SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/18/2020 11:56 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
2nd Intro to “Treasure in
Heaven”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt.
6:19-24
Message of the verses: “19 "Do not
store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and
where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in
or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The
eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will
be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of
darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the
darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and wealth.”
In
our last SD we talked a lot about how human beings are naturally thing-oriented
with the little saying that came from MacArthur’s sermon in the subject we are
looking at which has to do with money and luxuries. I think that it is safe to say that we in our
country enjoy acquiring things, but we are not to allow those things that we acquire
to own us.
We
also mentioned that during Jesus’ day that the so called “religious leaders”
had similar problems that western people have today. They were materialistic, and they were greedy
along with people who broke the 19th commandment of coveting, and
they also wanted to control people too.
One more thing as seen in Luke 16:14 where we read “14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers
of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him.” Notice the highlighted part of this
verse. The Pharisees did not have a
right view of themselves as seen in Matthew 5:3-12, verses that we have already
gone over. They did not have a proper
relation to the world also seen in Matthey 5 and verses 13-16, of the Word as
seen in 5:17-20, or morality (5:21-48), and of religious duties (6:1-18), so it
was inevitable they would not have a right view of material things which is
what Jesus is talking about in these verses.
John
MacArthur writes “Jesus first shows how their view of nonessential material
things was perverted (vv. 4-24) and then how their view of essential material
things was also perverted (vv. 25-34).
Their views both of luxuries and necessities were warped.
“False
doctrine leads to false standards, false behavior, and false values, and
hypocritical religion seems always to be accompanied by greed and immorality
(cf. 2 Pet. 2:1-3, 14-15). Hophni and
Phinehas, the two sons of Eli the high priest, had no regard for the things of
God, but they eagerly took advantage of their father’s exalted office as well
as their own priestly positions. They ‘were
worthless men; they did not know the Lord’ (1 Samuel 2:12). They too more than their prescribed share of
the sacrificial meat for themselves, and they committed adultery ‘with the
women who served at the doorway of the tent of meetings’ (vv. 13-17, 22).”
This
kind of thing not only happened in the Old Testament but also seen in the New
Testament as we look at Annas and Caiaphas, the ones who were the high priests
during the time our Lord was on earth.
These men became extremely wealthy and also powerful from the many
concessions they ran or licensed in the Temple.
It is no wonder that we read about Jesus cleansing the Temple of the
Lord two times.
We
will move on at the first part of our next SD to talk about things that have
happened in the church age which we are a part of at this time.
Spiritual meaning for my life: I don’t want to get caught up in the “things”
game, as I don’t want things to control me.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord for what He is
planning to do for our country, knowing that what He does will be good for me,
and bring glory to Him.
12/18/2020 12:27 PM
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