Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
I’ve known a lot of fishermen over the years who like to eat, breathe and sleep fishing, and sometimes when you have a discussion with them it’s really hard to change the topic. It seems like it only takes a few minutes, and once again, they are discussing lures, water temps, and the best time of the day to catch walleye. They are constantly reading sports magazines and filling their heads with the knowledge of their sport. Their greatest obsession in life seems to be catching a trophy walleye that they can mount and display on their living room wall. I’ve heard some of them claim that one of the most treasured walleyes to catch is right around 30 in long, and they will drive for miles on end in order to drop their boat into a specific lake in order to pursue them. Although I enjoy fishing just like the next man, some people are so dedicated to the activity that it completely consumes their thoughts, actions and even their dreams!
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
A treasure is something of great worth or value, and whatever is your greatest treasure is going to completely consume your heart.
Luke 12:34 (KJB) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The heart will chase after whatever it loves the most, which is why we must be careful not to love the things of this world. As I’ve always said, love is a strong emotion but you have to make sure that it is placed on the right things. The love of money is by far the worst thing of all because it can completely destroy your relationship with God and others. This is because rather than coveting after Spiritual things, people will covet after the things of the world instead.
Luke 12:13-21 (KJB) And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Covetness in its most simplistic form is to have a great desire for something, which actually can be just about anything. It has also been described as being greedy for gain. In this passage the rich man was so in tune to his own desires that he was completely oblivious to the needs of others. There are many people throughout the world who are far below the poverty line, and there are innumerable amounts of good works that one can use their money for.
1 John 3:17 (KJB) But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
The Apostles were not these millionaire false preachers that you see in the world today, who actually could distribute their wealth to the poor in just a matter of days if they really wanted to. The true Apostles were poor men, because they had already forsaken their own possessions to follow after the Lord Jesus. Choosing to live a life of humble poverty is blessed by God, because those who do have a lot more time to focus on the things of God.
Luke 6:20 (KJB) And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for your’s is the kingdom of God.
2 Corinthians 6:10 (KJB) As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Sometimes people don’t realize that the reason why many people are poor in this world is because they are the most giving people in the world. They have a giving heart, which is quickly abused by the rich people, who take advantage of them so they can further their own covetous desires. In complete hypocrisy, many of them claim to be Christian, who really don’t treat their neighbor as they would want to be treated themselves. They are selfish and greedy, filled with covetous hearts that only desire to further their own interests. Rich people will rip off the poor, forget about the needs of everyone else, and sock it all in the bank and live off the interest. These activities are not only condemned in Scripture, but they are completely void of love.
Luke 6:24 (KJB) But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Look at the incredible riches that Moses walked away from in order to seek and to serve the Lord Jesus. After all, there is no amount of riches in this world that can save people from the Eternal condemnation that awaits the wicked.
Matthew 16:26 (KJB) For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Think about our precious Lord Jesus who is the creator of all things. But although He has everything, He chose to become poor in order to help the world become rich in Spiritual things.
2 Corinthians 8:9 (KJB) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Everybody’s going to be judged according to their works, and the unused wealth of many is going to count against them at the judgment.
James 5:1-6 (KJB) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your 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. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (KJB) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Many people will spend their lives seeking after things that really only pull them away from a close relationship with God. Their hearts will become consumed and distracted by all the temporal concerns in this world, causing themselves to forget about the things of God. Many times it will be the lust for money, but a treasure can be just about anything that you value in your life. What are your treasures? What do you seek after most of all? To some people it will be a brand new car or a beautiful beachfront home. To others, the treasure that they seek after will be a lifetime spent trying to catch,……..
……..The Trophy Walleye
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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