Find out here how to obtain the RICHES that will last for ever!
And how the RICHES of this life can forsake you forever!
We live in a material world, which is surrounded by an invisible spiritual world.
And being RICH with money, means we can almost have anything this world has to offer, which very easily blinds us from the spiritual things of GOD.
Hebrews 4:12 Berean Literal Bible
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even as far as the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrows, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Lets first look at the meaning of the Greek word riches:
Strong's Concordance
ploutos: wealth
Original Word: πλοῦτος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: ploutos
Phonetic Spelling: (ploo'-tos)
Definition: wealth
Usage: riches, wealth, abundance, materially or spiritually.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 4149 ploútos (from 4183 /polýs, "much in number, quantity") – properly, abundance, possessions of many kinds; riches.
So being RICH means a wealth of abundance in money and material things, or on the other hand we can be RICH in the spiritual things like knowing and understanding the Word of GOD, which is what true Christians should seek for, and often possess, which most of the human race do not know or have.
Jeremiah 23:29 World English Bible
Isn't my word like fire? says Yahweh; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
In fact, Jesus gives us the answer to the dangers of being RICH, as told in the parable of Luke 8:14
Berean Literal Bible
And that having fallen into the thorns, these are those having heard, and moving along are choked under the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and do not mature.
The Greek word for choked, is: συμπνίγονται, and means: I choke utterly, as weeds do plants; I crowd upon.
HELPS Word-studies
4846 sympnígō (from 4862 /sýn, "identified with" and 4155 /pnígō, "choke") – properly, choke (cut off) – literally, "choked because joined with."
So we read how there are a certain group of people who: are choked under the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and do not mature.
And we know how RICH People can almost have anything this world has to offer, like great Assets, Mansions, Luxurious Cars, Yacht's, and so on, and therefore do not mature, because as they have almost everything, they mostly believe they do not need anything else, because they believe they already have it all, therefore have no need to seek and know the Heavenly Father of Creation who has given them life in the beginning, and where all good things come from in the beginning.
This all reminds me about the Parable of Jesus of the RICH MAN and the POOR beggar Lazarus, as told in Luke 16:19:
Berean Literal Bible
And there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, making good cheer in splendor every day.
Well, cut a long story short, Jesus was teaching us here about a selfish RICH MAN, and to warn the godless RICH about their need for repentance in this life, and in the end of the Parable we read how this RICH man lost His soul forever, and how that POOR Beggar was saved with eternal life.
However, there is much in common, in that the RICH today are mostly CHOKED by the riches and pleasures of this life, and therefore give no thought of our creator and heavenly Father and what Jesus did for us on the CROSS to save us, and therefore end up forsaking their own Soul in the end, as we read in Matthew 16:26
Berean Literal Bible
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?
There can be nothing worse than to lose your SOUL/LIFE for ever into annihilation, when instead our Heavenly Father offers us eternal life to come in a perfect renewed world.
John 3:16
Berean Literal Bible
For God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten Son, so that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life.
What was the point of living in riches and pleasures in this short life, to only end up DYING by forsaking your own soul/life and eternal life forever in the end, all because we would rather have riches and pleasures now, knowing they don't last forever, and knowing we cant take riches and pleasures with us at death, yet we still rather not even think of the person who gave us life in the beginning?
John 12:48 Berean Literal Bible
The one rejecting Me and not receiving My words has one judging him: The word which I spoke, that will judge him in the last day.
But also notice what we read in the second part of Jesus verse saying: Or what will a man give as an exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26.
The simple truth is, ALL the Money in the world could never pay for a perfect eternal life in a perfect world to come, with a perfect Loving caring Father and Brother.
And Jesus has paid that price for our sins on the Cross, and that's why our Heavenly Father has given us His Son Jesus, to pay the price for our sin, the sin we should pay for ourselves.
Now I hope you understand why we all need Jesus, because by Jesus life, death and resurrection, GOD does exchange and reverse the penalty of death, and sin, because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus, that is when we believe in Him and take up our cross and deny ourselves.
