Is heaven about us?

So lately, as I'm sure most of you are aware, there's been a lot of talk of hell and if it's a real place or not. And I'm not going to address that but if you're curious, yes I believe hell is real and without excepting Jesus sacrifice over your sin you're going there.

Right now I would like to focus on heaven. There's a big topic! Okay let's make it more specific... Is heaven about us? Meaning; when we get to heaven does it revolve around us? I've noticed lately that people are, in the words of a dear friend of mine, "becoming less and less selfish in this life so they can be totally selfish in the next." That's a harsh truth.

So the book of Revelation may be a difficult book but it is clear on one thing: God receives praise when we are before him (Rev 7:9-12, 14:3-5 and so on). Jesus is preparing something for us (whatever that is, big houses, gold streets and all that jazz) but it seems, from these verses, that the redeemed don't seem to bothered with those things. The main focus of the redeemed is God. Theres no doubt that heaven is glorious but it's glorious because of God.

Ephesians 1:14 says this "who (the Holy Spirit) is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY." I believe when I read this verse that I see God has sealed us for this promised inheritance so that we praise him. Not because we deserve or earned it, but because he is worthy of praise.

The things of heaven are to point us in a direction of worship of God not in a direction of 'I deserved this' and this is where the FALSE doctrine of no hell goes wrong. We see heaven as a place that people deserve to go and that a loving God wouldn't send people to hell and if he did would heaven really be 'heaven' without our family and friends who aren't there: heaven is not about us or how we think we will feel it's about Jesus and him getting the praise and glory He deserves.

So is heaven about us? In a sense yes, heaven is spoken of as our reward and rest but in a big way no because we wouldn't be able to go to heaven if it wasn't for Jesus and since we have nothing to do with our going to heaven we can't (and wont) spend our time there focusing on ourselves but rather we'll be entirely focused on the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus.

So for us today, in application, when we receive blessings do we become selfish or do we understand that our blesses are suppose to end in praise to God? This is challenging because if we think our blessings are about us, heavens going to be a big let down.

Everything is about him, not us. There's beauty and freedom is that.

Why am I a missionary?

So lately I've been thinking about this: why am I a missionary/in ministry? I mean every month I wait on a check that could lessen, I'm on the other side of the world from my family and friends, who could leave this world at any moment... Etc. Etc.

The answer is simple: Jesus

I believe that because of Jesus' one act of righteous and obedience on the cross everything is changed, back then and today. Jesus, in Matthew 28, gives the 11 disciples (and us) a command; go, teach them, disciple them and baptize, so the first things the 11 disciples, soon to be apostles, did was sign up for a mission organization and got shipped off to a foreign country right? WRONG! The book of Acts which follows the apostles never mentions them (the 11 around Jesus) going out of Israel. In fact historically the apostles (minus Paul) are never recorded as leaving Israel until around 70 A.D when they are forced to leave because Rome came in and took it over.

So were the apostles wrong in never leaving even though Jesus gave them the 'go' command? I don't think so. I believe Jesus' 'go' command was a 'go and be faithful where you're at' command. I believe some people are called to foreign countries (or I'm sure a lot of you would be confused), but I believe we are ALL called to be faithful where we are at. The apostles stayed in Israel at first because it was all they knew but as they grew in the Lord they realized they were actually called to the Jews (Gal. 2:7).

So back to my question... Why do I do what I do? Because of Jesus' sacrifice I want to be faithful where I'm at. I didn't come to Taiwan in order to finally serve Jesus but in serving him I was lead here. Just as some of you have served him and it's lead you to the church you are at, the place you live, etc etc. All that's happening in our lives should be a result of following Jesus.

So here's our challenge in being faithful were we are at: Recently I've been reading Ephesians with two friends and I was really challenges about what we read in chapter 3 verse 8, which says "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST" Do you notice that Paul doesn't just say 'Yup! God gave me grace' but he realizes that his grace is for others. So no matter where ever following Jesus has lead you, you have been given grace from God FOR the people around you meaning the people around you should benefit from your salvation (hearing of Jesus, experiencing God's love etc etc).

So may we be people who, where ever God has lead us, are mission minded and may we remember that OUR, not just missionaries or pastors or whatever but whoever professes the name of Christ, command to 'go' and be faithful were ever he has placed us just as the disciples and Paul did.

Lord. I thank you for the grace that has been given to us for others and Lord I pray that me and my brothers and sisters wouldn't be selfish with this grace but that we would be radically wrecking the world around us for you.