What Have We Given Away?

I heard of a woman that once bought a painting at a yard sale for $5.00 mostly because she liked the frame and had a painting she wanted to use it for. One day she decided to tackle the project and started removing the canvass to find a painting underneath. In a deep curiosity, she decided to go to the local college and ask the Art Professor what it was, and to her amazement, it was an original Picasso worth approximately 3.5 million dollars. She had made the best investment of her life or anybody's life. What about the poor woman struggling to pay bills and deciding to have a yard sale to get rid of stuff around the house to help make ends meet? She had it all right there that she would ever need to live a comfortable life, she just  didn't know it, so she gave it away.

What have we give away spiritually? What has been the greatest, most sound financially, most powerful militarily, most enlightened spiritually, nation on the earth is now facing bankruptcy, loss of power and darkness. What happened? I've heard some say that we have lost our way, this is not correct, we didn't lose our way, we gave it away. We gave everything pure, good and holy that we could to the dogs of pleasure and self-gratification. Pride and Greed replaced Humility and Charity. Love for children with hatred for new life, honor for marriage to mockery of the marriage covenant. The financial leaders can't seem to get enough, more and more money will never satisfy the deep hole within the soul, only Christ Jesus can do that. Our intellectuals have replaced godly wisdom with foolishness. Our industrial leaders took away jobs and gave them to poor countries so that the ridiculous wages could be exploited. I grew up in a small country store, and sometimes I would have to mind it while my Dad went on a brief trip somewhere, the one thing I can hear Him say now is , "Son, don't give away the store while I'm gone, I'll be back in a few minutes. I knew better than to give anything away while He was gone and I was "in charge". 

I think the Church in America could take a lesson from my Daddy's words, both Daddy's. I know we feel better about ourselves than we ever have in the Church, but what we really need is a big old crying towel and a place to kneal and cry and repent.

Rev 3:14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."