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Seek the Kingdom of Heaven through Contempt of the World

This is the greatest wisdom — to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world.

  • It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish.
  • It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride.
  • It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come.
  • It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life.
  • It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come.
  • It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.

    Often recall the proverb: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing” (Eccl 1:8).

    Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible.
    –Thomas à Kempis

    Seek the things of God and of His character and of His kingdom.

    It is a hard battle to say no to the things that this world says are important. The peer pressure is strong to bend and conform. But God will give us the strength to stand up in Him and for Him. Turn your heart toward the love of God and the invisible things that are important in His kingdom.

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    Sanctification versus Sophistication – which do you have more of?

        Sanctification is the process by which a man becomes normal in the context of the kingdom of God. The more sanctified you are, the more the fruit of the Spirit will grow freely, and the more normal you will seem to other Christians.
        Sophistication, on the other hand, is the process by which a man becomes normal in the context of the world. The more sophisticated you are, the more normal you’ll look to the pagans. You’ll fit right into their world. The fruits of sophistication include lust, faithlessness, selfishness, self-absorption, and the love of money. The fruit of sophistication rots the fruit of the Spirit.
    –Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker

    The fruit of the Spirit is:

  • love
  • joy
  • peace
  • patience
  • kindness
  • goodness
  • faithfulness
  • gentleness
  • self-control

    Be sure that you are growing the right fruit through sanctification.

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    The One Who Brightens Up the Room By His Presence

    When the pious criticized his disciples for their laxity in spiritual disciplines, Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?” Of all the images he could have chosen for himself, Jesus settled on that of the groom whose radiance cheers up the entire wedding party.
    –Philip Yancey

    I hope that in your life, Jesus has come into your life to bring radiance and joy to you.
    And if He has, it is now your task to go out and do the same.
    When you are with others, do you bring radiance and joy to their lives, due to the fact that you have spent time with Jesus and His light, life, and love is overflowing out of you?
    If not, it is time to make a change in who you are. Let Jesus change you. Ask Him to fill you up, so that He can then flow out of you to brighten up all the dark places you enter into.

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    Being Consumed by Burning for Jesus Christ

    Whether he lives, or whether he dies—
    whether he has health, or whether he has sickness—
    whether he is rich, or whether he is poor—
    whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offence—
    whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish—
    whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise—
    whether he gets honor, or whether he gets shame—

    —for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it — he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him.
    –J. C. Ryle

    May we burn for Jesus today in such a way that we are consumed in the burning… fulfilling His very purpose for our lives.

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    Seeking Treasure and Finding the Good above every other good.

        He who finds Jesus finds a rare treasure, indeed, a good above every good, whereas he who loses Him loses more than the whole world. The man who lives without Jesus is the poorest of the poor, whereas no one is so rich as the man who lives in His grace.
        …Choose the opposition of the whole world rather than offend Jesus. Of all those who are dear to you, let Him be your special love. Let all things be loved for the sake of Jesus, but Jesus for His own sake.
    –Thomas à Kempis

    Amen.
    Let all things and all people be loved for the sake of Jesus, but love Jesus for His own sake!
    Yes. May you and I be able to do this today.