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Treasure

MARK 10: 17 - 31 MATTHEW 13: 44 2 CORINTHIANS 4: 4 - 7 , 3: 18

"light" , photismos, photizo - means to let in light. English words "photo" & photograph are derived from this Greek word. What happens when a photo is taken? The shutter on the camera opens, letting in light, which brings an image on the film. If the shutter does not open, there will be no image or picture, no matter how beautiful the scenery is before the camera.

The treasure, is the light, the illumination from God which brings a change of mind & heart. If we allow it to come in, it will produce in us more & more the image of Jesus Christ. This is how salvation begins & how sanctification continues. And it is far beyond an intellectual encounter. Here's a staggering fact: Fewer than 10% of people who get "saved" in America become true followers of Christ. Why? Because there is a lack of understanding re:true biblical repentance. The difference lies between "information" and "revelation". Information is of the mind; biblical revelation affects the mind but originates from the heart. Spiritual power is released through revelation knowledge. And revelation is usually a process because all biblical truth comes in seed form.

If you observe encounters at the altar where the Spirit is moving in a powerful way, you will see this principle at work. Spiritual power is released, revelation may come, and then it becomes an issue of what kind of soil the seed gets planted in. That will determine whether or not fruit will come.

With this in mind, consider what takes place at salvation. When you decide that you are going to follow Christ & be His disciple, you are making a determination that what God has to offer you is of greater value & worth than that which you already have. You've come to a place of conviction & belief, that life as you've known it is incomplete & that there's a place in your heart, a God shaped vacuum, that only He can fill. You believe this so strongly that it doesn't matter what family & friends may think of you. You've found a treasure - light, illumination, the manifest presence & glory of God. And this treasure is by no means a one-time find. It's a growing investment, reaping rewards in both this life & the next.

I would propose to you today, that this concept not only applies at salvation but in every subsequent season of growth in your Christian walk. The Holy Spirit will birth a desire in you for more of God. As you embrace that desire you will find a hunger for a deeper Christian experience.

Let's look back where we started in Mark, chapter 10...

10:17 surrender, bow our knee to Him. In response, God reaches into our hearts, to reveal any treasure more dear to us than Himself. Could it be money? Yes. But it could also include anything that we struggle with surrendering & letting go of. His treasure is the light, the illumination of His word & presence. If we would hang onto certain things in our lives, then we must maintain a distance from the light. Ungodly soulish treasure will not survive in the presence of revelation knowledge. To survive, it will have to seek out a place of darkness.

10: 19-20 a deception. This is safe distance religion. We must never equate keeping the commandments or living a good, moral life, with discipleship.

RELIGION CAN RUN ON THE FUEL OF BIBLICAL INFORMATION. TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS PROPELLED BY LIFE CHANGING BIBLICAL REVELATION.

10:21 Not only at salvation but throughout our journey, Jesus wants one thing, ALL OF YOU ! This is a sign of his love! His love is his highest good for your life. His highest good will always be a greater depth of transformation.

10:22 One cause of sadness & frustration amongst us believers is the refusal to give up the "one thing" that God is asking for. What is the one thing? Galatians 5: 19 - 21 . It could be anything of our sin nature. The one thing could be a rearranging of your priorities, your time, resources.

JOHN 12: 4 - 6

One man chose not to follow Jesus because he had an attachment to a "one thing", money. Another man followed, & brought his attachment with him. Principle: WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO HANG ONTO & CARRY WITH YOU, WILL EVENTUALLY BETRAY YOU & EVEN CAUSE YOU TO BETRAY YOURSELF, OTHERS, & EVEN THE LORD.

Jesus had a treasure set aside for Judas. Matt. 19:28 . He told the Twelve that had followed him, that they would rule over the 12 tribes of Israel...

If you are a believer, you have a treasure within you. The treasure you have is this - light, illumination, biblical revelation. You opened the shutter, letting in His word, His conviction, His glory - to produce in you the image of Christ. Will you keep it open? Will you allow the seed to remain in you & thus bear fruit? Or will we go away sad because we chose to hang onto another treasure?

* The captain of a ship on a dark night saw faint lights in the distance. He told his signalman to send the message. "Change your course 10 degrees south." Immediately he received the response: "Change your direction 10 degrees north." The proud captain was angry that he was being challenged, so he sent a further message: "Change your course 10 degrees south. This is the captain speaking." He received the response: " Change your direction 10 degrees north. I'm Seaman Third Class Jones." The captain, thinking he would terrify this insubordinate sailor, wired a third message: "Change your direction 10 degrees south. I am a battleship." The final reply came: "Change your course 10 degrees north. I am a lighthouse."

The treasure, the Lighthouse of God, is our guide. Let us set the course of our lives by His command.

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Email: grosik@juno.com