Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

The desire to make lasting investments that will tremendously benefit us in the future is a goal of all forward-thinking individuals.  What we accumulate in our lives must be properly managed.  Jesus gives us wonderful guidance in making the proper investments now so as to yield the maximum benefits in the future.  His instructions, however, are entirely different from investment plans that are confined to this life.

Jesus shows us that earthly wealth is insecure.  As moth and rust corrupt costly clothing and precious metals respectively, so the value of many earthly possessions decreases.  Even markets have bubbles that burst and leave investors with much less than they presumed.  Add to that depreciation the fact that others are out to take what is ours and you have a very insecure situation in regard to physical wealth.  The common way of storing treasures in the first century was not in a vault, but hidden in one’s house, the walls of which were often made of mud.  Thieves could literally dig through the wall to steal valuables.  The twenty-first century has seen the rise of thefts that are committed not with the display of a weapon or the use of physical force, but from behind a computer screen through the anonymity of the Internet.  The means have changed but the effects are the same: thieves will take what you have legitimately earned and saved.  In contrast, heavenly treasures are immune to corruption and secure from theft (Lk. 12:33-34; 1 Pet. 1:3-4).

All of us need a certain amount of earthly wealth to live.  If we are fortunate enough to avoid huge losses to what we have accumulated, there is still the danger of what wealth may do to our hearts.  It can easily enslave us (1 Tim. 6:9).  Our heart will be where our treasure is.  How sad is the life of one who places his only hope in this world.  If this life alone is all there is, then one’s efforts and investments will ultimately come to a tragic end.  We leave it all to someone else.  However, the prospect of a future life provides a hope for which the human heart yearns, especially in the moments of loss that are part of this life.  Jesus says to be only earthly-minded is foolish.  We must be forward-thinking enough to prepare for heaven.  Heaven will not be ours by default, but only after a life of proper preparation.  “No man ever went to heaven whose heart was not already there.”  There are tremendous joys and wonders that this life has to offer, but if we aim only for them we will come up short, wanting something more, something permanent.  Aim for earth and get nothing; aim for heaven and get its joys with what earth has to offer thrown in.

Am I investing in the life to come?  Does heaven occupy a prominent place in my heart?  Or do I have too much of this dying world in me?  Beware of banking in the wrong place.  You can come up very short when the bill comes due.

-Mark Day

“…[W]hat woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.” Luke 15:8-9

We all lose things from time to time, but the woman in this parable shows a firm resolve to find her lost coin that highlights God’s desire for man’s repentance.  She does not say to herself, “Oh, it will turn up sooner or later.”  Instead she goes to all manner of pains to find her lost silver coin. Just as the shepherd would not stop searching until he found his lost sheep (v.4), the woman in this parable is set on recovering her coin.  Palestinian dwellings were often of mud-brick construction with no windows and earthen floors; thus, it was possible for a coin to fall, be trodden underfoot and become embedded in the floor.  The search was painstaking.  She had to light an oil lamp, which shed roughly the same amount of light as a candle.  With her dim light in hand she swept and searched until she found the small coin.

At last when the lost coin was found the woman was so overjoyed that she threw a party.  No doubt some will demur that this celebration probably cost the woman more than the coin she found was worth, but that is exactly the point.  These parables in Luke 15 show the joy in heaven over sinners who repent.  They are not lessons in economics, but rather in the joy of God when a soul returns to Him (v. 10).  Upon the return of the lost son, the father does not concern himself with the money that was wasted in the younger son’s prodigal living, but rather celebrates that he has returned (vv. 22-24).  The one who questions such a celebration is more like the older brother (vv. 25-32).

The Pharisees and scribes thought that “sinners” were not worthy to be received (v.2).  Unlike the woman in this parable, they would not so much as waste the oil to light a lamp to search for the lost, much less rejoice over them.  In that sense they would remain in the dark; their inner darkness blinding their eyes to the truth as Jesus explained earlier in the book of Luke (11:33-36). They had an evil eye toward Jesus for associating with those who were called “sinners.” Similar to how Saul eyed David with envy (1 Sam. 18:9), the Pharisees, moved with envy, were not putting forth effort in understanding Jesus’ sayings, but rather in plotting His death (Mk. 3:6; 15:10).  They would never consider that they would be lost; never would they place themselves in this parable and see themselves as a lost coin.

Jesus is the light of the world, that all may come and see the light of God (Jn. 8:12).  If it were not for His light shining into the world we would have remained lost in the darkness of sin.  He did not come to save and enlighten people who are just like you and me, but people of every background.  Do we see our need for salvation?  Are we searching for souls to save?  Are we searching our own souls? Can we place ourselves in Jesus’ parables, becoming engaged in what He has to say and weighing the meaning in our own lives?  Or do we, like the Pharisees, wear masks of hypocrisy, professing to be enlightened while never considering our own spiritual destitution?  Does the light of Christ shine in us?

– Mark Day

The year 2016 has now passed and we have stepped into a new year, 2017. Many have made New Year’s resolutions, several of which might actually make it to April 1^st. Surely it is fitting that we make some Biblical “new” year’s resolutions to direct us into the future.

Let Us Resolve To Study Our New Testament. We live under the New Testament (Covenant) today.  Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” The reference to the New Testament is to the New Covenant which God had promised in the Old Testament He would establish. See Jeremiah 31:31-34. This indicates a change of His law. This New Testament is sealed by the precious blood of Christ. Since such a great sacrifice was made to bring about the New Covenant which we live under, and since it will be the standard of our Judgment (Romans 2:16) we should desire to be diligent students of the New Testament.

Let Us Remember As Christians We Are New Creatures. Upon our obedience to the Gospel we are new creatures. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When a person Hears the message of the New Testament (The Gospel), Believes that message, Repents of sin, Confesses the name of Jesus Christ, and is Baptized into Christ, that person is a new creature. See also Romans 6:3-6. That is, a new creature in Christ has been born again (John 3:3, 5), forgiven of sin (Ephesians 1:7), is focused on spiritual things (Colossians 3:1), and seeks to live right in this life (Titus 2:11-12). We are new in Christ; the old sinful self has been put to death (Romans 6:6), in Christ we are new people!

Let Us Look For The New Heavens And New Earth. 2 Peter 3:12-13, “Looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (ASV)  Learning the Plan of Salvation from the New Testament, obeying it, and living according to it, the faithful Christian can look forward to, the time when he or she will enter into the new heavens and new earth; that’s heaven my friend. “Peter speaks of the new heavens and new earth only in the sense of a new habitation for the saved, one prepared by the Lord and wherein dwells righteousness. It is a place new in quality, one that has never before been used by men. He does not intend that we think of this old sin-scarred earth with its millions of sinful memories, but tells of a special place that is new and fresh in quality, specially made and prepared by the Lord.” (Bob Winton, Commentary on 2 Peter)

As we begin this New Year, let us seek the “new”. “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:21-24

-Jerry Sturgill

God’s plans stretch back before there was time (Eph. 3:3-11; Rev. 13:8). He easily spans thousands of years in bringing them to fruition (2 Pet. 3:8).  Then comes a day of fulfillment. “Today” or “this day” are often God’s terms for fulfillment.  Consider a few examples in the book of Luke.

At Jesus’ advent, the angel said to the shepherds in the countryside near Bethlehem, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11).  While many in the world celebrate today as the day of Christ’s birth, there is no record in the NT of the early church doing such.  In AD 350, Pope Julius I declared December 25^th as the day the birth of Jesus would be celebrated.  It is very unlikely that Jesus was born during this time of year and we are wise to beware of the commandments and traditions of men that arise after God has given His word (Mt. 15:9); nevertheless, there was a day when the fullness of time came and God’s son was born of a virgin (Gal. 4:4).  It should not escape our thoughts that God became man and felt all of the trials and temptations we feel, even death (Heb. 2:9; 4:15).

