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Citizenship is in Heaven…

July 7, 2011 at 10:56 AM Leave a comment

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 3:20).

It is fairly easy to get caught up in world affairs, wondering what will happen next, and trying to determine how bad things will become for Christians in the near future.  Muddling through all of this can literally be a full-time job simply because of the fact that so much is happening under the sun throughout the world.

So what does the authentic Christian do?  How does the true believer react to everything that is taking place in society that appears to be ignoring God as much as possible?

Within the United States, we have a leader in the Oval Office who certainly appears to be supporting terrorism.  With his reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mr. Obama seems to have thrown caution to the wind, not really caring what people of the U.S. think of this move.

We also know that both Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agree with the U.N. treaty on weapons, which if passed, could drastically affect the way guns are bought, sold, and owned in this country.  Even the NRA is concerned about the prospects of such a treaty.

We are seeing the rise of “flash mobs” in some of our larger cities, made up mainly of young black men who seem intent on attacking whites for no other reason than racism as the main factor.  While most news bureaus downplay any connection with racism, the facts – along with the anti-white chanting of these mobs – speak for themselves.

In the Middle East, passions continue to heat up against Israel, as can be seen in the recent “Audacity of Hope” flotilla that, for the most part, is stalled in Greece.  If this flotilla manages to actually begin the journey toward Gaza, Israel has promised a response.

Islam is most certainly on the rise not only in other parts of the world, but here in America.  In Murphreesboro, TN, though a good-sized mosque currently exists, mosque leaders have gained permission from the city to increase the size of it greatly, to the chagrin and opposition of residents.  This will have dire effects on the citizenry.  Instead of Islam being a religion of peace, as we continually hear, the fact that they continue to push their agenda regardless of likes or dislikes of surrounding neighborhood, the message seems to be the opposite.

We have a situation developing in Los Angeles in which Sheriff Baca has praised CAIR, which has angered individuals who have fled their own Islam-dominated countries after becoming Christians for the safety of America.  The idea that people can praise a group like CAIR in spite of their obvious and proven connection to terrorist groups is something that smacks mainly of politics.

There is so much going on in our world, that books have already been written.  Certainly, in this post, it is impossible to cover everything.  The truth is that if we stop and take a good look at this world, we realize that things are not going well at all.  Unemployment is very high, our president insists that raising taxes will actually create jobs, while he continues to outspend what the Federal government takes in.  Food prices, gas prices, and costs of other commodities continue to rise.  The housing slump has yet to hit bottom and schools and other areas are being hard hit because cities and counties simply do not have enough money to pay for their shortfall.

It would be easy to become frustrated and even depressed if we consider all that is wrong with the world.  However, as Christians, we often forget one very important truth.  Our citizenship is actually not here, on this planet.  As Paul states in Philippians 3:20, the verse quoted at the beginning of this post, our citizenship is in heaven.

When we have the additional time, my family and I have a show we enjoy watching on HGTV called “International House Hunters.”  It’s a show about people who are either looking for a second home someplace far away from where they currently reside, or as ex-patriots of their birth country, they have opted to relocate to a different part of the world.  It is always interesting to hear the reasons why people want to leave Canada, the U.S., Great Britain, or someplace else for a land far off.  It usually has to do with their job or the amount of taxes they pay in their birth country.  The latter is usually driving them to a foreign country simply so that their money will go further.  Because of their job or career, they don’t need to remain where they currently live, so since they can do their job anywhere, why not relocate to a place where their money goes much further?

At times, I envision what it would be like to move to a charming countryside village in Austria or France.  I try to place myself there emotionally, just to see what it might feel like.  Almost instantly, I gain the sense that I am not really a citizen of that new area.  In essence, I am a visitor, there on an extended stay.

It takes anywhere from one to three years to become truly acclimated to a new place (especially if outside your birth country) so that you feel as though you were actually part of the new place, so that you come to have ownership.  In the meantime, you have this strong sense that you are just visiting.  Imagine being in an area where you felt as though you were just on an extended stay.  While you might run into problems that Islam can create, your view of that situation would likely be far different from the view that you would have in your own country.

In one episode of “International House Hunters,” the family on the show wanted to move to Turkey.  Turkey is largely Muslim, yet they found a locale that was not overtly Muslim.  Certainly, there was not much evidence of radical Islam, yet even if there was, this family would likely respect that fact since they had relocated to that country.

