Where’s Your Wealth?

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matt. 6:19-20, NKJV).

I wonder if our Lord had termites in mind when He spoke those words about moth and rust destroying our treasure?  The Associated Press reported about how those pesky creatures devoured money worth thousands of dollars:

It was an all-you-can-eat buffet at the bank. An army of termites munched through 10 million rupees ($222,000) in currency notes stored in a steel chest at a bank in northern India. The bank manager discovered the damage when he opened the reinforced room in an old bank building.  A police officer told The Associated Press, "It's a matter of investigation how termites attacked bundles of currency notes stacked in a steel chest." The money was put in the chest in January, 2011. In the past, termites had damaged bank furniture and documents. The police have registered a case of negligence against the bank officials.

Where is your wealth?  Jesus advises us to invest in heavenly treasure, which will never be ravaged by any earthly power or creature.  Are you rich in heavenly treasure?

Our God Who Doesn’t Change

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17, NIV).

How do you deal with change?  Do you feel like a “typewriter” living in an “ipad” age?  Life is changing rapidly.  Change is not the issue.  How we relate to change is the issue.  Preaching Today reports on the last company in the world to produce typewriters:

This past week, Godrej and Boyce, the last company in the world to produce typewriters, finally shut down its production plant. They still have an inventory of a few hundred machines—mostly in Arabic—if you need to buy one. This marks an end of an era for a piece of equipment that dominated the office communication scene (the first typewriter was produced in the U.S. in 1867). The manager of Godrej and Boyce said, "We are not getting many orders now"—definitely a wild understatement.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that no matter how fast change occurs, it always lags behind the ways of our God who stands behind, before, and beyond the latest gadgets and fascinations of our age.  Jesus is not only timely; He is timeless.  In fact, He is the only Being in the universe who does not change.  We should relate to change in the same way that He does: expect it and respond to the Lord through it (not react).  Nowhere does change seem to threaten more than in the church.  Yet, we should not fear it; our Lord simply calls us to follow Him through it. 

Justice

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. . . .  For he is God’s minister to you for good.  But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil (Romans 13:3a,4, NKJV).

            You will probably remember for a long time where you were when you heard the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Around eleven o’clock in the evening on Sunday, May 1, 2011, the news spread around the world that the arch-enemy of America, the face of evil and terrorism, Bin Laden, had been assassinated by a special forces unit of our military.

            It is interesting that the responses of Americans have been varied.  While most have welcomed the news, some have questioned why any should celebrate the death of an individual.  However, it must be noted that justice was served yesterday.  Bin Laden met his expected end.  Bin Laden will face even more justice when the ungodly (without a relationship to God through Jesus Christ) will be summoned before the Great White Throne of God to answer for their deeds.  Such a moment looms ahead for any who live outside God’s grace expressed in Jesus Christ. 

            Should we celebrate Bin Laden’s death?  Maybe.  But it should be a sober celebration.  We should remember our Lord’s admonition: “But unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).