No Heaven on Earth
There is no Heaven on Earth
Heaven is described as a place of no more pain, sickness, sorrow, or death. It is a place of happiness and celebration in the presence of God. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the journey, so long as we don’t forget that this world is not our home. We are foolish to think that we can create a heaven on earth. My goal should never be to build up so much wealth that I don’t have to work, or to accumulate every pleasure I could ever imagine. True fulfillment comes from contributing a noble service to mankind. (Rabi Daniel Lapin) Have a purpose that is bigger than yourself. Always be clear about what you’re working hard for, and working hard will be easy. If all I’m working for is more money with no clear purpose other than taking care of myself and my family, at some point I will say we have more than we could ever need. When my purpose is bigger than me and mine, however, I will stay motivated no matter how wealthy I become.
The Tower of Babel
Around 100 - 150 years after the flood of Noah, the people of the earth conspired together to build a vertical city. I think the stories of the great flood were still so terrifying, that they wanted to live high enough that God could not drown them. When God saw what the people were doing, He said because the people are united, nothing will stop them from doing what they have imagined to do. God then created all the different languages so that the people would scatter across the whole Earth. Genesis 11:1-9
God does not open the faucets of heaven and bless someone so that he could insure himself against the wrath of God. Having resources gives you many options. If you don’t obey the voice of God, however, He will remove the options until the only choice remaining is the one He wanted you to make in the first place.
Buy-in
When a coach implements a new system, “buy-in” is extremely important. To truly be bought in means that you don’t just do what the coach says because you don’t want to get in trouble. You do what the coach says because you believe it is the right thing to do. You know that he is instructing you to be your best. You believe that by following your coach’s instructions, you will be in the best position to contribute to the team. “Buy in” works the same way with God’s systems. To obey just for the sake of obeying causes us to miss the point. We must believe that the purpose of God’s instructions is to bring out the very best in us.
The Tithe - 10%
God’s system for giving, starts with tithing. The way this system works is that everyone gives the first ten percent of their income to God. He then blesses the remaining ninety percent. The key here is buy-in. If I give because I know it’s what God wants and don’t want to upset Him, I am missing the point. When I am truly bought in, however, I realize that this system will make me better. Through the tithing principle, My Heavenly Father is helping me to see all income as a gift from Him. This helps me to stay humble and grateful. Secondly, tithing teaches me to be a giver. Two men that have been anointed by God to speak about money, Robert Morris and Dave Ramsey, say that giving the tithe weaves giving into your spiritual DNA. If you really want to live a joy field life, be a giver. Genesis 14:19,20 , Proverbs 3:9,10
Free will offerings
Another form of giving taught in scripture is the free will offerings. This is when giving becomes fun! A person is ready for free will offerings when they are out of debt, have all future expenses budgeted for(emergencies, college, cars, retirement, etc.), and still have discretionary funds. It is giving from your abundance because you want to. Does anyone else cry like a baby when watching Undercover Boss? I find it very moving when the boss reveals his/herself at the end. After the shock and awe is over, the conversation usually changes to all the personal issues of the employee. This is the good part! Now the Boss informs the employee that he will not have to worry about his mom's medical bills any longer because they have been paid in full. This is when the single mom gets informed that her child’s daycare tuition is covered. This is also when one employee was informed that the surgery her child needed was going to be taken care of. When I watch these acts of love, it restores my hope in humanity. It reminds me that there are people out there who care about others. It makes me want to be the one who changes someone’s entire life with my generosity.
Conclusion
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10)
There is no greater joy one can possess on Earth than the joy that comes from fulfilling one’s purpose. To live an abundant life is not about having an abundance but doing an abundance; it’s not about collecting but contributing. Being a contributing member of the body of Christ is the closes we can get to experiencing Heaven on Earth.
Written by - Mike Verdin
