“BE HERE NOW or BE IN-CHRIST?”

1/12/15

5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

24 Verily, verily I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24

There is a well-known book that came out of the 70’s called, “Be Here Now.” In the book one is told of the importance of living in the moment. In this particular form of thinking one focuses only upon what is happening “right now.” One is made aware of their breathing for it is said that one’s breath identifies the moment they are living in “now.”

While there are some good things to be said for this type of thinking, our life in Christ involves our past, present, and future. For as we know, God is beyond time and simultaneously lives in the past, the present and the future. We know that there is a prophetic time table that identifies what will transpire in the future of our world and the church. We are told to hope for what lies ahead and to believe upon Him to be saved through and in what lies ahead. If we are always living in the moment then we may well miss what lies ahead. There are many times when I find myself dwelling upon what lies ahead. One of the reasons for this is that the Holy Spirit has told me many things that are to come. Some of them come in the form of warnings for us, while others are a sense of comfort and security for those who have placed their trust in the Almighty’s wings.

Some people day dream, and their thoughts carry them to other places in their minds. Perhaps you think about a certain place in the mountains beside a stream. Maybe you see yourself living in a certain house that is furnished with unusual furniture or belongings. These are thoughts that many have during the say. Our minds are prone to wander. But I find that even in the midst of day dreaming, that the Holy Spirit will draw me back. And then I find that the Holy Spirit will speak to me, even as my thoughts wander. He will say something about the future, or a word of wisdom concerning my life. You see, He is involved in our thoughts and in our wanderings.

But if one was to constantly dwell upon what lies ahead, particularly those events that come in the form of warnings and preparedness, then they could become overly anxious. So at these moments in time, then a steady focus upon “being here now,” may well be good. But “being here now” should not be experienced without knowing that He “is here now.” You see, the Holy Spirit is present in the moment, as well as allowing us to see our past, as well as our future.

But if one dwells upon the word, soon enough they find that their thoughts and even their day dreams, are tied to the words of God. Soon, they are like that tree is planted by the river, and they flourish in their thought life.

So in closing, learn to “live in the moment,” while at the same time being alert to what lies ahead for our world and your life as well. So be here now but be IN HIM.