Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:19-24

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heat will be also."

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if you eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

"No man can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Have you ever been the victim of theft? Have you ever had someone break into your house? Or your locker? Or maybe pick-pocketed you? It leaves you with a terrible feeling of being violated. You feel helpless and alone. Have you ever lost something because it was left out in the rain? Or because it got moldy? Or because animals tore it up? Again, it's an unpleasant feeling and makes you angry because the item is gone. 

Jesus talks about treasures or valuables in Matthew. He says, don't store up treasures here on earth where they can be taken away or rot. We store up earthly treasures when we spend all our money on what this world has to offer - pleasure, power, and prestige - while at the same time neglecting investing in what has eternal value.  It is also true that we will dump all our money and time into what we love most. If we desire to make heaven and eternity a priority in our lives, we will do well to invest our resources into it now. 

Jesus goes on to compare our eyes to a lamp. We don't use lamps too often today, so think of it as turning on your lights at night in a dark room. Flip the switch and the area is flooded with illumination. Everything becomes visible, clear, and colorful. The contrast is leaving the lights off and stumbling around in the darkness, stepping on things, and not finding our way. 

What we look at with our eyes greatly influences our thoughts, feelings, moods, and choices. A glance, a look, a peek, becomes so powerful when we realize the implications of those sights. They seem insignificant, but possess great influence. It is such a small action, but it leads our lives into a joyous, uplifting light or down into a great, depressing darkness. It can't be underestimated. 

Finally, Jesus sums his thoughts up with saying you have two choices: Serve God or serve money. They are mutually exclusive. They can't both exist at the same time. If you chose to serve God, your possessions, including your money is all Gods. You are a steward of them, working for Him. You live your life listening to God, reading His Bible, and doing what He leads you to do. 

Pondering the Future

Have you ever wondered how the world will end? Will it end with a BANG or a whimper? Will we go up in flames in a world war or will a deadly virus slowly take us out one by one? Or perhaps you won't be around when the world ends. Perhaps you will pass before it happens. Or Jesus may return before the world ends and takes us to be with Him. Don't know. I don't think anyone knows. 

The reason I'm thinking about the end times is because this past week several people in my circle have passed away. Their time on this earth was up and God called them home. While it is very sad to say "Good-bye" there is comfort in knowing their faith in Jesus was strong and their destination was sure. Their lives produced the fruit talked about in the Bible. Their lives were not lived in vain. Here is what we know about this world and passing on to the next.

This World is Not Our Home

Ocean Trash

1 Peter 2:11 in the Message Bible says, "Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it." God created a beautiful earth, but it is temporary and not our eternal dwelling place. 

We read in 1 John 2:17 about this world and its desires passing away. The verse is primarily talking about worldly desires such as lust, greed, and pride, but the overall point is that these fleshly desires will one day end along with the world we live in today. 

We are Tourists Here 

When was your last vacation? Where did you go? How long did you stay? Probably a week, maybe two. You didn't stay long (even though maybe you wanted to) because that wasn't your home. You were a tourist on vacation just visiting the area. 

This is the same concept the Bible mentions about our time on this earth. 1 Peter 1:17 says to, "live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear." Our Biblical ancestors admitted they were foreigners and strangers on earth (Hebrews 11:13) in living by faith. 

Our Eternal Home Awaits

Cemetary

So if this world is not our home, and we are just passing through like a wide-eyed "fudgies" in Traverse City, where are we going to "hang our hats" eternally? I'm glad you asked. There is debate whether we will live, in heaven, or on a new earth, or some combination of the two concepts. What we do know for sure is that wherever it is, God will be there. Spoiler alert! The last chapter of the book says, "God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them." (Revelation 21:3)

Jesus went to prepare a place for us according to John 14:1-4. It's his Father's house. He says there are many rooms there. I'm not thinking small hotel rooms, but billionaire lake-side suites! 

In conclusion, we can take heart when a loved one passes away in the Lord. They have moved on to a better place. An eternal home prepared for them for 1000's of years where God lives with them. You can read more about this place here: 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 20:11-15

Resurrection and the Life

This weekend we celebrate the most important holiday in history of Christiandom. Easter. Or as some prefer to call it, Resurrection Sunday. This is the day we recognize that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, rose from the borrowed tomb, conquering death, thwarting Satan's plan, and ushering in a New Covenant and way to come to God. 

Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." Even more directly, He said in John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life: He that belieth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (KJV) This statement was at the same time a prophecy to his rising from the dead and a claim to be the means or the way of salvation. 

