Monument or Inheritance?

 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.   2 Samuel 18:18 

Now ...
It is important for each of us to take time to consider 2 things NOW. Each unit of time, whether a moment, an hour, a morning, an afternoon an evening, a night or a season in your life represents a piece of your life which when past can never be retrieved. It may also be the last unit of your time on earth! Therefore you need to wisely and carefully live this precious NOW!!

In his lifetime...
The direction you set for your life and what you do in this lifetime will not only determine your eternal destiny but also the remembrance that you will leave of yourself on this earth.

had taken and set up a pillar for himself...
If you are busy setting up a pillar for yourself, it will not benefit you nor anyone else in this life or in eternity.


which is in the King's Valley...
Even if you are a King's Kid, your life will be one of defeat.

For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance."...
If you have not imparted of yourself to anyone, your life has been unprofitable.

He called the pillar after his own name...
Your name will disappear as a vapour.

And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument...
You will only be remembered for your self-centred life!

What is the Pillar you are setting up in your lifetime?
              A          OR                     B                                       
P - Prayer                                                  R - Restlessness                        

I - Intimacy with GOD                                     A - Ambition that is selfish                            
  L - Learning  Of GOD and from GOD                 L - Lust of the eyes                                
    L - Leading others to the LORD JESUS                 L - Lust of the flesh                          
     A - Altar of sacrificial living                                 I - Self-centred I,                         
       R - resting in GOD                                       P - Pride of life                             

                 A pillar that will leave for you a Godly name or a name for yourself?

Pillar A will impact many lives and impart into many, the knowledge of GOD.

Pillar A will exalt the Name of JESUS. 

You will be bearing fruit that will last and will have many spiritual descendants!

And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'   Exodus 3:14-15  

 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.  Proverbs 18:10 

  

Eyes, Sight and Light!

Those of us who are blessed with eyes that see need to check the condition of our eyes.
It is the eyes through which light enters the mind.
It is the mind that directs the path and pattern of one's life.
The mind feeds the heart and sets the attitude of the heart.
Therefore the light in a person and the light on the path of his/her life are directly linked to the condition of his/her eyes!
 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!  Matthew 6:22-23  

Like the two sides of a coin are Blessing and Responsibility.

If the blessing is seeing eyes, the responsibility is to decide on why and how we will look at what we will choose to be looking at!!

1)   Looking at myself 

If I allow my mind to get preoccupied about my outward appearance, looking at others will produce in me either self conceit (if I think I am better than they!), or envy (if I think they are better than I)!! That can affect the attitude of my heart causing me to sin. It also sets a snare for me to lust for worldly things while pursuing outward beauty.
 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  Galatians 5:24-26  

 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17


It is therefore more profitable for me to spend time every morning looking into the word of GOD than in the mirror! GOD'S word will reveal GOD'S love and plan for me, making me clean and beautiful from deep within, setting me free!

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.  James 1:21-25  

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

2)   Looking at others

I should not get carried away by the good appearance of people nor despise anyone because of their poor appearance.

 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7  

3)   Looking at the things of the world

I need to discipline myself and train my eyes to turn away from lust and to look in the right direction.

 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.  Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.  Psalm 119:36-37 

 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  1 John 2:15-17

 4)   Seeking GOD by Looking at things that point to Him

Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!  Psalm 105:4 

When I see the beauty of nature, do I acknowledge GOD?

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.  Psalm 19:1  

 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,   Romans 1:20 

 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?   Matthew 6:26-30  

Do I seek the LORD by looking into His word?

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.  James 1:25 

Do I seek GOD with a pure heart?

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8  

 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2  

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.  2 Corinthians 3:14-18

 ^{If I seek GOD diligently,  I will see Him someday!}

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!  Job 19:25-27 

 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.  Isaiah 33:17