Please don't stop the music!

I was driving back to my parents house after a long day at work and some significant time killing, when I started thinking about heaven. At work, while I was baking my frillionth cookie and rethinking some of my life choices, I tuned into what the chef was saying to one of the sous chefs. I'm not sure what lead to the conversation, but I heard the chef suddenly say, "So what are you going to do when you die?". My ears perked up, and the sous chef said, "Nothing happens when you die. You're just dead and in the ground." For the next 7 minutes or so, the chef talked to this woman about Hell, The Bible, God and salvation. I just sat, mesmerized by how he did it so lovingly, firmly and all while chopping veggies (she chopped chicken). He didn't making it a "thing" he just told her Hell is real, so is God and you need Jesus. Apparently, he'd given her a Bible before and she didn't really do anything with it. This time was different I guess, because she asked questions. He gave her suggestions as to what to read first in the Bible, and explained how the copy he'd given her was different from her mother's Catholic Bible. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it! Sure, I've had several conversations about faith while at work and have had the chance to even pray with a few people, but usually it's with believers who are struggling with their faith or occasionally commenting on something someone says. The man saw an opportunity and jumped in without hesitation! That's how it's supposed to be! After the conversation came to a natural end, they went about their business, no awkwardness, no anger, just more chopping, stirring and serving up tasty food. Since it blessed me, I thought I'd bless you with that little tidbit.

Something else that rustled up the heavenly thoughts was listening to the radio. Given that I spend roughly 1.5 hours in the car a day (on a good day), I have ample opportunity to listen to the radio and my CDs. I love worship music that doesn't point you towards itself, but towards God. There are some groups and some songs that make so much ruckus and are so distracting that God completely gets washed out, and you're just left depleted after the emotional adrenaline rush.

Anywho, I was listening to one of my favorite groups when it hit me. Imagine the most intense worship experience you've ever had. I'm talking the point where you thought you just couldn't take anymore. Where God felt so near, you seriously feared you'd be crushed from the weight of Him, blinded by His beauty and struck dumb by His glory. Times all of that by a ka-jillion. That's heaven (to me, at least). Think about it...you may have felt Him all those other times, but in heaven, He'll actually physically BE THERE. Thank goodness we'll have new bodies, because I know my current shell would not be able to withstand heaven unleashed.

How exciting is that? Spending all eternity worshipping the infinitely beautiful, King of kings and Lord of Lords? I'm just gonna say it now, pretty sure the DCB will be reunited and playing continuously. Hallelujah!

A hungry soul is all ears

I love God. I love that He opens my eyes, and provides correction when needed. I've been reading "Revolution in World Missions" by K.P. Yohannan, and it's really making me reconsider all that I thought to be right and true about mission work. Like many people, when you say "mission" I either picture going into a jungle to convert the savage natives, or setting up some sort of medical/dental clinic and/or food kitchen. In the book, Yohannan talks about how modern mission work has become more like social work...the "social gospel". The Church has lost it's focus, and become unbalanced. We'd rather make the people doomed to spend eternity in hell without God more comfortable here on earth, rather than preach the Gospel and "snatch" them from hell's fiery pits. It reminds me of the few mission trips I've been on where, if we were in a place for a week, we'd wait until the very last day to "teach" the Gospel to the people. Imagine how much more effective we could have been had we used EVERY day to share the Gospel with people. How many more souls could have been reached.

Anywho, the real revelation that I had was when I read the chapter on problems with the "social gospel". A couple of years ago, I listened to a presentation by a well known Christian organization about helping children overseas. It talked about sponsoring children and providing them with meals, because "an empty tummy has no ears". It said that once the child's basic physical needs had been met, the spiritual "self" could then be taken care of. This sounds logical and quite practical. When Yohannan said Gospel above and beyond all else, I immediately went to my Bible. You know how sometimes when you've read something before and you're going back through and re-reading it, you kind of skim over everything and assume you know exactly what's there? Yeah...next time...don't skim. I was shocked to realize, my idea of "feed the tummy, then go for the soul", was wrong. Now I understand that I'd just lost sight of the fact that Jesus is to be first and foremost ALWAYS. Not just when it's convenient, when you're full, clothed, and set up with decent lodgings. Always means ALWAYS.

First, we must come to faith in Christ; handing over every care, every worry, every unruly thought to The One who loves us, died for us, and is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Once we've got Him, everything else will come. He promises to take care of His children. "But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." -Matthew 6:33. "These things" refer to the food, drink, and clothing; mentioned in verse 31. There is nothing wrong with building Christian schools, hospitals and other things, but "projects" like those are to be secondary to preaching the Gospel to the unreached people of the world. A hungry child does not need Christ and a hot dog. Christ is ENOUGH!