Revelation 21:1-4 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

THEME OF THE DAY: THINKING ON HEAVEN. Has the thought of heaven crossed our minds lately? Today? Yesterday? When is the last time we meditated for a period of unhurried time on heaven and the after-life? Is such a time of meditation on heaven something we regularly put into our quiet times? Or has heaven been a place we think of mostly at funerals or when someone near and dear to us is close to death? These are important questions because they determine two things about us.

First, where our thinking and affections are most drawn reveal the place our hearts and desires are truly located – in heaven where Christ is or in the earth where sin and carnal desires are. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). My friends, our hearts and minds are never in a neutral place. We are either setting our minds and affections on things above or they are being set on things below. The former produces a spiritual life of growth in Christ and influence for Him. The latter produces a worldly spirit and stunts growth in Christ leaving little to no influence for Him. Remember, we either orient our lives in heaven or the earth.

The other thing our thoughts of heaven or lack of reveal about us is how influential our lives will be for the Lord Jesus. Likely each of us have heard the saying about Christians who seem to live in some far away “cloud nine spiritual experience” which goes something like this, “They are so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good.” The saying might be true of those Christians who are so detached from the world; so isolated from interacting in the world that everything from events, to social activities, to their friends are comprised of everything Christian. I would concede such Christians are not putting salt and light into the culture and actually are in violation of Jesus’ command to be both in the world (Matthew 5:13-16). But mostly, the saying isn’t true. Just the opposite; the Christian thinking most of heaven will do the most good and be the most influential for the Lord Jesus in this world.

C.S. Lewis once said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither”. Lewis’ statement aligns well with the Bible. Consider the desire of the Apostle Paul, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:21-25). There was no question the Apostle Paul’s heart was rooted in heaven; all the time, but that is precisely what made him most effective in this world. He saw life, all of life, through the lens of heaven and eternity. It shaped his thinking, directed his affections, and chartered his course through life. And this applies to every Christian in every situation we find ourselves; in our homes, in our churches, and in our workplaces. Christians who live heavenly-minded produce Christ-centered marriages; Christ-centered parents; Christ-centered churches; and leave Christ-centered witnesses in their workplaces and communities.

So, thought about heaven lately? It will make all the difference in living our lives for Christ in this world.

PRAYER: “Father, help me keep my eyes focused on the unseen world more than the seen as what is unseen is eternal.”

QUOTE: “The person making the most difference in their world for Jesus is the one who thinks more on heaven than earth.”