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Pastor's Pen                                              January 28, 2012


 


 

This World is not My Home

 

     “This world is not my home. I’m just passing through.” This phrase was put to music, perhaps you’ve sung it. Do you believe it’s true?

     The Bible says that by faith Abraham, “dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country...for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:9-10).  It goes on to say that all the people of faith embraced the promises of God and “confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (vs. 13). Philippians 3:20 says, “For our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Believers who live in the awareness that they are citizens of heaven live with a constant anticipation of Jesus’ return from the place that is our home!

     One of the great problems in the church is that we who claim Christ as our Savior are so tied up in this world we’ve forgotten that we are citizens of another world! And it shows in the way we live. We clamor for those things the world puts value on like riches and fame and yes, even the American dream while we de-value the true riches of God’s kingdom. That’s why the Lord is shaking everything that can be shaken. This shaking is bringing down all that is temporal because the Lord wants His people to turn their eyes to what is eternal...things that truly are “unshakable”! Listen to the beautiful and awesome description of this from Hebrews 12:26-29.

     "At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

     This is why we should embrace the shaking. It is God’s severe mercy taking the scales from our eyes so we can see again—see what is real and what is eternal and what is important.

     When we awaken to our heavenly citizenship we become kingdom focused. We begin to see what Jesus meant when He said to pray, “Father...Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We begin to recognize the façade of this world system and see how empty its promises of happiness are. We gain the discernment to recognize the deceptions and lies of this world system and that we are at war with it and with the devil who rules over it. It is then that we become a threat to the kingdom of darkness. It is then we take on our true identity as Christ followers and begin to live for His purposes.

     I pray that you will become more and more aware of the truth that this world is not your home; that the Holy Spirit will open your spiritual eyes to see the reality of God’s kingdom and the reality that by His grace and in the power of His Holy Spirit we can make a difference in this world for good. One day we will stand before our King and give account of how we lived our lives. I pray you will not stand before Him ashamed on that day because you wasted your life on frivolous things and failed to live your life in this earth realm as one who is seated with Christ in the spirit realm. I pray for the entire church—the body of Christ, that we would together embrace Christ and His kingdom with a fervency and passion that would burn brightly in this dark world as a living testimony that God is real and His kingdom is real.

     It’s getting late. The opportunity to be part of a generation that sees God come in mighty revival power and change everything is before us. Let us embrace it with fervency.
 
     Pastor Dan



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