Here And Now

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Philippians 3:20 

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  
 
Hebrews 11:13 

We may speak of the sweet by and by, but we live in the here and now. Paul has spoken of the fact that our citizenship is in heaven . He has brought us to anticipate the return of Christ and the transformation of our body to be like His glorious body. There is some space of time between that day and today. If our citizenship is in heaven, but we are living here and now, how shall we live? The short answer is ‘as strangers and pilgrims.’ We are simply passing through this world on our way to the city of God. Therefore, there is no reason to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust does corrupt and where thieves break through and steal, as Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount. Rather as we  pass through this world, we should follow Christ and people like Paul, in the same manner in which he followed Christ. Thus, ‘For to me to live is Christ,’ becomes our approach to life. Christ went about doing good, and we shall. Paul preached Christ, and we shall. Christ showed us how to live, and we will imitate Him. This is how we, who are citizens of heaven, can live here and now. 

Our Glorious, Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You have shown us how to live in real time. 
We praise You, that as we follow You, 
we can live, here and now.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning