Wednesday, June 14, 2017

TREASURES IN THE HOUSE

TREASURES IN THE HOUSE
Several years ago I listened to a woman on YouTube who was speaking about the second coming of the Jesus Christ. We are told several places in the Bible that no man knows when that day will be. Then other day I listened to a rendition of the great hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” the verse that goes: “When Christ shall come with shout of exclamation, and take us home, what joy shall fill our hearts.” It hit an emotional place in me and I once again realized it is really going to happen! “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

The woman’s teaching struck a note with me and I had this thought: If Jesus came tomorrow there would be turmoil and anyone who was not a believer when He came, would still be here. Even some people that we know, could be left behind: neighbors, friends, family members, co-workers, store owners. Most of them would know that we were Christians, so with the chaos, they could end up at our house, looking for some answers, some clues on how to get where we are. Since we don’t take anything with us when Jesus comes for us, all our stuff would still be where we left it.

Would there be blankets? Water? Food? But my big question is: What would people find in my house that would be spiritual food to help them to turn to Jesus and receive everlasting life in heaven?

What’s in your apartment, house, dwelling? If Jesus came tomorrow, would there be a Bible? Some good teaching on your computer? Books that would help people to find the truth about Jesus Christ?

Or would there be lots of extraneous things that wouldn’t really be that helpful to someone who wanted to know Jesus?

Proverbs 15:6 says: “In the house of the righteous is much treasure,” and 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that we are the righteous. So what kinds of things in your house do you and Jesus consider real treasures?

I remember several years back I looked around my house at the pictures I had on my walls. I had Jesus in my heart, but I didn’t have much on my walls that indicated my love for Him. So I changed that and I continue to make changes to my physical environment to reinforce my spiritual temperament.

Just this week, I was home with the flu, and today I finally had enough energy to move around and do some things. I took a critical look at my two bookshelves of Christian books and I started pulling out the books I knew I’d never read—they weren’t treasures to me. I pulled out books authored by pastors I no longer trust, unless I felt the information was more valid than the personality or the downward path the pastor may have taken since the book was written. It was a great purging—making room for new books, new treasures that both the Lord and I would be proud of; and fresh Biblical teachings to compliment the old ones.

It was also good to see the old books, ancient Biblical treasures, even from grammar school and high school—like old friends who’ve passed the test of time all these years. As they’ve watched me grow, they are still a wonderful part of my present self.

I look forward to seeing my environment change from glory to glory as I’m open and willing to include more Godly treasures into my home. I hope you will take the time, as well, to do some inventory checks in your own home. Let’s get some things up around us that bless and inspire us in the ways of our Lord.

Love, Carolyn

You’ll enjoy reading WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH. Get it on Amazon in Kindle or paperback:

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