Category: Treasures for the Heart

1 Corinthians 15:55-58
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

09.04.2017

Luke 19:1-5
​ And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. The Roman Empire had imposed steep taxes on everyone. Tax collectors were some of the most unfavorable people in Isreal.

Jews who chose to work for the Romans were considered turncoats. This made Zacchaeus a very unliked man. In every society, there are people who are unloved or deemed untouchable because of their behavior or lifestyle.

In spite of his disposition, Jesus loved Zacchaeus. Jesus loved the whole world enough to give His life that we may be able to go to heaven with Him one day.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming through Jericho. He wanted to see what the fuss was all about. But because of his short stature, he had to climb a tree to see above the crowds.

Interesting side thought…Jesus knew years before that Zacchaeus would need to climb that tree. Jesus created that specific tree for that specific purpose! God provides for our needs even before we know they exist. What an awesome God!!!

Little did Zacchaeus know he would not only meet Jesus, but Jesus would also be coming to his house. What a difference it made in his life the day he met the Saviour!

Have you met the Saviour? If so, has your faith caused a change? If not, what changes do you need to make?

I will ever be grateful for the day that Jesus entered my life and changed it forever. Thankful for His redeeming grace!
11.20.18

Mark 5:25-34
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

This woman had heard who Jesus was and had heard the stories of what He had done. Her medical condition caused her to be excluded in her society, but she chose to put her faith into action and seek out the One who could heal her. 

God can take what seems to be a hopeless situation and turn it around to be a testament for His glory. All we have to do is be willing to trust Him with the outcome. 

Many times we feel that our infirmites or problems can keep us from God. Thankfully, He is always ready to help no matter how difficult the situation may seem. Don’t allow your anxiety or fear keep you from reaching out and touching Him.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Unthankfulness is a costly, toxic sin.  All of the symptoms listed in the passage above can come from allowing unthankfulness to take root in our hearts.  

Ungrateful people tend to complain and are nitpicky about everything. They complain about everything, never seem to enjoy life, and always want more.

God’s word repeatedly implores us to “give thanks” in all things.
1 Thessalonians 5:18, Colossians 3:15, Psalm 100:4. Developing a grateful heart is an important part in the growth of a Christian.  God’s grace enables all believers to give thanks in all things (2 Corinthians 4:15).

Regardless of the pain or problems we face in this life, each of us has something for which to be thankful.  Even in the midst of our darkest trials, God is working things out for our good and His eternal glory.  By faith, we can have a grateful heart in all circumstances.

I would like to encourage you to take time each day to think about three things for which you are thankful.  It will not only lift your spirits, but it will also calm your busy mind and help you sleep more peacefully tonight.

10/19/2017

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  Psalm 42:1

Just as the deer depends on water for life, our lives should depend on God.  Our greatest desire should be to seek after God with our whole heart.  As our relationship with God becomes stronger, the enemy will do whatever necessary to distract us from Him. 

When we find that we are in the midst of the battle, we need to  remember that we need supernatural powers to defeat our foe.  We put on our armour (Ephesians 6:10-18) by seeking God and his righteousness first and foremost (Matthew 6:33).  Know that God is our shield and our great reward.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.  Psalm 28:7

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

In the hustle and bustle of life, things sometimes seem to be chaotic and spinning out of control.  This can cause us to feel overwhelmed and downhearted.

When this happens, the best thing to do is to get in the Word.  We are to be rooted and grounded (Ephesians 3:17) so that we may be steadfast and unmovable in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The Lord is our HOPE.  Jesus is our Rock, our firm foundation upon which we can stand.  Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

When our spirit within us begins to sink, we must remind ourselves to cheer up (John 16:33) because Jesus never fails and He is always by our side (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20).

Remember to SMILE because Jesus loves you! 

Day By Day

by Karolina W. Sandell-Berg, 1865
tr. by Andrew L. Skoog

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

“The reasons our problems often seem overwhelming is [that] we allow the things of time to loom larger in our gaze than the things of eternity. The tiniest of coins, when held close to the eyes, can blot out the sun.” -Selwyn Hughes

Philippians 4:6-7
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

God’s prescription for worry & fear is to be thankful in all things.  Sometimes that’s a hard pill to swallow.

Worry tends to cloud our minds.  Fear tends to immobilize us.  Both make our problems seem like a mountain, not the molehill they are.  Both have no room for God.

Thankfulness is an important key to have in our lives.  For when we are thankful for what God has done in and through our lives, it gives us the power to change not only our attitude but also our perspective.

Prayer is also another important key.  When we allow the cares of this world to occupy our minds, we cause static in the communication lines making it difficult to hear when God is trying to speak to us.
Prayer is our lifeline to God.

Take time to talk to the Lord in prayer.  Thank Him for all He has done past, present, and future.  When we choose to pray, we decide to have a thankful heart regardless of our circumstances, this allows God to guard our hearts and minds.  Prayer & thanksgiving not only magnifies Christ but also delivers us from fear (Psalm 34:3-4).

Leviticus 2:13 states, “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt.”  God specifically mentions “season with salt”.   Hmm?

Why mention the minor detail of salt?

Webster’s dictionary states that salt is used to season or preserve.  What is the significance?

In cross-referencing with Numbers 18:18 “it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee”, salt is a symbol of preserving a covenant between the Lord and His people.  God promised David that He would establish the throne of His kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).  Salt was a reminder of God’s working in the lives of His people.

In Mark 9:50, God commands us to “have salt in yourselves”.  This salt will help to not only preserve us from the evil of this present world but also will help us to make a difference in the world around us. The salt in our lives should cause others to desire a change of flavor in their own lives.  This will glorify Christ.

“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”  Mark 9:50

“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man”.  Colossians 4:6