Wow, what a different mind set.

You know, one of the things that I've learned over the years is that whatever the world says, just look the opposite way and you'll see the truth. Seriously, it works every time! If you ask the world how you should act, and then do the opposite, you'll have what the Bible says. And if you ask the world what is important, and then seek the opposite, you'll have what God's Word says. Now don't get me wrong, I don't live my life by doing the opposite of what the world does. I could care-a-less what the world's doing; I'm going to live my life by God's word. I've just found this is an interesting thing you can see all around us. It's just one more proof to me that things really are black and white - Satan's will and God's will are exact opposite's and neither side has a half-way.

The reason I mention this is because this pertains to the verse above. Tell me, what does the world say you should focus on? This world - or eternity? This world. What does the Bible say you should focus on? Eternity.

Quite frankly, Satan knows that if we understood how Wonderful and Awesome Heaven's going to be - we would be a force to reckon with down here. We'd be out on the street telling everybody about the awesome place where going to be and that they should come with us. Satan can't have that! So as yet another one of his tricks, he tries to convince us that this world is what is important - not some far off, dreamy, heaven. Your work place is the reality, not the region in heaven you will rule for all eternity. Your Mustang GT and Plasma TV are the reality, not the incredible gifts you will earn in heaven that will last forever. And for some - who would be killed if they accepted Christ - your life in this body , all 75 years of it, is the reality, not the place where you will dwell for ever and ever through countless millenniums.

Do you see what I'm getting at? This is something that is pushed to the back in our culture: Eternity. Yet what could be more important? "What profit a man, if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?" - Matthew 16:26

Whenever I think of this passage I picture a party. How many of you know that it takes work to have fun? The more work you put into a party, the more fun it is. That's how I see our life sometimes. We have a short time down here, some have 80 years and some only have 20. But however much time God gives us, that's how much time we have to make the wedding feast in heaven all the more great, that's how much time we have to earn the gifts God will give us for all of eternity, and that's how much time will have to invite others to come with us.

Picture for a moment, the College Bowl (football). Imagine a team that has worked long and hard all year for this last game. They have spent months and months out in the sun for hours every day training and pushing themselves for this game. Then the night of the game comes and all of that training and work pays off, they win! Can you imagine the joy and the celebration that team will have?! They've made it to the top, they feel like they own the world, "Oh Ya! We did it!" Now picture the joy that the team's staff will have. They'll be partying too! They've worked with the team, though not as hard, to help them prepare for this victory, and while their joy won't be as great as the team's, they will also celebrate because they were a part of this. Now picture this school's excitement at their team winning. Everyone will be talking about it the next day, after school, parties will be all over campus filled with people sharing the joy and excitement with their winning team. Though those students did not practice or work for the victory that team had, they will still enjoy the triumphant (just a lot less than the team members). Now picture the joy of that city knowing that their college’s team is the best. Many people in that city will be happy for that team, but by this time in the chain, the people of the city will be so unrelated to the team that the only thing they will share is the fact that they are in the same city. The joy will slowly trickled down until it disappears with those who have no part in the team's victory.

You see, I believe heaven is like this, like a party you have to work for, or a championship you have to train for. Those who are actively seeking God's will and looking forward to their true home in heaven will enjoy it a lot more than those who have no interest in it. Those who have not put any effort into their eternity, will not enjoy it like they should - like those who have strived towards it.

It's a shame when people put all their effort into this world; by the time they’re 50 or 60 they finally have everything they could want - however, after couple short years death soon follows, and everything they have worked so hard for is given to someone else. Those people then arrive to eternity, the main event, with nothing. While on earth they did nothing to prepare what would come after life, and as a result they now have nothing, and they will spend eternity having nothing. All because they considered their life on this planet, all 27,000 days of it, more important than eternity. Their focus was on the things of this world and not God.

"Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ"

Now you're welcome to be blessed in this life, you're welcome to have things and enjoy your time here, but don't ever, even for a second, buy Satan's lie that this world is more important than eternity. Don't let him trick you like that.

Please, read Hebrews 11. It is an awesome chapter for understanding our place in this world and eternity.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33