2007-03-30
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As we consider the issue of materialism, we must ask some difficult questions. How willing are we to be obedient to God? How willing are we to have God test us, as is requested in PS 139: 23-24. "Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way." To answer these questions, we must examine our own spiritual maturity. Let's start with this question: Has God given us a glimpse of the heavenly treasures He gives? I believe He has, and let me share why. REV 21 and 22 are all about the new heaven and the new earth. REV 21 begins with their amazing appearance on the scene and continues with the statement in (3) "Now God's home is with mankind! He will live with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them, and He will be their God." Anyone who had read the entire Bible knows that this was God's often-stated goal [EX 6: 7; EX 19: 5-6; DT 6: 4-9; DT 11: 13-22; IS 49: 6; JER 24; 7; JER 31: 31-34; JER 32: 28; EZK 11: 19-20; EZK 36: 28-29a; 1 COR 11: 23-26; GA 3: 9; REV 21: 3, 6]. I wanted to give all of these, which may not even be all the times that God stated this goal, just to make a point about how important this is to Him. Are you feeling loved? You should be!
The blessings go on in REV 21: 6, "And He said, 'It is done! I am the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it. Whoever wins the victory will receive this from Me: I will be His God, and he will be My son." The description of the New Jerusalem is full of blessings. A magnificent city is described as waiting for those who endure in their faith. Verse 27 tells us, "But nothing that is impure will enter the city, no anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of the living will enter the city." This is eternal protection from evil! REV 22: 2 continues with the description of "sparkling water that comes down the middle of the city's street flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb." It is lined on either side with trees of life from which leaves which heal the nations grow and a different fruit every month emerges to feed the people. There will be no more night, as the light from the throne will keep the city bathed in the light of God (5). Believers having won the victory will finally see the face of God and have His name written on their foreheads (4). PS 17:15, "And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see You face to face."
These are not the only places in the Scriptures where God's heavenly blessings are revealed. Each of you can review the first segment of this series, "The Kingdom of Heaven," for more of them. In view of this fabulous place which is the permanent home of all those who endure in their faith, how can we not choose to place our own riches in heaven [MT 6: 19-21]? It may not be easy, but considering the alternative (which is unthinkable] it's surely the better choice. Once again, we are reminded that Christ, in His Sermon on the Mount, in MT 6: 24 tells us, "No one can be a slave of two masters; he will hate the one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon [money]." Just before that in MT 6: 22-23, our Lord Jesus speaks about the Light of the Body. "The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!" This is an analogy for one's spiritual discernment in any context, which surely applies in the area of materialism. Thus, the person with good eyes lays up his treasures in heaven, forsaking earthly materialism. The person with bad eyes does the opposite. There should be no surprise that such is the case, if one looks at GA 5: 16-17. It's the place describing the opposition of the fleshly outer self (body) and the spiritual inner self (the Spirit indwelt in us).
At the last part of MT 6: 23, the Lord adds a statement about how great is the darkness when this lesson isn't learned. In other words, if we know that Christ forbids trusting earthly treasures for security, yet we do it anyway, then the teaching we have failed to obey becomes darkness-a very intense form of spiritual blindness. We cannot see riches in their true perspective. My personal prayer is that none of us ever fit this category.
PRAYER: O Lord, it is easy for us to say we would never make materialistic decisions and acquisitions in our lives, but the truth is we are sometimes sorely tempted. And yes, Dear Father, we sometimes give in. You have shown us enough of the heavenly riches You are so eager to share with us for us to take the "hard road that leads from the narrow gate" [MT 7: 13-14] in the area of materialism. We confess that we have rationalized certain purchases, that some of us carry too much consumer debt, that we are impatient about waiting to earn certain privileges, and that we are often caught up in the pitches of ad men who tempt us. Whether it is electronic devises, fancy cars, large homes, or other material things that seem to beckon to us, we know that we should be storing up our riches in heaven. You have sacrificed Your only begotten Son on the cross for our salvation and so that we could be indwelt with Your Spirit [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25; JN 14: 16-18]. That kind of sacrifice deserves our attention and our willingness to give up wants in favor of needs, to learn the lesson Christ has for us on materialism. We owe it to You to listen carefully and make decisions accordingly. Dear Father, there are so many people in need, and we have so much. I ask Your loving care for all the Katrina Hope teams that are sent down to help people who have lost everything in this horrific hurricane along the Gulf Coast of the US. That is only one of many places where our help can be used. Please, place it on the hearts of those You choose, to be missionaries where help is needed. Guide each believer, within the realm You want him serving You, to be bold and sensitive in spreading the Gospel of peace and salvation to those willing to listen. Teach those You desire to serve others who are ill and physically dying, rather than spending their time keeping up materially with their neighbors. MT 20: 26-28 describes the heart of a servant. "If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, he must be Your slave-like the Son of Man, Who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life to redeem many people." You have gifted others to convey and teach Your word to those willing to learn more, those who hunger for You to reveal Yourself. Studying, teaching, serving, and all the tasks You assign believers will keep them from needless acquisition of material things. Dearest Abba, You deserve our eternal loyalty, diligence, honor, praise, and thanks for everything You are and all You do for us. Thank You for sending Your Son to give His Sermon on the Mount. We still have more to learn and are grateful for Your direction. In Christ's mighty and holy name. Amen.
Next week, we will take up why it is needless to worry about personal needs. It's another knotty issue that, with better consideration, helps our understanding of real spiritual maturity. Each week, I ask the Holy Spirit to give me words of encouragement to pass along to all of you. He always comes through, because there is so much encouragement in the Scriptures. This is food for the soul. God, through the Psalmist, gives us, in PS 131: 1-3, a picture of what a mature believer feels about humble trust in God. "Lord I have given up my pride and turned away from my arrogance. I am not concerned with great matters or with subjects too difficult for me. Instead, I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother's arms, so my heart is quiet within me. Israel, trust in the Lord now and forever." Remember that all who are Gentile believers (the "wild olive branches) are grafted in to the "cultivated olive tree (which is the strong spiritual life of the Jews) [RO 11: 13-24]. This is not false contentment or apathy; this is the blessing of profound faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is available to anyone who will believe and let God "transform him inwardly by the renewal of His mind" [RO 12: 2]. It involves submission and the willingness to open oneself to God's superior wisdom. It is the person who makes choices in the presence of material temptation that Christ would make. If anyone will seek God's direction in this matter, He will listen and give it to him. Praise be our available God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn