Entering the kingdom of heaven. How many people would buy their way into heaven if they could? We've all watched, read, heard about the very rich using their riches to gain access to things those without riches could never have access to. We've seen some of their grand palaces, we've heard tell about stores that are closed to all but that rich person, we've heard about rich people having a restaurant closed to all but their personal dining party. These things we've heard and seen in fictional movies portrayed are great shows of wealth. Many a movie has a plot where the rich use their money to buy things that are outrageous to most. Many a movie has created an envy in people to be rich so they too can enjoy such a lavish, powerful life. So when I ask, 'How many people would buy their way into heaven if they could?' The answer very truthfully would be if heaven were accessible by wealth many would give their life savings to buy their way in and most assuredly the rich and very rich would reserve their place in heaven. Heaven is absolutely beyond any doubt inaccessible by riches. Not a single person will ever be able to buy their way into heaven. From the wealthiest person to the poorest, not a million dollars nor a single cent will buy entrance into the kingdom of heaven. It's a sad truth that riches corrupt and many a rich person will try to buy favors from men of God, hoping those men of God will use their influence to help them into the kingdom. If a single man of God accepts any money in such a way you can be assured of one thing, that man of God is NOT a true man of God.
Riches will NOT buy entrance to the kingdom of heaven.
And Jesus said the following--
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus' words. So why would anyone ever want to be rich?!
Why? If you're almost guaranteed NOT to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven if you are rich, why would you seek riches? Why would you long for riches? Why would you strive to obtain them? Why would you mourn your inability to get them?
We've been conditioned to believe that the things of this earth matter more than anything else. We've been conditioned to believe that our lives are hard and thankless when we have to struggle for every penny. We are taught to long for the life free of worry over money and the things it can do for us. We are taught to desire so much more than we have living a very simple life. We are taught to pity those who have never once in their life ever gone on a trip away from their home. We are taught to pity the less fortunate because surely they live their entire lives just wanting to be rich. We are taught to feel awful for those who struggle just to eat, drink, have clothing, and a roof over their heads. Surely they have to want to live a life free of all that horrendous extremely, life threatening poverty. No, I'm not saying we shouldn't feel pity for them and a desire to help the less fortunate, but in truth those who are poor are closer to the kingdom of heaven than any who have riches.
Jesus could say that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven because it's TRUTH. The rich have their focus on earth not on the kingdom of heaven. Their hearts are with their riches, not in heaven with Christ.
Jesus went on to say the following--
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle (an IMPOSSIBILITY) than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Riches tie us to earth. Riches tie us to self and selfishness.
What did Jesus' disciples think of what Jesus said? --
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
They were AMAZED. Why? Because they understood that desire to be rich, to want riches, to aspire for riches, to envy the rich. All of that was a way of life they were brought up with. To look upon the rich as the favored, as those meant to be envied if not personally then envied simply for their wealth. That desire for wealth to ease life's burdens has been around for a very, very long time it's become a part of us. The disciples understood that and were amazed that Jesus would say that it's an impossibility for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus responded--
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
ONLY God can give us entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
Nothing we do, nothing we imagine we can do, no amount of money can buy us entrance into the kingdom of God.
Not that million dollars, not that single penny will give us that access. Riches from the greatest to the least will not give us heaven. Only God can give us heaven, only GOD and God alone! With God all things are possible, with men of their own accord nothing is possible when it comes to the kingdom of heaven.
We must be solely dependent upon God, upon our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior!
So while we long for riches in what seems to be a natural way in our sinful flesh, we have to comprehend no amount of money in the entire world will give us the greatest treasure in existence- the Kingdom of God.
Everything, absolutely everything in our lives except Christ and His love, the love He gives us to give others, is temporary to eternity. The clothes we wear, the houses we live in, the treasure we reap upon earth all of them are only temporary and quite meaningless when it comes to eternity.
We will have to answer for our stewardship of the money we do get. Do we want to spend our money on ourselves or on the things of Christ? It's so hard for us who live in such a materialistic existence, where our ease and pleasure is so important to us, to imagine not living as we do. Please LORD, help us to live for you and the things You would have us live for. Please LORD, we know that none of our riches mean a single thing unless we can use them for You, the greatest riches or the least riches, must be YOURS. Teach us to do with our money as YOU will, not as we will. Create a clean heart within us, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, please Lord let us be YOURS in all things! Help us! Satan would keep us as His, free us from HIM, make us YOURS, please LORD we believe, help our unbelief. Please Lord we will, help us keep our minds upon YOU always in all things! Please Lord, You and You alone can do what is impossible for us to do, we need You to do the impossible in us! Heal us! Help us be YOURS!
