| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net It Takes a Village.
A few years ago, I was blessed to
attend a conference in Spokane where I listened to a talk by a retired
police detective from the Seattle area, named Sam Holden. He
said many things I knew, but had forgotten. One of the things he
touched on was the “evolution” of family life in America. We’ll talk
more about that later. Right now I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer it. What is the difference between a house and a home? You probably have many answers, some coined, some original. Maybe you said “you can buy a house, but you can’t buy a home”. So what is the difference, and when did the distinction arise? What do you consider home? Do you go there each night - or do you go there on Holidays? When does one cease to be a home, and another begin? Picture this. Even though a man lived in one place for twenty years, after getting married he might take his new bride to see his “house” (where he grew up), then he will take her “home” where he is anxious to begin his new life. It has been said: “home is where the heart is”. I don’t believe this is biblical, but it is certainly a biblical principal. You see, if we are “in Christ”, the Bible says our citizenship is in Heaven – Phil 3:20. Not at death, though that is certainly true, – 2nd Cor. 5:8, but right now. This sheds light on verses like 2nd Cor. 5:20 which says we are ambassadors for Christ’s sake. Or how about “Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – Matt. 6:19-21. A lot of kids I talk to think Heaven is a distant place, not to be given much consideration till we are old or even feeble, to give us hope since we have nothing else to look forward to. Like Heaven is a consolation prize. If hell is indescribably horrible, then Heaven is likewise indescribably wonderful. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which ‘god hath prepared for them that love him” – 1st Cor. 2:9. Satan and his hosts waged war over it, and when he lost, he was sent here as a punishment. How much more spectacular must Heaven be than here. Let’s turn the Spiritual Switch. Is Heaven real to you? Do you look forward to it much as a child might look forward to a trip to Disneyland? Do you tell all your friends about it as the child would? Or, is Heaven something you just Hope is out there somewhere incase you ever need it? Do you like to talk about it? “Out of the abundance of the heart, the man speaketh”– Matt. 12:34. Where are your treasures? Satan is the author of doubt and confusion, but “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”– 1st John 5:13.
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