| Parousia Patris Perspectives
�Treasures" Vol 3 No 5 Matt 13: 44 May 2008 Jamie held her pen between her fingers as she raised her hand to scratch her head. �Matt, I can�t get this checkbook to balance. Its coming up with a negative balance and its only the 21st of the month.� Matt put a hand on her shoulder. �I know. What can we do? We can�t keep taking out of savings to meet our bill payments. We are just going to have to sit down and decide what things are valuable and sell others.� �Like that fancy new rifle you will never use?� Jamie frowned. She shouldn�t have said that, now he would mention her new printer. Matt sighed. �Maybe you are right. We need to decide what our values are. Do we really need all these extra things? I keep thinking about people who hardly have a roof over their heads and wonder where they will get the next meal. Here we are wanting the newest trinket. We�ve got quite a few of those stored in the attic that grew old, like your second printer. And my old fishing tackle I�ll never use.� �Let�s set down after supper and make a list of the things we really TREASURE and keep those.� Jamie was getting excited about this. She loved to organize and the kids could use this lesson too. Later that evening, Matt opened their devotional reading for that day and read in Matthew 13:44, �The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.� �Did you have one of those little boxes of treasures that you kept under your bed as a boy? I had one I kept in my dresser. It had a butterfly, a dress pin my favorite girl friend gave me and a little new testament in it. What was in your box of treasures?� Jamie sat patiently listening to Matt describe his rock treasures and arrowheads he had found. �Our devotional mentions Treasures are the things we value. What would you sell all you had to buy, Matt?� Jamie was busy thinking what she would want to buy. Mebe a new car, hers was getting a lot of miles on it. �Heaven with Jesus! You know this devotional writer is right. The Bible is right. The most valuable treasure we have is our relationship with Jesus and the eternal life He gives us, don�t you think?� Jamie blushed. She hoped Matt hadn�t read her mind. Here she was thinking about cars and new carpet. �Yeah, I guess God is telling us just what we need to know. All these �earthly treasures� are just going to rust, fall apart and deteriorate. � Matt and Jamie each carried out the devotionals life application by making a list of eternal things vs temporal things. Their Eternal Treasures list included riches like God�s Inheritances for His children of His: Love Himself Blessings Eternal Life Grace His Son Promises Heaven Mercy Holy Spirit Plan New Bodies Forgiveness His Living Word Pleasures Everlasting Joy �Okay. We�ve listed a teeny few of His treasures He bestows on us. The Bible says in 1 Cor. 2:9 �But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.� Jason and Jessie had been setting quietly listening up to this point. Jason could contain himself no longer. �Can I buy ice cream in heaven?� �Oh silly! What would you buy it with? We don�t take our money to heaven. Member, Granny Gurty in the hospital. She didn�t take anything with her. She even left her body!� Jessie frowned. Matt spoke up. �Kids, if we don�t take any earthly treasures to heaven, what do you think we do take to attain our rewards?� Jessie pointed out the Bible scripture to her brother. �See here it does say �Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. So how do we do that if we can�t take it with us when Jesus takes us to heaven?� �Maybe UPS has a secret road to take our treasures to heaven.� Jason interjected. Jamie entered the discussion. �James says our gold and silver will become worthless when Jesus comes. So maybe we should consider the treasures of heaven are not things we can see. Mebe it�s the life we lead here and what we do for Jesus and others. What do you think?� �Does that mean I can�t get mad at my sister when she tells me what to do?� Jason�s mouth turned down as he leaned his chin on his hand. Matt looked at Jamie with a tight lipped smile, trying not to laugh. �Maybe our treasures for heaven are things like trying to be more like Jesus. How would He treat your sister, or she treat you?� �Oh I get it! We can tell others about Jesus love for them, and do things for old ladies n� old men.� Jessie exclaimed as she jumped up. Jason not to be outdone had to add, �Yeah we can take them some of our cookies and give some of our allowance for missionaries and poor people. Mom are you gonna bake some cookies for your treasure in heaven?� Jessie�s eyebrows were arched in thought as she stood poised with a finger in the air. �So God gives us treasures to have here on earth. Sometimes they are things like cookies and ice cream; sometimes blessing things we can�t see but make us happy, like His love, joy and forgiveness. And we can enjoy them and pass them around to others too, that way they go on to heaven for us.� Matt concluded their devotion time. �I think you got the idea. Where are hearts are, there is our treasure. That�s the treasures we lay up in heaven. One of those most valuable treasures is our FAITH. Peter tells us that it is more precious than gold. So Faith in Jesus is really a great treasure on earth and in heaven. We can enjoy the earthly treasures God give us even though we know they are not lasting. The most valuable treasures last forever. What do you think some of those are, Jamie?� Matt wanted to include her in the closing. �I think your dad hit on the most valuable treasure we can have here and heaven. We can leave our legacy of faith and love to you children, our grandchildren and great grandchildren. Yes and to friends as well. We can leave our witness and in heaven the treasure of souls we have witnessed to about Jesus will be our treasure there. We can live a life that bears the fruits of His Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. We can leave our money here to feed the hungry and spread the gospel message and it will be laid up for us as treasure in heaven.� �Does that mean if I give my friend Davey some of my baseball cards, they will be laid up in heaven for me there?� Jason projected. �Well maybe Jesus has some baseball teams up there with cards for the players. Mostly yes, it means your kindness to Davey will lay up that treasure in heaven for you. And what�s so neat about it is, that mebe Davey will learn from you and turn around and be kind to another friend. That will be part of your treasure too, in heaven. So our treasures we lay up can multiply in God�s economy.� �Yes, we all have a heavenly bank account of treasure that gains interest. God always gives us back more than we give Him. He gave us Jesus and that�s the best Treasure we can have and share. He will be with us always. Jesus gave us eternal life, that�s a treasure money can�t buy and no one can take from us. Let�s pray and thank Jesus for all the treasures He has for us now and in heaven.� Matt led the way as they got on their knees. Here are some scriptures to study that will help us realize the vast storehouse of heaven�s treasures for us now and forever. Some will help you start laying up those treasures in heaven now. Matt: 6:19-21; 28-34; Prv 23:4;Gal 4:7;3:29; Ps 23;Rom 8:17,32,38-39; 2Cor 9:8-15; I Tim 6:17b-19; 2 Chron 20:7 I Pet 1:4; Matt 12:35;13:52; James 5:1-6; Lk 6:45;12:21,30-34; 2Cor 4:7; 2Tim 1:14. Where is your TREASURE? Do you have treasures building interest in heaven? Is Jesus your greatest TREASURE? Matt 13:44 If you will sell out yourself to JESUS, you will have that great TREASURE, that pearl of great price. For Jesus is our Shepherd, in Him we shall not want, but have everything we need now and always. Phil 4:19. Jesus gave Himself for you on Calvary. Give your heart to Jesus. Where your treasure, is there your heart will be also. We have this treasure in our earthen vessel, His Spirit, when we give our hearts to Jesus,Who will help us lay up those treasures for heaven. Join me in this simple prayer, �Lord Jesus I give you my earthly treasure of myself, that I may have You as my greatest TREASURE, my pearl of great price. Forgive my sins and come into my heart and make me that earthen vessel to be filled with treasures for heaven for Your honor, glory and praise. Thank You Jesus for the vast array of riches in You. Amen.� May you possess the vast rich TREASURES IN JESUS now and forever! �Tis only one life will soon be past, only what�s done for Christ will last.� [email protected] P.O. Box 1393 Ava, MO 65608 BHG---�2008 Pamela Gray Karges |
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