As a citizen of the United States and a resident of California, I have this deep sense of ownership and maybe I should not have that.  After all, Paul says that my citizenship is in heaven.  My name is written in the book of life and I know that once I pass from this life to the next, I will be with Jesus forever.  If this is true, then maybe I should approach life here differently.

There were a number of times that Jesus became angry.  Most of the time, His anger was directed at the religious leaders because of their hypocrisy, their lies, and their legalism.  These are three good reasons for Him to have been angry with them.  They certainly deserved it.

There were other occasions when He became angry and it was when He cleansed the Temple.  In Mark 11:15-19, we read an account of just how emphatic Jesus was about His Father’s house.  You can compare this situation with Matthew 21:12-17, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-22.

“Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; ¹⁶ and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. ¹⁷ And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” ¹⁸ The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.  ¹⁹ When evening came, they would go out of the city.” (NASB)

That must have been something to see!  Jesus was not only angry, but He took the time to overturn tables and chase the money changers out of the Temple area.  You’re probably familiar with the fact that this whole situation with the animals inside the Temple area had become nothing but an excuse to rob people who came to worship in the Temple.

There are not really any times in the Bible where Jesus became as angry as when He was going head to head with the religious leaders or when He was doing what He could to ensure that His Father’s house was cleansed.  Jesus was not what you would call a Social Gospel Minister.

Jesus seemingly spent no time trying to change society.  In fact, He seemed completely uninterested in doing so.  His calling was to the lost sheep of Israel and to ensure that His Father’s house and Name were reverenced.  He never appeared to go against the Roman government, even stating that Caesar should be given what was due him (cf. Matthew 22:15-22).

No, Jesus was not what you would call a social worker.  True, He dealt with individual situations as they cropped up, like the woman caught in adultery, but again, this was more of a problem of legalism than a social issue (cf. John 8:1-11).

Now please understand what I am not saying.  I am not saying that we – as authentic Christians – should not be involved in helping the poor, alleviating problems that attack the sick, and other things that could potentially make people’s lives easier.  We should do what we can to help those who are not as fortunate as us, and as Paul says, we should extend this attitude to those of the household of faith first (cf. Galatians 6:10).  Paul’s words here are “whenever we have opportunity.”  This is something we should do.

However, if we lose sight of the fact that we are not actually citizens here on this planet, we may well wind up getting involved in causes and problems that ultimately do not matter.  I have been there and I’m sure I will find myself there again.

So I have to ask myself, what is more important, a person’s eternal soul, or opposing Islam?  If I can do both, I should do both, but if there is a choice, then obviously, I should be concerned about the person’s eternal soul above and beyond anything.

I was recently watching a video on YouTube and it showed Christians at the Arab Festival in Dearborn, MI.  These individuals wore shirts that, if I remember correctly, said “Proud Infidel.”  As they moved into the festival, they began speaking to those around them and eventually, pushing and shoving and punching began.  The Muslims did not appreciate the fact that there were Christians present who demonstrated the attitude they did.  This immediately set the Muslims on the defensive.  I’m not sure anything was solved as I watched the video.  In my view, it would have been far better to let ex-Muslims simply wander through the crowd and quietly speak to Muslims about Jesus, as opposed to creating a bit of a small parade and choosing to march on the Arab Festival.  However, at the same time, I don’t wish to judge motives here.  I’m simply referring to what I saw.

As I watched the video though, I found myself getting caught up in the moment and immediately began thinking of ways that I could let Muslims know that I am totally opposed to them.  I could wear a shirt, or a hat, or get bumper stickers for my car, etc.  That’ll show ’em!  The problem though is that this will simply push them away, not engender them toward me or the gospel message.

Again I think of my attitude if I adopted France as my country.  Would I go there and immediately start the crusade against Islam?  I don’t think I would, simply because I would have no ownership in my newly adopted country.  However, if I saw the things going on in America that are taking place in France, I would be very tempted to step out and draw the line in the sand against Islam.

The reality is that not only is my citizenship not here, but in heaven, but the other truth is that though all authentic Christians are involved in a way, the war we are involved in is spiritual in nature.  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 6:12).

It is too easy to see a human face filled with rage and want to come against that.  It is too easy to see Islam in human form and believe that I must do everything I can to stop it.  The truth of the matter is that behind Islam, in the spiritual realm, are spiritual forces of wickedness that motivate the human beings involved in it.

