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Jesus also talked about laying up (storing up) treasures in heaven.  He said:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves trea­sures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal; for where your treasure is there will your heart be also..  Mat 6:19-21 

          There is only one place in the entire world into which Satan has no access.   There is only one place from which Satan cannot steal.  There is only one place demons and demonic spirits cannot enter.  That one place Satan cannot access is the interior of our Recreated Human Spirit.   This is precisely where the Kingdom is lo­cated and this is where we are to lay up our trea­sure. 

          Religion taught us that we send stuff up to heaven and it will be waiting for us when we get there.  (I never could understand how to get earthly “stuff” into heaven… could you?) This sounds good and reasonable, and very spiritual but it just is not true.   There is no way we can send earthly, natural stuff to heaven.  There are no instructions in the Bible that tell us how to do it because it cannot be done.   

          What is this “treasure” Jesus is talking about in this verse?  I believe Jesus is talking about Truth Treasure.  Treasure is Truth and Truth is Treasure.  Truth (treasure) is deposited in the re-created human Spirit through revelation;  not through the brain or the senses or the emotions, or natural knowledge or intellect,  but by revelation knowledge. 

When we really hear what the Spirit is speaking and we hear it with our heart, it becomes revelation.  When we receive such revelation we can store it in the Kingdom (which is in us) and it becomes accessi­ble and available when the need arises. 

This Truth is our Treasure.  Treasures are placed in the Kingdom (in us) through deposits just as money is deposited in our bank account.  What we deposit is ready for us to withdraw when we need it.  We will need truth to make us free.  We can withdraw truth if it has been deposited by revelation in our Treasure House.  

           Remember:  Jesus said we would know the Truth and the Truth would make us free. However, before He made this statement, he prefaced it with this: 

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;   John 8:31

Continuing in the Word (abiding in it, living in it, existing in it) will result in us becoming determined disciples (disciples indeed) and then we will be able to know the Truth.  And knowing the Truth (receiving revelation regarding the Truth) and applying that revealed Truth will result in our freedom; and that is total and complete freedom from anything and everything Satan designs and decrees to destroy us. 

This is the Treasure presently deposited in our Kingdom Storehouse.  And it is from this deposited Treasure we are capable of making Word withdrawals that will determine our victory over every adversary and adversity.

The Rationale behind Our Salvation

• What is the rationale behind our Salva­tion? 
• Why did God make the effort and pay the price for saving you and me?
• Why did Jesus leave heaven and come to earth?
• Why did He shed His Blood to pur­chase our redemption?
• Why does He declare that He is not willing for any man to perish? 

Here is the reason:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever be­lieveth on Him might be saved…  John 3:16 

          Is there more to the reason behind our salvation than we have been told and taught?  What God did through Christ and in Christ is much more than a free ticket to heaven.  If the only purpose of salvation was to get us to Heaven, God would have every reason to kill us the moment we get saved.  

God has a plan.  God has a plan for each individual in His Kingdom.  He has a Master Plan.  God has a sovereign purpose.  God has a divine purpose for man, for the Church and for the earth.

• God’s plan and purpose for man is that all men might be saved.

• God’s plan and purpose for the church is that it might preach the Gospel to all the na­tions of the earth.

• God’s plan and purpose for the earth is that His Kingdom might come and His will might be done on it and in it.  That means in us and through us. That means in the present and not in the past or in the future.

          Jesus announced the reason behind our Salvation at the very outset of His earthly min­istry.  He taught truth.  He spoke with great au­thority.  He declared the works of His Father.  He spoke and did only what His Father told Him to speak and do.  His preaching was radical and revolutionary… especially to organized religion. 

He came to seek and to save that  (not them) but THAT which was lost.   That which was lost was Man’s complete dominion, authority and control of all things on earth…. what was lost was the very Image of God in which man was originally created… what was lost was God’s Kingdom being permanently and eternally established on the earth. 

Jesus came to restore what Adam lost.  What God did in Christ undid what Satan did in Adam.  Jesus came to re-establish the Kingdom of God in the earth.   That Kingdom has been established in the heart of every believer.   And this is the Rationale behind our Salvation.

The channel through which God’s Power flows

          There is really only one way that Kingdom power can get out of us.  There is only one channel through which it can and will flow.  If this one requirement is not met, the power will remain inside the believer and it will be useless.  It will not change the world and it will not bring the will of God into the earth. 

          Where there is power there must be a channel through which it can flow.  The electri­cal energy is in the receptacle in the wall, but it cannot get to the appliance (where it is needed) unless there is a cord through which it can flow.  The gas is in the tank, but it must have a pipe to get to the engine.  The power is in us, but it must have a channel to flow out into the earth.  Here is what the Bible says: 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth (ischuo: to be strong; to have power, to “be serviceable”)  anything, nor uncircumcision: but faith which worketh by love…  Gal 5:6

 For (if we are) in Christ Jesus, neither circumci­sion nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and ex­pressed and working through love… Gal 5:6 AMP

          The Kingdom of God (the miracle-work­ing power in every believer) is a Kingdom of Love.  The Christian Life… the believer’s life is a life of love.  The Church (Body of Christ) is a many-membered organism with each member joined and knit together by agape (the God-kind) of love. 

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:   Eph. 4:15  

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Eph. 4:16  

          Each member (“joint”) supplies the cohe­siveness that joins one to another and that which joins one to another is agape (the God-kind of)  love.

           Agape is the primary force in Heaven and in earth.   Love is the motivation for all that God has ever done.  Love transcends time and space.  Love breaks into the realm of the supernatu­ral.  Love brings the very essence of Heaven and the presence of God into the earth.

