The Importance of Accumulating Treasure in Heaven, rather than here on Earth!

08 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:19a & 20a.       Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… But lay up  for yourselves treasures in heaven…

Oh friends, what a joy it is these days to finally look out my bedroom window and see life; see nature being reborn in the green, yellow or cherry coloured leaves of the trees, instead of the dark and dreary lifeless branches I’ve been seeing for the last six months. But surprisingly, there are some trees that still look like stick dancers, with nary a leaf, not even a bud on them. I don’t understand that, when so many others quite close to them are beautifully blooming. And don’t think that it’s only the trees that are vibrant with new life… not at all! 

The grass looks as green as ever with the rain over the last couple of days, the weeds are sprouting too, including the gloriously yellow dandelion. And every time I see those dandelions spread out so beautifully in the grass, I remember the first time I saw them some fifty something years ago, and thought they were such a beautiful flower, only to learn later that they were a very disgusting weed. And brother when they turn from yellow to white, the effect is certainly dramatic. 

Oh, let’s not forget those other early bloomers, the lilies of the field, dressed even more gloriously than Cousin Sol at his best, as Jesus so effectively characterized them in Matthew 6:28-29. And the Duchess has a couple at both the front and side of her garden that are indeed rich in colour. The only problem with the lilies though is that they don’t last as long as we would like then to. So, in other words, I guess I’m saying that spring is finally here, with a bit of summer weather thrown in for good measure, as I got to sit on my front porch yesterday in minimal dress. 

I can’t’ wait for the time when I can sit there every afternoon and watch the folks of the neighbourhood go by, walking and running. There’s a serious disappointment in that though, for these days, many more people are walking dogs than children. Chuh man! I just get disgusted seeing so many dogs, with only a handful of children out enjoying the good weather. For whatever reason, this generation seems to be more interested in dogs than children! I wonder who’s going to walk those dogs, or live in those fancy houses when the old folks die? But who am I to tell others whether to have children or dogs eh? (smile) 

And that brings us to an interesting scripture where Jesus warns us about our treasures and where we secure them. Unfortunately, many of us know it, but like so many other scriptures, simply ignore it. So, one more time, please listen closely to Jesus’ most valuable advice. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up  for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:19-20)  

Now we cannot find any fault with that advice, because many of us have experienced or know of someone who has experienced the loss of their earthly treasure though rust and earthly decay, as well as through others stealing it, but none have ever complained about losing their heavenly treasure, since there are no moths or decay or thieves in heaven. (smile) Seriously though, Jesus is trying to say that the accumulation of earthly things can be lost quite easily, but whatever you have stored up in heaven will never be lost. 

And the scholars further enlighten us when they say: ‘The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ 

And we have a very good example of that when later on a rich young man approaches Jesus and asks what he should do to have eternal life? Jesus basically told him to keep the Ten Commandments. To which he answered, ‘All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ (Matt. 19:20-21) Unfortunately the young man went away quite sorrowful because he had much wealth. 

But as the scholars explain, ‘The list of commands that Jesus gave him in verses 18 and 19, centres on outward duties, rather than inward nature, which was the young man’s real problem. He protests that he’s kept these outward demands. His luxurious wealth and self-righteousness blinded him to his real weakness. To expose this, Jesus tells him to go and sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, then come back and follow Him. But he refused to do it. 

Jesus thus shows him that he had not kept the commandments at all. He LOVED himself more than he LOVED his neighbour (the poor), and he LOVED his possessions more than he LOVED God (refusing to follow Jesus). This passage teaches the seriousness of true discipleship, but it in no way teaches that the average man must sell his possessions in order to be a Christian.’ 

And that can never be true, otherwise why would the Lord bestow our undeserved Thursday Blessings on us eh? Blessings that can make us healthy, wealthy and wise. (smile) Because He LOVES us and knows that we need tools to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having made that declaration (yesss!!!), we are now indebted to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…you cannot straddle the fence between Satan and God…have one foot in both kingdoms…you must have both feet…in one or the other…preferably God’s…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Walking with Christ Necessitates Steadfastness and Looking to the Future, not the Past!

27 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 9:62.       And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.

Oh friends, Thursday has opened bright and sunshiny from the very beginning, although it’s still somewhat chilly.  Let’s hope it stays that way…but luck of all luck, I just looked down at the bottom of the computer and saw this dreary and discouraging message: ‘3 cm of snow on Sunday.’ Brother, I thought that since we’re in springtime, we were all over with that white stuff, but apparently not. And we can’t write off the report, because last week when it said snow on Monday, we did get snow early on Monday morning, although not a great amount and it melted very quickly. 

