Going Home

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.

John 14:3

It was my first time to take a trip “far away” where I would stay for two weeks. I was all of nine years old at the time. I stayed at my Aunt Lee's place that was very near Chicago. She lived in a boarding house. Mr. & Mrs. Primass had a very large two story house in a lovely neighborhood. There were five good sized bedrooms on the second flood that they rented out. Mrs. Primass cooked for everyone...all three meals. She and her husband were really sweet people. Aunt Lee had the nicest room upstairs, a front corner room with lots of sunshine and cross ventilation created by the two windows on two different walls.

There were three neighbor girls my age and we four became good buds right away. I enjoyed playing by myself too, with my dolls and playthings in the backyard of the large house. One day though, things came crashing down. My parents were due to come for me in three days but upon waking up one morning, my aunt took one look at me and let out a shriek. I had the mumps...on both sides and guess I looked pretty bad. She wouldn't let me look in a mirror that day. Aunt Lee made a quick call to my mom and told her to forget coming for at least another two weeks.

I was getting to where I loved being with my aunt and Mr. & Mrs. Primass. My mother sent me a book to read. It was my first big book with chapters, a Bobbsey Twins book. With little to do including no TV, I dug into that book and had it read through in about three days. My aunt couldn't believe I could read that fast so I read the book again and again. Meals were brought to me in bed. I grew to really love that room with the pretty blue flowered wall paper and white organdy curtains gently being tossed about from the breeze coming through the windows.

My fourth week there, my Aunt Lee told me that I was well so she had called my parents to tell them that they could come whenever they wanted to. They came the following weekend with my sister Kay. A strange feeling came over me. I had been in that nice house with new friends next door. It suddenly dawned on me that I was going home...and I didn't want to go. How could that be? I cried and cried privately in that pretty bedroom, not wanting my mother especially to be hurt. Aunt Lee knew I was upset so we talked. She explained all the reasons why I had to go home. My town in Southern Illinois with the house on Clark Street was my home where my real family lived, so I should be sweet and not hurt my parents.

We left for home. It was hard saying good-bye to newly made childhood friends as well as my aunt and adult friends. I was teary on the way home...couldn't imagine it being better than what I'd had for a month. I just knew I would never again love my real home like the one I had experienced for that month...mumps and all.

Why do I relay this incident? As I've thought over this experience, I've compared it to this earth we live on in our individual towns and houses. God has put us where we are, but it's only a temporary trip. The day will come when Jesus will come for us to take us to THE real place...Heaven. The problem is that while here, we've come to love this ol' earth with all of it's flaws and problems. We've made friends that we like to “play with.” We've gotten used to the food and our surroundings. We've been close to family and friends as well. While here, I've read lots and lots of chapter books. I've asked Brian while driving through the mountains if he thought Heaven could be this pretty. To be honest, I'm concerned about that because I've never really cared for gold all that much. For me, Heaven would have lots of beautiful mountains with streams and all that goes with this kind of setting.

One day, while reading my Bible, it dawned on me that as the song goes, “This world is not my home...I'm just a passin' through.” I realized like being with my Aunt and loving it there, while here on this earth, I've gotten to where I love it here and can't imagine being anyplace else just like it was when a little girl. I'm afraid at times, I've pounded my tent pegs too deep into the soil of this world, having no desire to move or go anyplace else.

While thinking and praying about all of this, some facts were reinforced in my mind and heart on this subject:

For one thing, I don't think I'm the only person who has made herself at home on this old planet. I think there is a vast majority of Christians who find themselves thinking like I had come to think. One indication is all the doctors we see and medications we swallow. Why? We're hanging onto this place for dear life, not that there's anything wrong with taking medications. Survival is something that is a part of us and who we are.

Because Scripture doesn't give us much information about Heaven, I think it's a difficult reality for us. Oh it's there and it's very real but like my dreading returning to my family home, we would like to stay here and not go any other place. We've had friends and family go on ahead of us to this wonderful place but they aren't able to call us to tell us what it's like.

The major thing that is a winner for me though is just the thought of Jesus being there in Heaven anticipating my coming. He told His disciples in John 14 that He was going to prepare a place for them (us). The wonderful thing is His plan to come and get us at the appropriate time. He meanwhile is in Heaven interceding for us with the Father (Hebrews 7:25). He even prays to the Father for us when we just don't have the words to utter on our own.

