I once read a story about an American missionary who had spent most of his life on a poverty-stricken, disease-infested mission field. He became ill and was basically sent home to die. When the ship transporting him back to the United States pulled into the dock, he was greeted with the sounds of marching bands and cheers. But they weren't for him. They were for President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from an extended vacation and hunting trip.
There was no one waiting to escort the missionary home. There was no warm welcome for him. Though desperately ill, he faced the daunting tasks of gathering his luggage and hailing a cab alone. Here was a famous man who had simply returned from weeks of rest and relaxation, greeted with fanfares by a cheering crowd. On the other hand, the unknown man who had sacrificed his life to care for needy, hungry people wasn't even noticed. He questioned God about the fairness of what he saw happening, later recounting that God's answer settled his every doubt. God had simply whispered to the missionary's heart, "But son, you're not Home yet!"1
What a future we have waiting for us! What a celebration it will be when all God's children get Home! Have you ever planned a trip to somewhere you've never been before? No matter how many travel brochures you've seen or testimonies you've heard from people who have traveled there before you, your mind just can't imagine the details of a place where you have never been. I suppose there is not a Christian in the world who hasn't wondered what Heaven will be like. When it comes to the subject of our heavenly Home, most of us have more questions than we have answers. But we know one thing for sure. The same Creator who designed this world with its majestic mountains, pristine lakes, blue oceans, four distinct seasons of color, sunrises, sunsets, and glorious flowers, also designed and built our heavenly Home. He guarantees us that we've never seen anything on this earth to compare to its beauty. The foundations and walls of the city are covered with jewels, the gates are gigantic pearls, and the streets are paved with gold. But as breathtaking as this vast expanse of unimaginable beauty is, that's still not the attraction of Heaven (Rev. 21:18-21). Every biblical writer who was blessed with a spiritual glimpse into Heaven focused on what impressed him the most. Without a doubt, the incomprehensible size of the city, the abundance of mansions, the gold-paved streets, the jeweled walls, and every other spectacular display in the heavenly realm all paled in comparison to the one sight that overwhelmed those who wrote about their vision of Heaven. Their eyes were fixed on the throne of God and they didn't have adequate words to describe what they saw. God sits on the throne and Jesus (the Lamb) stands at His side (Rev. 5:6). And the vision of our Holy God there in the smoke-filled room, on a diamond (jasper) throne, shining with glory beneath the emerald rainbow, in the midst of flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, rightly obscures all other sights (Rev. 4:2-5). Obviously, God deserves such an unfathomable Home of glory. Remember the words of Jesus in John 14:2b -"I go to prepare a place for you." Jesus didn't say that He was going to prepare a mansion for Himself or for the glory of God. He went there to prepare a place for you, and me, in that indescribable city. We can't even imagine the realm of Heaven, but it is our Home. Our citizenship is there (Philippians 3:20). The Greek use of the word for citizenship refers to "a practice of registering the names of every resident of a city." Please, don't miss that. As a born-again believer of Jesus Christ, your name is already registered and you already have a mansion there, built by the Master Carpenter. 1 Author unknown. Missionary Homecoming. Uganda Mission. http://www.ugandamission.net/ministry/teaching/homecoming.html
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Debbie Childers (Georgia, USA) is a contributing writer for IOM America - Transformational Biblical Worldview & Exchange Life Development.
Permission obtained from author to republish this article, Headed Home. Copyright © 2014 by The Reality Group. Articles or portions of articles can be used only with written permission from The Reality Group. Editorial changes by IOM America approved by author.
All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Parentheses within Bible verses are for clarity.
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