"Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life." - Matthew 19:28-29.
Peter was asking a fair question here. He and the rest of the apostles had taken everything they owned, all their assets, and had made a huge investment. This was not in the Jerusalem stock market, either. They didn't have a diverse portfolio. They invested everything in the Kingdom of heaven. So logically, Peter asked, "What shall we have?" In other words, what was in it for them? What were they getting out of their investment? Jesus' answer blows me away: they would become CEO's in the Kingdom, receive a hundredfold for their investment, AND inherit eternal life to enjoy the dividends in. Think about that: receive a hundredfold for your investment. That's like saying you invest $1,000 and receive in return $1,000,000. Not bad, huh? If the New York stock market were that secure, this country would be made up of nothing but multi-millionaires and billionaires. Forget poverty; it would be non-existant. Life would be so much easier and enjoyable.
But let's face it: the situation in this country and worldwide is far from this idyllic scenario. Unemployment is racing out of control. People are losing homes, businesses are shutting down, and the government is scrambling to find a solution that may well take a decade to work. So many have lost money that they'd invested in stocks, bonds, IRA's, 401K's and such. It's saddest for those who were getting ready to retire, and now find that their nest egg isn't what they'd hoped it would be by this time in their lives. So much for the "golden years". The truth is, there is no secure investment in the world we live in. We can have much today, and have it all taken away in a nano-second. We work hard, save our money, try to be good stewards of what we have, but it's no guarantee. And of course, once we die, it all gets left behind.
Now let's take a look at Jesus' proposal. Invest in the Kingdom of heaven, and He promises us this: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20). That sounds pretty secure. The treasures we invest in heaven can't be taken away from us. Even the most conservative stocks can't promise that. Then of course there's the hundredfold dividend. Yeah, I like that one alot! And eternal life. Only the One who defeated death can offer that. It's the most sound investment to date.
And it gets better! We can invest in the Kingdom now, knowing what we put in is secure in heaven, but we don't have to wait to get to heaven to start enjoying the interest payments! The more we put into our Kingdom account, the more blessings we receive here on earth. Get others to invest with Jesus Christ, and your own account will grow too. It's a win-win situation!
So, take a look at your spiritual portfolio. Where's your investment? Have you put much into it? It's never too late to invest in God's Kingdom. He will open an account to whomever asks for one. What are the requirements? Well, you have to admit that you're a sinner and recognize you need Jesus in your life. Then, name Him your Heavenly Stock Broker. Give it all to Him: your material possessions (which, by the way, belong to Him anyway), your time, your energy, your heart. His returns are guaranteed forever. Can Wall Street promise you that?
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