First, let's look at Jesus' words as prophecy. In the beginning, approximately 6000 years ago, according to to most Christians, Genesis records the story of Adam and Eve falling into sin. The serpent or Satan, deceived the couple into disobeying God's command. We read these prophetic words in Genesis 3:15, "he (the woman's offspring) will crush your head (Satan), and you will strike his heel." Christian scholars interpret the woman's offspring to be Jesus. The "heel strike" is commorated on Good Friday as Satan attemps to crucify and eradicate Jesus once and for all. The "head crushing" is celebrated Easter Sunday as we witness "death could not hold Him" (Acts 2:24) and he rises from the grave victoriously over sin and death. 

Several other Biblical passages point prophetically to Jesus' resurrection. David writes in Psalm 16:10, "because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay." Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 both predict in detail this historic event. Even Jesus himself spoke specifically about his death and resurrection when He said, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 

Second, let's look at Jesus' claim to be "the life." Jesus is quoted as saying again and again in the Gospels that belief in Him is necessity to have eternal life. Belief in his claims to deity, kingship, and Messiahship. After His resurrection, we read in the books of Acts that the Apostles taught not only believing in Jesus, but also repentance of sins and baptism by immersion for forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Peter proclaims on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38, "Repent and be baptized every one of you for the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit." Our baptism is now vitally significant in that we become one with Jesus through a symbolic death and resurrection akin to His own. Romans 6:4 summarizes it like this, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life," 

Easter Sunday represents Jesus' victory of death, sin, and Satan. None of these have any power over Him any longer. This victory is won once and for all time! That is reason to celebrate! If you have made Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of your life, your future is certain and secure. If you haven't, why wait?  Maybe your own decision about Jesus will happen this week?!

From Ink to iPhone: How Bible Study Evolved from Margins to Screens

Growing up, I remember my Youth Minister encouraging me to take notes on the sermon when I went to church. I would take my NIV Bible on Sunday mornings and underline significant passages in it and jot down points on my notepad with a pen. It was quite a paradigm shift to write in my Bible, but I was assured it was okay. 

Fast forward a few decades, and today I use a Bible app on my Apple iPhone X (Bible app is my favorite). I can underline or highlight verses in a variety of colors. I can share verses on social media like Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. I can make a Bible image using the verse. I can even compare the version I'm using with a dozen others with the touch of my finger! 

I can take notes in that same application. Or I can use the Events and pull up my home church's sermon notes. At the end of the service, I can save my notes, print them, or share them with others. My, how technology has changed how we read the Bible!

It's an amazing technological world we live in today. I don't know that the older way of doing things was any better or worse than the way we do things today. They are just different. Maybe more efficient, some would say. Each method came with its own pros and cons. 

However you access your Bible today, just remember, what is most important is that you read it. It is not simply words on paper or a screen, but it is actually "alive and active." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." 

Also, the Words of Jesus, and we find them written in the Bible, are eternal. They are everlasting. Forever true. Jesus says in Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." We can trust our future to the Word of God. It is solid, firm, and unchanging. 

AI and the Christian Walk

AI surges into modern life

Artificial Intelligence or AI, as it has become better known, has quietly and quickly permeated our daily lives. You find AI embedded into your daily habits, everywhere you turn. It's in our phones. It's in our cars. It's across our homes. 

ChatGPT launched AI to the masses in November 2022. Since then a myriad of companies have embraced the technology with their own AI entries. Microsoft has Co-Pilot. Facebook has Meta AI. Google has Gemini. It goes on and on. It is quickly becoming omnipresent. Most software applications have incorporated AI in one way or another. Canva and Photoshop use AI to assist users in creating and editing graphics. 

Ironically, AI is still in its infancy and is being developed with each iteration becoming smarter than the former. Each new version is called a "model." And newer models are being made all the time. 

Image created by AI (of course)

Should Christians use AI?

Some Christians have shunned the use of AI due to ignorance or suspicions of nefarious usages. It is true that AI can be used for both good and bad, but it is similar to any new technology in that it depends on whose "hands" it is in. 

The Bible says in Titus 1:15, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure..." So AI is like money, or a hammer, or a cell phone. Those items can be used for good, pure purposes or they could be used in greedy, dangerous, deceptive ways. It all depends on the handler. 

The Christian should not fear AI as some anti-Christ or dangerous technology. But they should instead see AI as yet another tool in the Information Age that can help us become better human beings as we strive to follow Christ. 

What can AI do for a Christ-follower?

Here are some ways to use AI in your Christian life. 

Use this digital chatbot to answer your Bible questions https://digitalbible.ca/ai-chatbot

Use https://colorbliss.com/ to make Biblical Coloring Sheets

Use https://bible.ai/ to study the Bible with AI. 

Use https://chatgpt.com/ to talk with a person from the Bible. Prompt "Speak to me like Moses"

Use Open.Bible Bible Study Generator https://www.openbible.info/labs/ai-bible-study/ to further your Bible knowledge.