But dem’s the breaks! If you live in the winter climate, you must expect winter weather at any time, especially with the crazy weather patterns that we’re currently experiencing in the throes of climate change.  Anyway, not to worry, we will overcome whatever comes against us through strong faith in, and the help of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. He’s promised it, and He keeps all of His promises. 

So, today, let’s look at a couple of interesting verses from Luke’s gospel. The story behind it is that one man wants to follow Jesus, but he wants to go and bury his father first. To which Jesus replies: ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9: 60) Now that sounds somewhat rough and unfeeling of Jesus, but this commentary explains it thus: ‘The man needs to let someone else bury his father; he needs to spread the news of the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ play on words most likely means that the spiritually dead—those who refuse to follow Him—can bury the physically dead; in this case, the spiritually living—the disciple—has more important things to do.’  

That leads to this next situation. Another man wants to go and say farewell to his family before following Jesus. ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) Now that’s a big statement my people! And what does it mean? The scholars put it thus: ‘One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to him.’  

Then this commentary explains: ‘Luke is showing that following Jesus is a serious commitment. We can’t look back at the past; we need to keep our eyes on our work and where it will take us in the future.’ Meanwhile this other commentary says: ‘Plow is synonymous with work or a task. The implication is that once you begin your walk with Jesus, but then look back to the worldly life you lived once before (i.e.: in longing for), you are not dedicated enough to continue and/or complete that task.’ 

There you have it my brethren: Basically, once we have begun our walk with Jesus we cannot look back or long for the things of the past, but need to press on to the things of the future that Jesus has in store for us. That’s why we have this statement in our Wednesday Wail: ‘My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus.’ It’s all about looking to the future my brethren! 

And we have an interesting comment on just that from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…’ (2 Tim. 4:9-10) Now, that’s the kind of thing Jesus is talking about. We cannot just up and leave our ministry for the world and expect everything to be hunky dory. 

As John so rightly puts it in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

Ah mih people, I know Satan and his evil cronies are always throwing baubles, bangles and bright shiny things in our faces, and it’s hard to stay away from the entrancing and captivating things of the world, but we need to seriously realize that most of those things are either not necessary, ungodly, or not a part of God’s will for us, plus they will not last forever. Only a life with Jesus will last forever!  

Jesus made it quite clear, when He delivered these teachings. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) 

Yes friends, we should not be so taken up with accumulating things here on earth, which rust and rot and thieves can steal, but with accumulating treasures in heaven, where they are safeguarded from moths, rust and thieves. And according to the scholars: ‘The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits, but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teachings of Jesus.’ 

And yuh know what, our God is such a great God that He’s bestowed undeserved blessings on us so that we can better do His earthly work and thus earn more heavenly rewards for faithful service. We call them our Thurseday Blessings. So, let’s declare them out loud and thus activate them nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having activated those blessings it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…working for God on earth…should be a joy…as we consider…the treasures we’re building up in heaven…  

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 May 2024 Matthew 6:21.

10 May 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:21.       For where your treasure is, there will your heart be.

And though it’s a cloudy kind of a sunny day, we don’t care because we’ve gotten to shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Yes friends, the weekend’s here, work’s done for another week and we’re joyful as we set out to celebrate another eventful Mother’s Day, where we’ll wine and dine those wonderful women who bore us in their wombs for nine tough months, and then showed us what LOVE and life are all about, as they raised us in a caring and compassionate manner.  And that’s a good Bruh Paulian sentence! (smile) 

Today, we’re going to talk about something near and very dear to all of our hearts; that’s treasure, material wealth of the world, which all of us need to live, but too many of us live to get, to accumulate it, and will do anything necessary to get it. However friends, that’s not a good way to live at all. For running down material wealth is fraught with all kinds of problems, some even life threatening. Remember Bruh Paul’s serious warning to Timothy? ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (ruined themselves).’ (2 Tim. 6:10) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! When we run down money and all it’s inherent trials, we lose track of life, of our families, of ourselves, because the accumulation of money is a very demanding mistress. It can spoil everything around us, and even drive us from faith in God. And that’s the devil’s greatest hope. That’s why Jesus gave this very intentional warning: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:’ (Matt. 6:19) 

Now we all know that to be true, because we hear and see it every day, where someone with lots of money is either defrauded out of it, or it’s physically stolen. And if your treasure happens to be in things like clothes, art, books or some mechanical device, then, with the passing of time, moth and rust will certainly attack them and thus drive down their value, or even make them completely worthless. So what’s the answer to that conundrum, that difficult problem of storing up our treasures? 

