True Value!

What determines value? Longevity, how long something lasts, right! We see ancient artifacts that have maintained close to their original appearance are rare and therefore priceless. Many people though are caught up in the temporary, with things that have little significant value. When people have little that is valuable, they feel they have little worth.  When one does not have worth they feel unimportant and make careless destructive decisions.

In Luke 20:46-47 Jesus speaks to His disciples about religious leaders who try so hard to be important by their outward dress and behavior, placing themselves in places of honor.    They do shameless things in private yet make long religious prayers in public.  Positions and titles may impress man but they don't impress God!  What matters to God is the state of our heart.  The bible says what pleases God is our faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1)

In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus is at church watching people give financially.  He sees the rich dropping their gifts in the collection box, then a poor widow give two small coins.  Jesus seeing another opportunity to teach the disciples on true value as they probably thought o themselves about the widows offering "what good is that going to do," teaches that the poor widow gave more than the rich because she gave all she had while the rich gave out of their surplus.

To give all that you got takes faith.  This is not a message about giving money, it is about giving your heart.  For many money is their God and whatever you serve is your master.  So if you run out of money all your hope is gone.  Those who trust in the Lord depend on Him and as He takes care of the sparrow, they know He takes care of them.  It is easy to feel good by being religious and helping somebody out but God knows our heart, He knows if we are genuine and truly giving with the right motive.

I just recently loss my mother due to a tragic car accident.  She was riding with her drug providers when they crashed into a car and into the side of a building.  She was in a coma for a month before passing away.  Now my mother had no identification when she was taken out of the car by the jaws of life, she was designated "Mary Doe,"  see she was homeless, Schizophrenic and had full blown aids.  Now despite all these issues as I met her case workers this is what I discovered about her, she cared about people, she had a gentle spirit, and she would give whatever little she had to help someone else.  This is a picture of the widow who gave all she had.  Despite her issues, despite her loss, she put her faith in Christ, which is what Jesus was teaching his disciples on true value.

If our hope is in money no matter how much we have, it's never enough, and we are bound to earth's predicaments.  Meaning if natural disaster comes, and we lose all we have, it is devastating, for our life is based on temporary things . If our hope is in God, our life is based on eternal things, and we are complete in Christ alone.  The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

The rest of Luke 21 foretells the signs of the times leading to the return of Christ.  What took place with Hurricane Sandy was expected.  Natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, are taking place all over the world.  I know numerous credible individuals who had dreams and visions of Atlantic Cities streets being flooded with water.  I was part of a movement called God Belongs In My City, we met from May to August praying on the boardwalk every Saturday from 5am to 6am and on August 25th we had a prayer walk with over 300 people marching through the streets of the city, as a warning and preparation for such this time.

God wants to pour out His spirit upon all flesh, not religious hypocrites but on those with sincere hearts whom choose to put their faith in Him.  You might naturally have nothing but if you put your faith in Christ you have everything.  The bible says "you can do all things through Christ,"  It also says that "all your needs are met through Him."

What has value?  That which lasts!  Those whom repent of their sins and put their faith in Christ have eternal life, and therefore are of greatest value.  Choose today eternal life!