2024

John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

  If you are like me, you have a home, personal property, car, lots of clothes and shoes. I have many sheds that have lots of things stored in them. We invest so much in the things we have in our current lives. We make sure we have all the comforts we can afford. We can even be obsessed with getting as much as we can to live here on this Earth. Our last Bible Study, we talked about our morals and God’s morals and how sometimes we will compromise our morals into achieving our selves successfully. We can Also reason that our moral values can also be dictated by where we live and the atmosphere therein of our surroundings.

  From the very beginning of time, God’s plan was for us to live with Him, to dwell with Him, to fellowship with Him. His whole purpose for Adam and Eve was to live a life in God’s presence. We have somehow gotten off the stray path and started living for ourselves. Only finding pleasure in things or events we create for ourselves. God has already set it up for us to be citizens in Heaven.

John 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

 Here, Jesus is telling His disciples why the world hates them. They are no longer part of this world. The world hates the lifestyle that is heavenly based. We are no longer part or citizens of this world. We belong in Heaven, we are now part of God’s Kingdom. We are currently placed on this earth not to be citizens of it but to be God’s Ambassadors.

2^nd Corinthians 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

 Sure, we can enjoy many pleasures that are found on the earth as long as it does not go against God’s will in our life, and we go about being ambassadors for Christ. Ambassadors have to go places. We also need to make sure those pleasures do not take priority over the things of God.

Psalm 37:  (3) Trust in the LORD, and do good; So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. (4) Delight thyself also in the LORD; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

 God understands we are put here on this earth to be ambassadors for Him. When we focus on Him, He will allow us to have desires and enjoy them.

 The main point of this study is to challenge us to where do we consider to be citizens of. Do I live here in Texas, The United States, or do I find my true citizenship to be in Heaven? Where we live will dictate what is most important to us. As stated earlier, we own lots of things in our homes, and often times call our homes our castle, kingdom, safe area. But the Bible is very clear that our hearts will be where we store our treasures/belongings.

Matthew 6: (19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (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: (21) for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 Jesus is very clear. We spend so much time and energy storing stuff here on earth, but literally has now value. That does not mean we cannot have nice things, God already said he would give us our hearts desire. But when these things become more relevant then God, is when we can say we value what we have here on earth more than what we have in heaven.

 So, the question would remain, how do we store treasures in Heaven? Matthew 6:21 gives us that answer. Your Heart! Every and any time we do something for God, we stack our home in heaven with treasure. Have you prayed for anyone, shared the gospel, etc.. God does not require any great ability other than to have the desire to be His ambassador. He wants to be able to fellowship with you, talk to you, literally reside with you.

1^st peter 2: (9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (10) which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (11) Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (12) having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

 I love how these verses truly separate us from the world using such terminology like holy nation, peculiar people, strangers, pilgrims and visitation. If we are following God, we are not part of this world. We are only here temporarily. Just visiting.

Where do you live and store your treasures?