Jesus answers it thus: ‘But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) More gospel truth my people! For heaven is such a secure place where there’s no moth, rust nor thieves. No, none of those negative things exist in God’s, and our soon to be home. So it’s obviously the best place to lay up your treasures. Then Jesus makes this oh so important statement: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be.’ (Matt. 6:21) 

And there’s absolutely no doubt about that, for wherever your treasure is laid up there you will concentrate your focus. Thus, if you have an accumulation of earthly treasures, you will focus on them down here on earth more than on anything else. That means God will most likely not be an important aspect of your life. However, if your treasures are in heaven, in the spiritual realm, then there will your heart be also, and God will be the focus of your life.  What Jesus is saying my brethren, is that the spiritual things of life are more important than the material things. And therefore one must concentrate on building up one’s spiritual maturity and life. 

That brings up Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy shortly before he told him about the destruction the LOVE of money can cause. ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (2 Tim. 6:7) More indisputable truth, since we didn’t bring anything when we were born, and we certainly cannot carry all, or any of the material wealth we’ve accumulated here on earth. So why kill our selves to accumulate it eh? Only to leave it for others to enjoy and waste. 

As Cousin Sol so wisely says in Ecclesiastes about leaving one’s wealth to others. ‘And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity (futility).’ (Eccl. 2:19) That’s another problem with leaving behind too much material possessions; people either waste it, or fight over it and the lawyers end up getting most of it. That’s why it’s so important to lay up treasures in heaven where you will be spending eternity. 

And the scholars offer these explanations on the subject. ‘The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term ‘treasures’ implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ And since treasures in heaven come from faithful service to God, that means we cannot both focus on earthly treasure and heavenly rewards at the same time. As Jesus puts it: ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money, riches).’ (Matt. 6:25b) 

More gospel truth! So we therefore have to decide which one we’re going to serve, and for all the reasons listed above, serving God is obviously the wisest decision. And to help us make that crucial decision today and stick to it, in light of all wiles and lies of the devil, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for divine help. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. 

We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And to get that divine aid rolling, as our prayer directs, we first need to show ourselves as true and faithful believers. Much LOVE!

…since earthly life is short and heavenly life lasts forever…wisdom dictates storing up more heavenly treasures than earthly ones…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 October 2022 Matthew 6:21.

21 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:21.       For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Ah, at last some bright sunshine today and not the cloudy times we’ve had the last few days. But it’s still somewhat chilly, although the temperatures for today and the next week are going to soar into the mid-teens, and possibly above, after being below ten for the last little while. I don’t know if that’s because of our latest phenomenon called climate change, or it’s what used to be called ‘Indian summer,’ but which is now a politically incorrect term. 

However, you won’t hear me complain anytime the temperature is in the mid-teens, I will gladly declare…ah Lord eh, I even spelled the simple form of the word wrong. What’s the problem with me and it eh? Anyhow, to prevent further provocation, let’s proclaim (smile) ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps, 118:24) And since it’s Friday, let’s also proclaim: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’ 

So we have those two interesting proclamations, but we need to balance them out properly, making sure that the Lord’s will comes first and not allow our pleasure mode to ruin our witness, because we can be real party animals when we’re ready, and if we’re not careful, put God completely out of our minds. And that’s definitely not a good position in which to find oneself. Remember Jesus’ admonition in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33). 

Yes friends, if we make Almighty God our Number One priority, everything else will fall into proper place in our lives. We’ll have all that we need to live comfortably as well as time to party – in moderation that is. So why do we still insist on running down the things of this world and spend our lives unwisely and anxiously accumulating them? 

Jesus also had something important to say on that. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin),and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) 

And who says Jesus didn’t dispense divine wisdom for practical living here on earth eh? Just look at the ridiculous amount of protection we need nowadays to protect our earthly stuff, and we not even talking about real expensive stuff, just our everyday belongings. And yet still thieves break through and steal. What’s the point then of accumulating all that earthly wealth eh? Remember Granny said that anything a man builds, another man can also invade, or break into. 

