Treasure - What Are We Storing Up?

Living life in America, and a number of other countries, isn't always peaceful and fulfilling. I am not down on America, I am just thinking about other things today. For many of us, we get bogged down in trying to make a living or go to school (or both), friends and family, and a host of other things that we fill our lives with.

Recently I was trying to recall some of the thoughts I had during my walk around Walden Pond a few weekends ago. I enjoyed the crisp New England air and the vibrant colors of Fall. There were moments I felt connected with God, enjoying the stillness of the pond-- not a ripple on her surface. There were other moments as I smiled at a passer by, marveled at those swimming in the 50 degree water, enjoyed the interaction of my kids, watched the minute wake of a far-off canoe gliding on the water, and the graceful landing of a blue heron in her favorite fishing spot.

Those are times when I just enjoy God as He is. I am not praying or being all religious. I am just enjoying His creation; in awe of how it reveals His character. It is a peaceful feeling that I can't get commuting to work on the Interstate, and rarely anywhere else. For me it's tough to get out of the day-to-day and disconnect from life so that I can connect with Him.

I was also thinking about where I spend my time, my money and my passion? Those are the indications of my personal spiritual climate... sort of the barometer, the temperature and the humidity of my life. It is often a meditative "check" for me.

Mathew 6:20 But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. ISV

What are your priorities in life? If we put God first (not just going to church) what does that look like? How do we put God first? Prayer, reading the Bible, serving others? How? By doing the greatest commandment, loving Him with all your heart, your mind and your soul. It is really a tall order. Look at your checkbook, your day-timer and your free-time activities. There you will begin to see just how well you are doing.

If you are married, the second one is easy, it is our spouse. I don't know how often I see couples having a tough time, she takes care of the kids and probably works, he works hard at a job. Somehow, everything seems to come before time alone together. It is easy to let work or kids become a shield to intimate conversation and romance. But so can careers and immediate family. I look forward to a time when it is a easier to leave the little one so my wife and I can slip away for an occasional weekend. For now we look forward to date nights, and "Princess Workshops' at the ballet school that give us a chance to just be together.

If you have kids, they come before golf, TV and just about everything else. Parenting is not for kids and marriage isn't either. Both require work, and sacrifice. It is hard to spend quality time when you could easily put them in from of the TV. Like many, we all need a little relaxing time and the demands of children can be endless, making it a tough decision.

Four: at least one person in a couple, someone has got to go to work and possibly both. Overtime is nice and so is working hard for your company; as unto the Lord. But it can't come before the needs of your family.

And finally, ministry. It is the way the body functions. We each do our part both in church and outside the walls. We make time to do the things that we are commanded. We operate in our gifts and we look for divine opportunities to do His will on earth and expand that Kingdom.

Our priorities are the place where we leave room for God to set Divine appointments, a place where He partners with us to create the very treasures that have eternal meaning. Apparently there will be a test.

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Keepers of the Light - What Is Going On With the Church?

Are you bored in church? Don't like going anymore? Stopped going? Wishing for something better? Not plugged in? Offended and never going back? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Longing for the good old days? Did you feel God's presence today? Are you enjoying your salvation, or just feeling guilty about the rules that you can't seem to follow, no matter how hard you try? Do you even care about the rules?

I have been around the "born again" church for nearly 30 years. At some point along the journey I have attended just about every Christian denomination. If you follow this blog at all, you know that it matters greatly to me what non-Christians think about God and the church. It also matters that, as a church, we are progressing towards the goal of bringing real redemption, while being ministers of reconciliation. The church has to have a purpose, not a facade. We need to be heading somewhere, and that takes both vision and action.

What were you thinking the last time you attended a service? Would you want to bring a co-worker, a friend or a neighbor to a service like that? Some folks will say, God never changes, take it or leave it. I AGREE. The problem is not with God, but with religion. When people experience religion, they will have an opinion. When people regularly experience a living God, they are changed forever and want to share the Good News.

Here is what I see a lot of. these days Church attendance is sliding everywhere in the US. Let's face reality, for many, church is boring and/or irrelevant more than ever before. Even now, people like certain aspects of the service or fellowship, but put up with the rest to get a little slice of the Kingdom. And, with busy lives, kids, friends, work, school and TV, we may not even feel that it is time well spent.

