This World Is Not My Home

 

The following article was found in Bulletin Digest July 2015 titled, “This World Is Not My Home” written by Michael Gilbert –

It just makes sense that the Lord’s people should discuss their future destination. It also makes sense that we talk about heaven because of the terrible things that happen in our world which remind us that life is short. As a favorite song says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through…my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door…and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” Heaven is truly “delayed gratification.” As Christians, we are constantly tempted by the world to focus on the here and now – “instant gratification”. We live in a society of instant gratification, a society where people want to delay and defer absolutely nothing. They certainly don’t want to defer the gratification of self-indulgence - they just want to defer the pain that goes along with it. Take, for example, the credit card…oh how folks want what they want, when they want it, so they use the plastic to get it! It’s reflective of the attitude that says, “I want what I want, and I want it now.” Folks are not into anything being put off into the future and we are glad to “sacrifice the future on the altar of the immediate.” We don’t want to wait for anything…the pleasure must be instant, immediate. As a result of living in such a society – a society of materialistic indulgence – sometimes we Christians fall prey to that and we no longer have our affections set on things above, as Colossians 3:1-2 tells us. Rather, we set our affections on instant sinful pleasure. It has become difficult for us to focus on a “hard to understand future home in the afterlife.” As a result, sometimes we become less committed to laying up our treasure in heaven (delayed gratification), and more committed to laying up our treasure here (instant gratification). Let’s fight that temptation!

Everything that is precious to us as Christians is in heaven. For example: Our Father (Matthew 6:9) Our Savior (1 Peter 3:20-21) Our Brothers & Sisters in the Faith (Hebrews 12:22-23) Our Names (Luke 10:20) Our Inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4) Our Citizenship (Philippians 3:20) Our Eternal Reward (Matthew 5:10-12) Our Master (Ephesians 6:9) Our Treasure (Matthew 6:19-21). If we expect to go to heaven, we must delay earthly gratification for the heavenly reward.

Back in 2008, country music artist Kenny Chesney painted a picture in the song, “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” of the desire for “instant gratification” that will cause many to miss heaven. Chesney sang:

“Preacher told me last Sunday mornin’/Son, you better start livin’ right/You need to quit the women and whiskey/And carryin’ on all night/Don’t you wanna hear Him call your name/When you’re standin’ at the pearly gates?/I told the preacher, “Yes I do”/But I hope they don’t call today/I ain’t ready/Everybody wanna go to heaven/Have a mansion high above the clouds/Everybody wanna go to heaven/But nobody wanna go now.”

[Romans 1:18-2:16] We are witnessing more and more of the self-gratifying population of the world being duped by the evil one into “going along to get along”. I believe God is turning them over to their own evil desires letting them run amuck, no longer making any sense, as they govern with their pseudo-sciences of life. In the end, God is not going to judge the world on what it has accomplished, but on what He has established from the very beginning. (Genesis 1) God created the heavens and the earth; every living creature; every plant and seed; man and woman; natures law; and it was good.

The Dove and The Hawk

 

It was a Saturday, and he was doing some work in the house. The front door was open, but the glass storm door was closed. Suddenly, he heard something hit the storm door, hard! Had someone thrown a rock at the door? Was it a foul ball from the kid’s playing baseball across the street? As he ran to the door, he saw two objects lying on the porch. The first he recognized as a white-wing dove and appeared to be dead. The other was a magnificent red-wing hawk. Its wings were spread out and its head on the concrete motionless. Thinking for a moment it became clear the probability of what had occurred. The hawk evidently swooped down on the dove and in a panic move the dove flew toward the door, which appeared to be an escape route, resulting in both birds smashing up against the glass door. Somehow, the door glass didn’t even crack. Now, both birds were lying motionless on the porch. Not wanting to interfere with nature, the man watched the birds and in a few moments the hawk lifted its head. It had been knocked senseless. He kept checking on the bird without disturbing it. For over an hour the hawk stood on the porch trying to get its wits back. Finally, it spread its wings and flew off, without its dinner.

Was there anything evil in this act? Of course not. The dove and the hawk were both acting on the instincts that God gave them. But I think one can see a parable of life in this event. Sometimes I feel like the dove, and at other times I feel like the hawk. Like the dove, I can be going about my life, minding my own business, when all of a sudden something sinister enters in. Too many bills at the end of the money, sick children, upset wife, disappointed boss, etc. Any of these things can quickly turn life miserable. Without warning they can swoop down on us, forcing one to make immediate personal decisions. And, like the hawk, it could be I’m about to get something good when and unexpected wall looms up out of nowhere. And what I was counting on doesn’t come to fruition. Great disappointment is the result. Too often, life doesn’t go as we had planned it.

