. From this vantage point the creation shall be governed.

You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor; (Hebrews 2:7—NIV)

God created man to be God's throne. But before man can be God's throne he has many things to learn; many things to become. The learning and the becoming can take place only as he surrenders his right to control his own life and destiny and gives himself over to Christ, who alone possesses, under God, all authority and power in the heavens and upon the earth.

Antichrist is the attempt of man to be like Christ without becoming part of Christ. Many Christian believers of today are in danger of becoming Antichrist. They are seeking to be like Christ, to have His power, His authority, without yielding their will to Him. They are seeking power, fame, and success, not that they may glorify Christ by their life or by their death.

America is a notoriously self-centered nation. The Christian churches of America are affected by this intense interest in the right of people to be their own god. It is significant that the request to open the door of our personality to the Lord is made to the church in Laodicea.

The meaning of the word "Laodicea" may be related to the idea of democracy. The citizens of America of today are attempting to govern themselves by their polls, their word, their will, whereas America originally was conceived as a republic, not a democracy. It is not surprising, then, that the Christian churches in America partake of this self-centeredness, this overemphasis on the rights of people.

If we would receive the crown and scepter that Christians often regard as the reward of every believer, we need to understand that those who have not learned to govern in God in this present world will never be given such irresistible authority and power at His coming. It simply is not going to happen!

As long as we insist on thinking, speaking, and acting according to our own desires we will be governed by those who have surrendered themselves to Jesus—that is, if we are permitted into the Kingdom at all!

Relationships

Love, joy, and peace, three of the highest of the rewards that Christ can bring to any individual, come only through a correct relationship to God and a correct relationship to people. Relationships are the most important of all considerations. No aspect of life can be conducted in a satisfactory manner if our relationships are not as they should be.

When we think about the world of today we can see that the main problem is one of relationships. Wars and violence come about because of destroyed relationships. Crime results from improper relationships. Divorce proceeds from broken relationships.

What kind of world would this be if everyone was related properly to God and to other people? It would be paradise!

Continued. My Reward Is With Me 13