The Kingdom is a Journey

Super Bowl Sunday is here! It is the highlight of the football season. Every team at the beginning of the season aimed to be at the Super Bowl. Only two make it. At the end of the Super Bowl game, the players will talk about being in the Super Bowl next year. It is the place to be.
Heaven is like that in the faith. It is the place to be. The Scriptures paint a picture of unbelievable sights—streets of gold, no tears, church going on ALL the time, not old songs but new songs! Some of you do not realize that when you are taught a new song in worship, you are being prepared for heaven! The best description that I have heard of heaven is being with God. Heaven is for some is the aim of life.
Some Christians are so heaven bound, they are of no earthly good. It is interesting to read the red letters of the Scripture. For some who may not know, the red letters are the words that Jesus said. Jesus points us towards pretty earthly visions of the kingdom of heaven. It is like a pearl that is so great that when a man finds it, he will sell all he has to obtain it. To know eternal life (heaven), Jesus tells the story about caring for your neighbor (The Good Samaritan). In the Gospel of Matthew, one knows heaven because one visited the jail, clothed the naked, and visited the sick. It seems that Jesus pointed us to heaven on earth through some earthly obligations and relationships. The entire book of James is written to move early Christians from sitting on the rocking chair singing "I've Got a Home in Gloryland" to the idea of bearing witness to the love of Jesus in everyday relationships.
Heaven is the place where we will one day spend eternity. However, until that day, the kingdom of heaven on earth is the place to be. It seems that we can "touch" or "catch" glimpses of heaven on earth when are compassionate and caring people. After all, in the Lord's Prayer we do pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done."
Maybe it is the journey to the Super Bowl that is of greatest value, not the game itself. Oh, winning a Super Bowl is of great value. But being able to say, I made it to the Super Bowl is quite a feat that few will make.
I love to play golf. One year, I decided to try to qualify for the Louisiana State Amateur Golf tournament. It is quite a long shot. Few people think of a preacher playing well enough to do that. Well, I qualified. It was a great feeling. I played in the State Amateur that year. I played poorly--not good enough to make the weekend. But I played. I did what many will not do.
The faith is about journeys, not destinations. The destination is confirmed and waiting because of Jesus. Jesus has freed us to worry about the journey! Journey well. You may touch heaven on earth.
Pray for me as I pray for you.