Eternal Homecoming

There are phrases like "Home is where the heart is" and "You are my home" that mean so much to us. None greater than the thoughts of our eternal home in heaven, which Jesus calls "paradise." Through all the years of travel Andra and I experienced one thing rang true, "we are each other's home!" Home is more than a location, or a place of residence because Home is "family" and there is no greater family than having God as our Father, Jesus as our brother, and other believers are our brothers and sisters. The writer of Hebrews says it this way in Hebrews 2:11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.That is our home.

In John 17 Jesus prays for His Homecoming and ours John 17:13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

When we lived in California and planned a trip back to Missouri our words would include "We are coming home." When I go back to West Plains, Missouri I also say "I am going home" and it would bring me great joy. Why? Because I was not only raised there, graduated from high school there, and began my ministry there. It is home, my earthly home. In the above verses Jesus in His prayer to the Father says, In John 17 Jesus prays for His Homecoming and ours John 17:13 “Now I am coming to you. Jesus left His home in heaven to come to earth as a man to pave a way for us to enter this eternal place called "home." The home to come is described as a wonderful paradise where all afflctions will be absent and we will live in this paradise for eternity. There are many charcteristics of heaven that we try to guess because the specifics are not totally given, but enough is known through scripture where we know it is an AWESOME place to be.

The promises of God give us an idea of what that "home" will be like and we will of course be with our heavenly Father, and our Savior Jesus. Praise the Lord. That is what I call "home" for sure and Jesus has gone ahead and gone back to heaven and waits for us there. We know Jesus is in heaven because when Stephen was being killed He looked into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 7:54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Paul echoes this thought about where our hearts should be when thinking about our "real" home. Colossians 3:1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. What a day that will be when we see Jesus face to face and then spend etenity in paradise. Heaven was promised by Jesus to one of those on the cross beside Him and He called it paradise. An Eternal Homecoming.

Today's Message,

David Warren