Christian Citizenship

 ^“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:17-20 ESV)

In this month’s Think magazine issue, a dear friend of mine wrote an article called “Looking Upward.” In this article he wrote about how he often reminds his family that they are headed to heaven. He then challenged the readers to “look upward”. In other words, we, as Christians, need to have a positive mindset because as long as we’re “walking in the light” (1 John 1:7) we can be confident that we have a home in heaven. 

As Christians we have this confidence, but do we think about it? Each day when we go about daily activities do we think about heaven? If not, why not? I want to encourage you this week to think about the hope of heaven that you have. If you’re a Christian you should be in a state of perpetual happiness, because of the blessed assurance we have of heaven. It’s a wonderful thing to be a Christian because even though troubles and hardships may befall us here on Earth, we know the reward that awaits us at the end. Our citizenship is in heaven. What a beautiful and comforting thought that is! 

Every morning for the rest of this week I am making it a point to say this statement:

“Today could be the day I go home to heaven!”

I hope you’ll join me in saying this statement this week. It’s a great way to start off your day and really puts things in the right perspective. We’re one day closer to heaven. One day closer to going home! –Jack D.

p.s. If you haven’t read this article in Think magazine yet, or don’t have a subscription to Think magazine I certainly recommend one! Just follow this link:

http://www.focuspress.org/cart_product.cfm/prod_id/27092/bk/1/tid/137

Way of Escape

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)

All of us at some point in our lives have been tempted. We have been tempted by different things in different situations but the fact remains that temptations are a part of life. We do what we can to avoid them, but a temptation will still arise in our life somewhere, somehow. And being the imperfect humans that we are, we oftentimes give into that temptation and sin. That one time sin we commit can sometimes even turn into something habitual, or something we commit constantly. That’s kind of bleak isn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be!

As a struggling sinner myself, I constantly think about this verse (posted above). As I’ve said before in a previous post, I used to be an avid cusser. When I finally made the decision to try and kick that habit I had to figure out how to do it. The problem was that I let this become such a habit that it was near impossible for me to stop completely right away. A word would slip out every now and then and I would think: “Will I ever be able to stop?” Then I remembered 1 Corinthians 10:13. This part of the verse stuck out to me the most:

“…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10.13b)

God will provide a way of escape! I thought and thought about how I was going to fix my problem. The answer was right here all along! God provides a way of escape for every temptation! It was up to me to find out what was causing me to cuss and run away from it using the “escape” route God had made available for me. 

Why does this matter to you? Temptations are a part of life. We all face them at some time or another and we’ve all given in at one time or another. That’s why it matters to you! This verse ought to encourage you! No matter what temptation you face you can take solace in the fact that God will provide for you a way of escape from that sin! 

Whenever I find myself getting wrapped up in a habitual sin I say this prayer:

 “God help me to find the way of escape that you have made for me in this sin.” 

I hope this was encouraging to you today. Remember that God will always provide you with a way to escape your temptations. You just have to want to take the exit! –Jack D.