Matthew 6:19-21 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.
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How do we do that?
I believe each time we see a nugget of scripture, and think on it, and do it, we lay up treasure in heaven.
Also each time God speaks to us by HIS Spirit and we obey, we lay up treasure in heaven.
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Each time we read the Bible, we are prospecting for treasure!
When I was approximately 5 years old, I remember asking my aunt, "Where is it that it says, 'The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want?' "
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After I was born again, 1975, I delighted in finding verses of scripture and doing them.
Each
time I read Bible I was looking for things I could do. And when I saw
such a verse, I delighted in it, thinking on it over and over for many
days or weeks, trying to do what it said to do.
This is building your house on the word of God.
Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus says: Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of MINE, and doeth them, I will liken
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
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I saw Joshua 1.
7-9 Only
be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This
book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according
to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee?
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Isn't it God HIMSELF telling me to do these things?
Keep these instructions before you so they can grow strong in your
heart allowing you to do these instructions. By thinking on these
verses day and night, they grow and all the things of this world
diminish.
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Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in HIS law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
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God used the following to teach me what I was to do in the church and to prepare me for the ministry to which I had been called.
John 5:31 Jesus said: I can of MINE own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and MY judgment is just; because I seek not MINE own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent ME.
God showed me: Don't try to do anything. Just read the Bible and live in specific scripture as you see them. When you do speak, speak that which I bring to your remembrance.
I was certain that would do the work of God.
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Other scripture strongly used by God to prepare me for that work to which HE called me:
I Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and HIM crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
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The Holy Spirit does the work of God. God showed me these scriptures concerning the Holy Spirit.
I Corinthians 2:9-13 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love HIM. But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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Four things the Holy Spirit in us does for us:
John 14:26 Jesus says ... But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY
name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit
when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all
truth: for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear,
that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
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Later, I found these treasures:
Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Trust God for your provision.
In all matters pertaining to this life, seek the will of God through prayer and Bible reading and listening to the thoughts put into your mind by the Holy Spirit.
When thoughts of "tomorrow" come and what might happen, stop and pray, take it to God. Rest in HIM in assurance that HE is able to communicate HIS will in the matter to you. Rest in HIM.
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As a servant of God, do the following:
II Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please HIM who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
I diligently worked to keep myself free from traps which would handicap me from serving God as HE willed.
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Also God took me to several sections of scripture to motivate me
to speak what HE gives me for if I withhold messages, to spare the
flesh of men or to exalt myself in their eyes and gain their approval,
then their blood will be on my hands. I was taken to OT and NT on this
matter.
Here is what Paul said about this:
Acts 20:26-27 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
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And over and over, I saw the following come to pass in my life.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Luke 21:14-15 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
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For the next 40+ years, after being born again, I just dug in the Bible for treasure, looking for verses I could apply to my life. This is still what I do when I read Bible.
Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus said: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
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