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?

Your Treasure

Your Treasure
Matthews Gospel records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:16-23.
Here’s the test Christians need to think about if you claim to be following Christ. Would you be willing to give up all that you had, your home, your big bank account, the luxuries of life. Even be willing to leave the country you live in to follow Christ?
To be a Christian is to be willing to give up the riches of this world to do the will of God. Jesus said,
There is nothing wrong with being wealthy and having all the luxuries wealth can bring. There were wealthy men in the early church and there are many wealthy individuals in the modern church who love God. Men and women who are serving God with their wealth.
The key however is not to let wealth rule your life.
If you find yourself wrapped up in the pursuit of wealth to the exclusion of serving God that is wrong.
The rich young man that came to Christ believed in God. However he was placing his faith in his wealth not in God.  It’s easy if you have a lot of money to rely on it. It’s comforting to know that your material wealth is there when you need it.
It’s much harder to give it all up and put your faith in God to provide for your needs. It is however in God that we must put our trust not the wealth of this world.
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.” Matthew 6:19-21.
By trusting in God and serving Him you are storing for yourself treasure in heaven. That this world cannot take away from you.
Not far from where I live there is a huge cemetery. Buried there are men and women that had great wealth in this life. At the same time there are many who were virtually pennyless laid in a paupers grave.
What they all had in common was that the material wealth they had in this world be it a lot or a little stayed here. They passed into eternity into the presence of God with nothing material. Materialism in heaven means nothing.
When I was a much younger Christian we use to have a saying that went like this.

“ you have only one life that will soon be past. 

Only what’s done for Christ will last”

While it may not be scripture, it is true.
While it is our faith in Christ that gets us to heaven. It is what we have done for Christ that God will reward us for.
Please think about it.

Your Treasure

Your Treasure
“Then he (Jesus) said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  
He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  
And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 
“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21.
I know many men who work long and hard for the so called “American dream” and there is nothing wrong with having riches in their place. However when those riches begin to take first place in your life there can be problems. the apostle Paul points out,
“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.
If we concentrate so much on becoming wealthy in this world and neglect our spiritual life with God we will enter heaven, if we enter heaven at all, spiritually broke.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:26.
Wealth in this world is meaningless. It is only what we do for Christ that will last.
Look around at some of the wealthiest men that have ever lived. Their riches are still in this world in the hands of others. Their names even lost to eternity. After all how many people remember the who the richest men of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were. They are gone known only to God, judged by Him.
Yet millions remember the apostles Peter, Paul, and  John, the prophets Isaiah, and Jeremiah as well as Moses. People even remember a poor old woman who gave two small coins to the service of God, centuries, millenniums, after their death. All of these people were faithful servants of God.
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.
As I said there is nothing wrong with material wealth in its place. There are many faithful servants of God who are wealthy and do His work.
However material wealth should never have first place in your life. In a choice between material wealth and serving God. God must always come first.
Jesus said,
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Matthew 8:36.
To the Christian I would ask where is your treasure?
I also know there are some who are reading this that say there is no God. Therefore I can do what I like in this world. After all I can’t take it with me. That’s their choice. However I would ask them to consider this statement by Peter John Kreeft who said,
“Atheism treats people cheaply. Also, it robs death of meaning, and if death has no meaning, how can life ultimately have meaning? Atheism cheapens everything it touches, look at the results of communism, the most powerful form of atheism on earth.
And in the end, when the atheist dies and encounters God instead of nothingness he had predicted he’ll recognize that atheism was a cheap answer because it refused the only thing that’s not cheap the God of infinite value” Peter John Kreeft ph.d.
For me personally knowing  God, knowing that there is a place in heaven waiting for me gives me hope. Serving God enriches my life and gives me peace no matter what I am going through.
I have found the words of Jesus to be true when he said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Someone said,
“No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.” Author Unknown.
This I have found is a true statement.
Please take some time to at least read the New Testament for yourself and see what God offers you.
Please think about it.