The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Matthew #2512

 "Just how does one make a "spiritual deposit" in heaven?"

The special object and "Divine purpose in the Gospel of Matthew is to set forth the Lord as Yahveh's King" who shall return at the sound of the 7th Trump and establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth. To that end, those who love and serve the King of kings in this final generation have a part in preparing the way for His return at the second advent and though they seek not glory for themselves, they shall be richly rewarded for the wonderful works they do according to His will, which rewards we read of in the Eight Beatitudes. Not only that, it is also written that He has made them kings and priests to reign with Him on the earth (Rev. 5:10 "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.")

Since the beginning of the 5th chapter, we have been studying the in-depth teachings of Jesus Christ in what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount, which we noted from the beginning is not "general instruction to the multitudes" but rather "personal instruction to His disciples" who follow Him and seek to hear His voice and obey His commands. (Matthew 5:1 "And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him.") Isn't it interesting that when we see Hollywood movies depicting Christ giving the Sermon on the Mount, we see Him either standing before throngs of people or walking through the crowds. However, such was not the case at all and as we continue in this 6th chapter of Matthew He is still teaching His disciples who came to Him on the mount apart from the multitudes.

Matthew 6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
As background for what we will be learning in today's study we should be reminded that Satan, the king of Tyrus, effectively used prosperity and merchandising (Ezek. 28:16), i.e. trafficking, in the first earth age to draw (chata) one third of God's children (Rev. 12:4) away from the mercy seat of truth and justice. And you know what? He's doing a pretty good job accomplishing the same thing at the end of this earth age too, wouldn't you say?Are you familiar with the riches of the great harlot in Revelation 18 who makes the whole world spiritually drunken and the merchants of the earth to become rich through the abundance of her delicacies? Rev. 18:3 "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."

However, a "wise" person, even one who has read the great Book of Ecclesiastes (Christ will mention Solomon in this teaching), knows that this flesh age and all that is contained herein is "vanity", emptiness, i.e. it is TEMPORAL for it shall ALL pass away at the sound of the 7th Trump... including these flesh bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-52). So while many of our brothers and sisters spend an inordinate amount of their time seeking security and peace of mind in the "system", with all its retirement funds and insurances with assurances, entitlements, etc., God's elect are busy doing their Father's will knowing full well that though they must live in this world, their heart and soul are not of this world. In other words, God's elect look past this flesh and all that it has to offer because they know that there is NOTHING in this world that can compare to the riches and glory of the kingdom of God.

So take heed and be sure not to get "caught up" in the system or pulled off track (drawn away) to the point that you become too busy to serve God.

[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:
The Greek word for "treasures" is "thesauros" which is #G2344 in your Strong's Concordance and means; a deposit, that is, wealth, (literally or figuratively):--treasure. So let's keep this real simple and use an example. When you "lay up" or make a deposit into the bank or your 401k you stand the chance of losing it, slowly through inflation and taxation or having it ripped off by thieves. I think the ex-employees of Enron, once the largest corporation in America, will attest to the crooks and thieves stealing their treasures, i.e. their retirement money! That is not to say that we should not have retirement accounts or wisely plan for the future, etc. However, we should always be wiser that the serpent and know where our true trust and security and peace of mind do lie, eternally.

So here's a good question, "Just how does one make a "spiritual deposit" in heaven?" Dr. Luke's account gives us great insight into the answer, i.e. how to "lay up treasures" in heaven. It is actually very simple if you have eyes to see. Christ says to "Sell that you have, and give alms".

Well first of all, what is it that God's elect have to sell?

Just the most precious thing in all the universe... the Word of God, His precious truth which gives life, eternal life. How you do your "selling" depends on the talents you have which have been given unto you (Matthew 25:29 "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.").

Luke 12:33
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
The word "bags" is #G905 and means a pouch (for money) and to "wax not old" means it will never wear out. You see, when you make a spiritual deposit in heaven there is no one who can take it from you. It is yours for all eternity. Then too, the "wise" also know that the time is soon coming, the hour of darkness, when Satan, the spurious messiah, is here defacto and no one will be able to spiritually "buy or sell" unless he or she is part of and has the authority of (the name of) the beast! That leaves God's elect out, doesn't it? Rev. 13:17 "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

The bottom line to all of this is, "Where and with whom does your heart lie?" It what and in whom do you put your trust and security? Do you desire more to make deposits in the First Bank and Trust Co. or is your number one priority to love and serve your Father by declaring His righteousness, thereby making deposits in the First Bank of Heaven?

Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
This is extremely important in this generation where Jeshurun has "waxed fat" (Deut. 32), i.e. America has become wealthy and prosperous, because it really boils down to the difference between light and darkness.
Matthew 6:22
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
"If your eye be single" means "if your eye is clear" as in focused with singleness of mind on the things above (Col 3:2), then you are a child of light and one who walks in and is filled with that light!
1 Thes. 5:5
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Again, the difference is like "day and night" for it separates the children of the day from those who walk in the night.
Matthew 6:23
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
The point is that even if you know some truth and see some light, if you are focused on the wealth and prosperity of the harlot then your light doesn't shine! The question is, will you prostitute yourself (pornos) and sell out to the peace and safety and prosperity of the New World Order? Remember Esau, called a fornicator (pornos) in Hebrews 12, sold out his birthright for a bowl of red pottage? Hebrews 12:16 "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."

A person who has both "eyes to see" and "eyes that are clear (focused on selling and giving alms)" is one who lets his or her light shine before men!