Living in a perfect world to come where GOD has made us all perfect, because we put our trust in Him seems impossible and too good to be true, and maybe that's one of the reasons why most refuse to believe in the truth.
However if we look at our complex bodies within ourselves, and around us, we see the impossible, that nothing can come from nothing as Evolutionist say and believe.
We can't see GOD Himself, as He is invisible, but we can see GOD everywhere in His Creation which reveals the wonders of GOD's hands in the universe and in His amazing complex world, and there we not only see how Almighty GOD can do the impossible, but we see the hands of GOD Himself in His creation.
Jeremiah 32:27
World English Bible
Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
All a RICH person needs to do is turn and believe and put their life and trust in GOD and Christ before all things and they will be saved.
But a POOR Man has more chance of Entering the Kingdom of GOD, as he is not so blinded as the RICH are.
I believe from what I have learned and read throughout the Bible, is that GOD does not desire anyone to perish, or desire His children to be RICH in money, because being RICH can ruin us and separate us from GOD, and therefore not receiving His real TREASURES to come, which our Heavenly Father so desires to share with those who will believe and trust in Him and His Christ.
Just as our human Father often desires the best for his children.
Just as King David was RICH with everything, and because he had everything, he knew he could have any woman, and therefor lusted over a married woman and went of the rails by committing a terrible sin of murder and adultery, and then He spent the rest of his life regretting it.
But thank GOD for His kind forgiveness and Mercy, because of King David's faith which in the end saved him from GOD's wrath.
King David expressed his mental torment and pleaded for forgiveness, praying: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Just as King Solomon was also so blessed by GOD, who was also very RICH, and could have anything he desired, which ruined him and separated him from GOD in the end, as he acquired so many foreign wives that led Solomon into idolatry.
With all that in mind leads me to understanding why Jesus said in Mark 10:25
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
So as we read, how difficult it becomes when one is RICH in Money and material things, which is why Jesus said: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
While on the other hand when we believe and follow Christ, GOD now instead blesses us with all our needs in this life, as confirmed in Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
Most of the human population do NOT understand how every good thing comes from GOD above, and that GOD is everything, and everything is GOD, and if we have GOD through Jesus we have everything, and without GOD and Jesus we will go back to having nothing and being nothing again.
John 14:6
Berean Literal Bible
Jesus says to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, if not by Me.
Even if we are poor in this life, if we know and follow The One True GOD through His One True Christ we are Spiritually RICH forever.
And even the very POOR, do not need to be hungry, or clothless in this life, but who instead can be fruitful and blessed by GOD, that is if they would only leave their sinful life, believe, repent and follow The ONE TRUE GOD through His ONE TRUE Christ, and ask, and they would receive said Jesus in Matthew 7:6
Ask, Seek, Knock
(Luke 11:5-13)
7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened unto you. 8 For everyone asking receives; and the one seeking finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened.
9 Or which man is among you who, if his son will ask for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or also, if he will ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to those asking Him!
When we know and follow The One True GOD and His ONE true Christ, unless it is GOD's will, He will not make us RICH in Money, because GOD does not desire the things of this world to blind us and ruin us, and therefore separating us from Him and His LOVE, but instead He continues to reveal His amazing love by providing all our needs freely in this life, when we SEEK, Believe, Find, Pray and follow the TRUE Christ.
Just as Jesus tells us below in Matthew 6:
Do Not Worry
(Luke 12:22-34)
25 Because of this I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you should eat or what you should drink; nor your body, what you should put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow nor do they reap, nor do they gather into barns, and your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 And who of you by worrying is able to add one cubit to his stature?
28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider carefully how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor nor do they spin. 29 Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30 But if God thus clothes the grass of the field, existing today and tomorrow being thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ Or ‘What shall we drink?’ Or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things. For your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient to the day is its own trouble.
No matter whether we are POOR or RICH, we all know we came into this amazing world with nothing, and we leave this amazing world with nothing, so being RICH means nothing, unless we know The One True GOD who is everything, who makes us SPIRITUALLY RICH, by offering us everything to come in a perfect world to come with the only perfect MAN and brother Jesus, the coming King and Prince of peace.
