Shadrach
Member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2012
- Messages
- 86
Matthew 6:20-21, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”
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A while back, Fortune magazine did their cover story on Mr. Warren Buffet, who in June was the world’s 2nd richest man. It was then he announced he will donate 85% of his $44 billion fortune to 5 charity foundations. Commenting on his generosity, Buffet said: "There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way." Mr. Buffet may know a lot about making money, but if he really means what he says, he knows absolutely nothing about how to get to heaven. The Bible says salvation doesn’t depend on our generosity, but on God’s generosity. You don’t get to heaven by what you give to God, but by what God through Christ gives to you. It’s so easy to get caught up in trying to acquire wealth and position in this life, that a person can lose their perspective on what is important. Jesus said it is almost impossible for a rich person to be saved. The rich have already received their consolation or reward. Love for earthly wealth robs a person of spiritual wealth. Even if one does acquire wealth, so often the heart is still empty. David, the author of Psalm 37, cautioned the poor and needy not to be envious of the rich and prosperous. In time, the cargo manifest of the ungodly will be uncovered, revealing that their lives contain nothing of enduring value. My friend, this life is only the beginning of an everlasting existence if you’re a child of God, through the blood of the spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ. So don’t look longingly at the ungodly and their riches because they have no lasting treasures.
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Further reflection:
Sometime ago I read about a man who bought a luxurious house and filled it with expensive and impressive furnishings. After taking a friend on a tour through the mansion’s many spacious rooms, the owner asked proudly, “Well, what do you think of it?” The owner expected to hear lavish praise, so he was quite stunned when his guest replied, “It is magnificent; but to be perfectly frank, things like this make a deathbed terrible.” The rich man in Jesus’ parable (Luke 12:13-21) may have been dreaming about all the good things he could acquire because he had a great crop. He said he would build bigger barns, and he would spend his time eating, drinking, and partying. However, God told him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” My friend, if we cherish this world’s goods so much that the prospect of heaven loses its attraction, we can be sure that the earthly has become more valuable to us than the heavenly. The “treasure” we possess is misplaced. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Today the majority of individuals are spending a lifetime accumulating things while making no provision for eternity. They may have material wealth but are spiritually poor. My brethren, may the enjoyment of our temporal possessions never diminish the appeal of the eternal. Earth’s affluence is poverty when compared to the glories of eternal life with God. The principle is quite clear: Be “rich toward God,” not rich in things (v. 21). Besides, you’ll have to leave it all behind when death knocks at the door of your heart.
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hands.
__________
Invest your life in what pays eternal dividends
__________
A while back, Fortune magazine did their cover story on Mr. Warren Buffet, who in June was the world’s 2nd richest man. It was then he announced he will donate 85% of his $44 billion fortune to 5 charity foundations. Commenting on his generosity, Buffet said: "There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way." Mr. Buffet may know a lot about making money, but if he really means what he says, he knows absolutely nothing about how to get to heaven. The Bible says salvation doesn’t depend on our generosity, but on God’s generosity. You don’t get to heaven by what you give to God, but by what God through Christ gives to you. It’s so easy to get caught up in trying to acquire wealth and position in this life, that a person can lose their perspective on what is important. Jesus said it is almost impossible for a rich person to be saved. The rich have already received their consolation or reward. Love for earthly wealth robs a person of spiritual wealth. Even if one does acquire wealth, so often the heart is still empty. David, the author of Psalm 37, cautioned the poor and needy not to be envious of the rich and prosperous. In time, the cargo manifest of the ungodly will be uncovered, revealing that their lives contain nothing of enduring value. My friend, this life is only the beginning of an everlasting existence if you’re a child of God, through the blood of the spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ. So don’t look longingly at the ungodly and their riches because they have no lasting treasures.
__________
Further reflection:
Sometime ago I read about a man who bought a luxurious house and filled it with expensive and impressive furnishings. After taking a friend on a tour through the mansion’s many spacious rooms, the owner asked proudly, “Well, what do you think of it?” The owner expected to hear lavish praise, so he was quite stunned when his guest replied, “It is magnificent; but to be perfectly frank, things like this make a deathbed terrible.” The rich man in Jesus’ parable (Luke 12:13-21) may have been dreaming about all the good things he could acquire because he had a great crop. He said he would build bigger barns, and he would spend his time eating, drinking, and partying. However, God told him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” My friend, if we cherish this world’s goods so much that the prospect of heaven loses its attraction, we can be sure that the earthly has become more valuable to us than the heavenly. The “treasure” we possess is misplaced. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Today the majority of individuals are spending a lifetime accumulating things while making no provision for eternity. They may have material wealth but are spiritually poor. My brethren, may the enjoyment of our temporal possessions never diminish the appeal of the eternal. Earth’s affluence is poverty when compared to the glories of eternal life with God. The principle is quite clear: Be “rich toward God,” not rich in things (v. 21). Besides, you’ll have to leave it all behind when death knocks at the door of your heart.
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hands.
__________
Invest your life in what pays eternal dividends
