Treasures in a Hope Chest

For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21

I love finding a bargain. I was shopping for slacks and ran up on tea towels, CHEAP, for my girls to embroidery. That’s not a skill they know, so this was the perfect item for our next meeting. The towels were the cutest little cupcake design with a few simple stitches and one a little more complicated, a French knot. This would be a life skill and a treasure they could keep for years to come. The towels would be a perfect item for their Hope Chests, if they know what a Hope Chest is! Ha! 

Learning to embroidery takes a little patience and a little practice. You stick your tongue out and concentrate and stick your finger. You make mistakes and have to go back and fix them. But in the end you have a pretty good piece if you took a little pride in your work. Being a Christian is a lot like that. It takes time to study and pray and learn from others. We make mistakes and have to ask forgiveness. But in due time we begin to see fruit from our labor. We begin to see people saved and living their lives for God.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us not to worry about storing up treasures on earth that won’t last and that thieves steal. Jesus wants us to lay up treasures in heaven that will last eternally. Treasure no one can take away. It is so good to know our family and friends will be with us in heaven forever because we took a little time and patience to show them Jesus through our lives as well as the things we said. Embroidery makes a little picture that will last a little while. Our lives make pictures that last forever. Laying up treasure in heaven through our witness is like a little Hope Chest of souls that we will one day get to open and enjoy with Jesus.   

S.O.A.P.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:16,17

Have you ever watched someone make soap or listened as the old folks told about soap making?

“You take the ashes from the hearth and run water through them. That makes the lye. Then you take the fat from the hog that you kill and render the lard. Mix the lard and lye water together and stir til she’s thick. Pour it up in the wood molds and let it cure.”

 That would be the explanation most of our foremothers would give.

Soap making is a relatively new invention given to us from the Romans, but God has been using soap on us since the first animal sacrifices. Alters had to have ashes removed. The ashes already contained the animal fat. The one who cleaned the ashes already had the components of soap. All he needed to do was wash. The blood sacrifices were a picture of Jesus sacrifice for us. We are in need of spiritual cleansing from our sins. All we need is to do is ask Jesus to forgive us and cleanse us, to make our hearts brand new.

Just like we need a regular bath, we also need to make sure we keep our hearts clean. I John says 1:9,10 says: If we say that we have no sin. We deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A friend introduced me to a Bible study method called S.O.A.P. It’s an acrostic for

Scripture

Observation

Application

Prayer

Read a chapter and write down the verse that seems to jump out.

Write down what you observe about the passage

Write how it applies to you.

Pray and ask God to help you apply this truth to your life.

Thought the video might be helpful.

click here

Courageous



Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: I Peter 5:8

Have you ever been to a reenactment? The first weekend in October at Walnut Grove Plantation there is a reenactment of a battle in which Bloody Bill Cunningham was killed. He had massacred many patriots just weeks before. No one seemed to know he was near Walnut Grove. The children were playing in the yard when the alarm sounded that the British were coming. People ran to get the children to safety. British stormed the house where a patriot was being treated. Militia filled the yard along with British soldiers and a battle ensued.

What if no one warned the children? What would the enemy have done to them? The enemy walks about even now seeking whom he may devour. Our enemy is not the British, but Satan himself. He will devour our children, our homes and our country if we are not vigilant in watching and training children to watch as well. They innocently play while Satan uses every means available to reach into their hearts and minds to destroy. Do we have trouble finding something to watch? Is shopping for clothes easy? Do we have to be mindful of the radio stations?

The patriots didn’t just rush in and shoo the children to safety. They stood their ground and fought against the invaders. They didn’t just rush in untrained. There were sessions to drill the men in resisting the enemy. The children and wives were at the training drills as well. It was almost a social day. Everyone watched. Little ones played at militia games. Have we trained ourselves in God’s Word to stand against the Devil? Are we training our little ones? Do we rush our little ones to safety and stand our ground in defense of our families and our country? As one of the men in the film “Courageous” says, “Where are we men of courage?” And might I add, “Where are we women of courage?”  

How can we be more effective in standing our ground in defense of our families? Leave us a message with your ideas.   

Blessings!!