What do you live for?

Things Above.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Christ is ABOVE.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Christ is NOT on the earth.

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

The kingdom of God is CHRIST and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Christ is our TREASURE and Christ is in heaven.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Christ is spiritually MINDED.

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Our conversation is on CHRIST, and CHRIST is in heaven above.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

A better country- HEAVENLY country where CHRIST is ABOVE!

If OUR lives REVOLVE around CHRIST as they SHOULD, then automatically we are doing all the above mentioned things. We are seeking things above, we are setting our affections on things above, we are seeking first the kingdom of God, we are putting our treasure in heaven, we are spiritually minded, we are also looking for the better country to belong to, not this worldly country- we are truly pilgrims and strangers here upon earth.

We find there is often a fierce loyalty attached to our country of birth and we don't want anyone putting it down, even if we ourselves can trash talk it. When push comes to shove so to speak we want to believe that we are loyal to the country we live in. Obviously not EVERYONE feels this way. There are traitors, defectors, people who simply decide there is a better country to live in that meets their desires more than the country they are in. Some people loath their countries and long for another one.  The truth is, NO matter what country we are born into, reside in, or long for, if it is not the heavenly country then we should NOT feel inclined to hold a fierce loyalty to any country.  No, I'm not saying we should HURT our country or ANY country that is totally contrary to how I believe God would have us live. But our true loyalty must be HIS above all others.  If faced with the decision to swear allegiance to a country before swearing allegiance to God, we need to choose God first!

Right now, this very day, there are people who are being tortured and killed because they will not denounce God, they will not denounce God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  These people are given a choice. They are told to convert to another's belief and live, it's that simple, just give up their loyalty to Jesus, but they DON'T do that! Instead these people choose death over living with the fact they denied Jesus.  How many of us could do that? How many of us would convince ourselves that God would understand, that Jesus would understand? That we can secretly keep loyal to Jesus while outwardly betraying Him.  We want to convince ourselves this is possible and I'm NOT saying in no uncertain terms that there aren't situations this is okay, because I am not the judge of the hearts of those making the decisions. I sit on the sidelines and talk about what we possibly should or shouldn't do, but I'm not face to face with the choice.  I am, however face to face with the choice to either live right now for Jesus or to live for earthly things.

Earthly things such as SELF. My carnal nature is an earthly thing. Earthly things such as everything upon earth- all material things. Yes, ALL material things even those things I often call necessities. Am I living for "THINGS"?  WHAT DO I LIVE FOR!? What do YOU live for!?

We need to very somberly ask ourselves this question and pay real close attention to our answers because they matter- eternally they matter. 

Please Father in heaven, we would live for YOU! Bless us in YOU! By the mercy and grace, the sacrifice of Your Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

Amen.