By YOUR GRACE LORD, by YOUR LOVE, YOUR MERCY, YOUR FORGIVENESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS! IN YOU LORD, ALL IN YOU! All GLORY PRAISE AND HONOR UNTO YOU!
Riches will NOT buy entrance to the kingdom of heaven.
And Jesus said the following--
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus' words. So why would anyone ever want to be rich?!
Why? If you're almost guaranteed NOT to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven if you are rich, why would you seek riches? Why would you long for riches? Why would you strive to obtain them? Why would you mourn your inability to get them?
We've been conditioned to believe that the things of this earth matter more than anything else. We've been conditioned to believe that our lives are hard and thankless when we have to struggle for every penny. We are taught to long for the life free of worry over money and the things it can do for us. We are taught to desire so much more than we have living a very simple life. We are taught to pity those who have never once in their life ever gone on a trip away from their home. We are taught to pity the less fortunate because surely they live their entire lives just wanting to be rich. We are taught to feel awful for those who struggle just to eat, drink, have clothing, and a roof over their heads. Surely they have to want to live a life free of all that horrendous extremely, life threatening poverty. No, I'm not saying we shouldn't feel pity for them and a desire to help the less fortunate, but in truth those who are poor are closer to the kingdom of heaven than any who have riches.
Jesus could say that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven because it's TRUTH. The rich have their focus on earth not on the kingdom of heaven. Their hearts are with their riches, not in heaven with Christ.
Jesus went on to say the following--
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle (an IMPOSSIBILITY) than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Riches tie us to earth. Riches tie us to self and selfishness.
What did Jesus' disciples think of what Jesus said? --
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
They were AMAZED. Why? Because they understood that desire to be rich, to want riches, to aspire for riches, to envy the rich. All of that was a way of life they were brought up with. To look upon the rich as the favored, as those meant to be envied if not personally then envied simply for their wealth. That desire for wealth to ease life's burdens has been around for a very, very long time it's become a part of us. The disciples understood that and were amazed that Jesus would say that it's an impossibility for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus responded--
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
ONLY God can give us entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
Nothing we do, nothing we imagine we can do, no amount of money can buy us entrance into the kingdom of God.
Not that million dollars, not that single penny will give us that access. Riches from the greatest to the least will not give us heaven. Only God can give us heaven, only GOD and God alone! With God all things are possible, with men of their own accord nothing is possible when it comes to the kingdom of heaven.
We must be solely dependent upon God, upon our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior!
So while we long for riches in what seems to be a natural way in our sinful flesh, we have to comprehend no amount of money in the entire world will give us the greatest treasure in existence- the Kingdom of God.
Everything, absolutely everything in our lives except Christ and His love, the love He gives us to give others, is temporary to eternity. The clothes we wear, the houses we live in, the treasure we reap upon earth all of them are only temporary and quite meaningless when it comes to eternity.
We will have to answer for our stewardship of the money we do get. Do we want to spend our money on ourselves or on the things of Christ? It's so hard for us who live in such a materialistic existence, where our ease and pleasure is so important to us, to imagine not living as we do. Please LORD, help us to live for you and the things You would have us live for. Please LORD, we know that none of our riches mean a single thing unless we can use them for You, the greatest riches or the least riches, must be YOURS. Teach us to do with our money as YOU will, not as we will. Create a clean heart within us, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, please Lord let us be YOURS in all things! Help us! Satan would keep us as His, free us from HIM, make us YOURS, please LORD we believe, help our unbelief. Please Lord we will, help us keep our minds upon YOU always in all things! Please Lord, You and You alone can do what is impossible for us to do, we need You to do the impossible in us! Heal us! Help us be YOURS!
By YOUR GRACE LORD, by YOUR LOVE, YOUR MERCY, YOUR FORGIVENESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS! IN YOU LORD, ALL IN YOU! All GLORY PRAISE AND HONOR UNTO YOU!
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