Treasures in Heaven….Enlightened Self Interest

 

“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 . Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven”   (Matthew 6:19-21)

Consider what Jesus is saying: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” Why not? Because earthly treasures are bad? No! Because the wont last. Scripture says “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle (Proverbs 23:5).  Think about it. Whatever you value  on this earth, sooner or later it will disappear.  When Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, it’s not just because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live or we live it when we die. There are NO exceptions.

Imagine you are alive at the end of the Civil war. You are living in the South but you are a Northerner. You plan to  move home as soon as the war is over. While in the South you have accumulated a lot of Confederate currency, Now suppose you know for a fact that the North is going to win the war and the end is imminent. What will you do with your Confederate Money? If You’re smart, there is only one answer. You immediately cash in your Confederate bucks for US currency – the only money that will have value  once the war is over. Keep only enough Confederate money to meet  short term needs.

The Bible gives us inside knowledge of an eventual worldwide upheaval caused by Christ’s return. This is the ultimate insider trading tip: Earth’s currency will become worthless when Christ returns – or when you die, whichever comes first. To accumulate vast earthly treasures that you can’t possibly hold onto for long is like stockpiling Confederate money even though you know it’s about to become worthless. According to Jesus , storing up early treasures isn’t simply wrong. It just plain stupid!

Jesus doesn’t tell us just where not to put our treasures . He gives the best investment advice you will ever hear: Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). Jesus is all for us storing up treasures for ourselves. Actually, He commands it. He tells us  to stop storing them in the wrong place and start storing them in the right place. God expects and commands us to act out of enlightened self-interest. “ He is no fool who  gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”  - Jim Elliot

 

Treasures in Heaven… A Treasure Mentality

When  we invest in the things God values (any work that helps others)  we are building treasures in heaven. What is this treasure?  It includes power (Luke 19:15-19) , possessions (Matthew 19:21)  and pleasures ( Psalm 16:11) . Jesus promises that those who sacrifice on earth will receive a hundred time as much in heaven (Matthew 19:29) . Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.  Why? Because its right and because its smart. Because such treasures will last. Jesus argues the bottom line .  It’s not an emotional appeal, it’s a logical one. Invest in what has lasting value. You’ll never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul. Why? Because you can’t take it with you. John D Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. After he died someone asked his accountant,  “How much money did John D. leave” . The reply… He left…. All of it. You can’t take it with you.

 

Treasures in Heaven… You can’t take it with you – But you can send it on ahead

Anything we hold on to will be lost.  But anything we put in God’s hands will be ours for eternity. If we give our time. money and energy,  if we invest in the eternal instead of the temporal, we store up treasures in heaven that never stop paying dividends. Whatever treasures we store up on earth will be left behind when we leave. Whatever treasures we store up in Heaven will be waiting for us there when we arrive.  What God entrusts to us here on earth is eternal investment capital. Every day is an opportunity to invest in His kingdom.

 You can’t take it with you but you can send it on ahead.

 

1:38am

I just finished watching a movie. The first time I saw this movie was 15 years ago. Then, I said I would never watch it again. The story while powerful, is heart wrenching to watch. Saving Private Ryan is Steven Spielberg's unblinking look at the horrors of WWII. It brings tears to my eyes as I watched the heroic story of 7 men sent to save 1. They accomplished their mission but die in the attempt.

I am reminded at 1:38am that sacrifice is the true measure of love and that I must always look to measure my life against this standard. People need to see love's expression in their lives. An email, text, call, visit or some other act that demonstrates one's care for another will detoxifies the poison of discouragement and despair.
Lord, help me to heed the lesson retaught at 1:38am and apply it.

 

Impatience

I have noticed a disturbing trend in my life. I have become increasingly impatient. I have made all kind of excuses for it. Stress, other people's mistakes, miserable people, bad day etc. But whatever the reason, impatience has been the cause of poor decisions and damaged relations in my life. I know that God wants something better for me. As I went to God about this He showed me the importance of recognizing difficulties as opportunities to learn patience. The successful, happy, productive live does not mean the absence of problems. God has shown me that His purpose is not to provide me with ease, comfort and pleasure but to grow me into Christlikeness. The road towards patience has been tough I'm committed to the trip. For me, this means resisting bad habits and negative behavior patterns from the past and practicing responding more consistently with kindness and love no matter how difficult it is to do so.

Living life is so much easier when I view it from God's perspective. I'm trusting that seeing difficulties as God sees them will allow me to respond to life and the problems it presents patiently.

Prayer...

As a follower of Christ for more than thirty years I have come to the conclusion that prayer is the easiest and, at the same time, the most difficult discipline a follower of Christ can engage in. It is among the BJP's which clearly state the importance and power of prayer. However,  prayer for me is often difficult. Other believers have said the same thing. Why do we find it so hard to do so often? Perhaps some of us or lazy or impatient. Others of us are too embarrassed or ashamed to speak to God thinking that what we have done disqualifies us from prayer or that our problems are too insignificant to bother The Lord of the universe. For many, and I'm just keeping it real, prayer seems like we are only talking into thin air or whispering in an empty room. I know that God hears my prayers. I have seen the evidence of it. But often, too often, I have this strange feeling of distance and isolation.

There is a saying among Christians that reveals much about of our view and practice of prayer: when all else fails try God".  We make a habit of praying as a last resort when chaos hits our lives. Other wise it remains a sporadic, occasion exercise for most of us. But why? We know that Through prayer, we have access to the source of power. We know that God intervenes. We know that God honors it when we turn from our daily routines, turn our hearts to Him, and say "Lord, you take over".  Why is it then, that we so often only pray when we are seized with panic or when we come to the end of our own resources?

I confess that the longer I live the more rebuked I am over my own prayerlessness. I would love to tell you that I am a model of faithful consistent prayer.... But I can't. I believe in prayer but I am no different than anyone else. Many times, prayer is what I try when when everything else has failed. So I understand. We all need help, myself included.

What does all this mean for you. It means that even though Prayer will likely be a struggle at times, it is well worth the battle. Prayer among other things strengthens our relationship with God and strengthens your faith. We can't have A good relationship with someone we don't talk to. Despite what your heart may tell you, God is always there and is always ready to listen and respond. He longs for us to spend time with Him, to share every aspect of our lives with Him and to reassure us the he cares. He  Cares deeply.

The intimate moments with God are all important. We stand tallest when on our knees before God. Always remember that our God hears and answers prayer. No matter what you may some times think or feel, no matter what you hear others say, hold firmly to this great truth of the Christian faith: God hears you when you cry out to Him and WILL respond.

 

 

Discovering God's Will

 

Would you say discovering God's will is like trying to catch a butterfly that's always just out of reach? Or maybe you feel its like fishing, where you cast a lure and hope for the best? Both scenarios lack the assurance that you can know Gods will. God the Father gives  believers His Holy Spirit to reveal His purposes to us.

Scripture is God's primary means of communication. It's both complete and comprehensive in content. With principles that address all areas of life, the Bible is the Father's instruction book for living. Maintaining the Christian Life apart from a steady diet of His Word is impossible.

The Bible provides us with guidelines for living and the Holy Spirit helps us apply its wisdom to our daily decisions. The more familiar we are with the Word of God, the easier it will be to see the relevance of scriptural precepts to our lives. Not adhering to Gods plan will result in our missing out on God's best, the rich spiritual life that God has promised. It will also prevent us from bringing Him the glory He deserves, glory that would result from following His plan.

Unless the Word of God has a central place in our lives, we will find it near impossible to be certain we are in His will. Today is the day to change all of that. God waits for us to meet Him in His Word. Lets join Him. There isn't anything on our schedules that could be possibly be more valuable than time spent with our Heavenly Father. If you want to know God's will then commit yourself to spending time in His Word and obeying it to the best of your ability. If we do this, we won't have to look for God's will, it will find us. It will track us down and we won't be able to out run it.

 

 

 

 

 

Mistakes....

 

Made several mistakes today.  Included in that number are a few big ones. Nothing fatal but they became issues for me and for others.  For a  perfectionist like myself, this is particularly frustrating. Some of these mistakes were my own, others where mistakes made by people I am accountable for (and was held accountable for their mistakes). Mistakes remind me that I have not yet “arrived’.   What really vexes me  is that today’s mistakes are ones I have made in the past, repeatedly. My father used to tell me that “everyone makes mistakes but only a fool makes the same mistake twice” By that reckoning, I am the greatest fool that has ever walked the earth. Now I know I  should put all of this  behind me, learn from my mistakes and move on. I get it , but it’s not always so easy for me.  A part of me wants to be miserable and fret over them but I refuse to lose this battle. Yep, I made some pretty big mistakes today but I’ll get past them,  probably will make a few more tomorrow as well.  I will get past those too.’  Seems like so much of life is simply getting past the mistakes we make.

