Please pray – Father in the most High, forgive me Lord of my iniquities. Holy Spirit work in me a great testimony of your power and love. Give me the knowledge to hear you as I go through this letter and allow it to minister to me as you see it should, in Christ Jesus’ name, Amen.
As a matter of fact – it was prophesied, 750 years before the birth of Jesus, John the Baptist would be the one to lay the ground work for the coming of our Savior, Isaiah 40:3-5. This passage reveals God’s master plan in full motion and elected John as His ambassador to proclaim His own coming. John wrote Revelation by his frequent divine “face to face” encounters with Jesus after His ascension into Heaven. He was able to accurately recall every event during his time with Jesus and given the knowledge of the highly anticipated second coming of our Lord.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John records 7 miracles Jesus performed that are not mentioned in the other books. If it were not for the Gospel of John, the most recognized verse in the world may not have been recorded:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son in that whomever believe in Him will have everlasting life.
Below is a list of the miracles recorded only in his books. If it were not for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to record these events we may not know about them at all…
- Turning water into wine. John 2:1 to 10
- Healing the nobleman’s son. John 4:49 to 53
- Healing the impotent man. John 5:1 to 8
- Feeding the five thousand. John 6:9 to 13
- Jesus walking on water. John 6:19
- Healing the blind man in Siloam. John 9:11
- Raising Lazarus from the dead. John 11:43
Matthew 6:20-23. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
God bless you for taking this time to be with God and listening to the Holy Spirit speak to you through these messages. The message we’ll be looking at is from the passage above in Matthew. I believe the Lord has impressed upon me to examine where we are in our walk as believers. This is not me judging you, on the contrary, it is the Holy One asking that you keep your focus on Him. Are we still on the narrow path or have we found the way that is broad?
Jesus has commanded us to store up treasures in heaven for “ourselves”. Why? Why would Jesus tell us that we need to store treasures in heaven? What are the treasures for us to store that He speaks of? The crux in this message is revolving around the word “treasures”. Treasures are simply things we value, and therefore want to have. Do you find it harder to accept that heavenly treasures are more valuable than the earthly? If so, check your heart. We should want heavenly things and labor for them and treasure heavenly things far more than earthly things. I believe this is the point Jesus is making. He’s not saying for us to not plan for our futures here on earth or not having money or using money. This passage is not saying we shouldn’t have a car or a nice home, it’s about what it is we value more. Now read verse 21…seriously, read it.
Where is your heart? I’m not meaning the person you’re hopelessly in love with and you gave them your heart; I’m asking, where you invest the majority of your life, motives, attitudes, and thought patterns. What preoccupies your time and your thoughts, your planning and scheduling and your energy? If you’re like most people you spend your time thinking about things like a house, car, bank accounts wardrobe, etc. We are human and we are committed to things, that’s part of the curse on society in which we live. We are a society of things. If earthly treasures is your priority, Jesus says, you’ve got a big problem. Read verse 23…yes, read it… Things of this earth will not last nor can we take them with us, we’ve all heard this said before, therefore it makes no sense to devote your whole heart and life to something that will soon be gone. The better way is to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. That means, invest your time and energy in something that will last. How do we store up treasures is no secret. Laying up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God. Doing His work for His Kingdom. Jesus was very specific,
Matt 6:22 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
The light is the Spirit that lives within us and a single eye is one that is fixed or focused on God. Spiritual vision is how we see more clearly what God wants us to do and see the world from His point of view. But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded and distracted. Self-serving desires, interests, and goals block our vision. Focusing on God and taking in His word daily will motivate you.
1 Corinthians 10:31 whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Please stay with me on this… During the time I had lost my way and before becoming self-employed, I worked for a contracting company and was assigned to build a handicap shower for a family with a 24 year old daughter named Jessica, who had been stricken with cerebral palsy. She is restricted to a wheelchair and dependent on her caretaker and family for all of her needs, all of the time. When receiving this assignment I was apprehensive and not very motivated to be in their home. These “type” of people and their disabilities made me uncomfortable. I would show up in the morning for the next 2 weeks doing the demo and installation of the new shower stall. New structure, substructure, plumbing, tile and all the trimmings. Each day I would have to walk by her room and there she be waiting for me to say good morning to her. Although her physical appearance is of an 8 year old child with deformities and unable to communicate normally, she was mentally sharp and a mature 24 year old woman. She would greet me with a smile and in her own way, show excitement when the caregiver wheeled her past the bathroom and have me explain to Jessica what my plans were for that day.
Eventually, the day came for the final touches of the new bathroom. That morning, sensing familiar discomfort, I came in as I’ve done for the last two weeks and walked by her room where I would greet Jessica. Curiously, she wasn’t there and I thought, well I get a break this morning from acting like I’m ok with this routine and began working. Later that morning, after I had completed the touchups, there was a commotion in the front room and as I looked down the hall I saw they had a nice outfit on Jessica, had put make-up on her, balloons and party favors out, the caregiver taking pictures and celebrating with her. Jessica’s father saw me and asked that I join them. He vigorously shook my hand and with a smile asked if the bathroom was completed. “It sure is” I said, and he loudly announced it was time. To my surprise they were having a party for Jessica and her new bathroom! As they wheeled her closer her face began to change with excitement and anticipation as they guided her into her new bathroom. She was able to be wheeled right into the shower area and once again, in her own way, showing a resounding appreciation and gratitude for the work I did to accommodate her needs in performing something so simple to most of us but yet her knowing the burden it put on her family before. My heart melted with joy and my eyes filled with shameful tears. Jessica, a young woman trapped in a body that gave up on her but it couldn’t take her spirit or her love for life. I was overwhelmed with her appreciation and the joy this bathroom brought to her. Had I known of the rewards she would give me, I would have put my heart in it and not my discomforts.
Philippians 2:3 do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
My focus was on what bothered me and not realizing the situation that was temporary for me but continual for them. I learned some valuable lessons during this time period while walking alone but since then by the Grace of God, have become a premier contractor for the disabled where I have done multiple projects with a renewed mind and changed heart, thank you Jesus.
Here is my point, there are times we will be uncomfortable living our lives for God and obeying Him. We’re prone to as humans and often times we tend to give into the enemy and allow him to talk us out of the blessings that God lined up for us. This was an opportunity for me to store up treasures in heaven and witness for Jesus. Outwardly I was viewed by her family as a nice man with a compassionate heart but the truth is I was self-absorbed, regretful at times and self-righteous.
Scripture says,
Philippians 2:4 Do not merely look at your own interest but also the interest of others.
If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Walking in the dark, I was unable to see the true value of Jessica and her family or the blessings I could have received on a daily basis because of my inability to look past my regret. The light of the Holy Spirit was dimmed by my goals, my attitude, motives, thought patterns and my earthly treasures. This is where I was and it clouded my heart for what this event could have been for this family and myself but more so, how I could have exalted my heavenly Father. How many of you, having the knowledge beforehand of your blessings and treasures stored in heaven for you, would have a different outlook with personal involvement with Jesus? I’m here telling you our God, the Most High loves you more than you love yourself and is telling you to look past this world and if thine eye be single, (focused on Jesus), thy whole body shall be full of light, (doing the will of the Father). God reached me when I had lost my way. Don’t let an opportunity get away for you to store up treasures or bring glory to our precious Savior…
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth; and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Thank you Father for sending me your Holy Spirit and allowing me to hear your message. My Lord, guide me with love and compassion. Condition my heart to be humbled by your grace and your love. Give me the wisdom to avoid the enemy and the wisdom to stay on the path to your Kingdom. In Jesus Holy name, Amen.
