Putting on Christ Series 12/15/11 too

12/15/11
  ¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

 ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

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

Matthew 6:19-21

King James Version (KJV)

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines treasure/treasury as "what one values, whether silver and gold or something intangible, and the storage place of what is valuable." What do we value? What are we storing up as values? Are we placing value/worth on some perishable item such as jewelry, houses, cars, or are we placing value on the Word of God, spending time with God, communing with God? All of these materialistic things will not profit us. Hence, there is no value in them. We prosper by spending time with God, talking with God, walking with God. We can't take these items (cars/homes) with us when we die. So why emphasize a value on these items. Proverbs 23:4 tells us to "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom." The energy & time we consume by wanting needless items & trying to acquire them is precious time we lose with God. We don't need to rely on what we believe to be right & wrong, but rely on the wisdom of God, allowing Him to direct our every paths. James 5:2:3 provides a great description of these needless items: "²Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

 ³Your gold and silver is cankered; 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." Matthew 19:16-23 shows a man wanting to know who to acquire eternal life, but unwilling to sell his possessions & follow Jesus. Jesus states in verse 23, "...Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven." I'd rather have Jesus than 10 cars, a mansion, or any other mess in this world. According to 1 Peter 2:11(a), we are pilgrims & strangers. This is not our permanent resting place neither should we treat it as it. Putting on Christ & walking in the Spirit requires us to do the following: "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:19). Lay up heavenly treasures-not earthly ones. Where our treasure is, is where our heart will be as well.