What Is On Your Wish List?

Matthew 6:19-24

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Treasures in Heaven

    ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

   ²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

   ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:%2019%20-%2024&version=NIV1984)

I recently read a poster that was posted on facebook, it read something like this, “Love people and use things, don’t love things and use people.”  How appropriate for our message from Jesus today.  As we go into this holiday season our eyes see many sparkling and beautiful things.  We begin to dream about having those things and when we don’t get them we become a little disappointed and sometimes disgruntled.  But, as we read this scripture today we are once again reminded that this life is not about what we can gain from it but what we can give to it. 

I recently was speaking to a good friend of ours who told a story about a very rich relative that he had.  This man, by the world’s standards,  had everything,  but,  he did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaimed to be an atheist.  His eyes were not fixed on God, he was blinded by the things of this world. 

Our eyes, what are they looking at?  Are they looking at the things of this world, what we possess or what we desire to possess?  Or, are they inward and upward focused, looking at what has been promised to come and looking at our Savior who came as a babe.  I am not saying that we can’t own many beautiful things in this world.  I am not saying that we can’t drive a nice car and have a large beautiful home but where the problem comes is when we begin to want for things that God never intended on us possessing.  Look at Proverbs 14:30  ³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2014:30&version=NIV1984) 

When do we envy others?  When do we become disgruntled because of the “want” factor?   The answer: When we begin to wish we had those things that were never intended for us. Before we get to that point we need to stop and prioritize what is important in our lives.  Why do we exist?  Who are we here for?  What should I want? And with that let’s look at Ecclesiastes 12:13 – 14:

“¹³ Now all has been heard;
   here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
   for this is the whole duty of man.
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
   including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2012:%2013%20-%2014&version=NIV1984)

There you have it, from Jesus words and from the words of Solomon.  What is your treasure today?  Do you have your eyes fixed upon the heavenly bound road or are they fixed on the worldly road?  Are you trying to figure out your purpose in life?  Is it to earn money and make a name for yourself or is it to fear God and keep His commandments?  From the words of a man who had everything the world had to offer, Solomon states that our purpose is to “fear God and to keep His commandments” not to become shrewd businessmen and women.  How are you measuring up today?

As we go into this Christmas season and we see all the dazzling things that this world has to offer, let’s remember that the gift that surpasses all gifts is the gift that God gave to us, John 3: 16 – 17 “¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  By coming to this earth, displaying how we should live, dying on the cross for our sins even though He was blameless, and most importantly that He rose again, He showed us that there is victory over death.  He continues in John 3: 18 – 21 to tell us again what He had to say in our beginning scripture today, ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^{[a] 19} This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:%2018%20-%2021&version=NIV1984)   There will be those who choose to ignore His calling, but those who fear exposure don’t realize that in the end they will be exposed.  They miss out on the most blessed blessing because they live in the here and now.   

He, the conqueror of death can bring life, joy, and happiness to your life today.  He can take away the “want”, the emptiness in your life if you will just ask Him to.  He is there waiting at the door of your heart.  Nothing can compare to the light that He can bring into a darkened heart and soul.  I trust you won’t be the unwise person but that you will live by the truth and will live in the light, not darkness.  Trust Him today and seek Him with all your heart.

If you are a facebook friend who has read this blog.  Post “like” if you have chosen a life of light through Jesus Christ our Lord.  If you are not a facebook friend post a comment on this blog.  It can be as simple as “Like”.  I would love to hear from you. 

If today, you made a decision to follow Christ and accept this amazing gift, I want to hear from you as well.  It is so important to profess your faith in Him.  It is also important to grow in your Christian faith and I want to help you find ways to do just that.  Begin an amazing journey with Him today.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila  

Heaven

Each day we have trials, pains, disappointments and sometimes we get so caught up in the moment we do not dwell on what is ahead of us.  Sometimes in the moments we look ahead but we skip a few steps along the way.  We look heaven bound and how someday there will be no more pain and no more sorrow but we forget the steps in between.  If we do not focus on our God today and be accepted through Jesus Christ our Lord , our future will be doomed.  We must build a solid foundation through reading the scriptures and fellowshipping with other believers because if we do not the doubts that creep into our lives can overtake us. Let’s look at scripture and see what God has to tell us today.

I am drawn to Revelations 5 - 8 today,  if you have a chance it would be good if you could read those chapters.  In Chapter 5 we see a glimpse of Jesus in Heaven.  We see that He is the only one worthy to open the sealed scrolls.  Verse 6, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.  He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out to all the earth."  That is not the picture I envision when I picture Jesus in Heaven.

In Revelation 6 we see the seals opened.  The one I want to focus on today is the fifth seal.  Revelations 6:9-11 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. (10) They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’  Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”  That really isn’t what I think of when I think of Heaven.  I think of no more pain and suffering but as I understand the scripture, there will still be questions in Heaven but they won’t be the questions I always thought I would ask, or at least not at this point.

Chapter 7 is the introduction of the tribulation.  I don’t know if you are a pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib believer or if you even know what that means but I think it is worthy to note that we as Christians are not exempt from pain and suffering.  When the Lord returns our work will only be beginning, there is a battle to come and we will be a part of it.   The joyous part of that is that He wins!!!!!

Chapter 7 speaks of the tribulation and there will be seals on the foreheads of the servants of God.  Note there are only 144,000 servants of God at this time, on all the earth.  Now look at verse 9,  “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation., tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and the Lamb.’’  In verse 14 it tells us who these are, (13)“Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in the white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?’  (14)  I answered, ‘Sir, you know.”  And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”  (15) Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them.  (16) Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them nor any scorching heat. (17) For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Now that is how I have pictured Heaven but note, there was great suffering prior to this point.  When it says He will “wipe away their tears” does that mean they are still crying?

Chapter 8 talks about 4 of the  trumpets sounding.  When I think of the trumpet sounding I think of the Lord returning but chapter 8, is not like that at all.  Trumpet 1:  Hail and fire mixed with blood was hurled to the earth and 1/3 of the earth was burned up.  Trumpet 2:  Something like a huge mountain was burning and fell into the sea and 1/3 of the sea creatures died and 1/3 of ships destroyed.  Trumpet 3  A great star blazing like a torch fell to the earth and destroyed 1/3 of the rivers and springs.  One-third of the waters turned bitter and people died from drinking bitter water.  Trumpet 4:  One-third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck and turned dark leaving 1/3 of the day and night dark.  We aren’t talking about cloud cover here, it will be completely dark.  I get depressed when there is cloud cover!

There are three more trumpets to be sounded and we will look at them another day.  I write these words today, not to scare you, even though the future does seem a little scary,  but to remind you that we need to put all things into perspective.  We need to trust our Lord and obey His commands.  We need to know what we are asking for when we ask Him to come quickly.  We need to know the urgency of sharing Him with others.

 Many times when I need comfort I look at the Psalms and there is a chapter in the Psalms that relates to what we have read today.  It would be good for you to read all of Psalm 46 in your Bible but I will give you the first 3 verses. (1) “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  (2) Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

As you seek Him with all your heart may you find peace, joy, happiness and may you have the desire to share His love with those around you and remember to pray for your enemies.

Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila