Mission Festival!

There’s a song that talks about something that can only be seen “by the eyes of the blind, in the middle of the night.” You can decide for yourself what that means, if anything. Here is another seeming contradiction: There is a treasure that can only be possessed by the poor—Eternal life with God in heaven.

How do you get this treasure? The only way to get it is through faith in Jesus. He died on the cross to take away the sins of the world, and rose again, so that all who believe in him might have eternal life.

This treasure is only for the poor — that is, those who are poor in spirit. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their sin and their need for a Savior.

Does this mean that rich people can’t go to heaven? Rich people can be poor in spirit, humble in heart, turning to Jesus for forgiveness. These rich people have the real treasure. But riches can be a stumbling block, keeping people from seeing the real riches we have in Jesus.

And being poor is no guarantee of going to heaven either, if a person are poor in money but not poor or humble in heart. However, those who are poor are often looking for something to put their hope in, and when they hear the good news of Jesus, they are glad to finally have some true hope.

That may be part of the reason why the gospel is spreading rapidly in Africa, perhaps more so than here in the United States. We invite you to join us for a mission festival to hear an African missionary give a presentation on his experience in sharing the gospel on that continent. You might even find some treasure for yourself! We would love to share the gospel of Jesus Christ!