where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This is a very small but yet Big teaching. Where is your heart? what do you find satisfaction in? what do you treasure?

All these are related very heavily, check out Matthew 6: 19-21 - Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.
But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Whoa! Check this out! This is the complete outline of where we go wrong in sin, every stinkin' time! Are you seeing what i'm seeing??? " Do not gather and heap up for yourselves treasures on earth " Why? " moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal ". So, look, Jesus is telling us here, that why even bother store up earthly stuff? Because' in heaven' it'll be of no value. If you have the nicest car, house, truck or any material things, where will they get you in heaven? No wheres. Because' these things are perishable. A car will rust, land will erode, and money can be stolen. But Jesus then says where we should be storing it up " But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, " Why you say ? Because, this is "where neither moth nor rust not worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal. " Anything you have stored up in heaven is eternal, it's never ending, and will never rust or be destroyed in any way. But the things we put there must be things that are heaven worthy. Is a car or truck heaven worthy? no way, are your relationships with your friends? You bet, but most of all your relationship with the lord. That's all you're taking, there's none of this " God, let me pack my things, just let me get my suitcase, and then i'll be ready. " It's not material things we're taking, nope, it's the relational things.

And with that, this statement by Jesus is the key. " For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. " If you want to argue this, you are a fool. Whatever your time, money, and energy go into, well that's where your heart will be. Whatever that treasure is that you're building up, well that's what's on your heart and mind. And if these things are foolish material things, your heart will be clouded up with that treasure, and that foolishness. Remember, wherever your treasure is, there also is your heart. So, where is yours? what is your treasure? Money? Beer? Drugs? Vehicles? Sex? Well, find out, and ask yourself if it's goin' to heaven' with you, or is it staying on earth. Cause' if it's staying on earth, and it's your treasure... you may just stay with it. Be very careful in what you focus on. We need to set our eyes on the Lord, and start building our wealth up in heaven. Matt. 6:33 - But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. "

Are you seeing this???? haha. Jesus says' Seek my kingdom and righteousness and then all these things will be given to you. If you aim and strive for God's kingdom and righteousness, your wildest dreams will come true, and you will have eternal gifts beyond belief! " Jer.33:3 - Call unto me and i will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know " All we've gotta' do is call, ask and seek. People, it's this simple.. set your heart on heavenly things, and you will profit in heavenly things, that last beyond the grave.

-T

Alcohol

Well, it's certainly been a while since i've done any sort of meaningful post on here. But lately i've encountered some things with drinking, not personally but questions etc. So, let's dig into the word of God and get this straightened out!

-Well, for one thing, is the consumption of alcohol a sin?
-What makes drinking a sin?
-Why?

Let's take another perfect example in this context: Sex. Is sex a sin? No! But it becomes one when? When we do it outside of the boudaries God has given us. God has said from Genesis : " For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. " It is within the boundaries God has given us, that sex is not a sin, but a blessing! Now, the same with alcohol, the consumption is no sin. Let's be clear on that. That in Ecclesiastes 9:7 - “drink wine with a merry heart.” Just like sex, God has given us wine to be consumed, but only within His boudaries. And those boudaries are that we drink merrily, that we do not abuse it until it controls us. But when we take it out of that, and we drink for reasons of depression, idleness, or sorrow it becomes sin. Because' God says do this Merrily! Nothing more. Same things apply, the action does not become sin until it is done out of the boundaries of God.

Who has woe?

Who has sorrow?
Who has strife?
Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.
your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.
"They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?" - Proverbs 23:29-35

Here, in Proverbs God outlines for us the sin of drunkeness. Look, that drunkards reasons are this : they're in woe, sorrow, strife. These are the reasons, if you are caught by this addiction, why is it? Ask yourself this:

Am i really happy with myself? Do i like who i've become?

Do i do this because of sorrows? Do i use this as a way of resolving these problems?

Am i striving to fit into the crowd?

These are the things the bible outlines, that we cannot be happy with ourselves, that we'll do it to fit in, that we'll do it as a method of dealing with the pain. And that you know that this does not fufil, only maybe that night.. but it fades, and it fades fast. And that it will come back to get you " in the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. " This is no short time thing, this is serious, and it will come to get you. Sin does not stop at just getting you a place in hell, Satan does not say " well, i've got em' this bad...i guess i'll leave them like this " No, he attacks hourly, minutely. Do not be ignorant to that fact, satan is a murderer, and will stop at nothing to destroy you.

And earlier on, Proverbs describes the drunkards ways of how they fall into this temptation, that they are " those who linger over wine " And then proverbs warns " do not gaze at wine when it is red,when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly " Listen; if you are an alcoholic, is it a wise choice to move in front of a liquor store? No, because' it's tempting, no matter how strong you think you are. So listen, if parties tempt you, and you say " well, i'll go and not drink " don't count on it... that's rediculous... if you are weak enough to fall usually, then stay out. It's obsurd to think you can do that. So just stay away because' it will come to bite you.

To conclude on that whole section, Alcohol is not fufilling in the sinful act. But when you drink it merrily it will. I have given the example to some people of how this is different. That let's say i was going to a wedding party, now to celebrate with the groom, let's say we decide to celebrate with a round... would i take it. Of course, out of an act of celebration. I would be doing it merrily and with good cause. But if i were to go to a party, to intentionally get drunk and just doing it to fill my empty soul... well this is unlawful. It is not to celebrate, nor is it being done merrily. It is being done to fill me up... where God should be. And for that i would be a fool.

But here what Jesus said :

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst, ever!" - John 6:35

So, what's this? Whoa!!!! Jesus says " he who comes to ME will NOT HUNGER ", and that " he who believes in ME will NEVER THIRST ".... and get this He ends it with "EVER"!! Not, he who comes to me will not thirst for a while...but that whoever believes in Him, will NEVER EVER thirst. And that we will not Hunger, like we do in this world. Because' we will have a full heart in Christ because He will fill us. This is the gospel, that Christ died for us, that we may be filled by Him, only through a loving relationship with Him, so He may live in us.

The alcohol will Never fill, just maybe for that night... and maybe into the morning, but no longer.

The point is: Drinking the substance is not a sin, the action is nor a sin. But the action can become a sin when it is used outside of God's boudaries. When we reject God and we say " i don't want your free gift of salvation, i want my one night pleasure. I want my sin, i love it; more than you or your Christ " and God will say ' as much as i hate to do this to my own creation; you go then! you go where you want to go, if you want hell, then i will not stop you " This is the truth ladies and gentlemen. That Hell is a choice, not somewhere's you are predestined. But a very big, and very real decision.

So do not take this lightly, that you can go and party and still be with the Lord. You need to be broken. Galatians 5:19-21 - The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

You cannot keep on sinning and be clean. You need the gift of salvation that Christ has given us, by shedding his blood at calvalry.

So, my prayer is to all of you, go and repent. Turn from your sin, not just drunkeness. And i not only challenge you with this, but also myself.

-T