1. Philippians 3:7-11 ~ But whatever
were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is
more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all
things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in
him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and
participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, & so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
- Give
up everything for Christ because none of it matters & none of it
compares to what He has to offer, not to mention what He gave up for us!
Stature, position, riches, fame mean nothing! John the Baptist was a
great man but even he said he wasn't worthy to untie the shoelaces of
Jesus. Open your heart to receive the excellence of Christ; then you'll
realize the other things are simply JUNK!
2. Matthew 13:44-50 ~ “The
kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a
field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went
and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven
is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great
value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. “Once
again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the
lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they
sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous & throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- When
you come to the knowledge of truth/the Kingdom of God/the Gospel of
Jesus, you give up all for this hidden treasure because these are the
only things that matter - they are eternal. Because of sin, the treasure
was hidden from us! Within that treasure there is life, healing
prosperity, anointing, power, love, forgiveness, strength. This treasure
is able to deliver & set captives free1 it can catch "fish" we
can't because of its holiness!