          Success in the Christian Life is rooted and grounded in love.  When we feel love we feel God.  When we live to love we act like God.  God is Love.  When we love like God loves anything and everything we do will succeed. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13: 8)  When we live to love we live like Jesus.  Love working and love in operation brings Jesus to the scene.  Where and when our faith has failed…  our confessions failed…  our knowledge failed…  our praying failed… it is always be­cause our love failed… The Bible says love never fails.   

• When we walk in love we walk in divine health. Many people get sick and die because they live in hate, bitterness and strife.  It is not what you eat… it is what eats you. 

• When we walk in love we will be free from all fear.  The Word declares that per­fect love (agape) casteth out fear… (I Jn 4:18).  All fear is of the devil and will destroy and deprive and de­feat.  Fear taps into Satan’s resources just as Faith taps into Heaven’s resources.

• When we walk in love our faith will work.  If  our faith is not working it is because our love is not working.  The Bible says that faith worketh by Love… (Gal 5:6).  It is not more faith that we need it is more love that we need!  Love causes our faith to work.  If we are “do­ing all the right things” and still are lacking… we need to check out our love life.

• When we walk in love we walk in agreement with God. When two agree to­gether, the Word promises that they can have anything they ask for.  (Mat 18:19)  When we love we agree with God… when we hate or have bitter­ness in our heart, we agree with the devil.  When we agree with God our desires are met and our prayers are answered.

• When we walk in love our marriage will work.  All marriage failures are love failures.  When we love our mates (with the God-kind of Love) our marriage will work, when we don’t, it won’t!  Every home and marriage problem is caused by a love failure.  The opposite of love is not hate, but selfishness.  When we live by selfishness we drive out love.  When we love we drive out selfishness.

• When we walk in love our children will respect us and honor us.  Our problem is not our kids… it is our failure to love.  Do they know we love them?  In a recent survey, it was disclosed that the three most common replies children get from their dads are:  (1) “It costs too much”  (2) “Not now… later”  (3) “Shut up.” 

• When we walk in love our business will suc­ceed.  Healthy business relation­ships are built on love and mutual respect.  If you will love your customers for who they are and not what they can do for you, you will always have customers!

• When we walk in love our neighbors will want what we’ve got.  Our society cannot compre­hend agape love.  When we love, we keep the enemy confused.  The devil knows all about hate and resentment and jealousy and envy and strife.  “Love your neighbor”  (Mat 19:19) is a di­rect com­mand from Jesus to you and me.   This love lived out will stop all wars, crime, injus­tice, prejudice, ha­tred, and poverty.  It would re­place all the government agencies that are re­sponsible for caring for the poor and needy.  It would cancel all federal entitlement programs.  It would make welfare and social security and Medicaid and Medicare unnecessary.  Love gives.  Love shares.  Love sacrifices.

• When we walk in love our loved ones will be reached. One reason our family has no re­spect for us is because we have acted out of bit­ter­ness, strife, jealousy, and selfishness instead of love.  We have been mean and ugly and hateful!  Some of them who are not Chris­tians are more loving that we are and we are supposed to be saved and full of the Holy Ghost.  Speaking in tongues (and all Spiritual Gifts) is no substitute for love.  Paul tells us:

 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love,  I am become as sounding brass or a tin­kling cymbal… I Cor 13:1

• LOVE will overcome temper.  
• LOVE  will overcome hate.  
• LOVE will conquer wrong attitudes.  
• LOVE reaches out and em­braces our en­emies. 
• LOVE forgives and forgets. 
• LOVE encourages and edi­fies. 
• LOVE covers a multitude of sins   (I Pet 4:8).
• LOVE overlooks faults and weaknesses.
• LOVE is patient and kind.
• LOVE sees the best and believes the best in every person.

• LOVE will never wound or hurt or hinder.
• LOVE will never gossip or speak evil of others.
• LOVE will never destroy or tear down.
• LOVE is never sarcastic.
• LOVE suffers and reacts in silence.
• LOVE gives expecting nothing in return.
• LOVE always speaks the truth.
• LOVE is God and God is Love.
• LOVE never fails… because God never fails.

Releasing the God-Kind of Love

          Follow after love…  (I Cor 14:1)   Determine in your heart to love… anyhow!  No matter what!   Make a deci­sion right now that all that you do will come out of love.  Your relationship in the home… on the job… in the classroom… among friends and rela­tives…. decide to live by love.  Speak love.  Be kind.  Determine to actively follow after love.

          Refuse to do anything in strife or bitterness.  Where envy and strife are you will find every evil work …  Jas 3:16.  Keep your heart pure and your attitudes right.  If you are going to live by love you will have to master your emotions and put them under the control of your re-created Spirit.

          Love yourself!  Thank God for You!  Value yourself.  Forgive yourself.  You cannot love others if you do not love yourself.  Quit getting down on yourself and making it hard on your­self… give yourself a break!  Stop beating yourself up!  Jesus told us to “Love our neighbors as ourselves…”  It is OK to love yourself!  See yourself as one created in the Image and Likeness of God your Father… Appre­ciate yourself and forgive yourself!

          Understand that your tongue is the faucet! You release love initially through your mouth by your tongue!  What you say is what is in your heart.  Out of the heart the mouth speaketh… Mt 12:34. Make your tongue a fountain of life that flows continu­ally with refreshing streams of love.

          Make love visible.  Do love.  Be love.  Don’t only talk love.  Be love.  Be doers of love.  Love is an intangible force… make it visible by actions that speak love.  Determine to do something today that will prove your love.

          Living by love is living like Jesus.  Living by love is living like God.  Love living is what the world is waiting to see and ex­perience.  Love living is what will hasten the return of Jesus.  Living by love is living in perfection.

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