Monday, September 18, 2006

My Heart - Her Words!

I received an e-mail from a friend who received an e-mail from her niece. Her niece had written her thoughts about being a Christian and living/dieing for Christ. Her very written words are my thoughts to a "t" I just could never pen them like this. She has very eloquent way of expressing such simple spiritual truths. Here are her words................ by Christy Upton.

"The gospel is more than heaven and hell, more than what happens when you die, but the hope and calling of what we live everyday."The Gospel is MORE than just happens when you die. And yet, we seem to want to communicate and ask ONLY the question... If you were to die tonight, do you know for sure that you would go to heaven? The reality is that most of us won't die tonight...for most of us, we are all going to wake up tomorrow. Sure, I am concerned about where people spend eternity. But the essence of the gospel is not to keep people from hell. It is that God might have for Himself a people for His name, His renown, His glory and that we might LIVE everyday with Him, for Him, about Him.The question of the gospel is NOT about what happens if we die tonight,so much as it is what will happen when you wake up in the morning. The essence of the gospel is NOT about trying to get people into heaven when they die, but about realizing that the Kingdom of Heaven comes to live in you NOW. I mean, let's think about it. To die means to be in the presence of Christ. That isn't a bad thing. And for those who have half a brain, to offer them the choice between heaven and hell...they will take the get out of hell free card every time. But is that really what the gospel is about? Is it merely offering people a get out of hell free card? Isn't it more? Isn't it more than what happens when we die? Isn't it more than just dying and going to heaven? Isn't it more about what happens as we live?The gospel is more than just dying and going to heaven. It is what happen's everyday in us as we live here for Him. It is why Jesus preached the KINGDOM of HEAVEN, the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is why Jesus tried to help us see that the gospel is about understanding that you have already died....and Christ has come to live in you. For the gospel means that you have been crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The gospel is Christ in us, the hope of glory. The gospel is not about being safe from hell, although that is a pretty cool by-product of it, the gospel was given that we might be a people, a royal priesthood, set apart for his loving and choosing, to honor and exalt Him, to live lives worthy of the gospel HERE! NOW!We try to convince people to give their lives to Jesus based on where they will spend eternity. (again a cool by-product), but the gospel of the Kingdom (which is what Jesus preached) is NOT ONLY about where we will spend eternity, but how we will live HERE.Maybe a better question is not just if you died tonight, where would you spend eternity? But if you live tomorrow, how will you live? The gospel of the Kingdom means that Jesus has shown up HERE-not only that we are waiting to see Him there, in the by and by, sweet...over there. I want the KINGDOM LIFE NOW! Sure heaven will be great. But I KNOW that the essence of the gospel is not about then...it is about now. It is about the transforming power of JESUS causing us to live and die for Him.DoxaChristy UptonI RUN in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart FREE. Psm119:32for more....check out http://doxaglory.blogspot.com/

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