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The first stage of the believer’s life is to “desire the sincere milk of the Word that he may grow thereby” (1Pet 2:2); and as he grows, he is conscious of a new ability, and that is to fly. When you fly you enter on the second stage of spiritual development. Here you acquire for yourself, you can discriminate. “A spiritual man judges all things” (1Cor 2:15).

In the first stage, someone else had to discriminate for you. Now you provide for yourself suitably. Flying is now the mode of your nature, you always move above the earthy; you seek the things above, you “set your affection on things above, and not on things on the earth.” “He being full of the Holy Spirit looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Act 7:55).

Then comes the singing! I believe no bird sings until he can fly. I am sure that no believer sings his true note until he can rise up in the Spirit of God to the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. This stage then is when the senses are exercised to discern good and evil; and there is singing, which is expressing in true and full tones, the deep and overflowing satisfaction of which the heart enjoys in His presence where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

The final stage is the believer having found everything in the Lord Jesus for himself, can now in true devotedness of heart serve Him—manifest Him in this scene, and be a blessing to others. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” All the love and care rendered to the bird in its formative days now renders to the objects of its care. As it has received, so it bestows. It does nothing but as it has received, and this is true service.

Now this stage requires a very peculiar manner and way, entirely different from anything known before. The bird that flies selects its own food and sings. It testifies of the goodness and favor conferred. When she builds her nest, where she may lay her young, her character and habits undergo a very marked change. She surrenders none of her former power, but instead of contenting herself with her personal blessings, she now devotes herself to objects outside herself, though they are a part of herself—and because of all her interest, burden and toil about them, dear to her own life.

You had your stage of individual blessing and enjoyment; once known, it is yours forever; but now you are to grow in another direction. You must not, when others try and oppose you, retire into the sanctuary of your own heart and home, there to delight yourself in your possession. No, you are now to build a nest for the object, or objects of your care; and there may be but one egg in your nest at first.

Until one is able to be a giver to everyone and a receiver in a begging way from none, one is not safe from expectancy here; that is, there will still be a possibility of reviving links to this fallen earth. But when one is so satisfied in the Lord Jesus, as to be free from the old man and his demands, and able to build a nest for others, such a sense of the superiority of the Lord Jesus is acquired that nothing here can captivate the heart; and all the trials and slights only extract more consideration for others. It is only when the heart is dead to this world, and alive with Christ in heaven, that it is proof against reviving, and then it is free to be occupied with His interests here.

- J B Stoney


Excerpt from MJS devotional for February 8:
“By the daily ‘supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ’ (Phil. 1:19), the believer united to his Risen Lord ‘grows continually to a more perfect knowledge and likeness of his Creator,’ and grows up ‘after the image of Him that created him, in the sphere where ‘Christ is all, and in all.’ “The child naturally grows up in the likeness of his father, and the new life communicated to the redeemed grows up in the likeness of Him who is the Creator of the new creation if so be that the death with Christ is unflinchingly recognized, and ‘old things’ are truly allowed to pass away to make room for the growth of the new man ‘which is after God . . . created in righteousness, and holiness of truth’ (Eph. 4:24).”

“How so many earnest and religious people belong to ‘the Old Adam Improvement Society.’ It is the recognition of the Christ-life, it is union with the Risen Christ that men need instead of the culture of the religious self-life.”
-E.H.

 
Each one of us has a different and unique relationship with Christ that can not be experienced by another. It is each one individually that will give an account of what they did here on earth according to the will of God within Him calling us unto Him.

Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
 
Each one of us has a different and unique relationship with Christ that can not be experienced by another. It is each one individually that will give an account of what they did here on earth according to the will of God within Him calling us unto Him.

Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
Hi, and always appreciate your comments! Yes, though all reborn have gained heaven and await our final union with God in the new heaven, all will receive the Lord Jesus' evaluation of whether which type of reward.
 
There are five crowns (not literal crowns) we can obtain here on earth for the accomplishments of service we do unto the Lord. When our race here on earth is done and our time is over we will have the privilege of laying these crowns down before the feet of Jesus to honor him and to hear those words of grace that says “well done thou good and faithful servant”.
(Hebrews 12:1; 1Corinthians 9:24 Matthew 25:21)

1. CROWN OF LIFE

Martyr's crown is the crown of life given to those who have endured all temptations, trials and tribulations here on earth and have never taken no thought of their own lives, but remained steadfast in the word of God living their lives in total surrender to Jesus.
(James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)

2. CROWN OF GLORY

Elder or Pastor Crown is given to those who hold the office of leadership over the members that make up the body of Christ. It is their leadership through the Holy Spirit that helps to teach us about God through his word. Theirs is the greatest judgment for what proceeds out of their mouth.
(1Peter 5:1-5)

3. CROWN OF REJOICING

A crown of rejoicing is a soul winner’s crown. When we accept Gods commission to take his word out into the world through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us we all rejoice when one lost soul comes back to Gods grace. It’s like the story of the Shepard that had a flock of sheep and one of them strayed away. Even though he loved all his flock he rejoiced more for the lost one he found as now his whole flock was again all together. Imagine the rejoicing if all Gods lost children were found and brought back to Gods grace. What a day of rejoicing that would be. We rejoice in the goodness of God for all the blessings he pours out on us as he is faithful with his promises.
(1Thessalonians 2:19, 20; Philippians 4:1; Matthew 28:18-20; 18:11-13)

4. CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

A crown for those who love his appearing and will be given in that day to the Lord as a bride to a groom. We will see God in all his glory and his righteousness which is our strength when Jesus returns in the clouds to catch us up to meet him in the air and to be with the Lord forever. Gods’ righteousness is perfect in all his judgment on his people. With Gods righteousness we are perfected as we go through the refiner’s fire to be made pure and holy before his throne of grace. It doesn’t matter how we ourselves try to be righteous we can never be so on our own ability because our own righteousness is as a filthy rag before the Lord because we are all sinners, but those who have been Spiritually reborn or renewed of Gods Spirit to them they have been made righteous before the Father.
(2Timothy 4:8; Isaiah 45:24; Isaiah 61:10; Colossians 3:2-4)

5. CROWN INCORRUPTIBLE

An incorruptible crown is a victor’s crown to those who have died to self and are subject to the guidance of the Holy Spirit leading them in all their ways and teach with the knowledge that only comes by the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things and bring those things back to our remembrance. None of us are perfect in our own ways, but are perfected by the Holy Spirit working in us and through us.

There are many out there walking around in sheep’s clothing, but are only ravenous wolves as they devour those without knowledge of Gods word as they are puffed up and edify themselves by teaching a corruptible word of God through a carnal traditional doctrine that not only puts condemnation on those they teach, but also on themselves as they have no knowledge of the truth of Gods word and are only acting on their own behalf as they have not Gods Spirit in them and on that day of judgment they will hear Jesus say that he never knew them.

We strive for an incorruptible crown that allows us to have more of Jesus and less of ourselves to be able to let the light of Christ shine through us before others so they will see the righteousness of God displayed through us that will draw others to his glorious light so their corruption can be made incorruptible and also become pleasing to the father in all they do and say.
(1Corinthians 9:25-27; 1 John 2:28, 29)
 
There are five crowns (not literal crowns) we can obtain here on earth for the accomplishments of service we do unto the Lord. When our race here on earth is done and our time is over we will have the privilege of laying these crowns down before the feet of Jesus to honor him and to hear those words of grace that says “well done thou good and faithful servant”.
(Hebrews 12:1; 1Corinthians 9:24 Matthew 25:21)

1. CROWN OF LIFE

Martyr's crown is the crown of life given to those who have endured all temptations, trials and tribulations here on earth and have never taken no thought of their own lives, but remained steadfast in the word of God living their lives in total surrender to Jesus.
(James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)

2. CROWN OF GLORY

Elder or Pastor Crown is given to those who hold the office of leadership over the members that make up the body of Christ. It is their leadership through the Holy Spirit that helps to teach us about God through his word. Theirs is the greatest judgment for what proceeds out of their mouth.
(1Peter 5:1-5)

3. CROWN OF REJOICING

A crown of rejoicing is a soul winner’s crown. When we accept Gods commission to take his word out into the world through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us we all rejoice when one lost soul comes back to Gods grace. It’s like the story of the Shepard that had a flock of sheep and one of them strayed away. Even though he loved all his flock he rejoiced more for the lost one he found as now his whole flock was again all together. Imagine the rejoicing if all Gods lost children were found and brought back to Gods grace. What a day of rejoicing that would be. We rejoice in the goodness of God for all the blessings he pours out on us as he is faithful with his promises.
(1Thessalonians 2:19, 20; Philippians 4:1; Matthew 28:18-20; 18:11-13)

4. CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

A crown for those who love his appearing and will be given in that day to the Lord as a bride to a groom. We will see God in all his glory and his righteousness which is our strength when Jesus returns in the clouds to catch us up to meet him in the air and to be with the Lord forever. Gods’ righteousness is perfect in all his judgment on his people. With Gods righteousness we are perfected as we go through the refiner’s fire to be made pure and holy before his throne of grace. It doesn’t matter how we ourselves try to be righteous we can never be so on our own ability because our own righteousness is as a filthy rag before the Lord because we are all sinners, but those who have been Spiritually reborn or renewed of Gods Spirit to them they have been made righteous before the Father.
(2Timothy 4:8; Isaiah 45:24; Isaiah 61:10; Colossians 3:2-4)

5. CROWN INCORRUPTIBLE

An incorruptible crown is a victor’s crown to those who have died to self and are subject to the guidance of the Holy Spirit leading them in all their ways and teach with the knowledge that only comes by the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things and bring those things back to our remembrance. None of us are perfect in our own ways, but are perfected by the Holy Spirit working in us and through us.

There are many out there walking around in sheep’s clothing, but are only ravenous wolves as they devour those without knowledge of Gods word as they are puffed up and edify themselves by teaching a corruptible word of God through a carnal traditional doctrine that not only puts condemnation on those they teach, but also on themselves as they have no knowledge of the truth of Gods word and are only acting on their own behalf as they have not Gods Spirit in them and on that day of judgment they will hear Jesus say that he never knew them.

We strive for an incorruptible crown that allows us to have more of Jesus and less of ourselves to be able to let the light of Christ shine through us before others so they will see the righteousness of God displayed through us that will draw others to his glorious light so their corruption can be made incorruptible and also become pleasing to the father in all they do and say.
(1Corinthians 9:25-27; 1 John 2:28, 29)
Looks good Sis, and thanks for your input!
 
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