St Matthew, Chapter 6, verses: 19 - 21, The Sermon on the Mount: Store your Treasure in heaven and not on earth.

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.

St Matthew, Chapter 6, verses: 16 - 18, The Sermon on the Mount: Fast in secret and not before men.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

We continue or paragraph discussion with today's topic: (Fasting). 

This topic, fasting, comes at a time when most people are making preparation for family gatherings, good food, gift openings, and fun.  People are feasting during the Christmas Holidays and not fasting.  Christ, in this sermon, tells us what we should do when we fast.  He begins by saying:  "And when you fast,".   The statement assumes that we will fast.  It tells us that Christ knows that we will fast and that we should follow these instructions when we do. 

Do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, he tells us.  Do not disfigure our face as the hypocrites do.  Instead, wash the face and anoint the head with oils to show that you are alive and upbeat.  Show to the public that you are living as normal and keep the spiritual practices that you do in secret to yourself .  It is not for the public that you fast.  It is not for the public that  you seek to gain recognition.  It is for your Father in heaven that you secretly fast, who's recognition you seek.  He will know your secret.  He will know the truth in your heart and the joy with which you fast because it is his secret and yours.  It is your secret that you seek to come closer to him in what you do.  It is your secret that you would sacrifice the things of this world to do the things for him.  It is your secret that through the fast, you find joy and happiness, and peace.  It is your secret that you bring your physical body under control and deny it the daily pleasure that it wants.  It is your secret that you allow yourself to suffer the pains of withdrawal from the foods that you eat.

It is God's secret that he sets aside gifts for you in heaven.  It is God's secret that he rejoices in your love for him.  It is God's secret that he finds your actions pleasing to him.  It is God's secret that through your actions he knows your love for him.  For Christ tells us, in this sermon, that our Father in heaven will see what we do in secret and will reward us.

Let us take a moment in this time of joyous celebration to remember those less fortunate than ourselves, those that are suffering through this holiday season.  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God for all of the blessings that he has given us.  Christ came to live among us to teach us how to live according to God's principles.  Give a gift to those who do not have.  Give a donation to the needy.  Give a helping hand to those who ask in this time of giving.  Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help the suffering.  This is the season of giving.  Let our giving extend to all in this joyous season.     

St Matthew, Chapter 6, verses: 7 - 15, The Sermon on the Mount: The Lord's Prayer.

Today's paragraph topic is:  (The Lord's Prayer). 

Certain topics in the scriptures are so popular that they do not need explanation.  Today's topic is one.  We learn it from infancy.  We repeat it throughout our lives.  We know it without thinking about the words.  It is a part of our culture.  It was once in our schools.  It is repeated at public events and is accepted as part of the American tradition, almost.  Today, we find that the American way allows for other religious beliefs and therefore prevents this prayer from being expressed as freely today.

Christ tells us in this sermon, to not multiply words as the gentiles do.  It is not necessary to be wordy to get God's attention, therefore we should only speak what is in our hearts.  He tells us that God already knows what we need.  This may not be what we want, but he already knows what we need.  We may be selfish in our wants and differ from what God wants to give us.  We may seek other thing that may not be good for us but they provide satisfy our passions and supply our desires.  We may think that it is important to say a great deal, in many words, that God will provide for us the things that we want, but God knows already what we need. 

Christ gives us exact instructions on how to pray.  He says, when you pray, pray thus:  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread.  12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.  13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.   These are the instructions that Christ gives to us as to how we should pray.  We should first acknowledge that God is our father and that there is a place called heaven where God dwells. We should acknowledge that his name is sacred and honored, hallowed be thy name. We should next recognize that God has a kingdom and ask that it will manifest itself on earth. With the coming of the kingdom, we should also pray that his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Man has free will to do as he pleases. But we exercise that freedom, as Christians, by espousing that God's will be done on earth. We pray that we do his will and that others do the same also. 

We then ask for our sustenance, our bread, to provide for our bodies, and we ask daily for this provision.  We plead with God to forgive us our debts.  We ask that he not hold our debts against us.  We in turn pledge to forgive others their debts as they have transgressed against us.  We ask God to deliver us from the evil of this world and to assure us that we are not led into any temptation that would separate us from his love.   These are the instructions that Christ gives to us as to how we should pray to our heavenly Father.  Christ further stipulates the importance of forgiveness.  For if we forgive others their offenses then we express our sameness with God, acknowledging that we are his children and we have the capacity for mercy and forgiveness the same as he does.  We are not prideful children.  We are not vengeful children.  We are humble sons and daughters of God, and this is our reason for prayer.  Thank you father for teaching us how to pray.