I have been mesmerized by the realization this world is not my home.

Remember that old gospel song?

The world is not my home
I'm just a passin' through

It's really old, and a bit hokey (especially if you remember the tune), but it's 100% true.

This world is not my home because I am a follower of Jesus. His kingdom is "not of this world." So while my wife and I may have a house in Old Hickory, Tennessee, the United States of America, planet Earth, my heart longs to go to the place where I truly fit in--the kingdom of my Lord.

The apostle Paul had a phrase to describe this. He called followers of Jesus "citizens of another kingdom."

I love that.

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Have you ever wondered why Christians from the U.S. who are sent to other countries to share the gospel spend years immersing themselves in the culture of their country in hopes of sharing the gospel, while American Christians who stay in the States spend seemingly exorbitant amounts of energy trying to stay as far away from culture as possible?

Why is the mindset of Christians who live in the States so different from Christians who go overseas?

I just don't get this. And I haven't for about 5 years now.

The message I get from this is that we Christians in America consider this place, this land, to be our home. We spend so much time and effort trying to Christianize this place. We have "Christian" everything! Bumper stickers, radio stations, TV stations, books, publishing companies, magazines, movies, breath mints, music, businesses, even a political party (although not official).

Don't you see? We're using God to build our own kingdom in America! 

These type of things are hardly signs that we are citizens of another kingdom!

What does it look like if we all realize that if we are in Christ, we are on His mission--to build His kingdom?

Spreading this gospel doesn't happen by making a "Christian" radio station. It happens by befriending, sharing the gospel with, and seeing the people in radio stations become Christians! We don't need Christian businesses! We need Christians in businesses! We don't need "Christian" books! We need Christians who write books!

My wife and I are trying to figure out how we can be missionaries to our community. We don't want to make a little "Christian" town. We want the people in our town to be Christians. Because this world is not our home. We're just passing through. We are citizens of another country. And we want our neighbors to join us in being "foreigners" to the United States.

God doesn't promise the United States will be around forever. Nor does He promise or owe our country anything. He does promise, though, that His kingdom will not fail, and that He will reign forever and ever.

That's a kingdom I want to be a part of, and a kingdom I've got to tell others about.

Jacob