IF HEAVEN IS SO GOOD, WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?

I am up early Thursday morning at Andrews University dorm lobby, reflecting on the events of the day before. Since Wednesday morning I was sitting “at the feet” of Adventist leaders who are facilitating and leading the Church planting movement around the world.
As I sat just behind the North American Region president Don Schneider, and listen to the South African Region president of Adventist Churches, Paul Ratsara, speaking on this issue of “WHY are we still here?” my heart resonated wholly with the longing of many Adventists, and many Christians, for that matter – we all want to go home, to the world recreated perfect! So, WHY are we still here?
Elder Ratsara led evening address with reading Isaiah 51:9-10, where the prophet calls God to wake up! Just like in the ancient days, and show His strength. The prophet is reminding God of His former power. But as we read further, the call to wake up is turned around. It is not God who needs to wake up. God’s power has not diminished over time. It is us who need to wake up, because in god’s plan he wants us to receive His Power (Acts 1:8) and do even greater things than Jesus did when he was here (John 14:12), so that the later manifestation of his power would be more abundant, greater than the former, and the former would appear only moderate, compared to what is to come (Joel 2:23)
That is why prophet Isaiah calls the people of God to wake up (Isaiah 51:17; 52:1) and put on the strength.
How awake am I? How awake are you, my friends, spiritually? Are you in your “pyjamas” waiting for God to do miracles? Guess what! God does what He said he will do. He has scripted the future in advance. When Jesus was here on earth, he did everything “to fulfill what was written by the prophets.” We must stop telling God what we want him to do, and discover what He scripted us to do. The plan for us, for the church of Christ, is written in details, and the next chapter is you putting on the armour of righteousness, being clothed in the righteousness of Christ, witnessing with power the Plan of Salvation.
So, what are you wearing? Are you in the “working clothes” or you still need to wash up, clean up, brush up, and accept the garments prepared for you?
It is out of the ordinary that the message to the end-times look-warm church, the Laodicea, calls us to clothe ourselves (Revelation 3:18) and then to keep those garments on (Revelation 16:15), not to be caught naked. The dorm rooms we are staying don’t have showers, and we have to walk to the designated area for the community showers. The last thing I want is to be caught in my pyjamas in public place.
What is your spiritual apparel right now? Are you equipped and ready for the work? Wake up, dress up and get ready, and don’t ask the wrong WHY question!