I don't have to have a travel brochure about Heaven. I don't have to know what it looks like. I don't have to know who is already there. It doesn't make any difference if I don't care for gold. When John, in the book of Revelation, tells about that beautiful place, all of that is well and good. There are folks I want to see when I get there, but the simple fact is that we should want to get to our eternal home because Jesus is there. I want to see Him before anyone else. The surroundings won't be as important as getting to be in His presence, worshiping Him and loving Him in person. We will have no longing for that eternal home if we don't stay in close relationship with our Savior now, studying His word and being people of prayer. Staying in close contact with Him will create a hunger in our hearts, a feeling of homesickness for our real forever home. Heaven will be home because Jesus is there.

Lord Jesus, I have such a longing to see You in person. Thank You for making Heaven a reality for me through your dying for my sin and rising from the dead that I might live eternally with You. I love You and anticipate our face to face meeting some day. Amen.

One Is All I Need

One God and Father of all,

who is above all,

and through all,

and in you all.

Ephesians 4:6

A few years ago, I was talking with a lovely lady who had been born and raised in India. In her teens, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She explained how difficult it was being ostracized from friends and family alike because of her decision. (Later, both parents and a sibling accepted Jesus probably because of her witness before them.)

She explained to me the confusion of her Hindu religion even though she grew up in the thick of it. They would have special times of “worship” where her entire family would gather. The men would sit in a huge circle in the courtyard with legs crossed and would spend hour after hour praying to their gods of which I understand there are thousands.

This woman couldn't believe the difference in paying homage to so many gods with so many expectations compared to worshiping God, His Son and Spirit...our God Who is three in one. She had never felt any kind of personal attachment to the old ways but with Jesus as her Savior, she felt safe, secure and loved beyond anything she could ever have imagined.

Idol worship has been a huge problem not just in our day but in our spiritual heritage that goes back through the Old Testament. It was such a problem early on, that when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, right in the beginning can be found “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” God will not tolerate idol worship nor anything people put in a position of more importance than Himself. There is a holy jealousy in God with regard to His children. He wants to be the one and only in our lives....NO ONE more important to us than Him.

The interesting thing is that we can easily be critical of people who are members of cults and false religions, but there's something that disturbs me as I observe members of such religions. If you want to compare the depth of dedication between believers in false religions and our Christianity, I'm afraid very often we would find those involved in cults and false religions have we Christians beat all to pieces.

I can't speak for everyone but Christianity in America has become so watered down with the things of the world that many Christians wouldn't stand for Christ if someone held a gun to their heads. With the climate in our country regarding the radical Muslim religion, I wonder when the last time was that I prayed five times a day...every day...without fail. I saw a young lady in the grocery story the other day in her Muslim attire. It takes a great deal of bravery to walk grocery store aisles in that attire with many people looking down their noses at her. That young woman stepped out in her special attire into our world who is skeptical and even scared of such a religious statement.

Because we don't bow before idols such as is with some religions, we might tend to be critical of folks from other countries who do. In fact even they are often more dedicated and worshipful toward their gods than we are to our Lord Jesus. Because we don't bow before an image, picture or statue of some kind, we tend to dismiss the thought of having any kind of idol worship in our lives. I believe we have them, but we just haven't given such things a title. An idol is going to be anything that we have in place that comes between God and ourselves. It can be something very simple, but something that takes up a great deal of our time or thinking. I have often asked myself, as I have spent time with a crochet hook in my hand, how much time I have spent that day in Bible reading and prayer compared to the time I spent crocheting. I'm not saying we can never have a hobby, times of creativity or just casual blocks of time that are refreshing where we may be doing nothing at all. It comes down to balance.

You might be able to add to the list but let me suggest some practical things whether good or bad that can get out of control, where God is asked to take a back seat. For some folks, there might be a problem with some of the following:

TV – Probably all of us have at least one in our house, perhaps in each bedroom as well as living room and/or den. If that has become something we just HAVE to watch incessantly, it could be a problem. There are some good things on TV but not much. Even some spiritual programming may be good but even with it, one has to be discrete.

Car – Remember getting a new car and wanting to wipe off every speck of dust everyday? For some folks, that is on going and a car can take up ones time by the hour. Is there anything wrong with a car and wanting to keep it looking nice? Not as long as it's kept in reasonable balance.

Clothes closet – I've known women and men alike whose attire is their all in all. I know one lady that I attended church with that I doubt if I saw her in the same outfit two times on Sunday mornings. Honestly, I'm not jealous. I hate shopping anytime for clothes and can't imagine being so involved in the shopping syndrome that I would have to have a new outfit every Sunday morning. Some folks might as well bow before their closets.

Money – This can take any form whether it be excessive time spent in the earning or spending of it.

Education – I knew someone several years ago who received his college degree. He went on to get a masters and than on to a doctorate then on to another masters and another masters. He was what we would call a “career student.” In reality, education wasn't just his life...education was his whole life...perhaps, his god.

Recreation – Come spring and summer, many folks dessert church for those months. They may enjoy boating, fishing or heading for the family cabin. There's nothing wrong with those activities but with the attitude that they'll be absent from church most of that time, what place does that give God in their lives.

Let's not even talk about electronics. We might complain about children with their computer games and cell phones. Within reason, there's nothing wrong with those activities as long as they are God honoring. Adults spend hours as well playing with their electronic toys. They have to have the very latest in whatever devices they crave.

I'm not saying any of the above are bad things. For all of us, there needs to be a balance. God should never have to play second fiddle in our lives. If He's taking a back seat, we can be sure there's something between Him and us and it will be of our own doing. I've said before that He's a gentleman and won't force a spiritual relationship on us. He wants first place in our lives at all times...He's the one and only God and will settle for nothing less.

Nothing between my soul and the Savior

So that His blessed face may be seen.

Nothing preventing the least of His favor.

Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

--C.A. Tindley

Dear Lord Jesus...I love You but often I'm so weak. I don't want there to be anything between You and me. May it be so knowing I rely on Your empowering to be all You want me to be. Amen

Broken Things

The sacrifices of God are a broken

spirit: a broken and a contrite

heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Hanging on the wall over my piano is “what-not” shelving. There are three shelves on this particular display. On those shelves. as I am presently looking at it are several items...my ceramic wedding cake topper, a small vase, shoe and dish my mother also gave me, but the rest are cups and saucers (antiques by now) that belonged to my Scotch grandmother. They are beautiful with varied designs. There is even one cup and saucer that friends of my grandmother brought back from England when they went there at the time of the coronation of the present Queen Elizabeth. All of these things are carefully wrapped and packed when we move.

About ten years ago, as I was playing the piano, a nail on one side of this shelving came out of the wall and things began to fall. I did my best to grab at items one by one. It could have been one big pile of gold embossed china and ceramics but managed to catch several pieces. One cup was totally destroyed but it's saucer was okay. Another china cup broke into about four neat pieces. A saucer also went into several pieces. I was so grateful for super glue. Brian and I carefully tried to put these “Humpty-dumpties” together again. The cup looks good from a distance but is unusable. The saucer also came together quite well but it's cup was the one that was smashed to smithereens. By faith and some sturdy nails, it all is hanging on the wall in front of me but every now and then I get nervous as to what could happen again. Broken things, especially broken things of sentiment are hard to deal with.

There's nothing unusual about broken things in our lives. Many are more of an inconvenience than anything, such as a broken windshield in a car, sitting on a pair of glasses and busting something on them, leg on a chair, fingernail, etc.......

However, there are things that are broken that aren't mere inconveniences. They are things of life, things no super glue can handle...things like Humpty-dumpty that can't be put together again, at least to their original condition. Many such things might be mended to some extent (like my china cup that's been glued together but can't be used for it's intended purpose) but we are often left with memories that are uncomfortable. These are things that aren't material...they are things of life, things of the heart. Some of these things might be:

Broken friendships, marriages

Erring children that can break parents' hearts

Broken promises

A daughter “breaks up” with a boyfriend

Church splits (a major break up)

Broken health (especially a broken bone)

The things listed above will break our hearts. Most of the time we won't know why God has allowed us to go through brokenness. Other human beings cannot heal our broken times...God, our Father is the One who does that if we want total healing. Scripture says:

He healeth the broken in heart,

and bindeth up their wounds

Psalm 147: 3

Let me add that in our broken times, our Heavenly Father never wastes those times. There is always something spiritual in nature that He wants us to learn. One of the first questions we should ask Him when something is about to break us in pieces is: “What do You want me to learn from this experience?” What a shame and waste for us to force ourselves to endure and then walk away unchanged.

We must remember that Jesus knew something about being broken...broken like you and I will never have to experience. Because of that in His life, He can relate when you and I find ourselves broken.... that we feel it will almost take the very life out of us. Jesus said the following in the presence of His disciples:

And when He had given thanks, He

brake it, and said,

Take, eat: this is my body, which is

broken for you: this do in

remembrance of me.