Most of the human race refuse to believe and understand how The WORD of GOD is truly full of more RICHES, or any Material things, that we could possibly imagine.
John 6:63
Berean Literal Bible
It is the Spirit giving life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life.
If you don't already, then try reading the WORD of GOD, as it is like looking into a real life crystal ball, just as true Christian's understand what the RICH and unbelievers do not understand, and understand the best is yet to come and why this present world is dying.
If the RICH would only understand that when we read The WORD of GOD, we are digging for real HIDDEN TREASURES or like seeking out a great Pearl.
Matthew 13:44 Berean Literal Bible
The kingdom of the heavens is like treasure having been hidden in the field, which a man having found, hid. And for joy over it, he goes and he sells all that he has, and buys that field.
And when we understand the WORD of GOD, we jump with joy as we have unlocked and discovered a HIDDEN TREASURE.
And when we obey the word of GOD, and be a Sayer and a Doer, we become GODS children who will receive the RICHES and TREASURES of Heaven that will last forever.
And this is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 6:19 Treasures in Heaven
(Luke 12:32–34)
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 16:27
Berean Literal Bible
For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory His Father, with His angels, and then He will give to each according to his deeds.
My Conclusion.
In this world the WORD of GOD reveals how the RICH are mostly the Spiritually POOR:
1 John 2:15
Berean Literal Bible
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone should love the world, the love of the Father is not in him,
We should not love the things of this world, but instead love GOD for sharing with us His wonders of this world.
Just as we should not love the creation, but instead love the creator.
We read how the POOR are not so choked under by the riches and pleasures of life, therefore having less Difficulty in Seeking out the Kingdom of GOD so they may develop and mature into GODS children.
And yet all one needs to do whether RICH or POOR is READ the WORD of GOD, believe, repent, and put them first by following Christ to be saved.
Yet the RICH, BLIND themselves with their own TREASURES that they own, and which owns them, therefore loving and making the material things of this world into there own God, which makes the RICH forsake the heavenly Father who gave us life and offers us eternal life through Christ Jesus, and therefore not receiving the TREASURES that are kept forever.
As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24
Berean Literal Bible
No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and he will love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and mammon.
The WORD of GOD portrays how the RICH are mostly Spiritually POOR because the TREASURES of this life have CHOKED them and is blinding them from the heavenly TREASURES of GOD.
And that explains why most of the RICH have severe difficulty entering the Kingdom of GOD to be saved because their own riches and pleasures of life stop them from seeking and finding the real TREASURE.
Mark 10:25
Berean Literal Bible
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
When we know The ONE TRUE GOD and follow Him through His One True Christ, GOD does NOT exclude us from the troubles in this life, in fact Jesus said in this life we will have all sorts of troubles, even Christian persecutions, remembering many of GODS prophets and Disciples were persecuted for their faith, who are now sealed with eternal life for their loyalty to our Heavenly Father.
But the difference is for a true believer, is that our Heavenly Father and brother Christ Jesus is with us, by helping us to overcome our trials and tribulations, which GOD uses to test our faith, and strengthen our foundations, until it is time for GOD to let us die and sleep until Jesus returns, to wake us up to receive the everlasting TREASURE of being with our heavenly Father and loving brother.
If we only believe and ask, The heavenly Father will bless us in more ways then we could possibly imagine.
We do not need to be RICH in Money and material things, because Our Heavenly Father can and does bless us more than Money can ever do.
The One True GOD can restore our bodies from diseases into healing's, and a struggling marriage into Loyalty, joy and strength.
Our Heavenly Father blesses us with wisdom and knowledge, and our hands with many different abilities, like creating and building, while also working on our hearts teaching us love, kindness, gentleness and patience, who also does not forgot our crops or trees but causes His vegetables and fruits to grow in abundance, ready to eat and enjoy.
There is nothing GOD cannot do and does not do when we love Him, GOD even cares and blesses our homes and soaring bills which always go up.
When GOD and Christ are in you and with you the difficult struggles of life become easy and no longer burdensome.