So there’s good wisdom in Jesus’ teaching to store our treasures in heaven and not here on earth. And that last part about where your treasure is, there will your heart be, it’s gospel truth my people. Another reason to store our treasures in heaven, for when we do that, our heart will be with God up there, focusing on Him and His righteousness, not with evil mankind down here. 

And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ 

That means we’re not laying up stuff in heaven, as we lay it up down here on earth. Our stuff up there are rewards for the righteousness we exhibit down here, not things like silver and gold. That’s why they don’t rust, or thieves can’t steal them. Or as Peter so wisely puts it. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5) 

Ah mih people, whatever is stored up for us in heaven through the power of God on the basis of Jesus’s work, especially salvation, is incorruptible and undefiled and cannot fade away. Now isn’t that good news? It certainly is, and it ought to encourage us to store up our treasures in heaven rather than down here on earth, where even the most expensive clothes are eventually consumed by moths and age, and the most precious things like silver and gold fade away, lose their lustre, and thieves break into even the most impregnable bank vaults and steal. 

So what’s the point of accumulating much earthly treasure eh? None whatsoever, because the more you have, the more headaches you experience, just to keep it safe. Anyway, enough sermonizing for today. (smile) Let’s go to the Lord in prayer, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help in our strife-filled world. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the several viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the threatening to boil over discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And if we truly desire to receive a positive reaction from heaven, then we need to become the faithful believers we just mentioned, and set the good example needed for others to come to Jesus. Much LOVE!

…true wisdom…to balance your treasure chest according to your life span…so store more treasures in heaven than on earth…since heavenly life is forever

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ           

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 September 2021 Matthew 6:21.

06 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:21.     For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, on this Labour Day Monday, may ‘Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord (and Saviour).’ (2 Pet. 1:2) Yes friends, we do need a lot of grace and peace in these trying times, times when everyone seems to be angry, displeased and dissatisfied over some thing or the other. And the only way to get those two precious commodities is through sincere belief in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt in full! 

All praise and glory be to that wonderful Saviour of ours! He’s promised that despite our circumstances, if we believe in Him, the Father will grant us His divine grace, and thus peace, through all the vicissitudes of life. And let’s remember that it’s by God’s divine grace that we are saved, through faith; and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) Or as Saint Therese of Lisieux so wisely put it a while back: ‘Everything is grace!’ 

And it certainly is friends, for all that we are and do, all that we have and will ever have, from the breath of life flowing through our bodies, to the eternal life we receive through believing in Christ, is based on the divine grace of our heavenly Father. That’s God’s unmerited favour, that nothing we can ever do will be good enough to deserve it. And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Lord for Your awesome gift of grace!’ 

Sadly though, too many of the earth’s inhabitants don’t know of Jehovah God and His wonderful goodness to the children of men. And even worse yet, too many of those who do know of Him, refuse to accept that divine grace He offers, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Now that’s to their detriment, for it will only lead to eternal separation from God, which is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. 

Oh my people, how many times do I have to reiterate that eh, before you all believe me? Eternal separation from God means not being in heaven with Him till eternity, but with Satan, the Devil, Beelzebub, or whatever name you choose to call him, facing damnation in the fiery halls of hell, and eventually being cast into the lake of fire with all the other unbelievers. Now tell me, are the sinful pleasures of this world truly worth such a terrible end? I don’t think so friends. And if you stop for a moment and really consider the situation, you will also realize that the pleasures of this world are not worth such a disastrous end, and can never be better than those found in heaven. 

That’s why in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus adamantly warned: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) 

And we all know that’s the gospel truth friends, for wherever we store whatever we treasure, we will always be thinking of and contemplating on it. So, it’s much better if we store up treasure in heaven, that is, rewards for faithful service, where moth and rust nor any negative thing can destroy them, than store up earthly stuff, that’s useful today and old and rusty or stolen tomorrow. Yes my brethren, earthly things don’t last. Just look at any junkyard nuh. Everything in there was once brand new, shiny and useful, but like the shine on all earthly things it soon wore off and they became old and rusty, of no further use to anyone. 

