Home

Before I left Mom & Dad's house Tuesday, I paused for a moment in front of their fireplace.  Over the fireplace is a picture of our entire family that was taken in front of that very fireplace.  I stood there and wept.  I felt such a great loss.  Even though I had never lived in that house, it was home.  Wherever Mom lived, she made that house a home for all of us.  I felt that I would never be able to go home again.

In our last lesson on the book of Revelation with Beth Moore tonight she referred to the book, "The Prodigal God" by Phillip Keller.  In that book he talked about how we all have a longing for our childhood home.  This deep longing is innate within each one of us.  We search the world over but no matter how hard we look, how much money we spend, we can't find it.  We are actually longing for our true home.  Our heavenly home.

What a beautiful description we have of the paradise that God has planned for us in the Book of Revelation.  Jesus will triumph over His last enemy, death!  We will have very full eternal lives in a perfect, glorious setting!

One of my grandmother's favorite songs was "Home Sweet Home".  Every time we visited my grandparents, she asked my Dad to sing it in church.  As he sang in his beautiful tenor voice, tears would stream down her face.  When I was little I wondered why she always wanted him to sing it when surely she knew it would make her cry!  I understand it now.

We are headed for a home filled with the light of God's glory!  A home that knows no sadness, no tears, no death!  I can so vividly see Dad standing at the front of the church, pointing his finger heavenward as he sang the chorus:
Home, sweet home, home sweet home, where I’ll never roam.
I see the light of that city so bright, my home, sweet, home.

Beth advised us tonight, "When you feel that longing for home within you, smile and whisper toward heaven, 'I'm longing for home.'  When we get to heaven we will finally get to the place we were stinkin' longing for!"

Revelation 22:17 (New Living Translation)
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

Anyone who desires is welcome.  Jesus is calling you home.

Come