The Crowns In Heaven

Crown of Life: For those who suffered for His Sake – James 1:12, Revelation 2:10

Crown of Righteousness: For those who loved His appearing and looking forward to the Rapture- 2 Timothy 4:8

Crown of Glory: For those who fed the flock – 1 Peter 5:4

Crown Incorruptible: For those who press on steadfastly- 1 Corinthians 9:25

Crown of Rejoicing: For those who win souls – 1 Thessalonians 2:19

From Scripture: The 5 Crowns

The crown of life: Also referred to as the martyrs crown, it’s given to people who suffer severely r even lose their life because of their faith.

The Crown of Righteousness: This crown is given to those who look forward to His appearing. If we are made righteousness because of Him, we should be looking for His appearing with all yearning and earnestness.

Crown of Glory: This crown seem to be reserved for pastors, school teachers, missionaries, and others who actively teach God’s Word to others, helping them grow in their Spiritual lives after they are saved.

The Incorruptible Crown: This crown is given to believers who faithfully run the race. These verses seem to imply that the crown if given to those who do without themselves in someway to point fellow man to God.

Crown of Rejoicing: This is also called the soul-winner’s crown because it will be given to those who are faithful in witnessing and leading others to salvation

Even Satan Believes In God

You believe that there is one God? Good. Even Satan and his demons believe that and shudder.

But, what does that mean?

Who knows more about God?

The Bible contains many scriptures that give evidence that demons, not only know who God is, but that they also acknowledge Him as the One true God of heaven and earth.

When demons encounter Jesus, they address Him as the Son of God. Consider the man in the church, who has been possessed by an evil spirit:

What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God

Mark 1:24

Not on,t do demons know who God is, they are well-versed in Scripture.

When Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, he tries to convince Jesus to betray His Father and commit sin by using God’s Word against Him (Matthew 4:1-11).

However; as Satan is aware of the power of Scripture, Jesus can banish His adversary with the Word:

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. Then the devil left Him, and the angels came and attended to Him.

Matthew 4:10

Whereas demons believe in God and know Him, many humans on the other hand struggle to believe in His existence, let alone acknowledge His omnipresent power. “He (Jesus) was amazed at their lack of faith (Mark 6:6).

When James writes in James 2:19 that even demons believe, he is referring to the fact that demons, unlike humans, know that God is real and that they are aware of the power of His Word.

The Presence Of God Makes Demons Shudder

James 2:19 proclaims that not only do demons know that the Lord is the One true God, but they also shudder in fear at the knowledge of this infallible truth.

Humans receive redemption through salvation and spiritual victory through a revelation of God’s word, both of which are liberating.

Demons however, have always been aware of God’s superiority towards them, additionally, their knowledge of the scriptures foretells that their fate is eternal punishment at His hands:

Then he will say to those on His left, Depart from me, you are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:41

Human confrontation with God produces love, kindness, generosity, and self-control (Galatians 5:22) that is derived from our trust in Him and is thereby freeing.

Demon confrontation produces fear, anger, violence, rebelliousness, and eventually eternal imprisonment.

Consider the reaction of a legion of demons who Jesus is expelling from a man in Matthew 8:29:

What do you want with us, Son of God? They shouted, have you come to tortured us before the appointed time?

Matthew 8:29

Not only do the demons immediately recognize Jesus at a time when His ministry is yet virtually unknown to man, they also panic at His appearance and fear that their foretold fate has arrived to early.

Demons Fear That Our Genuine Faith Will Further God’s Kingdom

As the successive leader of the first church (the Church of Jerusalem) Jame’s missive i intended for his members as (James 2:2), as well as Jewish Christians who have fled persecution and are more in exile in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 11:19) around AD 48.

The key concern that James addressed are the false teachings that have infiltrated the early church, which pose not only a threat to an individual’s salvation but endanger the very foundations of the Bride of Christ.

James earnestly wishes to give revelation to the believers on how to live a life that reflects the heart attitude and servitude that Jesus displayed during His ministry on earth, which will bless others and further God’s ultimate goal of the commission (Matthew 28:19).

James’s argument assumes that his readers have knowledge of God and acknowledge Him as the “One True God” (James 2:19).

Why Should We Number Our Days?

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Numbering our days. Do you ever sit and contemplate that we have a limited finite time on this earth, in this body, as a human being? This scripture shows us that we should be mindful and understand that. Then we may be more careful in what we do with each day. Every day is a 🎁 gift!

I believe I am accountable for each day. What did I do with it. How did I use it? Did I do any good, or was it all about me?

  • Did I worship my Creator today?
  • Did I Pray today?
  • Did I help anyone today?
  • Did I love anyone today?
  • Did I speak kindness today?
  • Was I gentle?
  • Was I gracious?
  • Was I encouraging?
  • Did I pour anything of value into the younger generation today?

I can go on and on. As I read this Scripture I am convicted. I don’t want to leave this world knowing that this one life I’ve lived was all about me. I would hope it’s more about God and more about others.

Early in life a got off to a bad start. Every thing was about me, my own self-pity, my victim mentality. I was a selfish jerk.

Then I met Jesus in 2008. And everything turned around.

I was to finish well.

I want to number my days because it’s important.

God Bless You All!

May You Never Thirst

May you never thirst. May your body and your spirit always have what the need. When you need refreshment, or new life, may the waters be available to you. May you never know thirst unto death, in your body or in your soul. May you never thirst.

And May your body and your spirit always thirst enough to stay alive. May you know the dissatisfaction with things as they are what leads to work for justice. May you know the thirst for new knowledge that leads to the quest for truth. May you know the desire for deeper connection that creates new and stronger relationships.

May you know the Spiritual thirst the keeps the soul searching, and gives the sweetness of new discovery to faithful follow of Spiritual paths of all kinds.

May you never thirst too deeply, but May your thirst never be entirely quenched.