And to further illuminate us, please listen to the warning James gave to the rich, those who stored up earthly treasures. ‘Go to ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted (have rotted), and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered (corroded); and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.’ (James 5:1-3) 

Sadly my brethren, that same earthly treasure that the rich have laid up for their retirement, is what the Lord will use against them in the last days, for a lot of it was treacherously and deceitfully gained; robbing the poor and not paying the labourer a fair wage. That’s the basic story friends; don’t store up too much useless earthly stuff, which you will die and leave here anyway. But try and store up as many rewards for faithful service as you can in heaven, where you will eventually go and enjoy them – providing you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, because He is the ONLY Way to the Father in heaven! 

Now, let’s talk to the Father, pour out our troubles and problems to Him, the ONLY One who can help us to put a lasting fix on them. So as one strong voice, let’s invoke our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now let’s remember that all our prayers will fall on deaf ears, if we don’t keep the promises we just made. Much LOVE!

…earth’s treasures are temporary…short lived…but heaven’s treasures are eternal…run from everlasting to everlasting…                                                                                                  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8           

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 August 2020 Matthew 6:19.

01 Aug 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:19.     ​Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:
 

Saturday, oh Saturday! Thou lazy, lumbering but oh so beautiful day! How I do LOVE thee! And I won’t stop to count the ways, because there would be just too many! (smile) Yeh friends, Saturday is one of our favourite days because it invokes the spirit of laziness and do nothing, but also of partying… that is when we could party. I guess we can do it some now with the stage 3 ease in the current Covid-19 lockdown. Let’s hope that we don’t overdo it and spoil the good thing we have going. You know that’s one of our favourite tendencies in this age of overdoing. 

But be that as it may, today is Saturday, so let’s check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week nuh, as he aspires to inspire us to a better tomorrow. And this first one is a doozy. (smile) ‘Don’t handicap your children by making their lives easy.’ Now isn’t that what our generation has done in spades! We’ve made life so easy for our children that they believe they are entitled to an easy life, and are the biggest whiners on the planet! They have no belly or backbone because they have not gone through any real hard times, and it’s only difficulties that build resilience and stick-to-itiveness! 

We’ve made them so soft, given them what they want, or what the advertising agencies said they needed and thus spoiled them rotten. Oh, I can understand our desire to not make their lives as difficult as many of ours were, but that difficulty is what made us strong and determined, and by removing most of the difficulty in their lives we’ve done them a great injustice, because now, when they face difficulties, many of them can’t cope. That’s why so many of them are seeing shrinks and are on psych meds at an early age and contend so much with suicidal thoughts, especially when confronted with the evil that’s found in social media. 

And the next quote wisely proclaims: ‘The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.’ Now there’s an awesome lot of truth in that saying! When we confront big problems, or that mighty mountain we desire to move, it’s advisable to begin with the small tasks, which are always present, and work our way up to the big ones. That makes our lives easier and our problems less difficult to solve. It makes no sense to try and remove the entire mountain all at once. (smile) You’d notice that even with the great earth removing equipment we have nowadays, they still remove the big mountains one shovel full, or one relatively small piece at a time, never the whole thing at once. 

Then there’s this: ‘He who is untrue to his own cause cannot command the respect of others.’ Now that ought to be pure common sense! How can you espouse a cause then not be true to it and expect others to respect you eh? But unfortunately that happens a lot in these modern times. I don’t know if the causes are never truly espoused and just being used as facades for other stuff. But there are so many varied causes being espoused nowadays, that it’s become very difficult to know whom to trust, and often wise not to trust any of them. It’s so sad that so many people are not who they say they are, or what they are about. 

Consequently there’s so much disrespect and distrust and lack of faith in our society that we have to be ever so careful of whom we deal with. That leads us to this quote. ‘Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).’ Now I’m not sure what that the author really means by that statement. For if you consider our way of life that we term democracy, basically meaning that the majority wins, then it doesn’t make sense. 

On the other hand, I guess one can consider it to mean that being in the majority is not a good thing. In some way it belittles or demeans you, because only the minority knows what’s best, are capable of ruling. I guess that’s why so many li’l cliques are ruling so many things in our world. (smile) But seriously though, I don’t know if there’s ever a bad time to reform or pause and reflect, because none of us are perfect, which means we all have room for improvement in all kinds of areas of our lives. 

And the last quote says: ‘Nothing is forever. Everything goes to 0 eventually.’ Technically speaking that’s not quite true, because eternity lasts forever. (smile) However, in the affairs of men, nothing really lasts forever; be they relationships, businesses, buildings, possessions, even societies come and go. Just look at all the great societies that have populated the planet over time. All of them eventually fell into decay and many disappeared completely, as will our current powerful one that’s now in sad decline and decay. I guess you can call it the nature of the beast. 

