HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
Today's paragraph is split to cover two parts. The topic is: (True riches) Part 1.
This an interesting topic to talk about because it has so much wealth. Christ tells us in this sermon to not lay up for ourselves treasures on earth. He says that rust and moths will consume them our treasure or thieves will break in to steal it. He tells us instead, to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven where this does not happen. Thieves cannot break into heaven to steal our treasures nor will rust consume our wealth or moths eat away at our precious garments. What is our response to this declaration? Our response is contrary to this preaching.
We believe that we have to have wealth stored up for our retirement years. We believe that if we plan right we will have the resources that we need to live a wonderful and luxurious retirement life. We believe that it is necessary to store up our wealth and treasures on earth to survive. For we work all of our lives to retire. We labor so that we can have a life without labor. We look forward to the years when we can get up everyday and do what we want instead of having to punch the time clock.
We believe that if we plan right and get the right insurance that our treasures will be protected and cannot be taken by thieves and robbers. Isn't that what insurance is for?? If our bank gets robbed the government insures our funds up to $250,000 now. If our house gets robbed or burned dolwn we have insurance to replace what was stolen. If our retirement accounts fail, well that is another story, considering the state of the economy today.
But for those who planned well and followed the thrifty road, they invested in government securities and therefore had security. For the average person seeking to follow the norm, we invest our time , energy, and efforts to follow the instructions that are given to us by the best in the field of saving for retirement. We read the best magazines on saving, we follow the investment strategies by the top gurus on where to place our money, and we consult with the best financial analysts who chart green paths for us to follow that guarantees our success for later years. Those who are less fortunate who do not have the opportunity to follow these strategies, but if by some stoke of magic or luck they came into a sum of money, they would follow the same
process.
So the mindset of mankind is set by those who would know better than ourselves. Our beliefs are set by those who would guide us in the direction of financial security. Our hearts therefore are set on the path of obtaining wealth here on earth and not on obtaining wealth and treasure in heaven.
Christ, the greatest financial analyst and the greatest investment guru that ever lived, would have us do the opposite. He tells us not to be consumed with hoarding wealth and treasures on the earth. He tells us that we should be concerned with building up our treasures in heaven instead of on earth. The reasoning for this?? It is simply this, where our treasure is, there also will our hearts be.
This is a simple yet profound statement, because those who have wealth, those who have investments, would curse you if you told them that they were investing in the wrong things. After all their investments and strategies are producing income. That fact is evidence enough that their mindset is correct. But the God of the universe tells us to invest in heaven, to build up our treasures in heaven rather than on earth. How can we do this?? How can we invest in heaven?? How do we build up treasure in heaven?? Can we put our money in some form of vehicle where we can see the returns that it will bring to us?? Can we know that our strategies are working to guarantee a positive return? Will we have dollars, or gold, or silver in heaven?? Because of the unknowns to these questions and the uncertainty of the life hereafter, we defer to what we can see and what we can feel and what we can touch. We put off our heavenly investments until we find ourselves facing death wondering what to do.
Christ tells us that by investing in heaven, our hearts will be in heaven and not in the earth. For this is the most important concept in investing. If we invest in the earth our hearts will be centered on greed. If we invest in the earth our hearts will be full of self. If we build up treasures on the earth we will be consumed with the things of the earth. If however, we invest in heaven, we will be concerned with the things of heaven. If we build up treasure in heaven, we will not worry about anyone stealing what we have or taking our treasure from us. If we invest in heaven we will not be concerned about the things on the earth because our treasure is not in the earth. If we invest in heaven, we will know for certain what we have waiting for us in heaven and there will be no doubt when facing death. Our concern at death, whether expected or unexpected, will be great joy and happiness because we followed the right investment strategy.
Today's paragraph is split to cover two parts. The topic is: (True riches) Part 1.
This an interesting topic to talk about because it has so much wealth. Christ tells us in this sermon to not lay up for ourselves treasures on earth. He says that rust and moths will consume them our treasure or thieves will break in to steal it. He tells us instead, to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven where this does not happen. Thieves cannot break into heaven to steal our treasures nor will rust consume our wealth or moths eat away at our precious garments. What is our response to this declaration? Our response is contrary to this preaching.
We believe that we have to have wealth stored up for our retirement years. We believe that if we plan right we will have the resources that we need to live a wonderful and luxurious retirement life. We believe that it is necessary to store up our wealth and treasures on earth to survive. For we work all of our lives to retire. We labor so that we can have a life without labor. We look forward to the years when we can get up everyday and do what we want instead of having to punch the time clock.
We believe that if we plan right and get the right insurance that our treasures will be protected and cannot be taken by thieves and robbers. Isn't that what insurance is for?? If our bank gets robbed the government insures our funds up to $250,000 now. If our house gets robbed or burned dolwn we have insurance to replace what was stolen. If our retirement accounts fail, well that is another story, considering the state of the economy today.
But for those who planned well and followed the thrifty road, they invested in government securities and therefore had security. For the average person seeking to follow the norm, we invest our time , energy, and efforts to follow the instructions that are given to us by the best in the field of saving for retirement. We read the best magazines on saving, we follow the investment strategies by the top gurus on where to place our money, and we consult with the best financial analysts who chart green paths for us to follow that guarantees our success for later years. Those who are less fortunate who do not have the opportunity to follow these strategies, but if by some stoke of magic or luck they came into a sum of money, they would follow the same
process.
So the mindset of mankind is set by those who would know better than ourselves. Our beliefs are set by those who would guide us in the direction of financial security. Our hearts therefore are set on the path of obtaining wealth here on earth and not on obtaining wealth and treasure in heaven.
Christ, the greatest financial analyst and the greatest investment guru that ever lived, would have us do the opposite. He tells us not to be consumed with hoarding wealth and treasures on the earth. He tells us that we should be concerned with building up our treasures in heaven instead of on earth. The reasoning for this?? It is simply this, where our treasure is, there also will our hearts be.
This is a simple yet profound statement, because those who have wealth, those who have investments, would curse you if you told them that they were investing in the wrong things. After all their investments and strategies are producing income. That fact is evidence enough that their mindset is correct. But the God of the universe tells us to invest in heaven, to build up our treasures in heaven rather than on earth. How can we do this?? How can we invest in heaven?? How do we build up treasure in heaven?? Can we put our money in some form of vehicle where we can see the returns that it will bring to us?? Can we know that our strategies are working to guarantee a positive return? Will we have dollars, or gold, or silver in heaven?? Because of the unknowns to these questions and the uncertainty of the life hereafter, we defer to what we can see and what we can feel and what we can touch. We put off our heavenly investments until we find ourselves facing death wondering what to do.
Christ tells us that by investing in heaven, our hearts will be in heaven and not in the earth. For this is the most important concept in investing. If we invest in the earth our hearts will be centered on greed. If we invest in the earth our hearts will be full of self. If we build up treasures on the earth we will be consumed with the things of the earth. If however, we invest in heaven, we will be concerned with the things of heaven. If we build up treasure in heaven, we will not worry about anyone stealing what we have or taking our treasure from us. If we invest in heaven we will not be concerned about the things on the earth because our treasure is not in the earth. If we invest in heaven, we will know for certain what we have waiting for us in heaven and there will be no doubt when facing death. Our concern at death, whether expected or unexpected, will be great joy and happiness because we followed the right investment strategy.
