Laying Up Treasures In Heaven

By David J. Stewart | December 2009

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” —Matthew 6:19,20

I know a man who is enamored with the stock market. In fact, he is consumed with it. Day-by-day, he is infatuated with his investments, and frustrated by the uncertainty of the markets, and his heart dwells continually upon them. He is desperately attempting to lay up wealth for his old age, here on earth. His hair is already white, and he surely will be dead and gone within 20-30 years at most; yet, he is living for the moment and has forgotten God.

I recently heard him talking about his portfolio, and he was sad, because the markets were down that particular day. I couldn't help but ponder the precious Words of Jesus in the Bible . . .

Matthew 6:19-20, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Jesus' Words are so precious. What a comfort to know in our heart as believers that we can lay up eternal treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, neither do thieves break through and steal, nor are there stock market declines... Amen! There is no stock market in Heaven, because God is our eternal security! . . .

Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

A Christian Family Versus Making Money

So many people love money. 1st Timothy 6:10 warns, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” What a miserable existence to live from day-to-day, desiring to make more money as one's top priority in life. 

The greatest things in life are not things. I know men who are consumed with making money, working all the overtime they possibly can, at the expense of family time. It's tragic! So many people are slaves to their job, thinking that they have to work overtime to make ends meet. I'd rather be in debt than not be at home with my family on my scheduled days off from work. It is a matter of priorities. I'd rather be a mother at home with my children, living in total poverty; than to have a successful career at the expense of motherhood. There is no greater privilege, command and responsibility in the universe than to be a godly wife and mother (1st Timothy 5:14-15). Don't let the Devil rob you of motherhood.

The love of money is the sin of covetousness. We don't hear too many sermons nowadays against covetousness, but it is just as vile and wicked as the sin of homosexuality. 1st Timothy 6:8 states, "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." The Bible tells us to be satisfied with just food and clothing. Are you listening? The average person today is covetous and; therefore, thinks they need all the latest electronic gizmos and gadgets. I've seen ads on TV where you can buy a video game system for nearly $1,000, allowing buyers to make monthly payments for years to come. That's insane folks! If you buy a video game and have to make monthly payments to pay for it, you need serious help.

The United States has become a dangerous place to live my friend. The sin of covetousness has broken up more marriages, homes, and churches than any other sin. Covetousness causes people to go into debt, make rash financial decisions based on greed, entrap themselves in financial investments, lose their homes and work long hours at the expense of their marriage and family. You don't need that money friend, because it will cost you more than you could ever possibly imagine.

Many young women today are postponing having children, pursuing career opportunities instead. How tragic! 1st Timothy 5:14 states, "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan." Many women today have already turned aside after Satan, i.e., they are following Satan's plan for their life—forfeiting having children, living for money, and disobeying God's will for their life. It's your choice ladies. Will you be content with food and raiment as the Bible teaches; or do you think you need a designer kitchen, fancy car, home theatre entertainment system, and everything else that the sinful world has to offer. 

So many women have sold their virtue on the vile alter of covetousness. Por_ography (edited to avoid censorship) has become a major online epidemic (now a $50 billion evil industry). Did you know that 12% of all websites are now Por_ography? [SOURCEThis is so sad and evil. All across America, movie theater owners are increasingly showing “adult-only” films. Playboy magazine, and all such adulterous publications, have contributed woefully to the destruction of America. This sick filth is legal. Of the holy Ten Commandments in the Bible (Exodus 20), only two of them are illegal in the United States! Woe unto America!

People by nature seek to blame others for their sins. They claim, “The Devil made me do it!” You are accountable to God for your own sins, and cannot blame anyone else (Romans 14:12; 2nd Corinthians 5:10-11). Oh, that people would serve the Lord, depart from sin and become soul-winners for Christ (Proverb 11:30).

