Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No.18 Welcome Home???
We’ve been on the road for the last week or so, and I’m reminded again of the beauty and warmth of ‘home’! But what is home, really? I’d like to share a few thoughts with you today about home, what it means to me, and what I think we need to remember about “home’!
We often have sentimental thoughts about home, and that’s ok, but home is more than sentiment! Home is the entity that God created to help man be all that God created him to be! Home is the incubator of humanity—good or bad!
“And God said,
Let us make man
in our image,
after our likeness:
and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air,
and over the cattle,
and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God
created he him;
male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them,
Be fruitful,
and multiply,
and replenish the earth,
and subdue it:
and have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28
God created us to fill the earth with humankind, to rule over all that HE had placed on the earth for them, and the home and family were God’s plan for accomplishing that! And while we have perverted it to the ultimate –God’s plan hasn’t changed. He created man and woman for each other—to fulfill His purposes for all mankind!
“And the LORD God said,
It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed
every beast of the field,
and every fowl of the air;
and brought them unto Adam
to see what he would call them:
and whatsoever Adam called every living creature,
that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;
but for Adam there was not found
an help meet
for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib,
which the LORD God had taken
from man,
made he a woman,
and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said,
This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh:
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave
his father and his mother,
and shall cleave
unto his wife:
and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:18-25
God created a “home” by bringing together the man and the woman to become one—to be “one” in the image of God. To come together for one another to dispel the loneliness through companionship of husband and wife; Eve was brought to Adam to complete him relationally. And while Adam and Eve were the first, God declared the future principle of every home—that the man should leave and cleave to his wife! God set up the function and perpetuation of the family—the core of every home! The leaving from father and mother and cleaving “unto his wife” was the order for the first man, and God hasn’t changed the rules, regardless of what the world around us is promoting. We must remember that when we belong to Jesus, we march to a different drummer than the world—we follow God. We are to build our earthly homes on the principle of God’s heavenly home!
“10 For he looked for a city
which hath foundations,
whose builder
and maker is God……
13 These all died in faith,
not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them,
and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly
that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out,
they might have had opportunity
to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country,
that is,
an heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called
their God:
for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:10-16
When we follow Jesus, we seek a home—a heavenly home—that is built by God–The eternal “home” maker. But while on earth, we are to live at home with Jesus in our daily lives, regardless of where we are, and live in such a way that others see our holy and pure lives and want to be at home with Jesus too! While we aren’t at “home” here permanently, we are a reflection of the heavenly home—as we reflect the glory of the God who lives within us.
“And above all these things
put on charity,
which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God
rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called
in one body;
and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly
in all wisdom;
teaching
and admonishing one another
in psalms
and hymns
and spiritual songs,
singing with grace
in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do
in word
or deed,
do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and the Father
by him.” Colossians 3:14-17
We are called to let the “word of Christ dwell in you richly” because we are “one body”—just as the husband and wife are to be ‘one’, we are ‘one’ with Jesus Christ in heart and mind and are at “home” with Him in all we do, as He dwells in us “richly”!!! And when we are ‘one’ with Him we can be at “home” anywhere HE leads us! Jesus desires oneness with us, and oneness in our homes! It’s what Jesus prayed for us before He headed to the cross!
“Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also
which shall believe on me
through their word;
21 That they all may be one;
as thou, Father,
art in me,
and I in thee,
that they also may be one
in us:
that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory
which thou gavest me
I have given them;
that they may be one,
even as we are one:
23 I in them,
and thou in me,
that they may be made perfect
in one;
and that the world may know
that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved them,
as thou hast loved me.” John 17:20-23
That “the world may know”—that is our job—that is why God adopts us into HIS family! To be a part of HIS eternal, heavenly ‘home’!
“But as many as received him,
to them gave he power
to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born,
not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man,
but of God.” John 1:12-13
We are born again to be “the sons of God”—children of God, born “of God” to be His children before a lost and dying world; to be at ‘home’ here with Jesus within our hearts, showing the world what a real “home” looks like—real oneness—real love—real purpose—real direction—real, genuine relationship. Not a religion but a real home-life relationship! A relationship that the world needs! And one day we will spend eternity in God’s heavenly home!!!
“Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God,
believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions:
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again,
and receive you unto myself;
that where I am,
there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go
ye know,
and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him,
Lord, we know not whither thou goest;
and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way,
the truth,
and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.” John 14:1-6
Jesus came that we might have an abundant life here and eternal life with Him in heaven—at home eternally with our Father God and His Son Jesus!!!
“I am the door:
by me if any man enter in,
he shall be saved,
and shall go in and out,
and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not,
but for to steal,
and to kill,
and to destroy:
I am come
that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep.” John 10:9-11
This great and good shepherd came to give HIS life for us! He came that we could have abundant life—at home while He leaves us here and in eternity when our time on earth is up!!!
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven,
thou art there:
if I make my bed in hell,
behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness
hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth
as the day:
the darkness and the light
are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:7-14
Home is where the heart is—for home is who you are with not where you are—there’s no place like home—when your home is with your Savior, who has made you at home where He is—and HE IS everywhere! Always!!!
Just as the Psalmist reminds us—we are ever in HIS presence—and He has us in HIS hand—at Home with Jesus!