And that’s why Jesus gave us this all-important warning. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:’ (Matt. 6:19) Oh friends, what great wisdom is contained in those words! The treasures of earth are those that will not last forever, they will either get stolen or naturally rust and decay, because that’s just the nature of earthly things. Even the earth won’t last forever and is in a state of constant change with things like earthquakes and volcanoes and other natural disasters constantly changing and destroying it. 

No wonder Cousin Sol also advised: ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from thine own wisdom.’ (Prov. 23:4) For it’s all vanity, useless in the long run. Then Jesus gives us the real truth of the matter. ‘But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) Yes mih people, the one place that will not see any destruction and last forever is heaven! Glory be! That’s why Jesus pointed us in that direction. ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21) And that’s the living truth. Wherever our treasure is stored, that’s where our focus will be. 

As the scholars explain: ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term ‘treasures’ implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather as rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ 

Oh friends, treasures can indeed be useful and valuable, but the sad fact of the matter is that the earthly ones don’t last or get us very far, they all leave us, or we leave them when the grim reaper comes a-calling. So we can enjoy them for a while, but should not set our hearts desires on them, but rather be more concerned with the treasures, the rewards that we can accumulate in heaven for faithful service in Jesus’ name, because those are the only real treasures that exist, that are worth working towards and the only ones which will last forever. Much LOVE!

…where’s our heart looking eh…to earth or heaven… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2019 Matthew 5:19.

08 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 5:19.    ​Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:
 

‘Sunshine makes me feel so happy…Sunshine makes me feel so sad…’ Yeh friends, sunshine has the ability to do both those things. When we see it in the early morning hours, it lifts our spirits, but when it gets too hot, or too cold, as it is now in my neck of the woods, it deflates the spirit somewhat. But let’s be thankful for small mercies nuh, be thankful that there’s a bright sun shining in God’s beautiful sky, instead of any negative precipitation like the rain we’ve been recently having, or the snow that’s in our immediate future. And the ordinary workingman reminds us of just that in his weekend song. 

‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend is upon us! Boy, is that ever the best time of the week! And the sun’s shining to boot…and no snow not falling…not yet anyway. Wow! As Brother James Brown would say: ‘Get on the good foot baby!’ Yes, I’m certainly going to do that, come rain, snow or shine, cause life’s too short to allow the vagaries of the weather to control it. And who doesn’t want to do that, that’s their business, their loss. They don’t know what a good time they passing up nuh. To some of us, it’s okay to work all week, then don’t enjoy the weekend. Well not me nuh! I’m starting right now to enjoy it oui! Come hell or highwater, my weekend going to be a blast! Yes sir! Thank God for Fridays and weekends!’ 

And so should we all, my precious people of God! Because it’s only through His grace and mercy that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour in fairly peaceful surroundings. Unfortunately, a great proportion of humanity are unable to do that, due to strife and wars and other public upheavals. So let’s give some sincere and heartfelt thanks as we declare our weekend song, our Friday Chant.

All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

And as I like to remind us each week, Christianity is an action oriented, outgoing association, but not one that just runs hither, thither and yon without a sensible sense of purpose. (smile) That is to say, our Leader, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has instituted borders and boundaries that we should not cross over since they would just allow the ever-lurking enemy to get a foothold in our lives, something we need to avoid at all cost. So, unlike the ordinary workingman, we don’t rush out and do whatever we want, or whatever feels good, we need to examine our actions in the context of Christ’s boundaries before we do stuff. 

Now sometimes that’s difficult, or it seems to detract from what we’d naturally consider a joyful time. But friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry, for once we get into certain activities or circumstances, they will certainly come back to haunt us, possibly for the rest of our lives. Please, please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, especially in the enemy’s camp. His stuff is not even gold plated, just covered with a thin veneer of gold paint, and gets rusty real quickly! (smile) That’s why Jesus went to such great length to warn us in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:’ What life changing, world beating advice my brethren! 

And it’s not like we don’t know, or have not experienced the theft and/or fraudulent gain of our earthly treasure by others, yet we continue to kill ourselves in order to accumulate earthly wealth and possessions that can be so easily violated. And Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging, He shows us where to store our treasure. ‘But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) That’s ageless wisdom people! If you have treasure, the best place to store it is where it’s the safest from thieves and rust…and that’s heaven. 