When we have our Brother Jesus, we are always RICH, because Jesus is always acting for us as our mediator between MAN and our Heavenly Father by helping us overcome the struggles of life, ready for the next life where GOD is making us into His perfect children and warriors, going forward to living in a perfect world forever, where God is with men,
and He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His peoples,
and God Himself will be with them as their God.
4 And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more nor mourning nor crying nor pain; they will be no more, because the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3:
Knowing and trusting in The One True GOD is everything, just as for those who do not believe will one day discover when they are weeping and gnashing their teeth said Jesus Matthew 13:42.
When we come to know our Heavenly Father we discover the true everlasting Treasure of our Heavenly Fathers Beautiful Heart which is full of love and compassion for His children.
We come to know our Heavenly Father's Beautiful Heart by reading and unlocking the secrets in The Parables of Jesus, and there we see how Our Heavenly Father has sympathy and passion far and beyond for the POOR. inferior and needy.
I believe this is one of the reasons why Jesus teaches us to love and help the POOR, helping to fill the gap between the RICH and the POOR until Jesus returns when there will never again be poverty, suffering or pain, dying or killing Revelation 21:4.
The Parables of Jesus, brought me to my hands and knees loving and thanking Jesus for teaching us about the hidden secrets of our ONE TRUE GOD and our creator.
If you desire the true Treasure that wont be here today and gone tomorrow, then you must be like the man in The Parables of Jesus, Matthew 13:44 who went out looking for a hidden Treasure, and after discovering the hidden Treasure
which was the GREAT value of GOD and Christ in their new Kingdom to come, he buried the Treasure and
went back to sell everything he had to purchase the whole field where he had discovered the Treasure.
In other words the man went out looking for something he believed to be very precious and above all things - The One True GOD and The One True Christ, and after finding the truth, he was so full of joy that he gave up everything to follow GOD and Christ receiving the everlasting Treasure.
Unbelievers are laughing now, as they were in The days of Noah, but will be sorry and weeping when the time is too late, for just as the Door of Noah was closed because there were only Noah and His family who believed and went in the Ark, and the animals who also believed and went in, so will it be again,
just as the true believers will go into eternal life, which is symbolic for Jesus who is the gate and the door and the life that closes when He returns.
How amazing is our One True GOD, in that He will come down on His Earth He created to live with us!
I find it truly sad how most of the RICH worship their money, riches and possessions of many kinds, when they can be here today and gone tomorrow.
1 Timothy 6
A Charge to the Rich
17 Instruct the rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to have hope in the uncertainty of riches, but on God, the One richly providing us all things for enjoyment; 18 to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous in distributing, ready to share, 19 treasuring up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is indeed life.
Absolutely nothing including riches or Possessions on Earth should come before our Heavenly Father and our Brother Jesus.
But if you are RICH then make good out of what GOD has blessed you with by helping the POOR and the needy and make GOD smile.
We do not need to be RICH if we put our faith in the One True GOD and follow His One True Christ, they will provide all our needs, and we can be confident we have discovered the everlasting Treasures!
Because GOD blesses the ones who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33.
What an amazing GOD and Father we have, in that he love's good deed's and hates wickedness, He cares so much that He blesses the poor in spirit, the mourning, and the meek and He loves us for being a good Samaritan, by helping the POOR, and loving our neighbour.
Our Heavenly Father even thinks of our loving loyal pets He created to be wonderful friends by blessing them with long lives and protection.
We should not love the riches and pleasures of this life that can be here to day and gone tomorrow, but instead love Our Heavenly Father who is here loving and blessing us through our perfect Brother Jesus for ever!
I would now like to close this article by leaving you with (The Beatitudes) the blessings listed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–11).
There we see the love and blessings of our Heavenly Father!
The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 6:20-23)
3 “Blessed are the poor in the spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
4 Blessed are those mourning,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those having been persecuted on account of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
11 Blessed are you when they shall insult you and shall persecute you, and lying shall say all kinds of evil against you on account of Me. 12 Rejoice and exult, because great is your reward in the heavens; for thus they persecuted the prophets before you.
Do you know the everlasting Treasure?
Join me again in my next article Lazarus and the Rich Man.
I am Simon Brown.
