Rewards for Service
by Dean Gilchrist NZ
The first three of the seven major judgments taught in scripture pertains to the individual.
Firstly we are judged as a SINNER, Christ took this judgment for us at Calvary, this judgment is already PAST.
Secondly we are judged by God as a SON, this judgment has nothing to do with our salvation but pertains to our child training in this life, just like a natural father with his son, when the son transgresses through willful disobedience to his fathers word and instruction then he is judged and the appropriate punishment is measured out, this judgment is PRESENT and applies through out this life time, that’s how brother Branham lost his first wife Hope and baby Sharon, through willful disobedience to what God had plainly told him to do. This judgment as a SON although PRESENT is only a temporal judgment, as with brother Branham losing his wife and baby, he will receive them back again.
Thirdly we are judged as a SERVANT which also pertains to this life and our WORKS and SERVICE that we do while we are here on earth, our service as a SERVANT brings us REWARDS, this is a FUTURE judgment and our rewards are to be manifested in the future.
Rewards are given as incentives; the energy to accomplish great tasks comes from the knowledge and promise of the rewards that are to be received upon the completion of service, if there is ever a time that the bride of Christ needs encouragement through incentives it is most certainly now, so what are these great rewards, what is this great incentive that is promised to us if we are faithful in our service to Christ and to his word in this hour? It certainly would encourage us to know.
Our Lord Jesus knew about this reward, it gave him the incentive to endure the sufferings of the cross, for it is said in HEBREWS 12:2 that for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, but what was it that was going to bring him great joy? Let’s look in the scriptures as to his greatest desire, as this was also to become his greatest reward and consequently his greatest joy, we find it in JOHN 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; this was his only request and greatest desire, and it was this knowledge of his future reward that WE would be WITH HIM where he was that gave him the joy and energy to endure the cross and to carry out the service that was purposed to him.
There are glistening towers of giant splendor with streets of pure gold in that great city where the lamb is the light, a mansion has been prepared for each of us that would outshine a thousand to one anything that this world could offer, yet with all the beauty of that wonderful land our joy could never be made complete without our families and love ones with us, this is the incentive that God offers to those who are faithful to the word and to the purpose that He has called them to in the age in which they live.
This subject is far to large and wonderful to cover in a short article so let us just touch on some of high the points to show this truth through out the entire bible, as brother Branham said, any true revelation of God will be scriptural from Geneses to Revelation.
We’ll begin with Noah. Noah’s faith and obedience in the message for his hour resulted in his WORKS and SERVICE in the building of the ark according to what that message of that hour had told him, his works and service not only brought salvation to himself but also to his “household”; (HEBREWS 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house) and they were all together with him in the new earth, this was his REWARD for his SERVICE. GENESIS 6:22-7:1 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
In Egypt on the night of the pass over, it was the people’s obedience to the prophet Moses message combined with their SERVICE in carrying out the requirements for that hour in applying the token that brought the REWARD of salvation and togetherness for the entire household, the slain lamb was for the household not the individual.
Then there was Rahab the harlot in Jericho, it was her SERVICE in the hiding of the two Israelite spies, and her obedience to their message about how to apply the token in the time of pending judgment that was REWARDED in the salvation of her love ones and them being with her in the future land. JOSHUA 2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
Josephs SERVICE in the will of God down in Egypt was REWARDED with the salvation of his household and them joining and being with him in the new land of Goshen.
Esther’s SERVICE in her obedience to Mordecai’s message was REWARDED with the salvation of her people.
When Paul and Silas chains fell off after the earthquake in the jail, and the jailer would have killed himself had they not called out to him, they told him in ACTS 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
When brother Branham went beyond the curtain of time, that voice told him that all he ever loved and all that ever loved him would be given him there as a REWARD for his SERVICE. Hattie Wrights REWARD was the salvation of her two boys, and they will be with her in the new earth.
All through the bible we can clearly see the truth of this as revealed in the stories of the scriptures, but let us look into this a little deeper as to how and why this is. We know that the seed has to come through the body for life has to be passed on, and as it is naturally, so it is spiritually, this is a pattern and law of God. When God called Jonah the prophet to SERVE him in the task of preaching to the gentile people of Nineveh it was actually Jonahs SERVICE in his eventual obedience to God that was going to bring and pass life on to the Ninevites, a close study of the book of Jonah reveals a further stage in the process, as in the very last verse in chapter 4 of Jonah, the real motive of God is revealed JONAH 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?. Apparently the term in the Hebrew “persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand” refers to little children, this reveals Gods true motive was to include and save the little children who would otherwise have perished for the sins of their parents as did Achan’s children for their fathers disobedience and sin at Jericho, God cut off Achan and his seed so that his life could not be passed on. So we see that it took the repentance, work and service of a prophet to pass life on to the Ninevites, and then it took the repentance, work and service of the Ninevites to bring salvation and life to their children (household). We see a principle that God could not bring salvation to the children of Nineveh with out the works and service of others, no more than we the children of God could be saved with out the work and service of Christ at Calvary. The Apostle Paul picks this thought up in ROMANS 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? God never changes his pattern of doing things, when brother Branham went beyond the curtain of time the multitude cried together, "If you hadn't gone forth with the Gospel, we wouldn't be here."
I would like to encourage each bride member as we see this truth expressed through out the bible of the reward of your love ones being with you in that great land that is to come, that this incentive would give you the energy of spirit and body to serve God in obedience under the instruction and revelation of the prophet Malachi 4’s message, remember that the token is to be applied to the household. It was because of Job’s service to God that his children were all waiting for him on the other side.
A most beautiful scripture of promise that sums up this thought is found in ISAIAH 65:23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. Oh the promise of joy that is set before us to help us endure in this hour, it is the same joy that was set before our Lord Jesus in his sufferings, for when he was on the cross we were on his mind, the pain he went through wasn’t for himself, it was endured for us, we were his hope and joy, it was his great love for his family that constrained him to endure the sufferings of his calling and purpose, so as we bare our cross in this dark and closing hour, let us be endowed with the same mind and spirit, the spirit of selflessness and service, for at that future time when the rewards are given out, it will be worth it all then, may God bless each one of you, and may his coming rejoice your heart.