There is a move towards friendly churches, seeker-sensitive services and programs. First, all of those things are probably good. I have met lots of people that were looking for religion and met God in the process. I am glad that you and your local brethren are being friendly. That is a good way to be different from the world... maybe. However; I get the same treatment at Wal*Mart.

Second, I am not so sure that I am glad that churches are seeker-sensitive. Does that make God relevant? I don't think so. A supernatural God is not going to do everything so it fits our natural mindset. People are intrigued with the supernatural, otherwise there wouldn't be psychic lines, horoscopes, tarot card readers and paranormal TV shows. And when are we going to pop the salvation question anyway?

Third, programs, if they are of God... perfect. They often represent vision, but they more often can be good intentions and not "God" intentions. I am a little distressed to hear that some churches won't be letting God out of the box during regular services and that Bible studies and small groups are so programed, that there is no relationship, and no ability for God to move even when invited. I understand the idea of not being all crazy and religious, that can be a turn-off for many folks. The question is this, where is God going to be God, under a bushel?

Why go to church anyway, and what's in it for us? As I came to church in those early years, I kept coming because I first felt loved. Folks were kind to me, they didn't seem too concerned where I came from before I met Jesus, and they were affectionate. Some of my needs for relationship were also being met. However; after awhile, the friendships didn't keep me filled me up. You see, I was looking for the eternal welling up of the Spirit that Jesus told the woman at the well about (John 5). I had a hunger that words could not explain. Simply said, I wanted more, a lot more. I read a few books about the Holy Spirit and how it would help me, teach me and fill me. I also read about miracles, healing, and about God speaking to us-- I wanted that!

Here is what I find amazing. First, why is it that the church is the keeper of "light" and power? This is one of the many questions I am hoping to talk to Jesus about in Heaven. If that is true, and I believe it is, then where is the power? If the non-Christian never sees, or senses God's power, how are they ever going to believe that we have anything worthwhile-- not to mention dying for? I want the kind of faith that John had, "we speak of the things that we've SEEN." And, by the way, Thomas saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. I don't think that he doubted God's power.

We see religious fanatics blow themselves up nearly every day. They are not usually Christians, nor do they claim to be. But they are sold out for their kingdom, their god and their way of life and right to worship as they wish. Think about their commitment to the cause!

The Bible says lots of stuff that people debate all the time. We can't have emotional frenzies and call that God, but we can have passion in our worship services and in our personal relationship with Jesus. Just like the little kid who runs to daddy when he gets home from work, to the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other worker serving soup and smiles at the salvation Army, we need passion! I have friends in a number of different camps. They all believe a little bit differently. I still find areas of division. And I still see areas where some look across the street and decide that God will never do that; you can fill in the blank! _____________ But it is passion that lets His light shine through us. I have seen many transformed because they could actually see something different in the people of faith in their lives. It was not mere religion. There are historical accounts of the joy of Christians being fed to the lions in Rome, a joy that captivated onlookers there to cheer on the lions.

Here is what I think (isn't that why you read my blog and not someone else's?) Have you ever been distressed debating with folks who think there is only one god, and one way to Heaven and the Jesus is NOT the only way? I have. No power, no character and no love, simply intellectual debate.

I think that a Gospel of salvation is a great thing; preach it! But let us get past "clinching the deal." There is sooooo much more to "church" and in America I think we can easily miss it. Did you know that Dr. David Yonggie Cho's church in Korea is so packed that folks only get to attend a service every few weeks? Some of the parishioners are so poor that they tithe rice. They have a place called "Prayer Mountain" where people can fast and pray. Naysayers will find fault with his church. Again, there is that which is powerful, godly and good. This is an example. Is this the perfect church? NO! But there is power, love and relationship there.

The POINT of this blog is this. If we are the keepers of light, the salt of the earth and the ones with a witness that is nearly as powerful as the Word itself, then what the hell are we doing with it?

Revelation 12:11 And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]. Amplified Bible

Is the Bible True? The Tale of 2 Witnesses

There are those that think the Bible is a book filled with a bunch of religious sounding stories, some historical accounts and others tall tales or myths, and that it is at best the "wishful thinking" of the authors. I am not talking about skeptics or nonbelievers, these are committed Christians who are uncertain of both the historical accounts and I suppose the afterlife. I disagree with them.

What if the Bible is true from Genesis to Maps? It is not my place to defend God or the Bible. That type of conjecture only causes people to be upset. The logical thinking process that substantiates this apparent theory, maintains it is all subject to faith, and therefore; can't be proven. Again, I disagree.

