The Best Financial Advice You Will Ever Receive

Matt. 6:19-21 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  NASU 

• Jesus' Lesson 

This lesson is a part of what is commonly known as "The Sermon on the Mount." Jesus has quite an audience. While this large crowd is listening to Him He uses this time to teach the audience some very valuable life lessons.
 
He teaches them about being merciful, gentle, peacemakers, accepting persecution, being the salt of the earth and being the light of the world.
 
He teaches them it is wrong to murder, commit adultery and to hate. He teaches them properly how to give to the poor, how to pray, how to forgive and how to fast properly.
 
After the lesson on fasting, Jesus teaches them about how to properly handle their finances.
 
He says, "…store up for yourselves treasure in heaven…" There is good reason for Christ followers to store up treasure in heaven. The reason is no thieves can break in and steal what you have deposited into your account in heaven.
 
There is no stock market to crash there. There are no Ponzi schemes taking place in Heaven. Your TREASURE is 100% secure in Heaven. 

• Who Does This? 

Acts 4:36-37 -  Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
 
Joseph (aka Barnabas) was a Levite. This means he was from the priestly tribe of Levi. Levi was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Moses and Aaron were from this tribe. Jesus was not from this tribe.
 
We can see from the above passage that Barnabas had a tract of land; he sold this piece of property and gave the money to the apostles. In other words, he was laying up a treasure in heaven that could not be taken from him.
 
There are lots of people who give to the Lord's church to help advance the Lord's Kingdom here on earth. My dad did a very similar deed for the church he attended in AZ. The church was in a building program and dad gave them the deed to a piece of property that was his.
 
When I was in MD we likewise had a building program and a young man who had recently been converted to Christ gave the title to his motorcycle and the money was given to the Lord's church.
 
These three men were all making deposits or storing up their Heavenly Treasure Account.

• What About You And Me? 

We say we are Christ followers. Therefore, we should be storing up for ourselves a treasure in heaven.
 
I am not against saving for one's retirement or putting money into our IRA. I believe we should be prepared for a time when we are not employed. I also believe we should be making deposits into our HTA's or Heavenly Treasure Account.
 
There is a day coming when we are going to depart from this world and go to the next one. What will await for us upon our arrival in heaven depends on what we were focused on while here on earth. 
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• How Does One Increase Their HTA's? 

You can follow the example of Barnabas or Tabitha: Acts 9:36-37 - Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.  NASU
 
Even doing little things for people is seen by God and rewarded by Him also.
 
Matt 6:3-4 - "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.  NASU
 
Lk 14:13-14 -  "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.  "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." NASU
 
I hope this financial advice will bless you beyond measure. May your HTA increase daily. 
 
Think On These:
 
Two marks of a Christian: Giving and Forgiving.
 
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

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