My Hometown

“For our citizenship is in heaven…” 

 

When we moved to Oklahoma back in 2006 so that I could finally attend Bible School, I had my mind set that I was going to pour my heart into my studies, learn everything I could through the experience at the college and then pack up the family and move into the next phase of God’s call for my life.  What I didn’t expect was all the other life’s lessons that I received while living for three years over 1800 miles away from my hometown.  One of those lessons was interacting with the other people who came to Tulsa from all over the world.

The Tulsa Oklahoma area is home to many internationally known Christian schools including Oral Roberts University, Victory Bible Institute as well as the Rhema Bible Training College USA campus where I attended.   It is also home to many major secular universities and a large aeronautics school.  As I mentioned, these schools are a draw to individuals from locations across the globe.  During my stay there I met folks from almost all the states in the union and from countries such as Canada, South Africa, England, Germany and various countries in South America.

I didn’t realize it until I had been there for awhile, but after 53 years of living on the west coast, I had totally developed a northern California viewpoint on life.  It would always amaze me when people who had never been there would bash California!  Often times I found myself being offended and in a defensive position whenever the conversation turned to “where are you from?”  These folks were ignorantly trashing my home state, which to me was the best place in the whole world to live in!  Many of these same individuals had never been to California and were basing their opinions on things they heard, read about or saw on TV.  Some even viewed the Golden State as portrayed through Hollywood movies!

After a while though, I began to see that I was sort of doing the same thing concerning the city, state or country that they were from.  They, like me, were talking from a heart that loved their home locales.  I personally am not a snow person and would stand awe struck as some new friends from Minnesota would light up from ear to ear as they talked about the freezing weather, snow, and the accompanying winter activities.  Others from desert areas like Arizona would tell of joyful memories about the heat and dry conditions that they lived in back home.  I remember attentively listening to a fellow student born and raised in South Africa happily telling stories about his normal lifestyle that was so different to mine.  It would seem that each of us tend to be a product of where we are from. 

The above scripture from Philippians 3:20 makes a bold statement concerning the Christian’s hometown in heaven.  When we are born again, we become citizens of a new kingdom.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore if any man (or woman) be in Christ, he (or she) is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (KJV) That includes every part of our past including our allegiance to our former earthly home.  As citizens of heaven, we are now under its jurisdiction, its history and its future!  The King James Version uses the word “conversation” in place of “citizenship” in Philippians 3:20.  Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states that “The word conversation we now apply almost entirely to oral discussion.  It formally however, meant conduct in general.”

With that in mind, we should be living our lives here on this earth like ambassadors stationed in a foreign land.  We may be living here, but our allegiance, our protection, our conduct and our backing is to our home country.  Ambassadors living in other lands are more dependent on the US Marines assigned to protect our embassies than they are on the local police departments.  Likewise we are to be more dependent on the ministering spirits from the heavenly realm (Hebrews 1:14) and the dictates of God’s kingdom than we are from the assistance of our local or federal government.  Think of it this way… Heaven’s resources, power and rule are far superior and without limitation.  Can we say the same thing about those of the physical country in which we now reside?

That puts a whole new slant on the way we should face and live each day doesn’t it?  Keep that thought in mind today.  Keep studying and learning about the rights and privileges that are yours in your new constitution as found within the pages of your Bible, and live as citizens of heaven!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… What am I expecting (as a citizen of heaven) today?