One of the things that I find intriguing about the Bible is that there is a thread which runs through it connecting the laws and events of the Old Testament to the historical and spiritual events of the New Testament. As an example of this principal, let's look at this verse from the Old Testament:


Genesis 11:9 That is why it was called Babel--because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

If there really wasn't a Tower of Babel, then this might appear appears to be one of those "myths" used to describe the beginning of all languages. Most intellectuals would say languages and dialects evolve over a long period of time; for example the five romance languages. I disagree, but that is the common argument. However; as God was able to confuse the language of man because of his pride, He was also able to restore them for His purposes a few thousand years later.

Here is the New Testament connection:


Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

At a time when the message of man was ungodly, God confused the language. The opposite occurred when the message of the Gospel was first preached - and from time to time, it still happens today.

Now that you understand the concept of finding God's connections in the scriptures, here is one that shows that the events surrounding the life of Jesus were also predictably true. Deuteronomy 19:15 - "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

This principal is reiterated in the New Testament.

Matthew 18:16 - But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.



The principal here is that all the events that the Bible claims are true, would be established by two or three witnesses. Now we can look at the important events of Jesus' life, those central to His divinity and purpose here on earth and in Heaven, to see who was in fact, witnessing them?

Start of Jesus' Ministry: Mt 4:18 - And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.


First Miracle: John 2:1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. Jesus turned the water into wine.

Birth of Jesus: Luke 2:1-7 Joseph was there with Mary. Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.


Death of Jesus: Mat 27:26-50 Jesus had two criminals beside him, and in verse 55 and 56, Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56 Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Again there were two or three.


The Tomb of the Dead Jesus: Matthew 28:1 (NIV) 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards [there were two] were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.


The Empty Tomb: Matthew 28:5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."


Resurrection of Jesus: John 21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

Appearance of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-35 13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.

And a few things that have not yet been witnessed, but if the biblical track record is correct, it is going to be very exciting.

Revelations 11:3 - And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

Return of Jesus: Matthew 24:29-31 RSV "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken [see Signs In The Heavens]; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other"

Poor? or Poor! - What Is Really Poor?

Did you ever wonder how poor is poor? I can recall the sarcastic tone of some comedian, in the role of a son, where he is arguing with this father and grandfather. The son is vying for dad to buy him a car. The exchange went something like this. "Dad, why do I have to take the bus to school? All my friends drive cars!"

The father replies, "Son when I was your age we didn't have buses, we walked 3 miles to school no matter what the weather. I didn't even have my first car until I was out of college."

The somewhat senile grandfather decides he can top that story. "When I was kid," he exclaims, "we didn't have legs to get to school on."

With the approaching presidential elections, I have engaged a number of serious debates over how we might vote for biblical principals while electing the most powerful person on earth. Don't worry, this blog is not about politics. For more on that, click HERE. The latest discussion started off with typical partisan politics and their relative smears. However; it turned to a subject that I have never written about, poverty. So, I have done a little bit of study and here is what I discovered.

Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you" Matthew 26:11 First, I believe that Jesus was talking to the church, not the welfare division of our, or any other, government. Second, I am asking myself what is the biblical definition of poor? According to both John McCain and Barack Obama, rich is making over $250K per year. Then I suppose there is a middle class, and below that are the poor. There is also something called the American dream, and a term called standard of living... neither of which are biblical regardless of what the government declares.

We often hear, (and I am guilty), "blessed are the poor." That is not exactly correct... the verse goes like this. Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You see, the compassion of Jesus will be with the sick, the lame and the blind, the widows, those in prison and the poor. And if that is true, then the church should be looking after the same group of folks!

Honestly, being poor is a curse. Being destitute may very well be a motivating factor in getting folks to turn to Jesus, which certainly is a blessing. But being poor is still a curse. I think that it is a misconception of scriptures to be truly poor on purpose. Low income does not always make one poor. It depends on how much it costs to eat where you live. There are some in the church that have made a vow of poverty and continue to live quite well within the church. I don't buy it. There are others that become unmotivated to take care of themselves and their families under the guise of being "poor for Jesus." Conversely, I am sure that God has called some to a life of ministry where things are tight and creature comforts are minimal. I know a few full-time missionaries that live this way, and they have for years. (If you'd like to bless them, let me know.)

