Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Matthew 6:20-21

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

• Luke 17:20-21

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

• 2 Peter 2:1

“ ‘Why is it that you are so full of unhappiness?’ I asked.
“ ‘I have lost my way,’ he said sadly. ‘When I first became a Christian my pastor taught me the Bible is true. In those days I had great happiness. But now I am studying the famous scholar, Rudolph Bultmann, who says our Bible is full of myths and fables. I have lost my way and no longer know where heaven is.’
…
“I said to the missionary who was traveling with me, ‘Do you know that song?’
“ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘it says, “Where Iesus is, ’tis heaven there.”
“Oh, how my heart leaped for joy as I heard this beautiful song coming from such a poor place. It is one thing to hear such a song in a dignified church, or pouring through the speakers of an expensive stereo set. But when one hears it coming from the poorest shack in the midst of such poverty, then it means something else.
“I looked at the young theological student before me. ‘Jesus said, “The Kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21). Bultmann is wrong and Jesus is right. Heaven is not a myth or fairy story: heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Theology in the hands of the Holy Spirit is a beautiful science. But in the hands of unbelievers it is death. If you want to find where heaven is, get out of your stuffy classroom and go back out into the countryside. Listen to the simple faith of those who read only the Bible and trust only in God, not in material things. What do they care if some theologian says that heaven is a fable. They have found Jesus, and where Jesus is, ’tis heaven there.’ ”

• Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord

Corrie ten Boom had been in the East for a few weeks, and several days in South Korea.  She had started this chapter with a saying that her father had taught her.  “Happiness is not dependent on happenings, but on relationship in the happenings.”

At a conference, she notices that a young theological student is unhappy.  She investigates.  Then, she goes away, pondering and praying.  Then she hears a song.  She has the car stopped to listen more intently.  And her prayers were answered.

Where Jesus is, ‘tis heaven there.  The theology student had heard a false teacher introduce that the Bible was full of myths.  Suddenly, he had no idea where heaven was.  Tante Corrie could have turned to 2 Peter 2:1.  The Apostle Peter ties the false prophets of the Old Testament to the false teachers of the New Testament.

But rather than fight fire with fire, she answers the theologian with a bit of existentialism.  The study of existence itself.  Or maybe empiricism, the study of what can be experienced.  For as we believe in Jesus Christ and know He is in our midst, we experience Him and we feel His presence.  And the closer we get to Him, even in our imperfect state, we experience a glimpse, maybe just a glimmer of heaven itself.

Instead of starting a theological debate, Corrie ten Boom sang a song, Where Jesus is, ‘tis heaven there.

And here is another great Christian who just loved telling people about Jesus.  This is from a Billy Graham Crusade, but it’s not Billy Graham.  This is Ethel Waters singing Where Jesus is, ‘tis Heaven There.  And as she adds at the end, “And that’s not Social Security.  That’s everlasting security.”

But I also saw another version of this hymn.  Since Corrie ten Boom heard this song playing on the radio in a small community in South Korea, here is Park Hyeonsook, accompanying the Gracias Choir.  The theology student knew the song, I am sure.  It is very popular in South Korea.  Tante Corrie found just the right way to reach the young man, but God pointed her in that direction.

We need that kind of closeness with God.  For one, God can give us what we need as we need it, but then again, we must be in a position to need it.  I know from nearly seven years of writing blogposts (over 3400 to date), sometimes God does amazing things to crash through bits of writer’s block.

But more importantly, when we get closer to God, He lets us have a moment of that feeling…  Forget the pains.  Forget the stress of this world.  Feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and then multiply that by a thousand, and Heaven is better still.

Lord, strengthen me.  Help us to be bold.  Give us the right thing to say or write at the right time, just when we need it.  And when we realize that is You tapping us on the shoulder, and our consciousness leaves this world, for just a second.  We realize that the God of the universe took out the time, in Love, to tap us on the shoulder and guide us to that right word to say or write.  Lord, just thinking of that brings tears to my eyes.  Thank You for who You are and thank You for loving little ol’ me.  I am awestruck just thinking of it happening once, and I have felt Your presence many times, too many to count.  In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.