Wednesday 30 November 2016

Your Treasure

Your Treasure
Jesus said,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  
But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Matthew 6:19-24.
Where is your real treasure? Jesus states here that we are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Noting that where our treasure is there will be our heart.
Now let me state there is nothing wrong with having wealth in this world. The apostle Paul makes it clear,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Note Paul states “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” That it has caused some to wander from the faith. This is what Jesus is alluding too.
Wealth in and of itself is not evil or good. Money and material things can be used both for good and bad. It can all so keep you from getting to heaven depending on what your relationship with your wealth is.
Our true treasure must be laid up in heaven. As a Christian I believe this is following the teachings of Jesus. Putting my faith first in all I do.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” 
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.  
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” Hebrews 13:5-8.
As a Christian I believe we should be content with what we have at any given time. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to better our position in life. At the same time however the urge to better ourselves should never pull us away from our faith.
Jesus when asked,
 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.”  Matthew 22:36-38.
If we truly love God we will want to do His will. The apostle Paul writing to Christian believers in Corinth said,
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”  1 Corinthians 9:24.
As believers in God, believers in Christ our prize is eternal life in Heaven with God. It is a prize we will only get if we keep our hearts and minds fixed on God and the saving Grace Jesus brings.
The most important treasure in our lives must be in heaven. For as Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Please think about it.

Post Script,
If you are not a Christian where is your treasure?
The prophet Isaiah wrote,
“A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” 
“All men are like grass, 
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
 because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 
Surely the people are grass. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, 
but the word of our God stands forever.” 
Isaiah 40:6-8
Our life on this earth is but a momentary mist in eternity. All we have materially in this life will one day be left to others while we go to stand before God.
When you meet God will you meet Him as your Lord and Saviour or as your judge?
The apostle Paul writes,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
It is by the grace of God we get to heaven, through faith. Not our works. So where is your faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
 and certain of what we do not see.”  
Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 
Hebrews 11:6
So two questions must be answered,
Where is your faith?
Where is your treasure?

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