What is a heavenly treasure?: Treasures in Heaven: Matthew 6:19-24

[Deeje]

I know what Jesus taught...what have you learned? What have you experienced? What can you validate through personal testimony?

My personal testimony is a reflection of what Jesus taught. When you simply follow his teachings, things work out. I cannot enumerate the ways that following Bible counsel has benefited my family. It was literally like we had a guide showing us the way. Even when it wasn't clear why we were being directed a certain way, we soon found out why we were pointed in that direction. It didn't mean that there weren't problems to deal with along the way, but we also had help with those as well.

One example was when circumstances forced us to move from the city to the country. I fought it because it meant leaving friends and family and I was a city girl. So I was counselled to pray about it and I asked God if he wanted me to go, then to please change my attitude. He did that, and it turned out to be the best move we ever made. If you are in tune with God, it's a two way relationship. I take all my decisions to God and I wait for his answer. His answer for me may not be his answer for others.

When a Christian can only talk about Jesus without sharing their own personal story they end up sounding preachy and insincere. Let's get real.

Sorry if I sound "preachy" but no one can tell another person how to be a Christian except Jesus....it has to come from the heart and it has to come naturally.....and it will if you put God's will first and your own wants and desires second. How is my personal testimony going to change anything for anyone?

Building faith is a process and you have to start with a solid foundation. Studying the Bible is the beginning, but what you believe is largely a matter of whose interpretation you accept. I can only give you my perspective. Yours might be very different.

 

[sealchan]

My personal testimony is a reflection of what Jesus taught. When you simply follow his teachings, things work out. I cannot enumerate the ways that following Bible counsel has benefited my family. It was literally like we had a guide showing us the way. Even when it wasn't clear why we were being directed a certain way, we soon found out why we were pointed in that direction. It didn't mean that there weren't problems to deal with along the way, but we also had help with those as well.

One example was when circumstances forced us to move from the city to the country. I fought it because it meant leaving friends and family and I was a city girl. So I was counselled to pray about it and I asked God if he wanted me to go, then to please change my attitude. He did that, and it turned out to be the best move we ever made. If you are in tune with God, it's a two way relationship. I take all my decisions to God and I wait for his answer. His answer for me may not be his answer for others.



Sorry if I sound "preachy" but no one can tell another person how to be a Christian except Jesus....it has to come from the heart and it has to come naturally.....and it will if you put God's will first and your own wants and desires second. How is my personal testimony going to change anything for anyone?

Building faith is a process and you have to start with a solid foundation. Studying the Bible is the beginning, but what you believe is largely a matter of whose interpretation you accept. I can only give you my perspective. Yours might be very different.

Thank you for opening up a bit. I can certainly appreciate the resistance to change. My wife brings a lot of change in my life and I have spent many years learning how to be open to changes out of what I think are my preferences and comfort zones.

When you spoke before as you did you did sound like you were telling me how to be a Christian. It is as if what you were saying was supposed to be self-evident.

Now I could interpret much of what you were saying and find my own sense of truth in that and agree with much of it as a good interpretation of the Word. I'm looking to look past the common understanding and dig more deeply and more personally into what scripture means to its student. Many people simply found no use for the notion of entertaining a literal heavenly treasure...that is fine. But I suspect that most people are not being honest about what they truly hold of value in their hearts and don't want to expose their less than perfect attitudes in the light of Jesus' teachings. This I find to be fundamentally dishonest and an insincere expression of one's faith.

Take care and thanks for your persistence to communicate to me through this medium.

 

[Deeje]

Thank you for opening up a bit. I can certainly appreciate the resistance to change. My wife brings a lot of change in my life and I have spent many years learning how to be open to changes out of what I think are my preferences and comfort zones.

When you spoke before as you did you did sound like you were telling me how to be a Christian. It is as if what you were saying was supposed to be self-evident.

Now I could interpret much of what you were saying and find my own sense of truth in that and agree with much of it as a good interpretation of the Word. I'm looking to look past the common understanding and dig more deeply and more personally into what scripture means to its student. Many people simply found no use for the notion of entertaining a literal heavenly treasure...that is fine. But I suspect that most people are not being honest about what they truly hold of value in their hearts and don't want to expose their less than perfect attitudes in the light of Jesus' teachings. This I find to be fundamentally dishonest and an insincere expression of one's faith.

Take care and thanks for your persistence to communicate to me through this medium.

Perhaps we were talking past each other....? Its easy to misread text on a page....look what people do even with the Bible! And I think you are right...its easy to talk the talk but another thing to walk the walk. That is where we see the real Christians emerging as distinct from the label wearers.

I was a label wearer once....raised in the Anglican Church by poor but honest parents, but I never felt at home there. I saw and heard things that did not ring true for me so I left the church with no real direction to follow. I investigated Eastern religions but the idolatry put me off right away. I ventured into Mormonism for a while but their teaching were so far fetched and a complete departure from the Bible that I couldn't stay. I entertained atheism and tried to embrace evolution but everywhere I looked I saw purposeful creation not accidents of nature. There was no denying the Creator.

So, I knew God was there, but I didn't know where to find him or what was the truth anymore. I was lost....but that is when I like to think that God found me.
My father had died very suddenly at quite a young age and I wasn't sure who to blame for that. My church had said that God had called him, so it was hard not to blame God for the devastation we were all feeling. I had wanted to know what happens to people when they die, but no one had any answers....so when JW's knocked on my door, I sarcastically started to ask the hard questions that my church had no answers to.....I point blank said "where are the dead?", expecting the platitudes that I had heard a thousand times before....but to my complete surprise they had a scriptural answer for every question...not just something vague but tying in parts of the Bible that I already knew and it all made perfect sense! These were the last people on earth I ever expected to impart anything useful, but I found myself wanting more. The more answers I got, the more questions I had, and they were all answered from the Bible. I got very excited and wondered why these people had such a bad reputation. They showed me John 15:18-21.

I studied for two solid years, (starting in 1970) exploring every avenue before making a commitment to God to be one of his Witnesses. After 48 years, its a decision I have never regretted.

Peace to you and I hope you find your own answers.