Luke 11:36
If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
So which is it for you? You cannot it both ways! You cannot be fully focused on the things of this world and at the same time be fully focused on serving God. Why not? Because to be fully focused means just that!
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
The word "serve" used here means not only "belong wholly and be entirely under command to" but it means to voluntarily make yourself servant to someone or something! It is in whom and in what YOU decide to put your trust. You must choose between God and mammon because as Christ said, you cannot serve both. Here is the word "mammon" as define by Dr. Strong and Dr. Bullinger respectively:
mammon =  mammonas  mam-mo-nas' #G3126
Of Chaldee origin (confidence, that is, figuratively wealth, personified); mammonas, that is, avarice (deified):—mammon.

mammon = mammonas Chald., that in which one trusts; hence, mammon, i.e. wealth, riches, (non occ.) (Critical Lexicon and Concordance..., E.W. Bullinger, pg. 476.)

Mammon is an interesting word in that is of Chaldean origin letting us know it has to do with Babylon and the avarice or excessive, insatiable desire for wealth or gain. Well, it sure is obvious that most of our leaders and politicians have jumped in bed with the harlot. Don't follow the leaders... follow your Father's Word with singleness of purpose in serving Him in these last days.

Yes, but you don't understand! I've got bills to pay and obligations to fulfill and mouths to feed, etc., etc.! Well, no one is saying to quit your job and go stand on the corner and preach! But don't you know (next verse) that there is more to life than food and clothing and material things?

To that end, Jesus Christ is now going to put things in perspective and make a PROMISE to you that if you will love and serve God in these last days, He will "add" to you (not do it all for you) so that you will not have to be anxious and spend time "worrying" about the necessities of life. In other words, if you serve God and "sell that you have and gives alms" then He promises to take care of you.

Matthew 6:25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
"Therefore" means "on account of this"! In other words, on account of the fact that you cannot serve two masters, if you choose to serve Him then do not worry, which is to take anxious thought, about the things mentioned in verse 25! Worrying never helped anything anyway! It is a total waste of time and energy! In fact, there is nothing so bad that worry won't make worse.

Question? Do you not think God is not able to take care of you? Take a lesson from His nature.

[26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
God gives the fowl of the air instinct to know just what to do, like swoop down and pluck up the worm or the corn seed, and you know what? He can do the same for you. (Personally I'm not big on worms but one should never look a gift-worm in the mouth!)

Next point...

[27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
The subject is your life and this "adding one cubit" refers to the longevity of your life. Not only is the point made in scripture that your life (in the flesh) is short, but can you extend the length of your life even for one moment? Not only can you NOT do that, but the fact is you could be here one moment and be gone the next, right? We've all seen it happen!
[28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Lilies neither till and plant as men do when preparing to grow flax, nor do they spin the flax as women do to make clothing. Yet they are beautifully arrayed.
[29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
When God clothes someone or some thing, there is no comparison to what man can do! Solomon is mentioned here because this wisest of all men had more money, wealth, power, women, booze, and good times than any man ever on earth. He also documented that there is not enough of any of those things in any combination or in totality to bring happiness to the flesh man who walks under the sun for anymore than a short time. The flesh is just never satisfied.

It is also interesting to note that the most common lily is all "dressed in white" like the white linen garments of the saints, which are made up of their righteousness. Rev. 19:8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."Your righteous acts are the only things you can take with you when you leave the flesh.

Again, this old flesh and this flesh age are both temporal and you have heard the saying, "You can't take it with you!" Well, it is a true statement although it applies only to the material things of this world. But you see, you are not leaving this world with any material things nor even in a flesh body, but rather by being birthed into your spiritual body (read 1 Cor. 15 & Jn. 3). And although you were born into this world "naked" you need not be born "naked" into the spirit! However, if you have no righteous acts and have walked in darkness, you will not only be naked but you will ashamed of your nakedness! Rev. 16:15 "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."

[30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
To anxiously "worry" is to doubt the promises of God which shows a lack of faith. A lack of faith is caused by a lack of "substance", a lack of foundation (Heb. 11:1), a lack of knowledge and understanding of His Word. So don't worry about the "things" of this flesh nor project into the future and worry about something which has not even come to pass. Again, that is not to say we do not work and earn our keep. On the contrary, God's elect are hard workers. But your Father will see to it that blessings flow your way and you get some breaks so there is no need to be anxious and let worry occupy your mind and perhaps even incapacitate you. Neither should one who puts his or her trust in God and not mammon be anxious about the five month period of the reign of Satan as the false-christ. A word to the wise!
Matthew 6:31
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Always use wisdom, but do not become a worry-wart and be filled with anxiety. Why? Your Father knows exactly what's going on in your life! You are His precious child!
[32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
These "things" are the food, drink, and clothing mentioned in verse 31. Remember from Mat. 6:8 that He even knows what you have need of (both physically and spiritually) before you ask of Him in prayer. It is kind of like... don't you as a parent know when your kids need a new pair of shoes or that they are going to need supper? I think so!

The point is...

[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
That is His promise! Sell that ye have and give alms in declaring His righteousness to this froward generation and He shall see to it that you have want for nothing. You see, He can both change the course of rivers and cause men to change their minds... for your benefit!

So... "What Me Worry?"

[34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Fear not! Trust and believe in His promises. Do the work that is set before you according to His Will and lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. The day is coming that you will glad you did. In fact, if you are one of His elect... you are already glad you did for it is indeed a great pleasure to serve God in this final generation! Mammon just doesn't compare!

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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