A Final Word

It should be stated that while AI is in your hands, it is an amoral tool. However, people are beginning to use AI in order to dupe and deceive others with fake videos, phone calls, and emails. We must be diligent and wise to not be tricked by these technological fakes. 

Use AI to help your Christian walk, to study the Bible, and grow in your faith. At the same time, be aware that AI can impersonate those that we trust and believe in. Using AI may be one of the best ways to differentiate the two. 

Point me to Jesus

Our KCC E-News articles over the years have covered a myriad of topics from Godly worship to Christian living to raising children. But when all is said and done, our goal is to point every reader to Jesus, the son of God. Jesus the Christ. Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, our LORD and Savior. Jesus, the I AM. He is 100% man and 100% God at the same time. The Son of God and the Son of Man. 

Jesus, born of a virgin, trained as a Jewish carpenter, taught as a Rabbi, misunderstood by the religious leaders, sentenced to die, raised from the dead, gone up into heaven, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and ready to return. Jesus, the holy one of God. 

The entire Bible is about Jesus. Jesus is woven all through the book. He can be found from Genesis to Revelation. Here are some examples from just the first 5 books, the Pentateuch:

• Genesis - The seed of the woman
• Exodus - The Passover lamb
• Leviticus - The High Priest
• Numbers - The Cloud and the Fire
• Deuteronomy - A Prophet like Moses

Jesus is typified and present in so many stories in the Bible. Here are just a few to think about:

• Noah's ark - Just as the ark provided the means of rescue for Noah and his family, Jesus is the means of salvation for the believer today. (1 Peter 3:21)
• Joseph is a Christ-figure as he suffers unjustly, yet is raised up to a position of great honor and ultimately saves his own people.  (Genesis 39-46)
• Moses was born in poverty and raised up to deliver his people from slavery. Jesus delivers us from the slavery of sin. 
• Moses strikes the rock and water comes out - Jesus is living water. (John 4:14)
• Manna in the desert - Jesus is the bread of life. (John 6:35)
• The Bronze Serpent - Moses' raises the bronze serpent on a pole so that all who look at it will be saved from snake bites. Jesus would be lifted up so that all who look to him will be saved. (

The book, "Jesus on Every Page" by David Murray is a great read. The Bible is all about Jesus because Jesus is all that matters. Another book to read is "Finding Jesus in the Old Testament" by David Limbaugh. Jesus begins the Bible and Jesus finishes it. He is all through it. These books give you an in-depth study of His omnipresence. 

The song "Give me Jesus" has existed for nearly a century. You can find Fernando Ortega, Vince Gill, and Jeremy Camp versions. They all sing these very simple lyrics:

"In the morning when I rise...when I am alone...when I come to die...

Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus

You can have all this world,

Just give me Jesus (Jesus)"

Jesus is all we need. He is sufficient. He is enough. No matter what life throws our way, if we have Jesus, we have it all. Believe in Him. Trust Him. Confess Him as your Lord. Repent of your sins. Be baptized to wash them away. Live eternally with Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:1-4).

I don't know

I hate not knowing the answer to a question. I don't like having to say, "I don't know." I feel like it's some sort of failure. A blemish in my character. I should know, but I don't. It may also be a prideful thing. The professor, the teacher would know the answer. The student...probably not. 

Sometimes I don't know because I have forgotten. Other times I don't know because I never knew. Regardless of why I have to say "I don't know" I just dislike doing it. It humbles a person when they need to respond, "I don't know." 

Is there any scripture about this topic? God says to Isaiah in chapter 40, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth." Maybe, we don't know. Maybe we haven't heard. But God drops the mic! God is eternal. God is creator! That's all you need to know. 

The worst case in history of not knowing answers has to be given to Job. After Job and his three friends attempted to figure out why Job was suffering, God pummeled him with questions for three straight chapters in the book of Job. Questions including:

• "How did I lay the foundation for the earth?"
• "What is the way to the abode of light?"
• "And where does darkness reside?"
• "When do mountain goats and deer give birth?"
• "Who set wild donkeys free?"

In the book of Acts, the 12 Apostles were identified as "ordinary, uneducated men." In other words, they didn't know the answer to every question people would ask them. They didn't have all the answers, but as John wrote in 1 John 1:1, "...we have heard...we have seen with our eyes...and our hands have touched...(we) testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life...which has appeared to us." They walked and talked and learned from Jesus Christ. Even then they didn't know all the answers to life. 

Not knowing doesn't make us ignorant, it just makes us human. Only God is all-knowing or omniscient. We may one day know the answers to most if not all questions, but that time won't be in this lifetime. For now, God asks us to trust Him. An element of faith is believing and trusting, knowing that He is smarter, stronger, and wiser than we are.