March 11, 2018_Store Up Treasures in Heaven

Earthly things are a preview of heavenly things

God created heaven. By heaven I am referring to the spiritual world, not the physical universe (which God also created). God created heaven and filled it with angels. Then He made the universe in which He made a suitable environment for man, and finally, He created man.

Science and technology are developing rapidly these days, and as technology advances we see many new inventions all the time. However, in a strict sense, these inventions are discoveries rather than creations. We are not creating something which did not previously exist, but rather discovering something which was not previously known. The discoveries that mankind is making within the physical universe enable us to advance human civilization.

So where did the ideas that gave birth to civilization come from? They originated in the minds of men. Unlike animals, man has the capacity to think, reason and imagine. This demonstrates how man’s mind was created in the image of God in that we can imagine something that is not and make it come to pass. Sometimes, ideas come to us, but actually this is just a glimpse of something that already exists in heaven.

The ark of the covenant and the tabernacle that Moses had built were also patterns of things in heaven. Hebrews 8:5 says, “They serve a copy and shadow of heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was instructed by God, saying ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain.’” Of course it is easy to accept that spiritual things such as the tabernacle and the ark are copies of heavenly things, but other things are also.

Written language and books existed in heaven before they did here on earth. Revelation 20:15 says, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Man got the idea to record things in books because books existed in heaven first and people became aware of them to a small degree. Man cannot see an aroma but he can smell it, identify the compounds that cause certain smells, and make perfumes. In the same way, when the shadow of something in heaven inspires man, he captures that inspiration and makes something.

Seeds existed in heaven before they existed on earth. The Bible describes the Word, the Son of God, and blessings as seed. God has planted the seed in us. Furthermore, the ground where seeds are sown are also copies of things in heaven. There is bad ground and there is good ground. The good ground receives the seed and produces one hundred times more fruit than what was planted. Many kinds of fruit in this world are also copies of heavenly fruit. Revelation 2:7 says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

The same is true of man. The Bible says that when God made man, He made him in His image and according to His likeness. Animals are also copies of heavenly things. Revelation 4:7 says, “The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.” In this way, things in the physical universe are copies made from the pattern of heavenly things.

Where should we store our treasure?

Our faith is about storing treasure in heaven while we are on this earth. The Lord urged us to store up our treasure in heaven, to build our home in heaven, to sow for a heavenly harvest. The rich man lived in abundance in this world, feasting every day. But when he died, he pleaded for Lazarus to give him water to help quench his thirst. He was suffering because he had nothing stored in heaven.

Even the poorest man on earth is blessed if he is in Jesus Christ because he has a home in heaven and blessings that he has planted there. Blessings sown in heaven can be enjoyed forever once you enter into heaven, and you can also reap those blessings here in this world as well. A spiritual blessing is so powerful, even a small amount is enough to experience great riches in this world.

The Lord warned those who accumulate riches on earth but do not store up any treasure in heaven saying, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided for yourself?” (Luke 12:16-21) He also warned against pursuing riches but not being rich toward God.

I had no money when I first planted Sungrak church. So I worked with borrowed money and then paid it back. Even after the church grew I did not revel in its success, but rather, I built dozens more local worship centers in distant provinces. Over the last fifty years I have given large sums of money and I have never regretted it.

When you have a blessing in heaven you can enjoy it on earth

This is how I obtained this faith. When I began my life of faith, my family was so poor that we faced starvation every single day. Without land, breaking the chain of poverty seemed hopeless, regardless of how hard you worked. But after I came to believe in Jesus, I realized that I could be a rich man spiritually. I could have as much land as I wanted in which to plant trees, and if I  planted trees they would continuously provide me with food. If I laid up treasure in heaven, I could draw from it whenever I needed to in this world.

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mt 6:19-21) If our hearts are truly in heaven, we will willingly store our treasures in heaven.

2 Corinthians 9:5 says, “So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren to go to you in advance and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a willing gift and not as a grudging obligation.” In the original Greek text of this scripture, the word gift means blessing. So our giving (offering) is not about charity to God, it is sowing a blessing in your field in heaven and depositing it into your storehouse in heaven.

If we store up blessings in heaven, the benefits also accrue to our children. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering, Abraham did everything God had commanded preparing his son to be slaughtered. As he was about to strike his son, God stopped Abraham and said, “because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” (Gen 22:1-19) When Abraham offered what he had to God, He accepted it, and blessed his descendants.

