GOD’S WORD FOR AUGUST 14

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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HEAVEN IS JUST A BONUS

Numbers 23:10

Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!

D.L. MOODY

The sanctified man and the unsanctified one look at heaven very differently.  The unsanctified man simply chooses heaven in preference to hell.  He thinks that if he must go to either one, he would rather try heaven.  It is like a man with a farm who has a place offered him in another country where there is said to be a gold mine; he hates to give up all he has and take any risk.  But if he is going to be banished and must leave, and has his choice of living in a wilderness or digging in a coal pit  or else a gold mine, then there is no hesitation.  The unregenerate man likes heaven better than hell, but he likes this world the best of all.  The true believer prizes heaven above everything else, and is always willing to give up the world.  Everybody wants to enjoy heaven after they die, but they don’t want to be heavenly-minded while they live.

ERWIN LUTZER

I had not seen Moody’s point clearly before:  If the unregenerate person must choose, he’s prefer heaven over hell, but loves the world most of all.  After all, humans are driven by our fallen desires, which are most easily satisfied by the world;  we prefer our natural state.  The unconverted love the world, thinking they are in charge when, in fact, they are slaves to it.

But blessed are those whose desires have been transformed into a love for God and His gift of salvation.  We desire heaven over the world, and shun hell’s suffering because we  would miss God’s presence for eternity.  No matter how beautiful heaven might be, without the presence of God, it could never satisfy us.  Eternal fellowship with God makes heaven a place of uninterrupted bliss and fulfillment.

Do we prefer this world to heaven?  Do we love God as much as Paul, who preferred to die and be with Christ than to live in this world?

PRAYER

Father, I ask You to shift my desires to prepare for the life to come, living with thanksgiving and worship.

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Philippians 1:21-23

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.  But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;

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Romans 12:1

    “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

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Philippians 3:20

    “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Colossians 3:2

    “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

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Matthew 4:17

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

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Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Matthew 5:10

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Hebrews 4:14

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession.

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1 Peter 1:4

to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

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2 Peter 3:13

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

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