CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN (11-05-10)

Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I lived in China for three years. I have been assigned in Mexico for fourteen months. And yet, I haven’t learned to talk Chinese and Spanish except for some words that can get me through some everyday short conversations. And when cooking, we would still converse in Tagalog and still eat, as much as possible, “menudo (pork stew)”, “nilaga (boiled in broth)” and “adobo (chicken in vinegar and soy sauce)”. No matter where you are, you would still yearn to go back to your land of birth. Because citizenship is really based on loyalty and mindset, not location.

But there are those who would rather change their citizenship. They may have reasons. But when it comes to our spiritual life, there is always one citizenship – our citizenship in Heaven. We cannot change that fact for that is where we should go after this life on earth.

I know, there are people that choose to change citizenship, with the way they act and behave. May they all come to their senses, and start accepting again their true citizenship by accepting the Lord as their God and Savior.

Hope for heaven, for full communion with Christ “and all the angels and saints”, is the very motivating factor, of Christian engagement in this world. Christian hope for the coming of God's Kingdom asks for both things from God: that His Kingdom may come in glory and that his Kingdom may begin already here on earth.

And only then would we really experience the real joy of living together with the King of all nations and heavens.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, for now, we live in this other side of heaven, knowing that sometime in the future, we would join You in that place where our loyalty should lie, where our true citizenship is rooted. May we pour ourselves out, living for you. This is not our true home but our destiny is eternal life with you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and him alone. Amen +

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.