Exchange Rates and Currency Values

As I came out of the house this morning on my way to work I was recalling a conversation I had with my neighbor the other day. She was telling me how expensive everything was in Costa Rica, almost the same price as things here, except they pay you in Colons instead of US Dollars.

That got me to thinking about exchange rates and currency. Given my travels abroad, I am very familiar with conversions and equivalencies. For instance for today here are some inter bank rates:
1 US Dollar = 567.180 Costa Rican Colon
1 US Dollar = 1,998.29 Uganda Shilling (1,940.00 UGX through money gram wires)
1 US Dollar = 50.17974 Indian Rupee 49.48 Inr "
1 US Dollar = 83.28968 Kenyan Shilling 76.90 Ksh "
1 US Dollar = 147.049 Nigerian Naira 146.37 Naira "

Then I heard this question asked,"What is the exchange rate for what you are spending your time, attention, and energies on? Does it have an eternal value to it? Can you afford what it is costing you?" (OUCH!)

Then I remembered a dear friend of mine who had been living abroad on an assignment, has come back to the US and just contacted me last night. She told me she has taken a position at the World Bank.

Interesting, Lord. So what are you trying to get across here? Banking, currency, exchange rates... then I heard this... "What is the currency of Heaven?"

How many of you say FAITH? Uh, huh, I thought so. That was my very first thought too! But then I remembered the scripture in 1Cor 13 (Amplified Version)

1Co 13:8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

1Co 13:9 For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

1Co 13:10 But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

1Co 13:12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].

1Co 13:13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.

When we get to Heaven dear ones, we will not need to exercise Faith. We will be experiencing what we ahd stood in faith believing but not yet seeing. We will then be SEEING what we had been believing...so then Faith will no longer be necessary. So what does it leave? Scripture tells us that Faith Worketh by Love.

Gal. 5:6 (MSG) For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

Recently when I was in intercession at church ( I head Saturday morning prayer at our church) the Lord spoke/showed me something so profound to me that it took by breath away... I was praying for the Bride of Christ
and a few times He has shown me the Wedding Dress ( that is a whole nother post in itself!) This time I saw a beautiful garment embellished with appliques and sequins and pearls and then He spoke..." Things that are done in secret, in darkness will be shouted from the house tops." I always took that to mean the secret sins of the heart...but He went on to say to me; "The acts of Kindness done that no one saw or acknowledged, the things that you did quietly, the things that you took no credit for and maybe someone else got the credit... the things you said and did in love, or held back in love from saying or doing... THESE THINGS will be the ornamentation upon your Wedding Gown and in that day, ALL shall see what was done in darkness and secret!" I understood Him to mean that yes this was my Wedding Dress- but it was not mine alone- it was how each dress would be adorned- by the good and kind things that we had done down here on earth. Blew me away! Still does!

The currency of Heaven is Love. For God Himself is Love. They will KNOW we are HIS disciples by the Love we have One for the Other. Not love of the world. Not love shown to the lost, but the love we show to each other in this family we are born into. The love we give in the kindnesses we do both at home and abroad.

Acts 10:38 (GW) You know that God anointed Jesus from Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went everywhere and did good things, such as healing everyone who was under the devil's power. Jesus did these things because God was with him.

So, I leave you with these questions:
Where have YOU gone and done good? What exchange rate are you getting and what currency are you using? Selah. Think about it.