Heavenly Hoarder

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Heavenly Hoarder

All this packing and purging recently has me thinking about Kingdom things. Where should we be “storing up” our treasures? Here on earth or there in Heaven?

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, answers this question for us…

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21, NLT)

And then Paul urges Timothy to act and teach others to act similarly, concluding his charge in 1 Timothy, much like Jesus did in Matthew, with the reason why…

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NLT)

Storing up treasures in a worldly economy will not only one day end, but will continue to disappoint and fall short of true joy and fulfillment because storing up treasures on earth is unreliable, unwise, an unproductive in light of Eternity.

Storing up treasures in a heavenly economy will last forever, and will always please and supersede any earthly goal or dream because storing up treasures in Heaven is building on the best foundation for a blessed future and joy that goes beyond anything this world can offer.

So, if you’re anything like me, and hold on to earthly things a little too tightly, let’s get our priorities in order, and become a Heavenly hoarder!

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Disparity is Not a Rarity Because Our Humanity Disrupts Our Unity.

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Disparity is Not a Rarity Because Our Humanity Disrupts Our Unity.

Disparity is not a rarity among the children of God, because our humanity continually disrupts our unity this side of eternity.

Sanctification, not unification, is the work of the Gospel.

Unity is for eternity.

In Ecclesiastes, the wise King Solomon reminds us “there is nothing new under the sun.”

We’ve always dealt with disparity in the Church — differences that stem from our inferences within. We read, we reason, we respond, and, inevitably our response differs from those who have also read, reasoned, and responded.

Why is that?!? And why can this age old problem not be solved by the timeless truth of the Word of God?

When God’s infinite wisdom and timeless truths are entrusted to the finite reasoning and limited understanding of mere mortals and immoral people, disparity is inevitable.

And yet, we can still praise God because no matter how much we disagree, and how wearying that can be, it is not new, and He will always see us through, because He is still the God who is making all things new. We must cling to Him, His Word, and His truth.

Disparity is not a rarity.

But God’s Word gives us clarity.

And His love is greater than our disparity.

“Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” ~ Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Nothing is new “under the sun” (or shall we say “in this world”). Worldly wisdom is meaningless, but Godly wisdom settles for nothing less than His holiness and righteousness.

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