Things above... by Vicky Bentley

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

Set your affection on things above,

not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead,

and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

What does Paul mean when he talks about “those things which are above”? This is not some broad generalization….They can be identified. We may draw a line down the middle of a page and over the left hand side put the things that are if the earth, and over the right hand side the things that are of heaven. The things that are of earth belong to sight, reason and our senses. The things that are of heaven belong to faith, trust, and confidence in God.

EARTH                                                          HEAVEN

Pleasures of the earth                                   Delight in the LORD

Treasures of the earth                                  Treasures where, “neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal’ (Matthew 6:20)

Reputation among men,                               Desire to stand high with GOD

Desire to stand well with men

Rich dwelling place                                       Mansion above

Walk with best company here below           Walk with GOD here below

Follow man’s philosophy                              Follow GOD’s revelations

Cultivating flesh                                            Living for the SPIRIT

Live for a time                                               Live for Eternity

By contrast, we see how different we are as Christians. We are to be so different from the world, so completely different. Go down the left hand side and you will have sight, reason and senses; they give you the pleasures of earth that make you want the treasures of earth. They want you to want a good reputation among men and a rich dwelling place here… AW Tozer (excerpts from The Crucified Life)

God has stirred my precious husband to challenge the Body of Christ to

STAND for the TRUTH….

to REPENT from our apathy, complacency, and compromise…

and to WALK in the SPIRIT….

TODAY is our ONLY chance to make a difference….

We can waste it on the temporal or invest it in the eternal…

You and I have to make that choice moment by moment…..

 As for me and my house,

We will live for Jesus…

We have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)….

By His Spirit we will die daily….

So that it can be less of us and MORE of Jesus (John 3:30)….

…..none of us so that it can be more for HIM….

Our hearts are consumed with Jesus…set on a continuing city whose Builder and Maker is GOD, the KING of all kings, and LORD of all lords….this world has nothing we want…..and fellow soldier of the cross I urge you to set your affections in order too…. ALL of us will stand and give account for what we did and didn’t do, for the motives and intents of our hearts….The late Leonard Ravenhill’s challenge, “Is the life you are living WORTHY of Christ’s dying?” is yours NOW….. 

It’s been far too long that we look just like the world. Let us stand up and be counted!

        He is WORTHY of far more……