Would Heaven be more important to us if...
 

We weren't so blessed here on Earth?

I understand that "not" everybody shares the same "blessings" considering politics and real persecution in other countries of this Earth..

Some might say what do you mean blessed?

Family, Homes, Creature Comforts, AFF, Church, Golfing, Hunting, Fishing, Pastoring, Youth Nights, and so on...We have so much to live for that Heaven is an after thought...

Sure we all say we want Heaven to be our home and yet we fight hard to stay here on Earth..Why?

Depending on your current condition would Heaven be more important or Less?

The Early Church had little and suffered great persecution so they longed for Christ's Return...and a Promise of a Better Place...

but it seems at times folks aren't quite "ready" for heaven..is this Bad or Okay??

I think we all want to go to heaven, but no one wants to sign up today. I don't know if that's bad or good. If we were in a persecuted country, I'm sure we would all feel differently.

It seems conditional on our circumstance... is it wrong or right..or does it matter... many preach about the rapture but are they ready for it... (not salvational) but really ready to give this up? or they prefer the rapture over dying..

I could see this.. but does that mean my desire to make is diminished??

Honestly, I don't want to go to Heaven... I just don't want to go to hell. If I had my way I would just stay here... that is part of my problem. lol. I feel like I walked into a restaurant and was presented with a bill and I haven't even eaten yet.

But I guess that kind of proves your point. I am content, therefore I am not "hoping" for a better life in the next place.

Wow....SHD...

I added another line... I think that is why nobody gets me...

Thanks for being honest.

See my new thread on "Indian Powerhouse". Our mentality is so different in America!

Hmmmmm. Good points. I have several suggestions:

Family - We'll let you keep your family. They probably already wish they could go to heaven.
Homes - You can sign your home over to me anytime. No sense you losing out on heaven over materialism.
AFF - Maybe Admin can remove your account to remove this distraction from your life.
Church - Start stepping on toes by preaching "tough" Con messages. After the 1st week of complaints, you'll wish you could go to heaven.
Golfing - Sell your golf clubs on eBay, it'll give you more time to pray and fast.
Hunting - Sell your guns and gear, it'll give you more "God" time.
Fishing - Sell your reels and boat, it'll give you more "God" time.
Pastoring - Start increasing your number of marriage counselling sessions; after a few months you'll wish you could go to heaven.
Youth Nights - Make your youth sing old hymnals, they'll wish they could go to heaven. After they butcher the classics enough, eventually you'll wish you could go to heaven too.

I'm not saying I have all the answers, but these suggestions might get you started in the right direction. :)

I've seen that perspective too... I spent 6 weeks straight in India two or three years ago and 2 weeks straight in the Philippines this year, so I do understand people needing that hope. I also understand that our strongest "Apostolic" generation came through the depression and WWII so they were looking for hope as well.

Some people have all the answers...:)

Maybe God does more for people who have less... that would be understanding to me... Blessed are the Poor for theirs is the Kingdom of God..

btw..your tag line rocks!!!! Hilarious...

Maybe some are not "sure" which way they would be going? ;)

I want to go to heaven and I'm looking forward to it; but I don't want to die first. I'd rather wait until the Lord returns. That is because I want to finish raising my children - I don't want to die while they're young. Nor do I want them to die; although all three of my kids tell me that they can't wait until they get to heaven.

I guess I'm looking forward to Jesus returning for us. Heaven sounds wonderful - dying does not... it would bring pain to my kids (and husband, but I worry more about my young kids).

Bingo! Nobody can convince me, no matter how loudly they say it, that they are truly 100% sure that they are going to Heaven when they die. Nobody! How can they be? For one thing, there is so much argument about how to get there, that nobody can be sure that they have the right answer, and all the other answers are wrong. For another thing, they cannot see their future with 100% accuracy. Some people backslide. Even some people who thought they never would.

Even then, supposing you won't actually backslide (per se), and supposing you do know the right formula: how do you know you correctly followed every single step in your formula? Maybe your repentance wasn't 100% genuine. Maybe your faith wasn't quite up to snuff (is it always strong enough to work for other things, like healing, e.g.?) Maybe you slipped up somewhere, without even knowing it. Maybe when you were baptized, you weren't completely immersed! (You don't want to leave your left hand behind, do ya?) There are so many things that could have gone wrong!

You scared yet? :toofunny

Nope! Not at all.

my finish to your title sentence was going to be "if we had a little more hell here on earth!"