OUR SENSE OF VALUE
By George W. Sinquefield
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HomewithGod.com
By George W. Sinquefield
Mark 10:17 through Mark 10:22 (KJV)
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Dr. Ralph Grant said, "Ours is an age marked by a confused sense of values." Someone warns us lest we become so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly use. The awful soul shaking truth is that we are so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly use."
A preacher sitting in a diner overheard two business men speaking of a man who was their classmate at Princeton and who was a great Christian man. One of them asked, "How much do you think he is worth?" The other answered, as he flashed a big diamond, "I don't think he is worth anything."
A church bulletin carried the following item:
If a boy gets up at 4 am to deliver newspapers, people say he is a go-getter. But if the church were to ask the same boy to get up a little early to deliver some handbills to announce special meetings at the church, people would say, "That's asking too much of the boy."
If a woman spends eight hours a day away from her home working in an office, she is called an energetic wife. If, however, she is willing to do the same thing for the Lord, they say, "Religion has gone to her head."
If a person ties himself down to make payments of $20 weekly for some luxury item for personal enjoyment, he pays willingly. But if that same person places $20 in the collection plate each week, many people would say he is out of his mind.
If a person shouts at a football game, he is a fan. But if he get excited about Christianity, they call him a fanatic.
The same church member who yells like a Comanche Indian at a ball game on Saturday sits like a wooden Indian in church on Sunday. This is indeed a strange world where first things come last and last things come first.
One has said, "If you study philosophy or science, you're enlightened by if you study the Bible, you're odd. If you talk about God on Monday as you do on Sunday, you're "too religious."
God's standards of success differ radically from those of the world.
Luke 16:15 (KJV)
Someone tells us that you can tell a man's character if you know:
A drunk was walking along the road with his bottle of moonshine in his pocket and some in his stomach. A car hit him and knocked him down and broke his bottle. The driver of the car stopped, picked him up and asked if he was hurt. The drunk said, "I don't know but, as he reached back and discovered he was wet, he said, "I don't know if I'm hurt but I hope what I feel is blood."
How warped our sense of values can be. The Bible puts on top things that fallen man puts on bottom and ranks last thing that fallen man puts first.
The Bible praises the weakness which is strength and denounces the strength which is weakness. It praises the poverty which is wealth and denounces the wealth which is poverty. It praises the dying which is living and denounces the living which is dying. No wonder, then, that it praises the failure which is success and denounces the success which is failure. No wonder, either, that in 1 Corinthians 3:12 Paul warns us that the achievements which the world prizes as gold, silver, and precious stones God may write off as wood, hay, and stubble.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
I. The Lord's Work
Eph. 2:10 (KJV)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Many professed Christians, by refusing to accept a place of service, reveal how they feel about the Lord's work. It is amazing how many will put the TV, civic clubs and fraternal orders above the work of the kingdom. I ate the evening meal with a deacon and his wife. He hurried to finish and then excused himself from the table in order that he might get to a lodge meeting on time. It was Wednesday night and time for prayer meeting but to him the lodge meeting was more important. What a poor sense of value he had and anyone else who puts the lodge or anything above the Lord's work.
When George Washington at Valley Forge had lost two thirds of his men to desertions, cold and starvation, he still had these words to say to his officers, "Impress upon every man from the highest to the lowest the importance of our cause and what it is we are contending for." If we follow Jesus, we'll be busy about the Father's work.
John 5:17 (KJV)
Jesus taught us that the kingdom's work should come first.
Matt. 6:33 (KJV)
We are not saved by works but after we are saved we are to work out our salvation.
Eph. 2:8 through Eph. 2:9 (KJV)
Phil. 2:12 (KJV)
Notice, we are not told to work for our salvation. There is no way by which we can earn it. Jesus bought it for us on the cross.
1 Cor. 6:20 (KJV)
All saved people have some talent. Everyone can do something to help carry on the Lord's work.
Rom. 12:6 (KJV)
And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly."
1 Cor. 12:4 through 1 Cor. 12:7 (KJV)
Eph. 4:8 (KJV)
Why did God give gifts to men? The Scripture tells that it was for the edifying (building up) of the church, the body of Christ.
Eph. 4:11 through Eph. 4:12 (KJV)
1 Cor. 14:5 (KJV)
1 Cor. 14:26 (KJV)
Talent is God's gift to man. The use of talent is man's gift to God. When referring to a gift for service to the body of Christ, a spiritual gift may be defined as a God given ability for service.
J. W. Macgorman, in his book The Gifts Of The Spirit says, "In verse 5 (1 Corinthians 12) these gifts are called services or ministries. The term describes what the gifts of the Spirit make possible, namely various ministries to the glory of the Lord. They are divinely bestowed capacities or competences that equip a congregation to function as the people of God anywhere in the earth. Christians are to celebrate God's presence in worship, to claim fellowship with others who confess Jesus as Lord, to bear witness to those who are lost and to accomplish a wide range of ministries to the needs of men. For the fulfillment of these roles, we have not been left to our own resources. Instead the Spirit of God provides the gifts that are needed to equip us. The gifts of the Spirit are functional. They make possible Christian ministries. And as the need for new forms of ministry may arise, they are matched by whatever gifts may be required.
We often see signs which read, "Men At Work." It would be good if we could put a sign on every church lawn stating, "Christian At Work: using the gifts God has given us for the purpose of extending the kingdom of God.
"How can you waste your life in such a place as this?" was the question asked of a beautiful young nurse in a hospital sponsored by a missionary society in a primitive country. She answered, "I do not consider this a waste of my life. I remember my Savior came to show the love of God to man, and because He has become my Savior, I have devoted my life to helping Him by serving my fellow man. What I do is not for gain nor because I love it as a job, but because I would show my love to my Savior by acting the part of the good Samaritan."
God's work is the most important work in the world. It is not a waste of our time as some feel. The Lord has promised to reward those who labor in His vineyard.
Matt. 5:12 (KJV)
Matt. 6:4 (KJV)
Matt. 6:27 (KJV)
Luke 6:22 through Luke 6:23 (KJV)
Luke 6:35 (KJV)
1 Cor. 3:8 (KJV)
1 Cor. 15:58 (KJV)
With these scriptures in mind, let us hear what Jesus said and let His words become ours.
John 9:4 (KJV)
One has said, "The church should be a force with which the pastor works and not a field in which he works." Hence the importance. We must not kid ourselves. If the work of the Lord is to go forth the church grow, people won and trained for service, we must work. When it comes to working, we need to follow the example of the devil.
R. A. Welk says, "We need the gusto of the devil, his ardor, his zest. That is all we can copy from him but there is no reason why we should not copy the one quality that gives him his power." One example of how the devil works.:
Matt. 13:24 through Matt. 13:30 (KJV)
Other scriptures that give us some light on the devil's activities;
Luke 8:12 (KJV)
John 13:2 (KJV)
1 Pet. 5:8 (KJV)
II. How We Value A Lost Soul
Mark 8:36 (KJV)
This story appeared in a newspaper: "Jimmy Wilkinson, a nine year old boy, was playing with a pail when he lost his footing and fell into Lake Ontario. According to a 15 year old girl who had no means of saving the boy, "About twenty men were fishing for smelt nearby. They had nets, poles and everything needed, and could have saved the boy, but they just sat and watched him drown!" One man, she said, poked around with a pole for a while, then went back to his fishing. We often act the same way toward those who are dead in sin. Do we really believe that people without Jesus are lost? Are we convinced that they'll go to hell when they leave this world if they continue rejecting Jesus? Let the Bible, the word of God, give us the answer.
John 3:3 (KJV)
John 3:18 (KJV)
John 3:36 (KJV)
Luke 19:10 (KJV)
Rom. 6:23 (KJV)
A converted farmer said to the congregation, "I am shocked that you have thought more of my cattle than of me all these years. I have raised prize stock and often some of you have called or come to tell me that one of my stock was on the tracks or on the highway and its life was in danger. In all these years none of you ever told me my soul was in danger of hell fire."
Do the findings of modern astronomy make absurd those words which have always been considered sublime, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son?" Actually the findings of modern astronomy do nothing of the sort; everybody who argues in that fashion is guilty of a strange blunder. He is confusing mere bigness with value. What are all the vast stretches of empty space to God" Are they valuable just because they are so big? Hardly. One man with his capacity to love God, serve him, worship him and fellowship with him is worth more than all the hugeness of empty space. The Lord Jesus reduced things to their proper proportion when he said, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
Jesus commissioned the church to preach the gospel because people are lost and need the salvation which He alone can give.
Matt. 28:18 through Matt. 28:20 (KJV)
What is this gospel that we, the church, must proclaim to the lost world. The word "gospel" means good news and the fact that by His death Jesus made salvation available to all who will trust Him the best news.
1 Cor. 15:1 through 1 Cor. 15:4 (KJV)
Rom. 1:13 through Rom. 1:16 (KJV)
We who are saved are to bear witness to His saving grace. When Jesus came into the country of Gerasenes, He met a mad man who was possessed by a legion of demons who lived among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him, even with chains. He had often been bound with shackles and chains and the chains had been broken apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. He came to Jesus and Jesus cast the demons out. When Jesus got into a boat to leave this man wanted to go with Him, but Jesus said, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you and how He had mercy on you."
We are to do the same if Jesus has had mercy on us and saved us. Paul, the greatest missionary this world has ever known apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, often gave his testimony and told how God in His mercy had dealt with him. (We find this in Acts 9 and Acts 26.) If you're saved, you can tell others your experience. You can explain how you were saved. God has used the testimony of His people to draw multitudes to Jesus. Our lives should be such as to cause others to want what we have.
Matt. 5:16 (KJV)
Matthew Henry wrote, "I would think it a greater happiness to gain one soul to Christ than mountains of silver and gold to myself." God help us to be deeply concerned about those who are lost without Jesus.
III. The Way We Spend Our Money Reveals Our Sense Of Value.
Just watch a person spend his money and you'll know what he considers most important. Some say that all the church wants is money. The church is the only organization on earth that really cares about the spiritual condition of people. It was the church that Jesus gave the great commission.
Mark 16:15 (KJV)
It takes money and a lot of it for the church to carry out her God given mission. and He has given us the way to finance His work.
Mal. 3:10 (KJV)
Lev. 27:30 (KJV)
Matt. 22:15 through Matt. 22:21 (KJV)
From these scriptures we learn that the tithe, one tenth of our income, is the Lord's. Of course everything belongs to God but the tithe is holy, set apart for a special purpose. It is a lie out of hell to say that all the church is interested in is money. Let us set the record straight. Take, for example, the liquor business. I read an article in a magazine about Jack Daniels liquor business in Lynchburg, Tennessee. He has forty eight warehouses with a million gallons of liquor in each of them. Just think of it -- forty eight million gallons. What about the movie industry with all its filth on TV and in the movies. Then there are the publishers of rotten books and magazines. These are the ones who care only about money. They are not concerned about the lives that are ruined, children suffering, marriages failing, homes wrecked, multitudes injured and killed in wrecks, many who are murdered nor how many go to hell.
The problem is that so few are obedient to God in matters of money. Only a few bring God's tithe as He has commanded.
A recent Barna study found that only eight percent of Christians give a tithe or more to their local churches last year. Twice as many, 16 percent, gave no money to their churches in 1999. A second study found that evangelical Christians in the United States gave 7.2 percent of their income to the churches. But the authors cautioned that their finding might be high since the data came from personal interviews and self reporting was usually high. It was also found that the more a person makes, the less likely he or she was to tithe through the church. A Christian making $60,000 to $75,000 gave two percent and for those making $75,000 to $100,000 the percentage dropped to one percent.
If Christians would be faithful and give the tithe, there would be plenty of money to carry on the Lord's work. In the hands of his (God's) children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked; it gives to the traveler and the stranger where to lay his head. By it we may supply the place of the husband to the widow, and of a father to the fatherless. We may be a defense for the oppressed, a means of health to the sick, of ease to them that are in pain; it may be as eyes to the blind, as feet to the lame; yea, a lifter up from the gates of death! It is, therefore, of the highest concern, that all who fear God, know how to apply this valuable talent; that they may be instructed how it may answer these glorious ends, and in the highest degree.
The president of our foreign mission board came to the seminary when I was a student there and said this, "If all Southern Baptists would tithe their income we'd have enough money to put a missionary anywhere in this world where one is needed." We now have 4800 missionaries serving in 163 countries among 336 ethnic people groups. Thanks to God for these but many more are needed.
A sad sight is to drive down the road and see an old church building in need of painting and repairs, and often it needs to be torn down and a new one erected. Around this old building is parked many new and very expensive cars. If we were to check, we would most likely find that the owners of these cars live in nice houses and, in many cases, the Lord's tithe was used in purchasing these. The owners were acting like the heathen the Bible tells us about.
Isa. 44:16 through Isa. 44:17 (KJV)
This heathen cut down a tree. With the wood he warmed himself and cooked his food. He took care of his physical needs first and then with the residue, the leftover, he made an idol, a graven image. Multitudes act just like this heathen. They take care of their physical needs and then give God the leftover.
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
To Israel God said:
Mal. 3:8 through Mal. 3:9 (KJV)
What an awful thing to rob God when He has blessed us so much. God promises to bless those who are faithful in supporting His work. Notice again:
Mal. 3:8 through Mal. 3:12 (KJV)
Luke 6:38 (KJV)
Prov. 11:25 (KJV)
When we rob God, we also rob the lost for whom Jesus died. May God help us to cease robbing Him (if you are doing so) and start supporting the greatest work in this world -- the work of the kingdom of God.
When the missionary, Andrew Fuller, returned on furlough to his native town, he spoke about the missionary work to various groups. After one meeting a man approached him and said, "Seeing it's you Andrew, I'll give five pounds for your work." Handing the money back, Mr. Fuller said, "Since it is given because it is for me I cannot take it." Reaching again into his pocket and taking out more money the friend said, "Here then is ten pounds, seeing it is for the Lord Jesus I wish to give more."
David Livingstone resolved; "I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in its relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything I have would advance the interest of that kingdom, it shall be given up or kept, as by keeping it or giving it I shall most promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all of my hopes, both of time and eternity."
IV. What We Do With Jesus Reveals Our Sense Of Value.
Jesus became poor that we might become rich. When we accept Him as Lord and Savior, we are born into God's family and all God's children are very rich. If you haven't accepted Him as your Savior, you are very poor regardless of how much of this world's goods you may have. If you have accepted Him, you are very rich even if you have little or none of this world's goods.
The Bible makes it clear that there is a vast difference between the wise and the foolish.
Matt. 7:24 through Matt. 7:27 (KJV)
When we accept Jesus and live for Him, we are laying up treasures in heaven.
Matt. 6:19 through Matt. 6:21 (KJV)
The wealth we lay up here on this earth is temporary. That which we lay up in heaven will last for eternity.
A very wealthy woman was reading the evening paper. She said to her husband, "I hear they're doing a good work down at the McAuby Water Street Mission. Let's go down and help them. They found the mission full, so they sat at the rear. As they listened to the testimonies of the men who told how God had rescued them, a new world opened to this rich couple. Finally, the wife whispered, "I guess they'll have to help us instead of us helping them. They've got something we haven't. When the invitation was given, they responded and knelt in the saw dust beside drunken men and outcasts of the waterfront. They gave their hearts to Jesus and in so doing they found real riches.
A tax assessor came to the home of a poor Christian worker to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay. "I am very wealthy," the Christian said. "First I have everlasting life. Second, I have a home reserved for me in heaven, also an inheritance that can never be lost. Then I have peace in my heart and joy unspeakable. I have a loving, faithful wife. The Bible says her worth is far above precious stones. Then I have healthy, obedient children. I have loyal friends. I have comfort for my sorrows and strength for my burdens. And above all I have a Savior, Jesus Christ who supplies all my needs." The tax assessor said, "Truly you are a very rich man but your assets are not subject to taxation." Thank God, it is possible to be poor yet rich.
Real riches consist not in having, but in being and in doing. Being right with God through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and in doing His will. Not what we have but what we are makes life rich.
Many who have a lot of this world's goods have no real peace in their hearts. They do not have the abundant life Jesus came to give. A Christian person has inward wealth because he is free of condemnation, because he is reconciled to God. He has Christ , the Bread of Life, to fill his empty heart. He has a continous spiritual feast through meditation in the Bible, prayer, fellowship giving, service and soul winning.
David Livingston gave his life for Christ in Africa. When he died, his body was brought back to England and buried in Westminister Abbey. Crowds thronged the streets to pay tribute to him as his body went by.
One man stood weeping. He was reared with Livingston and played with him. When Livingston decided to go to Africa as a missionary he told him he was crazy. "I'm going to stay in England and get rich. He did that. He lived for self. Very few people knew him. As he stood there weeping, the body of David Livingston passed by. He said, "I put the emphasis on the wrong world." Oh how many will say the same as they come to the end of this life if they have never given their hearts to Jesus and lived for Him.
Where are you putting the emphasis? Are you wise or are you a fool. Let me emphasize again that Jesus died to pay your sin debt.
1 Pet. 1:18 through 1 Pet. 1:19 (KJV)
Are you rich with Jesus as your Savior or are you poor because you have rejected Him.
Acts 4:12 (KJV)
John 3:36 (KJV)
Trust Him today, now, and start laying up treasures in heaven.
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
