Exposure to God through studying the life of Jesus, prayer, the other parts of God’s Word, God’s people, and to Jesus’ ministry will feed our spirits and keep us LIVING by the Spirit. We are spiritually alive because we are ingesting the things of God.

When Jesus tells us how to get our wealth and rewards in heaven, it isn’t just information we are getting; we are getting power. When we eat food, it isn’t just the vitamins, minerals, and fibers that we are getting. The vegetation we eat have been storing power from the sun. As we eat these plants, we get the sun power the plants have been storing. That is the same thing that happens when we yield to the Holy Spirit as He takes us through Jesus’ life, ministry, and methods.

As we read and study the Bible, talk to God, meet with other Christians, share our testimony and the message of Jesus, we get spiritual vitamins, minerals, and fibers of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom; AND we receive “Son” power from God. All of this changes our life and ministry.

It empowers us to change how we feel about where we are going get our wealth, acceptance, appreciation, validation, love, and rewards. That keeps us alive in the Holy Spirit; and He gives us the life and ministry of Jesus.

Once we become alive and strong in the Holy Spirit, we are able to start doing what Jesus wants us to do. We become able to stop trying to get wealth, rewards, praise and prestige from people. We start trying to use and invest all our valuables in eternal matters. We start building our Kingdom benefits by using our time, money and efforts as tools for eternity.

Few Christians seem to realize what Jesus is saying about all of this. Many Christians don’t see a problem with losing their rewards for praying, giving, fasting, and various other forms of Christian service. How to go about storing up treasures in heaven is beyond their understanding. They figure: “If we are going to go to a place where there are all kinds of pearls, precious stones, gold streets, and wealth beyond our wildest dreams, why would one be concerned with LAYING UP treasures in heaven?”