So what is poor according to the Bible? It's poor, very poor. The biblical poor are the ones that their only hope is the Gospel of Jesus. (Matthew 11:5) They are the ones that are without funds for food. (Mark 14:5) They are the ones that are classified with cripples, the blind and the lame. In their own way they are also crippled. (Luke 14:21) They are the ones that need to be fed. (1 Cor 13:3) They don't own things, "yet for your sake He became poor," Paul said speaking of Jesus. I think it is easy to interpret many of these scriptures as "spiritual" and miss the point of poverty woven into the fabric of these verses. Poor people struggle to find food, they don't go shopping at the mall, own a computer or a cell phone.

As an American, had I never left this country, I would still think that the poor live on the wrong side of the tracks, in a run down tenement building, in some city in the US. I would also think that they live on welfare and that most don't get educated. I think this perspective is wrong, while I do think that is the case for some in the US.

In much of Caribbean, many poor folks live in huts or houses without windows, floors, plumbing and electricity. In Brazil, the "poor" do not have houses. They live in the "slums" which are nothing more than an abandon lot with lean-tos, cardboard boxes and folks in sleeping bags. In the Philippines the poor pick garbage from the dump to survive. In all cases food three times a day is not a guarantee.

In America, most likely due to our relevant prosperity, we see poor very differently then a lot of the world. And as a result there is a huge amount of pressure on the government to make sure that everyone has a home to own, a TV and car in addition to food, medical care, clean water, heat and electricity. These entitlements are supposedly God given. It is an interesting comparison to the biblical definition of poor for sure.

Many believe that being poor is a breeding ground for all kinds of social ills, don't they? That is not entirely true. In some places we pour money into education and it matters little. Teenage pregnancy is pretty much the same in the "ghetto" as it is in the "burbs." Drugs? Same answer. The real link to crime and culture seems to be in learning to read, not how much money we have. It is not even the amount of education but the ability to read that changes people. You can disagree with the studies and insulate yourself from the real issue at hand, what is poor?

In the end, we all need Jesus regardless of our lot in life. Therefore; it might just be a good idea to be without so much. But in order to be truly blessed we need to receive the riches of Christ regardless of how much money we have. We are to be thankful in all things and give generously. As the church, the poor are our responsibility, not someone elses. It might be good to volunteer at a soup kitchen or take on a child from a hunger organization. Better yet, let me give you a few addresses to go and visit. I promise, your definition of poor will never be the same.

Hanging on Two Nails - The Perfume

"God is a God of relationship!" cackles the preacher. "God wants to have a relationship with you!," he exclaims. Have you heard this before?

After 30 years, I am not all that sure I know what he meant. It is often described as a relationship where you pray (and maybe try to listen), read the Bible and examine yourself (and others- J/K), and go to church to be in "fellowship," which you would not want to forsake because the Bible says don't!

Even as I type this, it doesn't sound like much fun. Oh yeah, and "Jesus loves YOU!" Sorry, I am not feeling it. Maybe I should just accept all this by faith and head home while I wait for the rapture.

So, when you get to this passage, how do you feel about God?

Matthew 22:34-40
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,
35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
37 He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the greatest and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

If you have been around any church for more than a year, you have heard at least a few dozen "do's" and "don't's." Let's call that the law. Possibly you have heard some predictions about the future, the Last Days, the End Times, Armageddon and things like that. We'll call that the prophets. The word of God and the prophets are meant to be "directional." The question is, towards what? The answer is relationship with God and our neighbor (enemies and wives).

You see, the last verse of this passage is this: 40 "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Think of life as a large beautiful panting on the wall-- a pastoral mountain landscape. It's simple beauty drawing you in; a stream that glistens in the sunlight; so inviting, distant snow capped mountains and floral glades. A picture so vivid that you feel like you have been transported into it. Behind this alluring canvas, two nails from which it hangs on the wall.

The entire scene; life, is held up by the "nails" of "loving God" and "loving your neighbor." All the laws in the Bible - every rule, and all the predicted future events culminate in a relationship with Jesus!

Loving Jesus? It starts by loving others and expressing the love that He has shown you. The following essay is a touching story which I heard at a Winds of Worship conference in the 90's. It still tugs a heart string or two today. It was the closing thought for a sermon after which dozens responded to the altar call.

The Perfume
Author Unknown

As she stood in front of her 5th-grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's 1st-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."

His 2nd-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His 3rd-grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's 4th-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer...the letter was signed, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Teddy, now the doctor, whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."