THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME

“THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME”

By Pastor Mark Taylor 

There are many things we do not know about what heaven will be like, because it is beyond our ability to comprehend. But one thing we can be sure of is that it will fulfill our greatest longings, it will dazzle us with its beauty, it will obliterate our greatest problems with its power and splendor, it will be greater than anything we could imagine or dream, it will be a place where love and joy will reign unspoiled. God is busy preparing all of this for us. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Hm” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

It will be where God will reward His Children for everything they have done for Him: every tear they shed in prayers for others, every person they helped, and every act of kindness done in His Name.  Think about what is really important.  “Only one life, it will soon be past, Only what is done for Christ will last”.  

If we make preparations for our grandchildren’s visit or guests coming to our home for a meal, how much more does a God of love prepare for the time His children will come to His eternal home. The Bible says, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). Jesus said, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).  If this fallen world in all of its brokenness can be so wonderful, what must heaven be like? 

Heaven is the residence of God. The greatest reward of heaven will be God Himself. Nothing we see or experience will be greater than the fact that we are with God and see him face to face. We sing “O how I love Jesus”, “Amazing Grace”, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.  When we get to Heaven, we will see that Friend and enjoy His company forever.  “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). 

How wonderful it will be to be in the presence of God where we will perfectly know him and know that we are perfectly known and loved. John writes in the book of Revelation: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God’” (Revelation 21:3). We will have no greater reward or relationship than being with our wonderful God and seeing Him face to face. 

No matter what you are going through today - it is only temporary.  No one escapes difficulty and disappointment in this world.  Don’t let it drive you away from the God who loves you and wants to help you.  We are headed to a great place where God lives and where we will find true love and acceptance.  

Christians can be certain of their future in Heaven because Jesus prays for us. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.  And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” (John 17: 9-11).

Christians can be certain of their future in heaven because God is for us and not against us.   “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8: 31-32).  In other words, how can we lose if God is on our side? How can we be kept from future glory if God is for us? Obviously we can’t.  We can be certain that He will bring His work to a fulfillment. God is not investing in a losing cause!  He proved His love for us on Calvary so we can be certain that nothing, absolutely nothing will keep him from completing His loving plans. Even when you struggle and fail, God still loves you and is still for you.

Christians can be certain of their future in Heaven because there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love.  “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38-39). 

There is nothing in this world worth missing Heaven for.  There are temptations from Satan to be selfish, to mistreat others, to be actively involved in worldly pleasures that we know go against God’s principles. But I would ask everyone to consider if this wonderful place God has prepared for them that love Him, is worth missing.  Our time on Earth is brief and we can do many valuable and good things for the Lord Jesus while we are here.  He wants to bless us while we are here and then for Eternity.  At the end of your life you cannot take your wealth, your popularity, or your accomplishments with you.  Heaven is all about new things for those who love God and will serve Him in this life time. “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelations 21:5).

There are many things we do not know about Heaven because it is so much better than  Earth, that there are no human words to explain how great it is.  We will be reunited with our loved ones who loved God and accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior.  We will be rewarded for all of our service and sacrifices in our service for God to meet the needs of others.  Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12).

I would encourage all of those who have not decided to accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior to make that decision, and give their lives to Him so that they might receive the gift of eternal life.  “Jesus said to him:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6).  Heaven is a real place that has been prepared for those that Love God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 14: 1-3).

YOU ARE SPECIAL

You Are Special

Our Lord Jesus has chosen us and chosen to give us His love. That makes us special.  A couple of verses that reinforces my belief on this are: “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.”  John 15:16 and  “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” John 10:14.  The fact is that God knows and loves us by name, personally and intimately.  That fact should motivate us to seek after Him, so that we might know and love Him in the same way.

You are special to Him.  Even if you have been away from God, He is looking for you today. He is drawn to people who are weak and admit it, and who ask for help from Heaven.  “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”   (2 Corinthians 12:9).  You are more valuable than you think you are.  You are more valuable than others think you are.  You are of great value to the God that created you and to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave His live for you.  The Earth, the plants and animals, the sun and moon were created for you.

You and God are a majority.  You have all the resources of Heaven on your side. You can become God’s partner in accomplishing things on Earth that God wants to do. You are only “one” person, but you can allow God to use you to meet the needs of another person who feels that they are only one.

In our technological world we are seeing the de-personalization of our lives. As we go through the day, we feel like a number instead of a person. A statistic instead of a human being. 

Did you ever notice how important individuals are in the Bible?  Individual men and women, with names, and families, and histories, and personalities, and strengths and weaknesses?

God has given us an event in the life of the prophet Elijah.  In this event, God choose one person to make a big difference in the life of Elijah.  I Kings 17: 8-16   The widow women, told Elijah that she only had enough food for one more meal for her and her son and that the two sticks she had was to build a fire to cook their last meal.

Then Elijah told her if she would do this one act of faith that God would bless her for many days.

There was “one” prophet.  At times He felt he was the only one left that was serving God until God showed him there were 7,000 more.  Then there was the “one barrel” and “one cup” of the “one” woman. Before Elijah got to this ladies house, the meal and oil barrels were empty. The barrels were filled by God and never went empty until the famine was over and the rain came.  After she  did what the Lord told her to do, both of them were full.  “For your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.”  Matthew 6:8.

You may not think you have much today to offer the Lord.  You may be “hanging on by a thread”.  But you still have “one thing” more you can do, one more prayer you can pray, and one more promise from God’s Word you can depend upon.  

God likes to use individuals.  He likes to take “one” person to accomplish things for His glory and to meet the needs of others.  And when He chooses that “one” person, it is usually the person who others would be dismissed as weak or unable to perform the task.

Our Lord Jesus ministered to individuals. Yes, He taught the multitudes. Yes, He fed the five thousand. But when He healed people, it wasn’t in great masses. If He wanted to, He could have waved his arms and cured hundreds at a stroke. But instead, He placed His hands on them, one at a time, and He healed them, one at a time. In the same way, when Christ looks at you and me, that’s what He sees; not anonymous faces in the crowd, but his precious, beloved children, whom He knows intimately and cares for deeply. 

God’s plan for each of us is unique.  He loves variety and diversity. God is working in your life differently than He is in mine, or in someone else’s.  It doesn’t mean that He loves you more or less. His plan for you isn’t better or worse than His plan for someone else, it’s just different. 

You are more valuable than the mountains, flowers, birds, and planets, that God created.  Use your life to be a blessing to others and to show your love to the God who thinks you are more valuable than any other thing in His creation.   Memorize and say this verse to yourself every day.  “I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are marvelous and my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14).

When you or I go to God in prayer, He doesn’t say to Himself, "Oh, someone is praying." He doesn’t even say, "one of my children is praying." He says, "______ is praying.” (Put your name in the blank)

God’s personal love serves as a model for us to emulate in our love for one another.  We all have our own faith journey to follow, and someone else’s may not look like yours. That’s OK. Let God deal with them as He sees fit.

Just as we shouldn’t be satisfied with a superficial relationship to one another, we shouldn’t be satisfied to have a superficial relationship with our God. Christ, through His death, has removed every barrier; He has removed every obstacle; He has made it possible for us to truly know God; and He invites us to know Him; and desires that we know Him.

You are loved by God and that is something you need to remind yourself of every day.  You should love yourselves, because God loves you.  You will be able to stand before God one day and understand His love for you.