The apostle Paul writes, in Philippians 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven“. The tenure of Scripture is that this world is not our home, that there is no permanence to be found on this planet. The language that the apostle Peter uses, in 2 Peter 1:14, is that his body is like living in a tent, soon to be cast off, just as the Lord Jesus Christ showed him. Both Paul and Peter knew that we are only camping out, living in mortality while we await “being clothed in immortality”.

It seems to me that in these days of political, medical, financial, and other unrests the Christian church in general and believers in particular have become somewhat distracted by the affairs of this world. In the midst of these unrests there is much acrimony, much polarization, even much hatred (clothed in self-righteous indignation) and we may have lost our way. C.S. Lewis reminded us, in “The Screwtape Letters”, that if these demonic forces can distract us from our primary focus, then we will major on the minors. Even John Bunyan, in “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, knew of our propensity to be lulled to sleep by this narcotic allurement of the world. The tempter has not abated in his attempt to not only destroy but to minimalize the impact of the church and especially believers.

What are the majors of our faith? One clearly defined major is reflected in these leaders of time past. John Wesley, in his direction to his pastors, said that “we have no other business than to save souls“. Oswald J. Smith. in “Passion For Souls”, stated that “the supreme task of the church is the evangelization of the world“. Should not the church have as much passion or either greater for the saving of souls, as it does for worldly matters? Should this passion not find expression through the words we speak, the actions we take, even the prayers we offer?

Someone will surely say that I am more heavenly minded than earthly good. I would remind them that we go through the same things every time there are political changes, medical challenges, financial uncertainties. Yet God still brings “the princes to nothing and makes the judges of the earth useless” (Isaiah 40:23). What doesn’t change is that man/woman without Christ will not share in that citizenship that you yourself may be looking for, from where the Christ will come and transform us by His power and grace.

Jesus reminded His disciples, in John 15:16, that we are chosen and appointed to bear fruit and that our fruit is to remain. “Whatever you ask the Father in My Name He may give to you”. The prayer, in the context, is of bearing fruit, of bringing others to saving faith in Christ and having them enrolled in the “Lamb’s Book of Life”. Jesus bids us to ask, pray, believe, witness and when done to ask, pray, believe and witness some more.

Our camping days are soon to be over. The fruit that remains will not be found in the impermanence of this world but in the fruit that we have borne while camping out.

Blessings!