If you watch television at all I am sure you have heard a commercial that ends something like "protect your future from the problems of the world by buying gold from _____."
Sadly, there are m any people who are counting on their "gold" to secure their future -- so their stockpile is of utmost importance to them and has become 'god' to them. I hope you are not one of these people who do not understand Ezekiel 7:19, "…their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels, because it (their silver and gold) is the stumbling block of their iniquity." And James 5:3, "your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you…You have
heaped treasure together for the last days." (Strong's Concordance gives as another definition for the
word translated as rust to be
'venom.' -- Think about that.)
God declares in Haggai 2:8 "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts." And the thing about it is that Children of God -- those who come to God through Jesus Christ are
God's heirs, so ultimately the silver and gold goes to God's heirs. But, we must realize that this world is not our home -- we are sojourners and exiles (1 Peter 2:11) -- on this earth, and our objective is to build a home in our real home, not in a foreign land.
God has provided a foundation upon which we are to build for the future -- 1Cor.3:10-17 "…I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. …Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. ..If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
I wonder what Paul would think of the 'building' that is being built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ today?
Christians sitting in pews every Sunday will hear an appeal for some God-cause and will feel a tug in their heart to contribute, or maybe God will just speak into their hearts, but within seconds they have silenced the whispering of the Holy Spirit by saying, "this is my 'nest egg' or 'rainy day fund' or another synonym for "this is to secure my future."
We are called upon to do our share in the building of God's church -- rising through the ages to be a residence of God through the Spirit. But we also must not neglect the building of our own character on the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ. Whatever we do or say is another stone or brick. It is for us to choose which pile of building material we take it from; whether from the wood, hay, or stubble, or from the gold, silver, or precious stones. We are laborers together with God. God is laying stones of gold, silver, or precious stones. Let us not pile hay and stubble on the building and weaken or delay the process.
Instead, let us build with gold and silver and precious stones by following the example of Christ -- Matthew 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Roman 8:4 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Galatians 5:25, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Let us protect our future by understanding Jesus' words in Luke 12:34: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Can we not say conversely, 'where your heart is there your treasure will be also.' Let us protect our future by laying up eternal treasure -- not temporal gold.
Sadly, there are m any people who are counting on their "gold" to secure their future -- so their stockpile is of utmost importance to them and has become 'god' to them. I hope you are not one of these people who do not understand Ezekiel 7:19, "…their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels, because it (their silver and gold) is the stumbling block of their iniquity." And James 5:3, "your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you…You have
heaped treasure together for the last days." (Strong's Concordance gives as another definition for the
word translated as rust to be
'venom.' -- Think about that.)
God declares in Haggai 2:8 "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts." And the thing about it is that Children of God -- those who come to God through Jesus Christ are
God's heirs, so ultimately the silver and gold goes to God's heirs. But, we must realize that this world is not our home -- we are sojourners and exiles (1 Peter 2:11) -- on this earth, and our objective is to build a home in our real home, not in a foreign land.
God has provided a foundation upon which we are to build for the future -- 1Cor.3:10-17 "…I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. …Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. ..If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
I wonder what Paul would think of the 'building' that is being built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ today?
Christians sitting in pews every Sunday will hear an appeal for some God-cause and will feel a tug in their heart to contribute, or maybe God will just speak into their hearts, but within seconds they have silenced the whispering of the Holy Spirit by saying, "this is my 'nest egg' or 'rainy day fund' or another synonym for "this is to secure my future."
We are called upon to do our share in the building of God's church -- rising through the ages to be a residence of God through the Spirit. But we also must not neglect the building of our own character on the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ. Whatever we do or say is another stone or brick. It is for us to choose which pile of building material we take it from; whether from the wood, hay, or stubble, or from the gold, silver, or precious stones. We are laborers together with God. God is laying stones of gold, silver, or precious stones. Let us not pile hay and stubble on the building and weaken or delay the process.
Instead, let us build with gold and silver and precious stones by following the example of Christ -- Matthew 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Roman 8:4 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Galatians 5:25, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Let us protect our future by understanding Jesus' words in Luke 12:34: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Can we not say conversely, 'where your heart is there your treasure will be also.' Let us protect our future by laying up eternal treasure -- not temporal gold.
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