I Corinthians 11:24

Jesus gave above and beyond what anyone else could give and His broken body was for us. He surely experienced a broken heart any number of times prior to his crucifixion. He was betrayed by one of His very own disciples and denied by another. I've gone through both of those things and can't even measure the tears I cried over being betrayed and even denied. Jesus knows and understands. Fleeing to Him is the only answer. It would be wonderful if there was a “super glue” for the heart. However, I've often said that only God's love putty can fill in the cracks of a broken heart or broken spirit. What a comfort knowing that He stands ready to love and heal us. God puts we Humpty-dumpties together again so that we can serve Him better than before and walk in even closer relationship with Him.

Lord Jesus, I understand there are times I need to go through a time of brokenness that is a time of hurt but a time of cleansing as well. When I need to be broken, do what You deem best, but please stay ever near during those times. I love you and place my life totally in Your hands to do what you see is best to do so that I can be a clean and willing vessel for Your use. Amen and Amen.

Forever the Same

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,

and today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

I learned this verse from Hebrews when I was in fourth grade while attending daily vacation Bible school. I liked it because it was easy to learn and fairly easy to understand. It only went that far with me at the time. I didn't realize that many, many years later, this verse would come to be of great comfort to me.

When just a girl, I hated hearing the adults in my life speaking of the “good old days.” Nothing could have been as good as they described it, especially with World War II and the Great Depression thrown in. But for those adults, even in the 40's and 50's, they looked at their present days and saw changes they didn't like, that caused them great concern. I thought and still do that those decades were really the best that our country had to offer. I guess that's probably why if asked, my children would have the same reaction to my longings as I did to the adults in my life back then.

It cannot be denied, however, that in our country over the last twenty years especially, we have seen some pretty radical changes. We are faced with a bad economic situation that includes high taxes. We have learned that our high taxes are going toward unnecessary and costly trips, parties, entertainment by our IRS. There seems to be no way to put all of it in check.

Churches have changed and not any particular denomination. Many churches are being pastored by women (by the way, not to be done according to Scripture). Many churches are giving way to rock concerts and then tagging on a 10 minute sermon from the pastor. The Word of God is all but lost in the confusion. As Christians, we have all but lost our “saltiness” in a country that has needed us to speak up and stand for what is right.

Who would ever have believe that the Boy Scouts of America would have yielded to the homosexual agenda. Did you ever believe in time past, that you would see two men or two women holding hands, kissing each other and demanding to have marriage rights like “normal” couples have. What is a Muslim Imam (pastor) doing being invited to the White House to speak or counsel with the presidents staff. Did we ever think it would be a no-no to say, “Merry Christmas” in a school classroom or that one little woman, an atheist could be responsible for taking God out of our school classrooms.

The list could go on and on....however....I return to our verse. We have known that things change and usually not for good. We know we are living in a decaying culture, we just didn't think we would live to see it, at least not to the extent we are seeing it now. I place my comfort in Hebrews 13:8. I have always been a person who hates change. With all of the things that seem to be changing so rapidly, I have a hope...a wonderful hope. My hope is based on the simple fact that Jesus Christ doesn't change...that He is never changing. He's never changed, still doesn't and never will. He is that blessed constant in my life and in yours as well. When He and His Father decided on those things that are sin, guess what...they are still sin and always will be. Not only that, but those who choose to shake their fists at those things God declares as being sin will one day find their trembling knees shaking and bending before a Holy God Who will accept no excuses. Jesus is our constant, our steady influence and our unchanging Savior. He is our rock, fortress, friend, Savior and every other precious name we could use for Him that in every circumstance will never change.

Many things should never change

I feel they never should.

Invariably the things that change,

Are rarely for the good.

Filthy language is out of hand

Cursing beyond all hope.

When a child, I couldn't say “darn” or “gosh”

Or my mouth got washed out with soap.

Then there's the dress code of our day

Or a serious lack of one.

Girls baring skin and body parts

Boys britches dragging the ground.

Respect, courtesy, and thoughtfulness

Have all but faded away.

We used to care for the other guy

But that was another day.

But there are some things that haven't changed

Whether some folks like it or not.

The ways of God and of His Word

Are battles that must be fought.

You see, Jesus Christ doesn't changed

Be it today, future or past.

His principles, promises and commands

Are unchanging and will always last.

For I am the Lord, I change not....

