Saturday, January 26, 2013

There Once Were Two Christians...a Modern Parable

There once were two Christians sitting & reminiscing about their recent mission trip helping orphans in a distant land. One Christian said to the other "Doesn't it feel good to know because of all we've done that when we die we will surely meet with Jesus and get into Heaven?" The other Christian responded with a smile "Thanks to those orphans, I already have".

What if Heaven were here? What if we are so concerned about being a "good Christian" that we miss out on moments with God? What if Heaven could be on Earth in those moments when we are Present in His Presence? Think about it.

Thank you http://wideopenground.com/2013/01/26/missions-from-an-unfundamentalist-christian/
for the inspiration. And Thank you Jesus for revealing your Truth again and again. :)

2 comments:

  1. Oh my. there is so much wrong with this picture I hardly know where to start. First of all, we don't get into heaven because of ANYTHING we do or do not do. Grace alone makes us worthy of eternal life. We can't earn it by sweat equity. Acts of love and service must flow from a heart bursting with love for God, not a desire to earn His notice or favor. To your question, Jesus said in no uncertain terms that "the kingdom of heaven is now". Eternity is both a present reality and a future promise. It is both. It is not either/or. We live it here and now. We will live it there and then after our physical bodies have decayed. Eternity ecompasses all of time including that which we are currently in. Why is this so hard for the church to get across to people? Why is this so hard for people to understand? The brilliant Brain McLaren critisizes The Church for largely missing the Gospel message by reducing it down to what he calls "an evacuation plan out of this life and into the next." If this is all we care about, if we only "do things" for Jesus because we want to avoid hell and make it into heaven I really think we run the risk of being one of those goats who will have said "Lord, Lord" all of their lives and to whom Jesus will reply "I do not know you". What is in our hearts when we give (motivation) matters to God.

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    1. Well stated to be sure! So many of us Christians do the "right thing" be it by volunteering to teach Sunday school, tithing, to even helping in the soup kitchen and are MISSING OUT on the blessings from God...time to be in His Presence of Love. Ohhh! God loves a cheerful giver! I get this now on a level like never before. Heaven IS here as God is here...but we miss out on Him when we settle for the Earthy "rewards" of peer recognition, bragging rights or for "Heaven insurance"! If we listen to His Voice, His call, and answer in love, I believe we too can experience God here on Earth just as the 2nd missionary did in my Parable.

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