Tuesday, July 4, 2017

THE EMPTY HEART

By Paul Wilson, July 4, 2017

Is it not interesting that the “Jesus around us today, the body of the living Jesus Christ” treats things differently than we often do, when encountering someone who has lost their way. And, looking around, it appears that everything but God is the “thing to do”, to get us back on track

A certain man asked Jesus about these kinds of things one day, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:13-30 (NIV)

I am sure you, too, have an assessment of some kind. I know I do. God has led me to a lot of wonderful writers over the years. You will hear of one of them at the end of this article.

I find it interesting that Jesus does not accept the compliment that was offered the wealthy man. This means he is still searching eternal life after he had become wealthy enough to turn down a personal invitation by the Christ Himself to follow Him! Do we want eternal life? Do we realize that we have temporal life as an opportunity to do something about the nature of this priceless Gift.

Here is one small example that a businessman taught me: When you borrow something, always return it better than you found it! (This dear friend had borrowed a car to loan me, and it gave him 20x20 vision as to how I treated borrowed goods! I also learned that if I did not practice that I would find it would be required anyway!) (Luke 17:10) (Matthew 25:25)

The knowledge that you are living your life well, and doing what you know you should be doing – the true contentment and/or peace that comes from God by the sacrifice of Christ, (Romans 8), confirms your spirit as nothing else c.

Why would this rich young ruler feel short-changed?

Is not the answer found in these words, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

What is this One Thing?

    1. Recognizing the ownership factor – everyone has something to sell;
    2. Recognizing the profit factor – selling all of what you truly have, actually profits you as well as another;
    3. Recognizing what hinders truly following Christ, and what actually lays up treasure in Heaven

I have been in ministry of various types for more than a half of a century. I have been a musician; missionary in South Africa; and pastor of four churches in the US. I have also worked in the Funeral Business part time, as well as a Coordinator in an Automotive company mailroom.

The temporal reward of these pictures of my life’s calling fade as my tenure on earth comes to a close – but this scripture says to me as well as to everyone else:

  1. We all have something to sell to someone. It is probably not what you think it is right off hand;
  2. We all have something that will profit someone. You may not want what I have that will really profit you;
  3. What I have to sell; what profits you; and what must be recognized as such, helps us all to comprehend what it means to follow Christ.

James said it well, “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:17-20 (NIV)

Recently I wanted to encourage someone to care for the property they had just acquired. So, one day when he was polishing his automobile, I complimented him, telling him that I loved keeping my cars spotless as a young person. I recommended that he learn more about character, and look up an old recorded series by Earl Nightingale, online, “Lead the Field”, and do just that with his care of things like automobiles and property.

Since it was good, but without adequate mention of the Christian Faith, I felt a twinge of condemnation in my heart that told me I had not thought of surrounding his life with prayer, asking the Lord to sell my experience with this His profit, when I felt I had not treated the truth that well. After all, every good and perfect gift comes from above – the Father of all Lights.” (James 1:17)

As I prayed for him, I sensed that the Lord wanted me clean the alley side of that same property while praying for him forgivingly, since I felt it was a problem to me and others. 

I was amazed at what happened. First, a friend helped him put up brand new fencing without a word from me, and Detroit Energy decided to do a massive clean-up of the trees that had overgrown power lines in that entire area . . . which also included another neighbor’s tree that had overgrown our property! Was this an accident? No, it was profit on my investment of what was already mine, because of Christ, but what Christ wanted to belong to all, which also encompasses a lot of what Earl Nightingale had to say with the series, “Lead the Field”. There is an mp3 recording of the original records available on Amazon! Find it for yourself if you wish, and you may like it enough to buy it.

I was blessed by having it in my possession for a few years, and eventually gave it away, because Christ is the Greatest Treasure of all!