 

“Lord, help me to lean on your wisdom… to avoid the mistakes that  I should and to make the mistakes that I must so that I can learn what you would have me learn.”

 

Apprehension

       

 

 

     Apprehension is everywhere. It is in the classroom when the new teacher makes her first attempt to connect with her students. There is apprehension at the airport as parents wave goodbye to their son leaving for overseas duty, or in the hospital when a mother observes her sick child, or in the quiet of the night when all alone with our thoughts, we look into the face of a future that is uncertain.

Apprehension. It's a cut above worry but feels likes its twin. It's not strong enough to cause fear but neither is it weak enough to be funny. You and I have both felt it. It often leaves us crippled, paralyzed. It's a undefined sense of uneasiness, a feeling of uncertainty, misgiving, unrest.

Truth be told, apprehension is proof positive that we a human. Unfortunately, however, it tends to smother our pleasant dreams by placing a pillow over our faith. Apprehension will strap a short leash on our vision and teach us  to roll over and play dead when scary statistics whistle or when pessimistic reports snap their fingers.

The Apostle Paul refused to run when apprehension haunted him. He openly acknowledged its presence but stood his ground with the exhortation to the Phillippians: " Be anxious for nothing". (4:6) Apprehension is intimidating until godly determination pulls rank and forces it to salute.

Prayer, consistent prayer is the antidote to apprehension. Time with God can and will displace our apprehension. It puts us in the very presence of the Almighty who loves us. As we seek our God in prayer, His presence will dissipate our apprehension.

A prayer for you and me

" Father, remind us today and in the days to come that prayer can displace our apprehensions. Time with you can become such a magnificent turning point, not only in the moment but in the day and in our lives. Help us to realize the power of your peace as it calms us. Give us the ability, the discipline of mind, to meditate on and focus our attention toward that which is true,  noble, excellent and gracious. Help us to put you first in all things and to seek your wisdom in all areas of our lives. It's in the wonderful name of Jesus we pray. Amen"

 

 

 

 

 

Hello World...

I’ve been talking about doing this for years. I am glad I can now, finally be doing it thanks to my protege. This blog will be my thoughts as they pertain to my world view (Christian). Not only will be my way of sharing with the world the goodness of God in my life, it will also be a way of categorizing my thoughts and reflecting on my life’s journey...

 

 

Welcome to Bobby J’s Blog! Yep I call myself Bobby J. Outside of Massachusetts that is what I am known  as. Feel free to call me that. If you are a Fan of NCIS than you know the major character has a set of rules that he lives by. He knows them and the people who know him well knows them. I like that. I have a set of rules  as well- Principles really. They will be from this point on be known as the BJP’s (Bobby J’s Principles) There are 30 of them. There is nothing particularly sexy or unique about them, but they represent how I try to live my life. Now before anyone asks , These are the DIRECTION of my Life, Not the PERFECTION of my life. In others words,  I don’t always do these things but they are my focus and I try to live closer to them every day.  Thanks for now friends.  I’m out.

1. Our intimacy with God  is His highest priority for our lives. It determines the impact of our lives

2. Obey God and leave all of the consequences to Him

3. God’s Word is an immoveable anchor in times of storm

4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work

5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable

6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, later than you sow.

7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as it is necessary to accomplish God’s purpose in us.

8. Fight all of your battles on your knees and you will win every time.

9. Trusting God meanings looking beyond what we can see to what God sees

10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us his will.

11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him

12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God

13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God

14. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him

15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness

16. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes

17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees

18. As children of a sovereign God we are never victims of our circumstances

19. Anything you hold too tightly you will lose

20. Disappointments are inevitable. Discouragement is a choice

21. Obedience always brings blessing

22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit

23. You can never out give God

24. To Live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His live in and through us

25. God blesses us to that we might bless others

26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God

27. Prayer is life’s greatest time saver

28. No Christian has ever been called to go it alone in his/her walk of faith

29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountain tops

30. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keep us living productively