I willingly gave offerings in spite of my extreme poverty because I realized that having this kind of blessings in heaven meant that I could enjoy them in this world as well. When I ministered at Yesan Methodist Church, I pledged to give a certain amount of offering for the construction of a church building, and two more pledges besides. Honoring those pledges meant that my family couldn’t afford a house, which meant that we couldn’t stay together but instead we were scattered everywhere. The situation seemed bleak at the time. However, God called me and let me draw upon that which I had stored in heaven, enabling me to accomplish amazing things.

Let us sow blessings in heaven

We mustn’t give offerings grudgingly. Proverbs 20:25 says, “It is a trap to make a pledge rashly and only later to consider one’s vow.” Ananias and Sapphira sold their land to give to God, but when they kept back a portion of the proceeds of the land, they both died suddenly. This matter is significant considering it did not occur in the Old Testament era, it occurred in the church of Jerusalem, which is a model of the New Testament church.

We must lay up treasures in heaven as long as we live in this world. Some people fall into temptation after years in the church and abandon decades of godly work. You can reap the fruit of what you have sown for eternity, why not water it and care for it? Our dedication and service in the faith is not in vain. God has already accepted it.

Haggai 2:8 says, “‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Whatever we have been given in this world doesn’t become ours until we offer it to God. Do not be deceived into thinking that you are entitled to what you have and disregard God. What will become of you if God blows it away?

The world persecutes Jesus, but we must listen to His words. Why do you fear the law but ignore Jesus’ command? He did not exhort us in this in order to deceive us, but to make us worthy of glory in heaven. If we truly are Jesus’ disciples, we must learn His words and put them into action. Let us sow blessings in heaven, and let us reap the fruit of those blessings forever!

I look at back at the 60 years of my life of faith. What is clear is that I loved the church and I trusted in the Lord. During all this time, I received constant persecution from the outside world. There probably has been no Korean who has received as much persecution as me. Did I receive persecution because of my foolishness? Or did I receive persecution because I was not intelligent? I generally never participated in the activities of the religious world. I never tried to make my name known to those people. This was because I was concerned that people would be shocked and offended at my name.

At another time, someone who was in a prestigious position made card invitations to call various important people to a certain religious event. But he was so concerned over whether I would attend the event, that he suddenly stopped making the invitation cards. What is more, he even called me several times not to come to that event. But I insisted to go there. When I went there, I saw his face turn deathly pale as soon as he saw me. Such similar incidents have happened to me three times.

I was excluded, disrespected, and alienated. But then, I was reminded of the fact that the Lord endured all these things to the full: He persevered, He held fast and finally He was hung on the cross. So I said to myself, “The sorrow that I am enduring is nothing to me! I am not yet dead! My body is still alive and moving! For years, no, for decades, I shall endure! I will receive glory! I will persevere and hold fast to the end!”

Such a whirlpool of difficulties has come upon me. But there are others, who on the pretext of offering me consolation, come pompously to me. They only come to gain something from me. It was not that I was afraid of them. I only had the good-willed intention of giving them assistance. I made my efforts to help them, and I listened to their requests. Looking back, they were merely those who took advantage of the fact that I was receiving persecution from the outside world. They used it only for their own advantage. Such unfortunate exchanges from people have happened in my life so many times, that it is hard to even mention it.

The path that I have travelled is a swamp land, a jungle, a wasteland where savage beasts dwell. This path is a rugged path where only few people can cross. But I have regarded that walking on this path is the cross that I must bear. What is clearest to me is the fact that I have never departed from the Bible as a workman who mediates the gospel. I have given my devotion until death to take after the Bible.

By the means of the flesh, this might not be regarded as a proud-worthy accomplishment. But according to the spirit, this is not at all the case. I have lived solely for God. I have received persecution solely for Him. If I would fear persecution and so stop to testify, if I would talk like all the other people in the outside world, if I would lead a ministry that manifests no power, and if could conduct a ministry that deals with politics, I could be a famous person, who is not so ostracized by the world.

But instead, I am joyful. To be able to count the few days that I have left makes me all the more joyful. I have blessings ahead of me. I have a reward. I have set this reward as a sign, and I am longingly running towards it. For the past 60 years I walked with the Lord. I am nothing but grateful.

Semuon

[gmedia id = 92]

Outline translated by Sarah Lee
Letter translated by John Kim
Interpretations by Daniel Hong
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee