This morning I was worshiping and played Carman's song "R. I. O. T" where he equates those letters to the terms "Righteous Invasion Of Truth".  I love that pickup! 

Anyway, I decided I would view the lyrics online as there were a couple words I did not make out.  As I sat there reading, I realized how this simple song is so close to what is needed in every church today.  Here are the lyrics (continued at the bottom after the lyrics):

Webster's dictionary say a riot is like an unrestrained
Uproar in a public place, turbulent right in your face
With the facts we're gonna spread God's word
And attack every lie you've heard
Like the doctrines of men that are still fallen prey
To the silvery sword of God's word today
It's true, we look to heaven and our mansions in the sky
And it's true we've got the gaze of eternity in our eyes
But before this church is raptured
There's no way we're gonna leave here quiet

We want a righteous invasion of truth
We want a R.I.O.T.

Jesus we're callin' on your name
Jesus, we're gonna see a change
Jesus, we're taking in Goliath
With a righteous invasion of truth
We want a R.I.O.T.

Righteous to conform to the bible
Invasion an armed attack
Of truth the real state of affairs
Like a church on the move that will not double back
From the fight, 'cause we're salt and light
And we thrive on Jesus, the theme of our lives
And there's a spin
Love nothin' but God, hat nothin' but sin
It's true, now's the time to win nations for the Lord
And it's true, now's the hour, the saints must go to war
We'll preach it, we'll sing it
We'll shout it, we'll cry it
'cause desperates times need desperate
Action and that means
We need a R.I.O.T.

Satan is a madman, a relentless entity
He's the source of every plague known to the human family
We understand the mortal conflict in which we are engaged
And the gates of hell come crashing down
When the saints of God begin to praise

Jesus we're callin' on your name
Jesus, we're gonna see a change
Jesus, we're taking in Goliath
With a righteous invasion of truth
We want a R.I.O.T.

Jesus we're callin' on your name
Jesus, we're gonna see a change
Jesus, we're taking in Goliath
With a righteous invasion of truth
We want a R.I.O.T.
With a righteous invasion of truth
We want a R.I.O.T.

As your read down through the lyrics, you first run into bring the message to a "public place"  and the fact of people being in a group, not just a single person standing out and proclaiming, it is the large group of people.

Next we use God's Word as the weapon of our attack, the truth that will bring down the doctrines of man, the thoughts of their minds which are in direct opposition to the Word.

Then we have the comfort in our minds of the security of our future, knowing this is not it, we have a future that is so vast all waiting for us.  With that in mind, we should wake up and get to work before we leave here, it is the hour to work, it is not for play, we have a job to do and we need to get to it!  When we leave we need to go while deep in the work!

The following portion shows us how we are empowered through our prayers calling on Jesus and then by knowing the Word.

Then we have the definition:

Righteous - To keep in line with the Word, trusting in Jesus through the Holy Spirit to help to keep us inline.

Invasion - Our (the Body's) attach, outreach, gathered together all sharing the same goal everyone on the planet, not just in one place.

Of Truth - Our fight to stand and defend, to take the message of Truth to the masses with drawing back, onward Christian Soldiers comes to mind.  It is time to stand against those things that oppose what is right and that embrace what is wrong.  In the Bible it says that in the last days Good will be called Bad and Bad will be called Good.  We live in those times and that means the Body is not being the salt of the world, the preserving force and we need to regain our saltiness which only comes from pulling away from our fleshly desires and seeking God's face!

This is followed with the understanding that the second biggest battle (our fleshly desire, they "Old Man"  is the first) is Satan and the powers of darkness attack us at every point, trying to split up the family, trying to get us to cater to our fleshly desires, trying to beat us down with sickness.  Then it mentions our weapon against those powers, praise and worship.  The Bible says God inhabits the praises of His people.  Where there is heartfelt, Spirit lead praise and worship there is God dwelling and no evil spirit be in the presents of God.  This was obvious in the Bible where Jesus would go, the evil spirit would cry out as if in pain being in His presence.  Yes, we also have the power to command those evil spirits as the Bible says He has given us power of the darkness.

What a message to motivate, to get with others and be busy working, spreading the truth.  This is typical of Carman's songs, the bring us to focus on what is important, that this world is not our home, our life really begins when this one is over after a full life here of work, preparing us for what is ahead.

Of all the Christian artists, Carman is my favorite and has been from day one of my new birth.  When God reached down and eliminated my past, giving me an eternal home and hope, empowering me for this life to live as I could not do without him, in that time, 1990,  the first step I took was to pick up a Carman "Radically Saved" cassette tape from the store.  I am not sure I could have picked a better tape at the time.  The songs were moving and passionate!

For more on Caman:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carman_%28singer%29

That man will have such a mighty blessing when we get to heaven.  I cannot imagine when God tells him to look around for great is his reward, Carman looking out over that huge multitude of people, seeing all those faces he helped without ever even knowing it.  I will be one that is in that group thanking him for giving his life and passion to the Lord ....  I cannot thank him enough! 

While thinking about the rewards, another meeting I will attend in heaven will be that of Paul Crouch of TBN, who God has used to put together the largest Christian broadcasting network on the planet.  If it were not for his dedication to God and the desire to reach the world with the Gospel, I may not have been reached.  When God pulled on those heart strings and I finally responded, it was TBN that was my church, my beginning education that launched me into my new life.  I do not want to think what would have happen had TBN not been around.

While TBN may not be like it was (use to be heavy Word studies and great worship and praise), the reward of Paul and Jan will be one of the greatest when we stand there to receive in heaven.  I cannot imagine the sea of faces that will be before them of those that have been helped by their loyalty to the passionate call within them!

