Are You Living the American Dream or the Heaven Dream, Revisited

I pray that God will speak to you through me.  I do not want to offend anyone.  I hope I don’t offend anyone.  But, if I do, please search your hearts and talk to God about it.  I don’t know you well enough to purposely offend you, meddle in your business, or step on your toes.  But God does!  And you can believe that if He’s meddling in your stuff, stepping on your toes, offending you… He is doing it on purpose.  He’s decided it’s time to deal with your stuff.  So get ready and hang on.  He has your best interest at heart!

I woke up the morning after the election, not wanting to hear any news or Wednesday morning quarterbacking.  So I turned on the contemporary Christian radio channel on the television, and just spent time praising God.  All the songs that came on were so appropriate for reminding me that God is still in control!  So, anyway - God has a wicked sense of humor with me - He talks to me while I'm in the shower.  I guess He figures He has a captive audience there, ya know.  I mean, I'm not going anywhere, usually can't multitask in the shower, ya know?!  So, during my quiet time with Jesus He impressed upon me the need for His children to wake up from our slumber and to be purposeful about His business.  I asked Him to please let me share all of this with my Pastor Husband (I thought my musings in the shower would be good sermon starters for him; he could put the meat to it.)  Usually by the time I get out of the shower and get dressed, I've forgotten or can't seem to express myself clearly enough to make sense.  (At least, I don't feel I make sense.)  If I try to write something down, I have writer's block from the first word!  Jesus graciously let me type it all down this time - probably because it was the first time I had actually asked to be able to do so!  By the time my Knight in Shining Armor got home, I had a rough draft printed out for him.  He liked it and asked me to flesh it out more.  My very good, godly bossy Sunday School Teacher (BSST) encouraged me to blog about it.  And since I always do what she tells me to do, I set up a blog.  This is what I would like to share with ya'll.

The scripture I want to focus on today is Matthew 6:19-21, which says,   

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy, 

and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures 

in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, 

and where thieves do not break in and steal.  

For where your treasure is, 

there your heart will be also.”

I want to talk to you today about The American Dream.  Have you bought into it?  Do you own it lock, stock and barrel?  How’s that working for ya?  Have you ever considered that the “American Dream” doesn’t satisfy because you weren’t designed for the American Dream?  The American Dream is not all that it’s made out to be.  Very few people ever truly achieve it.  Oh, they look like they have achieved it, but in reality the bank owns the home; the bank owns the cars; the boat, the vacation condo, the country club membership, the clothes, etc., etc. ad nauseum. . .  The kids have to stay with nannies or daycares because both parents are enslaved to the task of acquiring the almighty dollar to pay for the stuff which they don’t ever feel they have enough of.  The American dream has turned into the American Nightmare!  (Do you hear that sound?  It’s the dramatic screeching sound of the horror movie most find themselves living in.)  Living from paycheck to paycheck, paying so many bills and credit cards each month that even the thought of making a financial donation to the family who just lost their home to a fire, or to simply buy a hamburger for the homeless man on the street corner,  is not even to be thought of – with your budget, they don’t fit in.  There is not much opportunity to live the Heaven Dream when you are busy trying to achieve the American Dream. 

What’s the Heaven Dream, you ask?   Dear Christian, have you forgotten that you were designed for the Heaven Dream?  The one where there is peace, rest and the security of knowing that you are being held by your Loving God.  The one where you know you are in the center of His will for your life, doing what you were designed to do.  It’s the safest place to be! 

So why do we all run around acting like toddlers and preschoolers by running away from our loving parent – you know, the One who created us and calls us His own?  We run as fast as we can, giggling the whole time, straight into the danger He is desperate to protect us from.  Why do we do that?  Look at yourself – you are not cute anymore, the cuteness wore off of this game a long time ago.  It’s time to grow up and walk in the path that He has set for us. 

Now, before I get in too much trouble here.  I’m not saying that the American Dream is wrong.  There is nothing wrong with acquiring stuff.  It’s fun.  There’s nothing wrong with liking nice things.  I like nice things.  But just because I like it and I think it’s fun isn’t the reason why it’s not wrong to acquire it.  It’s not wrong when the stuff is just that – stuff.  It’s not your end-all goal in life.  We are not supposed to be Madame Blueberry from Veggie Tales gorging out on more stuff until our world explodes!

It’s not the American Dream that we need to strive for, it’s the Heaven Dream that we need to long for.  Problem is, not many even know what the Heaven Dream is, or how great it is.  It’s our job to tell them!  Not just tell them, but show them!  And love them right into the Kingdom!

I like to think I have acquired the Heaven Dream.  Let me describe it for you.  It’s the place where I know I am loved beyond all measure.  It’s the place where I long to be – with my Heavenly Father, Abba Father (that means “Daddy”) surrounded by all the riches of Heaven.  I have acquired it because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He knows me personally.  But, more importantly, I know Him personally.  We are on a first name basis.  If I walked up to His house and pushed the doorbell, He’d open the door wide and welcome me inside.  He knows my name, He knows my desires, He knows me better than I know myself.

I Corinthians 2:9 says, 

“No eye has seen, 

no ear has heard, 

no mind has conceived 

what God has prepared 

for those 

who love Him"  

but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit!

It’s also the place where I know that I will be surrounded by loved ones for all eternity.  How do I know?  Because I have stored up for myself treasures in Heaven by spending time making sure they will be there with me.   I have loved, I have encouraged, I have mentored, and I have exhorted others to be sure that they will be there with me.   I have interceded on their behalf.  I’ve interceded on your behalf!  I want us all to be there together!

I Thessalonians 4:13-17 says, 

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant 

about those who fall asleep, 

or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  

We believe that Jesus died and rose again 

and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those 

who have fallen asleep in Him.  

According to the Lord’s own word, 

we tell you that we who are still alive, 

who are left till the coming of the Lord, 

will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, 

with a loud command, 

with the voice of the archangel 

and with the trumpet call of God, 

and the dead in Christ will rise first.  

After that, we who are still alive and 

are left will be caught up together 

(not one at a time, not all alone, 

but simultaneously, all at once, together) 

with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  

And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

We won’t have to worry about paying bills there.  We won’t have to worry about keeping a budget, robbing Peter to pay Paul.  We won’t have to worry about scratchy voices or ear infections, or heart disease or cancer, or depression there.   There will not be any more death, or mourning or crying or pain. 

But you don’t have to wait till Heaven to live the Heaven Dream!  Jesus says in John 10:10, 

“I have come that they may have life, 

and have it to the full – 

(more abundantly, 

till it overflows, 

live far more life than before, 

life in its fullest measure.)"

Now, back full circle to Matthew 6:19-21: 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy, 

and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures 

in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, 

and where thieves do not break in and steal.  

For where your treasure is, 

there your heart will be also.”

 I love the Message paraphrase of Matthew 6:19-21:

"Don't hoard treasures down here

where it gets eaten by moths and corroded

by rust or - worse! - stolen by burglars.

Stockpile treasures in Heaven,

where it's safe from moth and rust, and burglars.

It's obvious, isn't it?

The place where your treasure is, 

is the place you will most want to be,

and end up being."

Don't be hoarders of the American Dream, but be hoarders of the Heaven Dream!  I want everyone I know to acquire the Heaven Dream.   Don’t you?  That way we can forever, forever worship Him together.

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me

I can only imagine what it will be like

When I walk by Your side

I can only imagine what my eyes will see

When Your face is before me

I can only imagine

Yeah

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You Jesus?

Or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing Hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine,

I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes

And I find myself standing in the sun

I can only imagine when all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You Jesus?

Or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in your presence

Or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing, Hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When all I would do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine.