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The Pilgrim Path (5-3-2021)

The Pilgrim Path---Matthew 6: 19 – 21

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN…”

Just about 33 years ago my family was able to visit North West Mexico for a while. My wife’s sister and her family were working with New Tribes Mission among the Pima Indians. Now this tribal group could speak Spanish for trade purposes. To hear “their” language was most intriguing. It was a tonal---Indian language---that had not even been written. Well, New Tribes and Wycliffe got to work on translation and recording---what a job! I remember one morning hearing some “clanging” along the edge of this creek bed. Looking around, it was a boy of about four or five years of age. He was pulling a tin can---that he had a wire through (much like a coat hanger). He was quite enamored with the ease with which the can rolled along. Someone had “framed” the wire around the edges of the can---so it had a nice housing. A smooth operation for a can---with both ends cut out. He was pleased with what we would have considered “junk” in our country. He apparently did not know better---and was quite content. Believe me---I have often thought about that boy alongside the creek bed…

In my second church, I had this gentleman that was a professing atheist. He came to church. His wife came---guess he figured he should. There were some “down turns” in the economy. Seems he became an agnostic. His wife ended up leaving him for a man she knew at her place of employment. This man became a God-fearer. One Sunday Morning, during a Communion Service---this former atheist / agnostic / God-fearer ---broke down and called upon Jesus Christ to save him. Well, Jesus loves saving sinners---and He saved this man! Not long afterward I saw this man sitting in the church balcony during a morning worship service. Sometimes I would “go” sit in the balcony early in the week---just to get away from the phone. I happened to see that the offering plates were stacked on top of each other---they had never been brought down---from Sunday morning. Well, I separated the plates. Low and behold---there was a check in the bottom plate. I opened it. $5,000.00 dollars from my friend in the balcony! I asked him about it in a Men’s Meeting that I was leading on Thursday morning. He rather timidly said, “Well---there are many back payments in there.” Hey---when the Living Christ gets “hold” of you---HE gets hold of all of you---that is just the story…

From Jim Elliot: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

From Thomas a Kempis: Let temporal things serve your use, but the eternal be the object of your desire.

From Hudson Taylor: The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.

From John Duncan: The World---Be not conformed to the world, in its sentiments, in its notions, in its views, in its pursuits.

HYMN

Lord, thou lovest the cheerful giver, who with open heart and hand

Blesses freely, as a river that refreshes all the land.

Grant us then the grace of giving with a spirit large and free,

That our life and all our living we may consecrate to thee.

Blest by thee with gifts and graces, may we heed thy church’s call;

Gladly in all times and places give to thee who givest all.

Thou hast bought us, and no longer can we claim to be our own;

Ever free and ever stronger, we shall serve thee, LORD alone.

Savior, thou hast freely given all the blessings we enjoy,

Earthly store and bread of heaven, love, and peace without alloy;

Humbly now we bow before thee, and our all to thee resign;

For the kingdom, power, and glory, are O LORD, forever thine.

Robert Murray, 1898

Grace and Peace in Jesus, the Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason