Heaven and Earth

Yesterday I attended the funeral service of Mrs. Margret Bedford. Her son Wes and their family attend our fellowship and so I went to support and encourage them. I knew Mrs. Bedford as a fun loving, hard working, Christ loving, Proverbs 31 kind of women. All 5 of her sons got up and offered stories and characteristics of this deeply loved lady. Kind, firm, joyful, prayerful, happy, faithful, contented, wise, understanding, a person who loved family and friends and had 25 grand kids and 10 great grand kids who all rose up and called her blessed. There were even a few unofficially adopted sons and their families who did the same. Then the preacher got up and did a good job of passing this saintly mother's mantle to the remaining family. Then he went into a gospel presentation that focused mostly on heaven and hell. I was uncomfortable with his presentation. The way it came across it made it seem that the life she had lived on earth was not really as important as the final destination she had arrived at. Statements like "she finally has received her reward" only fueled my thinking about this. Yes, there is a reward coming, that's not what I am talking about. However, what about the reward that was sitting right in front of us? What about the life of heaven, (i.e. the kingdom of heaven) she brought to this earth by her passionate faith and vigorous service? As we looked on and saw an amazing heritage of Godliness and faithfulness it was impossible to mistake who was receiving the glory for the life she lived and the blessings she bestowed. Sometimes we make heaven out to be so far away and that this life doest really matter all that much. It seems like as long as we get to heaven in the great bye and bye ( or avoid hell which ever comes first) that's what really counts. The kingdom of heaven is within us and it is meant to be lived out in the here and now for good of all people. In Jesus great prayer it was heaven on earth that was of great importance. It is to bring heaven on earth that he fills us with his Spirit for and uses us for. Heaven in the great bye and bye will be awesome to be sure. But, I think it is faulty and shallow thinking that makes the here and now seem less important than the hereafter! The lure of the comforts of heaven far to often become our selfish reason for being Christian at all. Tragically, in some ways, I think we can play into the devils hand when we think and speak like this. Our mission should we choice to accept it is to be like Margret Bedford. The women who experienced a great portion of her reward by bringing heaven to this earth. And now she has entered into her complete rest in Heaven. Thanks for the legacy Mrs. Bedford.