Your true home. . . and there's no mortgage! John 14.1-6
9/24/2009 9:57:05 PM
Scripture Reading: John 14.1-6 Today's inspiration:  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. . . Revelation 21.4 Good Morning. This one's for you, J.J.J. ~ read, and be blessed. . . could you please send this to Jane? "Our Father who art in Heaven" ~ this was the start of the prayer Jesus taught the disciples to pray.


Scripture Reading: John 14.1-6 Today's inspiration: He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. . . Revelation 21.4


Good Morning.


This one's for you, J.J.J. ~ read, and be blessed. . . could you please send this to Jane?


"Our Father who art in Heaven" ~ this was the start of the prayer Jesus taught the disciples to pray. In that day, it was common for rabbis to create prayers for their followers to pray or recite; the disciples wanted a Jesus-written prayer, that would be unique to them, the first Christ-followers. He told them to address their prayer to their heavenly Father, who of course was His Father, too. He was teaching them to look at themselves in right relationship with God, as sons of His. Far too soon, Jesus told the disciples that He would be leaving them, so He comforts them with the words recorded in the first few verses of John chapter 14--"Don't be troubled--I'm going ahead of you to prepare a place in My Father's home, just for you--then I'll come and get you. . .so that where I am, there you may be also." Jesus was talking about Heaven. When I was a child, Heaven kinda worried me--not knowing very much about it. . . at best, I thought I would be bored, but I also wondered if once I got to Heaven, I would look around and not see my dad, or some other dear one, and I would worry about them. Several years ago, when I was teaching the book of John, chapter 14 grabbed me, and made me want to know more about Heaven. . . more about the place Jesus has gone to prepare for me.


My favorite services to conduct are funerals. There is no greater time to love people well--right at the point of their great sorrow. Plus, I know of no greater way to honor 'the departed one' than to love on the 'left behind loved ones'. A few months ago, I got a phonecall from someone who was in attendance at another funeral I had officiated, saying, 'I really don't know why I have your business card--'didn't think I'd ever need it, but my 25-year-old son-in-law just fell over dead yesterday--can you come and help us?' First of all, it isn't supposed to happen like that! Adam was little more than a kid with two small kids of his own, and a wife... now he was gone. I could not give any of his loved ones the 'why' of his passing, nor did I make that attempt, but I sure could give them the 'HOPE' of his new home--Heaven. That is just what I did in front of the standing-room only crowd, with former football players, a few gang types, a bunch of 'too cool for their skin' types and a huge family. . . I opened God's Word and taught them what I know about Heaven. No one was nodding off--it was a magical, no, a Spirit-filled time. Taste and see, friends.


There is no greater hope than Heaven.

In Heaven, there is no sickness or pain or suffering.

There will be no separation from loved ones. . . ever.

No loneliness, anger or fear

No death or worry or crying

No hurt feelings or hard feelings

No divorce, no abuse--no 'you don't belong here'--

or 'you just don't fit in. . . you're not like us'

in Heaven--no rejection, my dear ones.

We will finally be as God meant us to be

And at least, we will know what it's like to be "Home"~


'Want to know more?

Check out Revelation 21. There are 12 gates to Heaven; each one is a grand and glorious pearl. Take a step inside, Dear. . . do you notice how light it is? Now, don't look for any street lamps, all of this light comes from the Lamb. And just imagine it. . . there will be no night--no, darkness never comes. Heaven is laid out as a square--12,000 furlongs each way--which in today's language means it is a cube 1500 miles square, which is as large as the area from Canada to Mexico, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rockies. It can easily accommodate 20 billion residents, each having her own 75-acre plot. So, Heaven is a great big place! Not just real. . . not just big, but Heaven is beautiful. The walls of Heaven have 12 foundations, which are adorned with precious stones, including sapphires, onyx, emeralds, amethysts, topaz and more. Now, when you marry the magnificence of the opulent color of the precious stones with the glorious light, you have color that dances.


Do you see why giving the grieving the Hope of Heaven is such a gift to me? This is the gift of our Lord. . . and there's more... until tomorrow~

Christine