In Jesus’ inaugural sermon at the synagogue of Nazareth, He read Isaiah 61 and began His great sermon with, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Lk. 4:21).  What had been a promise and long-awaited hope of those who studied the Old Testament, Jesus said was fulfilled “this day.”  Indeed all of Jesus’ earthly life, for a third of a century, was made of days of fulfillment, as He said after His resurrection, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Lk. 24:44).

Some of Jesus’ last words before He died were to the penitent thief who hung beside him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43).  While Jesus was alive on earth, He forgave sins (Mt. 9:6). Before the sun set on the hills of Jerusalem that day, Jesus and the thief would both be dead and their souls would be in paradise: Jesus’ because He knew no sin (Jn. 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21), and the thief’s because his were forgiven by the Lord (Jn. 8:34-36).

From His conception to His birth to His death to His resurrection, Jesus fulfilled God’s word.  What are you doing today?  Will God’s word be enacted in your life?  Hebrews 3:7 tells us today we should hear His voice.  We can’t talk to Him here on earth as the thief did, but we can follow His last will and testament, the New Testament, to receive forgiveness (Heb. 9:14-17). You can be a recipient of God’s grace today; now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).  You can choose to be like Pharaoh who was plagued by God’s judgment but in his hardness of heart put off relief until tomorrow (Ex. 8:10).  But we do not know if there will be a tomorrow, or if there is what it may bring forth (Prov. 27:1).  Jesus tells us to focus on today (Mt. 6:34). You can squander today by trying to fulfill earthly lusts before you die, saying, “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (cf. Isa. 22:13; 1 Cor. 15:32).  Or you can do what God’s word tells you today.  When we love God and love others we are fulfilling God’s law (Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:14).  If today is a day of fulfillment, then the eternal day will be a day of fulfillment (Rev. 22:5, 14).

-Mark Day

Our Lord said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). While much time and effort is consumed with preparing physical bread to nourish our earthly frames, Jesus encourages us to put forth the effort to be fed spiritually.  To the masses who followed Him when He multiplied the bread from a boy’s lunch to feed 5,000, He said, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you” (John 6:27).  Indeed, true life comes not from physical food, but from the word of God (Matthew 4:4; John 6:63).

We sometimes sing “God Is Calling the Prodigal” as an invitation including these words, “Come, there’s bread in the house of thy Father and to spare.”  While many would not consider themselves prodigals, in a spiritual sense they are starving like that young man who, after squandering his inheritance, gladly would have filled his belly with the husks the swine ate (Luke 15:16).  He realized that his father’s servants had “bread enough and to spare” (Luke 15:17).  Just as there were twelve baskets of leftovers gathered when Jesus multiplied the bread beside Galilee, so God’s word offers more than enough for us to be filled (John 6:13).  How can we ever exhaust the supply of spiritual nourishment God offers?

Have you tasted the word of God (Hebrews 6:5)?  Do you desire it so you may grow (1 Peter 2:2)?  Can you handle the meat (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:13-14)? Or are your interests in other areas?  Do you fill up on news, pop psychology, entertainment, sports, etc. and have no room for the truly nourishing teaching of God’s word?

The more we study the Bible the more our minds will become like God’s.  Bygone generations in this country saw many individuals in the Lord’s church who really knew God’s word; sadly, many in today’s generation have become so busy consuming every other kind of information that serious Bible study has taken a back seat.  When a generation arises that neither knows the Lord nor His judgments on morality, peril soon follows (Judges 2:10).

While others may search for satisfaction in their secular education, their physical prowess, or their attractive earthly possessions, let us be satisfied to simply know God through His word.  “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” Jeremiah 9:23-24.  Do you hunger to know God?

-Mark Day