[Proverbs 19:23] When life doesn’t go as we plan one needs to remember these great truths: * God has a purpose for your life. God told Moses – “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). * God wants to provide for you. Concerning the worries of life, to you Jesus said – “…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-34). What things? Everything we need. David testified – “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). * God’s presence is ever lovingly in your life. For He, Himself, has said, as recorded by the Hebrew writer – Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 27:1; 118:6).

I recently found an interesting quote from Robert Byrne. It is this: “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” I would qualify the quote by adding this: “The purpose of life is a life of purpose for God.” The writer of Ecclesiastes sought everything of the world to find the meaning of life. He concluded the purpose of life is to “…Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Find a purpose for your life that agrees with Scripture, and then live that life with passion and purpose. Praise God!

God Will Never Forget You

 

A young Spanish boy in Vigo who became a de­vout Christian was asked by an Englishman what had been the influence under which he acted. “It was all because of the odd sparrow,” the boy replied. “I do not understand,” said the Englishman in surprise. “What odd sparrow?” “Well, Señor, it is this way,” the boy said, “A gentleman gave me a Testament, and I read in one Gospel that two sparrows were sold for a farthing. And again, in Luke, I saw, ‘Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?’ And I said to myself that Nuestro Señor Jesus Christ knew well our custom of selling birds. As you know, sir, we trap birds, and get one chico for two but for two chi­cos we throw in an extra sparrow. That extra sparrow is only a makeweight, and of no account at all. “Now, I think to myself that I am so insignifi­cant, so poor, and so small that no one would think of counting me. I’m like the fifth sparrow. And yet, oh marvelous, Nuestro Señor says, ‘Not one of them is forgotten before God.’ I have never heard anything like it, sir. No one but He could ever have thought of not forgetting me.” Everybody matters to God. He will never forget you.

[1 Peter 5:8] There are weeds dying at my house (in fact, many are already dead). I know because I had a big part in killing them. As I was in the process of spraying them with a certain herbicide, an interesting analogy came to mind - I was actually playing Satan. Notice these salient points: Someone once noted that a weed is simply a plant that is out of place. That leads me into my first point. I only picked the plants that were out of place. The ones that were where they were supposed to be, I left alone. Satan is the same way. He notices those who have veered off the "straight and narrow" and picks on them (sometimes he even lures them off of the path that leads to righteousness (James 1:14). Another thing to mention concerning the weeds and myself is that I deceived them. I sprayed them with mostly water. They thirstily drank it in and, if they could have spoken to me, probably would have thanked me for the refreshing liquid. But my intent was not to refresh them but to destroy them. Satan does no less. He wraps up sin in a pretty package. But he is a liar; a deceiver (John 8:42-47). The reason that I watered those weeds was to destroy them. You see, there was poison in the water (the herbicide). My whole purpose in spraying the weeds was to contaminate and kill them. Unbeknownst to the plants, as they drank in the water, they also ingested the poison. Satan works much in the same fashion. As we take in the pleasures of sin, Satan is secretly poisoning our lives (Romans 7:11; Ephesians 4:22). Something else to note is (because of the type of chemical I was using) it took the plants a while to die. For a few days, they went about their normal lives, but then all of a sudden, they started dying, and by then it was too late. That is Satan’s greatest hope for us - that we continue in sin oblivious to the consequences. Then all of the sudden, by the time we realize how great of sin we are in, it may be too late (1 Timothy 4:1-2; Hebrews 3:13). Finally, I would like to make the point that most of these weeds were good plants. A lot of it was grass that would have looked beautiful in my yard. Their mistake was that they put themselves in a vulnerable position by growing where I didn’t want them. They were not being useful where they were, so I got rid of them. Satan can't wait for us to get a little out of line so that he can poison us. Why would we ever desire to place ourselves in such peril? (1 Timothy 6:11; James 4:7). So, look out for Satan, he is trying to “round up” as many as he can so that he can destroy them. Don't be a weed, be a productive plant for God (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; 15:13; John 15:1-6; Galatians 5:22-26). God is with you. He will never, ever, forget you (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God's Word Is Truth

 

Cultural critic Michael Medved said that by the time a child graduates from high school one has spent “vastly more time on TV than in all the classrooms [he’s] ever entered.” He goes on to make the point that we should care more about our kids being good, than just if they are looking good. He said that television hinders this, and it’s a huge problem with America’s children because it teaches “that the biggest crime in not being immoral but being unattractive.” The ‘times’ have changed. Culture has changed Technology has advanced. Today’s children are not only addicted to TV but now the internet, electronic games, texting, email, social media, and more. They have easy access to such things through devices like internet ready game systems, iPods, tablets, and smart phones. An increasing number of the very young are carrying smart phones. Hard to believe why they would even have a need for one. Millennials find it hard to imagine that the world once operated without the devices they possess today. While I certainly am not anti-television, technology, and the like, I am however concerned about who and what is rearing our children. When a young person can tell me more about the latest fashion trend, the newest gadget on the market, and who’s sexually active with whom on their favorite sitcom but can tell me very little about the Word of God, much less tell what Jesus has done for them and how they intend to live for Him, then – “Houston; We have a problem!”

