Wednesday, July 25, 2018

True Treasure – Part 1



This week, Michael writes that Matthew 5 and 6 records Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." The theme of the Sermon on the Mount is that treasure not material treasures upon earth, but instead spiritual treasures in heaven. Treasures on this earth will corrode and pass away, but the eternal spiritual treasures in heaven will last into eternity. The question is, What do you value most? Earthly wisdom says to hoard earthly treasures because they have a short shelf life. Everything we own wears out and loses its value. However, God commands us to treasure treasures in heaven that will last forever. According to 2 Corinthians 4:18, the things that are seen are temporal, but the unseen things of the Spirit are eternal. Therefore, treasure treasures in heaven for where your treasure is there will your heart be also. Men and women will follow their hearts into eternity. The treasures of this earth are “dust to dust and ashes to ashes”. That which is of this earth will be shaken and burned.  However, treasuring treasures of the Spirit of life in Christ in us will last forever.

The greatest treasure is acquired by the power of prayer. Prayer is where the Christian life is lived. English Christian evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill said, we should learn to pray in "concentration camps." For thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. It's far easier to rest without an answer until we learn to believe God according to the power of prayer. Prayer is to believe God for the scriptures say, "whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing you shall receive."  


Humanistic worldly wisdom teaches us to believe and act on things of the world that we don't understand. We routinely use our electronic devices to send and receive information without understanding the intricacies of e-mail and data communications. Likewise, God doesn't ask us to understand how prayer works. He simply requires that we act on prayer by believing andacting according to His Word.  

Acts 6:24 says “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” You can't serve both the material things of this world and the spiritual things of life in Christ. You are servants to whom you obey.  

The beatitudes, beginning in Matthew 5:3, give the requirements for those blessed of God. These “blessed” attitudes are cultivated by maintaining communication with God in prayer. Prayer connects our heart with God's heart.  Prayer is aligning our heart with our Father's heart. Prayer is "delighting ourselves in the Lord."  When our delight is His delight, then he will give us the desires of our heart.

Let's continue Michael's message on "True Treasures" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian

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