I have to admit that I have always admired and looked up to the generation that influenced me, and nothing more importantly than their music. To this day I still listen to Big Band sounds and flash back to that era. In fact, I have been doing a lot of thinking about that generation over the past few weeks as I was selected to go on the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. tomorrow. I am looking forward to visiting all of the memorials, especially those honoring my father and uncles (WWII and Korea) as well as paying my respects to 3 comrades on the Viet Nam Wall. But, that said, I am really excited that going on the trip are 32 of my heroes; 5 from WWII and 27 from Korea. What an opportunity to stand alongside these men, as well as those I served with in Vietnam.
But, that said, back to the question at hand… What Mood?
How many times have we heard, or have we said, “just take me home to heaven, I’m done with this world.” I know that I have missed the message that sends to the Lord about our mood at that moment.
John 1:38(b)-39 …”Rabbi”, “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
But if we read between the lines there is a message for us. “They stayed with Him that day.” That is about all some members of His bride ever do. We are “In the Mood” to spend some time with Him until our self-interest focuses on something else and then we leave. Sadly, being “In the Mood” goes well beyond just those moments when self-sufficiency, self-interest and our pride often put us “Out of the Mood.” These are the issues the Holy Spirit wants to deal with in each of us… if we will let Him.
Go back to what I said a moment ago… just take me to heaven, I’m done with this world. How that must be an affront to God. We are completely ignoring the fact that He has taken up residence in us… we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. If we are tired of this world, then the answer we are seeking is not in the third heaven. It’s just one heartbeat away.
Are we truly “tired of this world” or are we just looking for a way to avoid “living as His bride” in this world?
The trials and tribulations we face everyday that weigh so heavily on us are the very issues that God is using to prepare us for our life with Him throughout eternity. Our not being “In the Mood” to come where He lives for our answers is the very essence of our self-sufficiency, self-interest and pride.
As I spent some time meditating on this, the Holy Spirit put it in perspective for me. The moment we were born again the Lord took us immediately to heaven. From that very instant He fulfilled His promise to us…
John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
So, the next time the world overwhelms us we need to remember our part… to love Him and keep His Word. And we are to do that right where we are…
Eph 2:6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Seated… past tense… done the moment He saved us. And that is why we can live through anything we encounter in this life…
John 17:15-16 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
The only thing that keeps us from realizing His promises… that He lives in us, that He has seated us in heavenly places with Him, that we are not of this world… is whether or not we are “In the Mood.”