And furthermore, Jesus reminds us: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:21) Gospel truth friends! Just think about your earthly valuables right now, wherever you have them stored, your mind is always on them wondering if they are safe; in the bank, or under your mattress, or if they are making you more money, increasing in value, in places like the stock exchange. And in these oh so turbulent times, we’re thinking about our earthly treasure more than ever, since matters totally out of our control can cause us to lose it all. 

Listen to the scholars: ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (on earth, or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather as rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ Oh friends all the wealth in the world won’t get us into heaven. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have earthly wealth, but it’s how we use it. 

Hear Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim. 17-19) Yeh friends, once we believe in Christ, we must use our earthly treasures to help others, to further God’s kingdom, thus we will store up rewards, treasures in heaven…and you can’t beat heavenly treasures! Much LOVE!

…labour not to be rich…do not overwork…cease from thine own wisdom… (Prov.23:4)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2014 Matthew 6:19

24 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:19.       Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal.

Aye mih Friends, it’s Thursday, what’s new, what’s on the agenda for today eh? I know that all of us have lofty plans for the day, but just remember, for them to succeed, we have to commit these plans to the Lord, link them with His plan and will for our lives.
 
As Bruh David so wisely advises in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:5-6)
 
But first things first my brethren; let’s give our wonderful God a mighty shout of praise and thanks for causing us to see another marvelous day here on earth, for without His goodness and tender mercy, His LOVING-kindness and forbearance, that wouldn’t be possible.
 
So please pray with me, this prayer that Jesus taught us. ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt.6:9-13)
 
Yes my people, it’s always best to acknowledge our heavenly Father before we begin asking Him for this and that. It just shows our respect, our reverential awe for His holiness, His spectacular majesty and awesome power, and that we’re not merely interested in whatever good things He might have to offer us.
 
For also remember that He can see, and does read the true motives of our hearts, so any hypocrisy we try to hide from Him WILL BE exposed to His supernatural sight. Consequently, I don’t understand how so many of us still come to God with deceitful thoughts and attitudes, thinking to fool Him. Absolute stupidity!
 
Anyway, that brings us to our Bit, a very significant teaching of Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:19-21)
 
Oh Friends, what a very instructive and hopefully convincing passage of scripture, that all of us will sincerely and confidently take note of!
 
And the scholars have this to say about those verses. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven).
 
The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’
 
Yes my brethren, unlike the world’s theory that we should aggrandize ourselves with the worthless physical riches of the earth, Jesus is advising us to store up the favours and rewards for godly and righteous service in heaven.
 
And it’s a proven fact that wherever the choice things of our heart are located, that’s where our attention will be focused. So if the treasures of the world hold the place of highest esteem in our lives, then that’s where our focus, our priorities, will lie.
 
However, if the rewards and riches found in heaven speak more to us, then it’s on heaven and heavenly things that our focus and priorities will be trained.
 
And though the riches of the world are nice to have, running behind them, making ourselves slaves to collecting them is not a very wise idea. For that path only brings immense headaches and pain, in the long run causing us to forsake our friends and families, and most importantly our God.
 
Now let’s look at some scriptures that support our Bit. And the first comes from the pen of wise Cousin Sol, where he unequivocally declares: ‘Labour not (do not overwork) to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
 
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? (Will you cause your eyes to fly on it, and it is not?) For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5)
 
And who should know the effect of riches my people, better than the richest man ever eh? And it is the gospel truth, as we can see from the many who have laboured long and hard to attain material wealth, then lost it all, in no time at all.
 
And there are also many stories of people who have made and lost several earthly fortunes in a lifetime. So it’s essentially easy to amass earthly riches, but the problem is keeping them.
 
And we’ll end today with those wise, famous and memorable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.
 
But they that will (desire to) be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
 
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
 
But thou, O man of God, flee these things (shun a LOVE of money); and follow after (pursue) righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim.6:6-12)
 
Oh my people, that passage of scripture says it all! So please, I implore us, let’s all look seriously today at our attitude towards material wealth, and wisely place it at the nether end of our priorities, not make it the goal of our lives.
 
Instead, let’s make the accumulation of heavenly rewards our raison d’etre, our reason for living. Now that’s the wisdom of everlasting life! Much LOVE!
 
…earthly wealth can easily be lost…and in any case we leave it all behind…when we go to collect our heavenly rewards…so why doggedly pursue it eh…