TODAY'S PROMISE

"There is treasure in the house of the godly,

but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble."  

(Proverbs 15:6 NLT)

TODAY'S PROMISE.

"Teach those who are rich in this world not

to be proud and not to trust in their money,

which is so unreliable.  Their trust should be

in God, who richly gives us all we need for our

enjoyment.  Tell them to use their money to do

good.  They should be rich in good works and 

generous to those in need, always being ready

to share with others.  By doing this they will

be storing up their treasure as a good foundation 

for the future so that they may experience true

life."  

(1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT)

LIFE'S FUTILITY

LIFE'S FUTILITY.

God has permitted me to have a few acres of woods

that I use to "get away from it all" in.  I drive over 

to this small patch of woods every chance I get just

to get away from it all.

Now I have learned a long time ago to consult with

God on the many decisions of life.  If I don't, well

I am in trouble.  But, this was one of those times that

it was just something that I wanted to do.  So, I

did it with out getting God's advice.

There is a hollow tree in my patch of woods and

by nature I am a "survivalist" at heart.  So, I wanted

to put some survival gear in that tree hid from the 

rest of the world "just in case."

I got a machete and put a protective coating on it

to keep it from rusting.

Then I made myself up a small can with a bail on

it so it could be held over a fire to boil water in,

if necessary.  And then put a protective coating on 

it to keep it from rusting also.

Lastly I took a plastic weather proof case and 

put in it [I think] something to light fires with.

A solar blanket and some fishing gear.  Stuffing

all of this in the hollow of the tree.

The last time I was over at my woods hid away

I decided to check on my survival gear.  It had 

been five or six years since it was all stuffed in

the tree.

Wow!  Just wow is all I can say.

It was like it was all buried in a pile of compost

in the tree.  I had to dig it out.

In addition the tree had grown enough that I

could not even get the tin can out with out

mashing it down.  And the plastic case.  I don't

know.  It is still stuck in the tree.  I cannot get

it out of the hole anymore.

I should know better.  Jesus Christ told us;

"Don't store up treasures here on earth,

where moths eat them and rust destroys them,

and where thieves break in and steal.  Store

your treasures in heaven, where moths and 

rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break

in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there

the desires of your hear will also be."   

(Matthew 6:19-21 NLT)   

I should have spent that time and little bit of 

money doing something worth while for God.

WASTED, WASTED, WASTED

I know, it seems that I have only one song to sing

anymore.  And not being able to sing maybe only

one note to play.  But when you are living on borrowed

time, you look at things differently.

Even in my own life and home I now see so many.

excesses and surpluses that I am ashamed of myself.

Like so many professed Christians we are living on

the abundance of God's mercy and supplies.  We live

like there is no tomorrow.

God's word tells us that we brought nothing into the

world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Try arguing with that.

But Jesus Christ gives us hope even in the matter of

accumulated "treasures".   He said:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves 

break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves

treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust

destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

for where your treasure is, there your heart will

be also."

(Matthew 6:19 - 21 NASB )   

For myself,

I want the excesses beyond my necessities to be

"forwarded" to heaven where I can enjoy them

not only for a few years  - but forever.

It was C.T. Studd who said;

"Only one life, twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last."

BEWARE OF BARGAINS

Yep!

That's a tie.

It's a poor photo, but a nice tie.

I confess, I admit and I apologize, that there was a time

in my life when it was proper for me to wear a white

shirt and tie every day.  Sorry about that.

But then, I did one of the smartest things in my life.

I wanted off of the merry-go-round of that life style.

So I moved to the hills more than forty years ago.

And, yes, this culture does not require a tie.  Even

on Sunday.  If you see someone coming with a tie

on - WATCH OUT.

It is true that a tie is proper once in a while.  So I 

might wear a tie once or twice a year, maybe.

Now I have a wife who tries to take good [That's,

GOOD.] care of her husband.  Also, she cannot

pass up a bargain - even here in the hills.

The result was that over the years she had accumulated

about seventy five ties for me.  AND, I DON'T EVEN

WEAR TIES.

Where is the bargain in that?

God told us;

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures

on earth, where moth and rust consume

and where thieves break in and steal, but

lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither month nor rust consumes

and where thieves do not bread in and

steal.  For where your treasure is, there

will you heart be also.

(Matthew 6:19-21 RSV)

MY TREASURE

Photo courtesy of:www.freefoto.com

God said,

"Their greatest treasure is their

reverence for the LORD."

(Isaiah 33:6 GNB)

The fact is,

Our reverence for and our relationship to

the LORD is the only true treasure we have.

Every thing else is simply futility and frustration.