#108: Where Is Your Heart?

Have American Christians been going in the wrong direction regarding what we have been storing in our hearts? The heart is the secret place where we store our most valuable possessions and only two individuals know what it contains: God and ourselves. There are times that we attempt to fool ourselves as to its contents, but we can’t deceive God. God knows what’s in everyone’s heart. There is no doubt that there are many things we can store in our hearts, but in essence, it all breaks down to three categories: family and friends, things and pleasures of material value, and God and all that He stands for. Which one is most valuable to you and me? Remember that what we claim may not be the truth. We like to deceive ourselves for various self-centered reasons. Nevertheless, no matter what we desire to make ourselves believe, the truth of the matter is this: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21. Which one will it be: loved ones, worldly pleasures, or Godly values? Some will say, “Can’t I have all three?” Let me answer that question by quoting Luke 16:13:, “No man can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." To put it another way, if a person was forced to choose only one at the expense of the other two, his/her choice would be where his/her heart is. "You cannot serve both God and money.” For those of us who believe in this type of thinking, we are in for a pleasant surprise.

As Christians, not many of us were told that the desire for wealth, worldly pleasures, and love of family and friends could put us in serious trouble with God. Mark 4:19 puts it this way, “. . . but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” The sad fact is that we have been told by you-know-who the exact opposite. Now what are we to do? Should we believe God, or believe what we and the world have been told since day one? In order to unscramble this serious contradiction, we must examine the whole picture.

Let us try to figure out and understand why this principle is an absolute biblical truth. To do that, let me quote the one section of the New Testament most ignored by the clergy, as it applies to our Christian lives: Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure [singular] is, there your heart will also be.” The majority of the clergy have deleted these three verses from the New Testament with their contriving sermons in ever way possible; what they have produced is today’s organized religion per se.

What is highly valued and sought after in America? Answer: “The American dream,” which is to have things of material value and security from unforeseen needs or poverty. That is the exact opposite of what the Bible says. Jesus said in Luke 16:14, “What is highly valued among men is DETESTABLE in God’s sight.” [emphasis added]. Jesus couldn’t have made it any clearer, to the point where it is be impossible to water-down. Well, if the church cannot make it more palatable for the parishioners, they just simply ignore it. This next statement I say in an unequivocal way. There is no room for compromise, let alone abandonment of this verse. Since the evil one knows where men/women are most vulnerable (survival of the fittest), this is where he played his trump card; the Christian church blatantly played into the devil’s hand. And the devastating result is that there is little chance of anyone abandoning the precious holy grail of American Christians. There just is no legal defense or excuse for such a grievous offense toward the Holy Scripture. There isn’t any more to be said, except that we are seeing just one of organized religion’s crimes against God.

Now, on a positive note, let’s see how we can store up treasures—be what they may—in heaven. The most valuable treasure is believing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We cannot do that with only our mouth and mind; we must believe with our whole lives. The next treasure is obedience to all of Jesus Christ's commands in the New Testament. And lastly, we must love God with all our might and love the needy. Those who have those three treasures stored in their heart have wealth beyond description. If one could put the value of that wealth in monetary terms, one could easily be a spiritual multibillionaire. Okay; that sounds great, but how can one be certain they are not deceiving themselves? Easy answer: when the things and pleasures of this world start and continue to lose value; and at the same time, Jesus Christ emerges more and more clearly each day in one’s life—that is the evidence of the certainty of where one’s heart is.

When one claims Jesus Christ as Lord (boss of their life) and things of the material world are still precious, that is clear evidence of false Christianity. We must keep this verse in mind. “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” Was Jesus a radical to expect this much sacrifice from His disciples (Christians)? Some will say, “That was just Christ’s opinion." God’s truth is not an opinion. Am I a radical for bringing up this “the-heart-tells-the-truth” subject in the open, and in such a brutally candid way? Some will say. “That is just your opinion.” I don’t think so.