Got a little off the point of the song.  I just thought it was wonderful how much passion is in this song that many may dismiss without really listening to the words.

To me, Huckabee is about the only one I could even vote for.  I use to think about Romeny, but he always seemed to be a bit "slick" and so far through the last month, that is how I have found him, no longer on the ticket for me.  Of course, I will not vote for anyone that supports abortion regardless of their other views.  The Huckabee clan just seems like down-to-earth people to me. 

Anway, I just got done with this cute USA 2008 poll and thought some may find it entertaining

http://www.myquickpoll.com/usa2008av/

I finally found a good purpose for my www.MyQuickPoll.com site ;)  If you like the poll, be sure to share the link with others!

BTW, if you are interested in running your own buisness and feel you would be good at promoting things, you might want to check out my "The 20" in the top left of that poll.

If you have been a Christian (Yeshua follower), then you probably already have heard:

Mat 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Often this is mentioned when ministries need funding or something along those lines and other times to remind people that they need to be givers.  If you really have undergone the new birth in Christ, then you all already a giver and have that nature in you.  At times though, we can subdue those urges and can need to be reminded.

There is a major question that is usually not brought up.  Ready?  Here it is, “what is the treasure we are building, what is the reward?”

Some might quickly answer, “money of course, that is what I give that is what I will receive”.  Really?  Do you think that there will be “money” in heaven?  The streets are gold, there are precious stones everything, you are completely taken care of, you have no need for anything, what would you use money for?

In the store of the rich man who tried to justify himself based on the Ten Commandments, Jesus said unto him:

Mat 19:20-21 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Many of us understand that this is not so much about the money as it is that the man had made the money and idol and really was in violation of the Ten Commandments he claimed to have obeyed.  But it still makes mention of the “treasures” in heaven.

There is also:

1Co 3:6-15  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

As we can see, He is talking about what we have done with our lives.  This is not about Sin, this is about how we have lived our life, the works we have done for God and His Kingdom.  Notice, the foundation is Christ and there can be no other foundation, this is where we are brought into His grace.  What do we add over our lives?  You might give some money to help someone you think is doing good and is not, which would probably be considered “stubble”.  You go to church regularly and even read the bulletins, yep, that would be ”hay”.  Maybe you want to build a big addition to the local church so that you can make it a memorial to a family member, that could be “wood”. 

All you do in the flesh without being truly motivated by a passionate heart towards God, is “wood, hay, stubble”.  It is only what a heart full of God is used do we add “gold, silver, precious stones”.  Actions such as leading others to salvation, showing compassion on others without regard of reward, making sacrifices in your life to help the family of God, here and now.  These are the types of actions in our lives that really matter.  Everything else will pass away, but these types of things will give you an everlasting reward.

 So, what is the “reward”, what do we get for a life filled with God?  I am sure you already realize that we receive a full life for starters.  As we do the worthy actions in our life, there are rewards right now in this world for our work.  This can come in the form of friends, gifts, respect, admiration, etc.  Many times, performing actions worthy of reward, give us a feelings that are worth the effort in the first place.  There are other times we may see a reward in something over a long period of time, that is if we keep watch.

We also have the passage:

Mat 19:28-29 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

See, it says right there that we will have a “hundredfold” return.  Okay, there is also:

Mar 10:29-30  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

 It does say “hundred fold now in this time” and that you will receive “houses”.   That means I will receive a hundred houses for every one of them I give for the gospel, right?  No, it does not say it is rewarded to you as a “possession”.  If that is the case how will you possess a hundred sisters, or mothers?  It means that you give of yourself and you will be part of the family of God and receive these in fellowship.  Also do not overlook the “with persecutions”.  The only part there that is promised to live past this life is you.

You might say, “Okay, that is rewards here, but it says in heaven, what do I get in heaven for the work, will I have a bigger mansion or maybe a larger section of real estate?”

I believe we will have many types of rewards in heaven, but it is not as some might think, that is material.  Since there is no need for finances in heaven and there will be no need for anything, that leaves us with only a few things the rewards can mean.

First, it may be related to “position”, “responsibility” or “rank”.  It does say we will be awarded different crowns.  In other places the Scriptures mentions things such as the story of the talents (Mat 25:14 – 45) where it talks about the man travelling away for a while and gives his servants a portion of money each to work with for him.  When he returns he finds that one servant was bad with an evil heart and did not do anything with what he had entrusted him.  The story goes on to say that which the bad servant had was to be given to the servant that earned the most, who had shown that he is more responsible and able to do the work better.

Of course, this type of reward still does not seem to be of a great value in heaven as in the passage:

Rev 4:10-11  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Here it shows the real value of those crowns, they are thrown before the thrown as if saying He is the only one worth honor. 

Okay, so what do we really receive them up in heaven other than the respect of others and possible a crown?  Well, I think the vast majority of our reward will not be in any form of payment, but be a lot more as described in the wonderful song by Ray Boltz called “Thank you for giving to the Lord”:

http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/thankyou.html

The song is a view from heaven of a people coming before a person and telling them of the things the person has done that changed their lives.  Towards the end the lyrics go:

One by one they came, far as your eyes could see. Each life somehow touched by your generosity. Little things that you had done, sacrifices that you made, They were unnoticed on this earth In Heaven now proclaimed.

And I know up in Heaven you're not supposed to cry But I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes As Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord He said "My child look around you, Great is your reward."

That is what all of this is about.  I do not think anyone can describe it any better.  You want to serve the Lord, you want a Reward, this is the reward you should work for, this is the only reason for us to even be here, this IS your “Treasures in heaven”!