Life is short my friend, and you've only got one chance to get it right. I can't imagine for the life of me why any woman would want to wait until she's in her late 30s or 40s to have a family. God didn't intend for it to be that way. I can't help but wonder how many childless career women, when they've reached 45 years of age, gaze from their expensive automobile at a mother with all her children hugging her. Was your career worth it? Instead of having your own children to hug and love you, you've got a bunch of headaches and material “things” to keep you company in your old age. What a sad situation.

The Devil saw you coming. These are some of the “many sorrows” spoken of in 1st Timothy 6:10, which will pierce through your heart every time you realize what you could have had; but you loved money instead. It is the love of money that causes many young women to abort their precious baby. There is an evil agenda at work by the ruling elite to prevent you from having children, by trashing out the economy and forcing you into poverty.
 

How to Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

  1. YOU MUST BE BORN-AGAIN, THAT IS, SAVED.

    You MUST be a born-again Christian. I don't care how much you may think you're doing for God, or in Jesus' name, it will all amount to absolutely NOTHING if you die in your sins without Christ (John 8:24). The Bible makes this clear in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

    Jesus Christ is the only foundation according to 1st Corinthians 3:11. You cannot lay another foundation of water baptism, holy communion, Sabbath keeping, or good works, because the foundation has already been laid, which is Christ. The Bible teaches that we build upon the foundation. Only that which is done on the basis of Christ being our only foundation will be rewarded in eternity. The Bible warns that MANY religious people will seek to enter into Heaven, but will be denied (Mark ).

Please read my book, REWARDS IN HEAVEN.

  1. SOULWINNING, THAT IS, PREACHING THE GOSPEL.

    Jesus said in Mark 10:29-30, "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." 

    Daniel 12:3 promises, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." What righteousness is Daniel speaking of? He is speaking about the righteousness of Jesus Christ, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Romans 10:3,4). Religion is man's self-righteousness; BUT, salvation is God's righteousness, which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to every believer at the time of salvation. 

    Apart from Jesus Christ, we have no righteousness of our own (Isaiah 64:6). I am not trusting in my righteousness for salvation; but in Christ's righteousness, for it was His precious blood that washed my sins away (1st Peter 1:18,19). Daniel 12:3 promises that every believer who turns many lost sinners to the righteousness of Jesus Christ for salvation, will shine as the brightness of the stars forever. Do you know why? It's because we will see all those redeemed souls in Heaven that came to the Lord through our witness and ministry, and what a joy that will be!

    Proverb 11:30 states, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." There is nothing more dear to the heart of God than soulwinning. Oh how tragic that so many believers today are choked by the cares and riches of this sinful world, and have forgotten the Lord... Luke 8:14, "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." Every Christian should be a soulwinner! If you want true wealth, everlasting wealth that this temporal materialistic world could never offer, then become a soulwinner my friend.

    Sad to say, there are Independent Baptist churches today who resent the term “soulwinning,” because fundamentalists like Dr. Jack Hyles, Dr. Curtis Hutson and Dr. John R. Rice used it much. May I say, you are not right with God if you have a problem with the term “soulwinning.” Proverbs 11:30 says he that WINNETH SOULS IS WISE! Amen!
     
  2. BE A GODLY MOTHER AND FATHER. There is no greater weapon against the Devil than a child who is 2nd Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Only Heaven knows how many rewards Coystal Hyles, Pastor Jack Hyles' mother, is enjoying in Heaven. If it weren't for that godly woman, millions of people wouldn't have been saved through the ministry of her son that God used mightily for 55 years!
     
  3. HELP YOUR LOCAL CHURCH. When we help Bible-believing, soul-winning, Christ-honoring, God-fearing, faithful New Testament churches, we are serving the Lord. God will reward each individual for every Bible donated, every person encouraged, every toilet cleaned, every scoop of snow shoveled, every church bus mile driven, every tract passed out, all that is purchased for the church, every dime sent to missionaries, every light bulb changed, et cetera.

    If you'd like to learn more about soulwinning, then please visit the website:

www.soulwinning.info

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