Camping on Earth

Photo by @JonathanForage

Have you ever been camping? Have you ever been camping where there are no showers or bathrooms? I remember when I was in Seminary my friend told me about a camp called “νικάω” or “nikaó” which means to conquer, overcome, or prevail in Greek. It is a Christian team building camp where the whole group of 10 to 15 people need to survive a week of camping with one bag that included, one sleeping bag, one roll of toilet paper, one box of strike anywhere matches, and one flash light. You couldn’t take any food with you, there was no showers and no bathrooms. The group had to survive a week in the wilderness with the few items given. The nights would get so cold they would have to huddle up like penguins to stay warm. The group had to gather what they could to start fires to keep warm. Mostly everyone didn’t eat for a week besides finding a few berries on the trails. The toilet paper ran out the first day. At the end of the camp everyone was miserable, upset, and just wanted to go home. Finally the last day came and they finally got to take a shower in the river as a sign of renewal and overcoming the harsh conditions of the wilderness.

My friend told me all he thought about the whole time was going home and finally when he got home he said the smell of his house of kimchi and mothballs never felt so comforting. His feet touching the ground of his floor never felt so good. The first shower he had in a week in his house was the best shower of his life. The best part he told me was when he finally dropped flat on his bed and he told himself, “Finally, I’m home.”

Imagine that feeling of coming home by a million, billion, zillion times! That’s what we will feel like when we get to heaven or I should say when heaven gets to us (Revelation 21). I have to constantly remind myself everyday that we are not citizens of earth, we are citizens of heaven.

“If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.”

― Vance Havner

It’s like everyday we are alive we are camping on earth! One day we are going to go home. So while we are here let’s remember our mission on earth. To save as many souls as possible and to disciple as many lives as possible for THE TRIUN3 GOD (Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit).

We are camping on earth until we get to our true home, heaven. Let’s take as many people with us as we can!

Let me leave you with an encouragement to remind us that we are only camping on earth until we get to our true home, heaven from the Apostle Paul from in his letter to the Philippians:

Philippians 3

Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 

11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 

16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 

21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Camping on Earth,

Choong Man Kim (:DK)

source: DIVIN3KINGDOM.org