Jesus wants them to hear the gospel.  He does not want me to embrace Islam, or somehow make it part of my church service, like Rick Warren advocates with Chrislam.  However, Jesus does want me to reach out to the individuals who are caught up in Islam.  They also have eternal souls and those souls need to be released from that prison.  It cannot be done if I respond to them the way they are taught to respond to me.

It truly is a fine line here.  If we are too socially minded, we may wind up being no good where the gospel is concerned.  At the same time, if all we are is concerned about a person’s soul and never try to meet their needs as we are able, we wind up proving to be hypocrites.  James makes this clear when he tells us, “and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (cf. James 2:16).

As a Christian and an American, it is oftentimes difficult to realize the truth that I am not a citizen of this country, or even this planet.  However, it is my belief that Jesus never had a problem understanding this, or living by it.  He knew who He was/is, where He came from, and where He was going.  He never allowed Himself to be overcome by the problems in the world, socially.  He understood the needs that existed, but He also knew very clearly that being involved in a social gospel, or trying to “save the (physical) world” is a complete waste of time.

I think it is safe to say that the biggest threat facing this world today is Islam.  It is very pernicious because it has the ability to use whatever means available to ensure its survival and expansion.

In the book of Revelation, we read about the terrible judgements that God will pour out onto this world in the form of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls.  What is very interesting is that – though from the start, the judgments pour down from heaven’s throne – it is not until after the Antichrist defiles the Temple by standing in the Holy Place, that things on this planet get terribly worse.

In fact, Revelation speaks of the terrible persecution that will take place against those who are Christian during the Tribulation.  It also seems that the favored method of execution is the very same method used by Islamists today; beheading,  “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years,” (Revelation 20:4; emphasis added).

As I have stated before, God is using Islam for His purposes and I believe that part of that includes the tremendous persecution that will occur during the Tribulation.  We can try to fight it off now, standing in strong opposition against it and in so doing, may wind up forgetting all about the Muslim’s need for Jesus.  Wouldn’t it be better to do what we could to pull these Muslims from the fire, rather than attack what is precious to them?  That is our calling, to preach the gospel to the entire world, is it not?  We cannot do both, because we will become completely involved in one to the exclusion of the other.

When I take the time to realize that I am not a citizen of this country or world, but am merely passing through, my outlook changes.  I realize what my focus should be and that makes it easier to get on with the Lord’s business.

I hope I have not been confusing in this post.  While I firmly believe it is important to help those in need physically where we can, I do not necessarily believe that it is important or expected of authentic Christians to stand against something like Islam.  Maybe it’s different for you, but I notice when I take a stand against an ideology like Islam, I can easily be filled with anger and it is not long before that anger turns to hate.  Maybe you’re different.  Maybe you can lovingly stand against Islam, while continuing to be concerned for the salvation of their souls.  I can’t do both.  I can do one or the other, and for me, it is clear that I have to go to bat for their souls.

Jesus never led a march against Rome.  He never preached insurrection.  He never taught His disciples that overthrowing the Roman Empire was the real issue.  In fact, He rarely talked about Rome and its leaders.  He was simply visiting this planet with a purpose.  He fulfilled that purpose completely, down to the last jot and tittle.  Had He gotten involved in trying to overthrow Rome, or to change societal norms, then He would have likely been pulled away from the real task at hand.

I believe this is why Paul takes much the same approach and attitude.  You’ll note when he speaks of slavery, he does not preach that slaves should band together and overthrow their masters.  Paul does not talk about doing everything he could to change the laws of the land.  No, he provided ways for the slave to live and act like an authentic believer, regardless of whether that slave’s master was good or bad (cf. Ephesians 6:5-9; Philemon).

As authentic Christians, we must be about the Master’s business.  As one of His slaves, I cannot take it upon myself to change society.  I can and should take it upon myself to stand in the gap for those who are lost.  Societal issues can be important, but there is nothing more important than the salvation of each person’s soul.

Entry filed under: 9/11, alienology, Atheism and religion, Communism, Demonic, dispensationalism, Eastern Mysticism, emergent church, Gun Control, Islam, Islamofascism, israel, Judaism, Life in America, Maitreya, new age movement, Posttribulational Rapture, Pretribulational Rapture, Radical Islam, rapture, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, Satanism, second coming, Sharia Law, Socialism, temple mount, ufology. Tags: avoid the social gospel, citizenship is in heaven, work to save souls.