Malachi 3:6a

A friend passed the following statement off to me not too long ago. It is one worth thinking about:

Do I embrace today what shocked me yesterday?

Lord Jesus, help me be consistent in my spiritual walk. Help me be consistent in my values, principles and standards despite the ways of the world. May I be aware that these are the last days and there are going to be disturbing changes that will be disturbing. I love You and praise you today for who You are in my life. Amen

Quit Yer Belly Achin'

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope thou in God: for I shall yet

praise him, who is the health of my

countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42:11

It has to be about 25 years ago or maybe a little more that our family was on our way to our usual vacation place...the Great Smoky Mountains. On one of those trips, we decided to take a different route, taking us through the Atlanta, Georgia area. We found a wonderful church there that we ended up visiting a few times after that during our vacation jaunts. We were disappointed on one occasion to find that there would be a special preacher on the Sunday night that we would be there. We were disappointed as we really liked the preaching of the pastor.

We ended up hearing someone that night that I believe to this day, our family remembers quite well. Getting to the pulpit was a task for the guest speaker. He was a neatly dressed young man, but had an obvious physical disability. His name is David Ring. As far as I know, David is still an evangelist and motivational speaker. His lovely wife and children were introduced and then he began his story.

David was born dead, but doctors worked on him and at the 18 minute mark, David came to life. When something like this happens with a newborn, there are often serious physical problems that develop and for David, such was true. He developed Cerebral Palsy, a very debilitating condition that brings with it more problems than one can believe. His speech was greatly affected as was his mobility. As David got into the testimony of his life, listeners didn't notice so much his awkward movements and slurred speech. His message kept all of us riveted on him because of the content of his sermon.

In his testimony, David basically went through his difficult life and the goodness of God all along the way. There wasn't one word of complaint from David. One of his basic theories was that you can look around and always find someone worse off than you. I liked that he spoke of broken things and how we throw away broken things, but God never does. His words were inspiring and his spirit, contagious. He spoke of people's quickness to complain about the smallest of things and that even with the big obstacles of life, he kept telling us over and over to “Quit yer belly achin'.”

One of the first places in Scripture we find the problem of “belly achin'” is in the book of Exodus where God's people found themselves in the wilderness after being led out of the land of Egypt. Things hadn't been all that great in Egypt, but suddenly in the wilderness, the people found themselves away from any securities they had known there. Of all the sins that could be committed at the time, the one that upset God the most was the murmuring, grumbling and yes, belly achin' of the people. Their negative complaints revealed one huge thing...these people didn't trust their Father who had done so much for them and Who had proven Himself faithful to them. As a result, God allowed his people to wander in the wilderness much longer than they would have desired.

Jesus faced complainers as well. Jesus had just been teaching to a crowd of people. He had in part been explaining who He was and His Father's role in Jesus' ministry. John 6:41 says: “The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.” They murmured a little more and then in verse 43, He responded: “Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.” If Jesus made that statement to Jews back then, what makes us think He will be pleased with our murmuring and griping today?

Paul speaking of the Israelites says to the Corinthians in I Corinthians 10:10

Neither murmur ye, as some of them

also murmured, and were destroyed of

the destroyer.

Let's look at Jude 1:16 as he speaks of the ungodly:

These are murmurers, complainers, walking

over their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh

great swelling words, having men's persons in

admiration because of advantage.

So what do we do with this thing of griping and belly achin' that can so easily become a part of us?

1. Recognize complaining when we hear it coming out of our own mouths and stop it.
2. Confess murmuring as sin, for most of it comes from the sin of ingratitude.
3. Whatever our problems, give them to the Lord...He's in charge of everything anyway.
4. We must count our blessings...for many people in the world, we would be considered rich people.
5. Forsake complaining...no one really wants to hear it and it doesn't honor God in any way.
6. God's consequences for the Israelites was to wander aimlessly in the wilderness for many years. I don't want to be put in a wilderness for a time because of my spirit of discontent.
   
   What's the answer? Let me close with Philippians 2:13-15a and 4:6:
   

For it is God which worketh in you both to

will and to do of his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmurings and

disputings:

That ye may be blameless and harmless,

the sons of God, without rebuke...

Be careful for nothing; but in everything

by prayer and supplication with

thanksgiving let your requests be

made known unto God.

Dear Father...forgive my tendency to gripe and bellyache about things that really make very little difference in the whole scope of life. Keep me positive and looking upward with a positive and grateful spirit. I love You and thank You for Your goodness in my life. Amen.