A young boy was called as a witness for the defense in an important trial. The prosecutor asked a great many questions in his cross-examination and finished with one he was sure would destroy the boy’s credibility. “Your father has been telling you how to testify, hasn’t he?” The youngster answered without hesitation, “Yes, sir.” Casting a smug and knowing glance at the jury, the lawyer then asked, “And just what did your father tell you to say?” “Well,” the boy began, “My dad told me that you would try to confuse me with a lot of questions, but if I would be very careful to always tell the truth, you’d never be able to mix me up.” Truth is always timely, relevant, and appropriate.

[John 17:17] Fifty years ago, who would have ever thought that there would be such a change in our country and the world as we see today? “…How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38). Truth will never go out of style among honest people. God’s Word is truth, and it is by means of this truth that God saves one’s soul. Nothing else will serve that purpose. Wherever and whenever the truth is planted in honest hearts, the end result will be salvation. Wherever and whenever something other that the truth is planted in hearts, there may be many impressive results, but salvation will not be among them. How sad it would have been if that youngster had attempted to tangle with that lawyer on his own terms. What a powerful force he wielded by simply sticking to the truth. How sad it would be if God’s people tried to tangle with the devil on his own terms, but what a powerful force is brought to bear when they simply stick to the truth. No matter how well educated we are or how much we value our own or someone else’s opinion, God’s law and wisdom is greater and our only hope of reaching heaven. “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). We need to read and study God’s Word daily so we can know how to stand for the truth. Let’s not get caught up in the trap of thinking that if “good” people do good things through good living, God will accept it as one’s salvation. Devotion to God’s Word and baptism guarantees life eternal with God (Revelation 22:14-15).

Godly Supported Loyalty

 

A young executive was on the fast track to success. The corporate boss liked his drive and tenacity. To show his approval of the up-and-coming young man, the president ceremoniously gave him a lapel pin with the company's logo. Several weeks later they passed in the hallway and the pin was not on the young man's suit. The senior executive was troubled and asked, "Did you lose your pin?" The young, aspiring executive looked at his lapel and said, "Uh-oh, I must have left it on my pajamas." Loyalty is generally considered a noble virtue for a person to possess. The response of the young executive indicated that he was loyal to the company - even to an extreme extent. A strong loyalty to any person or organization is not intrinsically wrong, though such can be dangerous. How so? Well, what if the person or group you are loyal to begins to promote or engage in immorality? What if they ask you to do something wrong for them or with them? What then? One's loyalty may be cause for temptation in such cases. Abraham Lincoln is attributed with the following words of wisdom: "I must stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong." President Lincoln believed that there is a limit to human loyalty.

As we celebrate our nation’s birthday this July 4^th the very thought of a total collapse of the Republic, that so many have fought for to maintain over the past 246 years, could actually become a reality, caused by disloyalty to its basic Constitution, which was ratified 234 years ago, absolutely sickens my heart. Our elected representatives are no longer trustworthy to listen to the majority of their constituents as to how they wish to live in freedom throughout this land which they cherish and love. Power has produced deaf/mute members of Congress and blind wondering Executives all of whom are being guided only by the smell of money. I don’t know for how much longer the law-abiding American citizens are going to put up with this lawless regime of illegal totalitarianism, (taxation without representation – just like under King George 246 years ago), but I do know that the future of this sovereign nation and the freedoms granted its citizens will hinge on our free elections this November. Pray for Devine intervention to stop this trail of destruction.

[Galatians 1:10] The apostle Paul wrote: For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. The founders of this great country, even though all were not devout religious men, were all believers in the God of the Bible and set out to please Him, not men, when forming a government by the people, for the people. The failure of our form of government this day is directly contributed to the fact that the Devine Ruler of the universe has been asked, dare I say been demanded, to leave Washington, D.C. for He is no longer needed. “We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic, not to find soil for their ploughs, but to secure liberty for their souls” – Robert McCracken. When asked about Independence Day, Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, and the spirit of men, and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” Abraham Lincoln stated: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” You are being made to feel as though the righteous are in the minority by less than twenty percent of the population. Do you want to “follow the leader” for comfort or live under a righteous government? The fear of God needs to be in the heart of government – god-fearing citizens need to fully support it. Freedom must ring loudly!