Body
A bank in Binghamton, New York sent some flowers to a competitor who recently moved into a new building. But there was a mix up at the flower shop, and the cards sent with the arrangement read, “With our deepest sympathy.” The florest, very embarrassed, apologized. But it was worse. Because the other card, the one that was supposed to go to the bank, was attached to an arrangement sent to a funeral home in honor of someone who had died. That card said, “Congratulations on your new location.” When you consider how short, by comparison, the time that we are going to live here next to forever (eternity), what really is amazing is that we don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it and talking about it. Why don’t we spend more time thinking and talking about eternity and heaven? One reason that is suggested is that we are afraid. We don’t like to talk about life insurance or to spend much time talking about dying. We all tend to avoid the subject. We don’t spend a lot of time talking about Heaven because it means-dying. Most people would rather avoid such a scary subject. Also the subject of Heaven, for some, brings to mind images of boredom. We have allowed false concepts about heaven to shape the way we picture it, and we don’t want to spend a lot of time on something we feel is going to let us down. There are so many misconceptions about Heaven that we would just rather pass the idea by. For example, where does it say we are going to have wings? Where does it say that we are going to be angels? Where does it say we are going to sit around on clouds? Where , and most importantly, does it say that HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE BORING? Having a proper knowledge of Heaven can change the way we live our entire lives. Paul wrote, “For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Cor. 5:4,5). As long as we are here, as long as we are in this body, we still haven't made it to our purpose. We can live out God’s purpose for us in this temporary arrangement, but until I get past this, we haven't made it to the purpose of which God made us. We need to get Heaven on our minds. We need to get our head in the clouds. Paul said, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col. 3:1,2). In other words, get your HEAD IN THE CLOUDS! When Jesus was troubled by what He was about to face, where did he point for comfort? Heaven. John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.” If Jesus uses Heaven as a way to comfort and help 50-195 (Rev.1-24/24) [41.41,41.70] His followers in the face of hard times, then I am pretty sure that calling our attention to Heaven to comfort and help us today is a good thing to do. Thinking about Heaven, talking about Heaven, ought to make the joy we have in Jesus show on our face. Having our HEADS IN THE CLOUDS isn’t a way to have joy by ignoring what is going on around us. It is a way to guard your joy from being stolen by what is around you. Rom. 5:2-5 “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so but we also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” C. S. Lewis wrote: “If you read history, you’ll find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought the most of the next world.” Heaven, and keeping ourselves focused on it, will help us to be people who are dedicated to being what God wants us to be right now.
