Will I Have My Own Home in Heaven?.....By Randy Alcorn

 Will I Have My Own Home in Heaven?

By Randy Alcorn

“In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.” - John 14:2

Perhaps you’re familiar with Christ’s promise in John 14: “In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you” (v. 2, KJV). The Vulgate, the Latin Bible, used the word mansiones in that verse, and the King James Version followed by using mansions. Unfortunately, that rendering is misleading if it makes us envision having massive lodgings on separate estates. The intended meaning seems to be that we’ll have separate dwelling places on a single estate or even separate rooms within the same house.

New Testament scholar D. A. Carson says, “Since heaven is here pictured as the Father’s house, it is more natural to think of ‘dwelling-places’ within a house as rooms or suites… The simplest explanation is best: my Father’s house refers to heaven, and in heaven are many rooms, many dwelling-places. The point is not the lavishness of each apartment, but the fact that such ample provision has been made that there is more than enough space for every one of Jesus’ disciples to join him in his Father’s home.” [1]

The New International Version rendering of John 14:2 is this: “In my Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Place is singular, but rooms is plural. This suggests Jesus has in mind for each of us an individual dwelling that’s a smaller part of the larger place. This place will be home to us in the most unique sense.

The term room is cozy and intimate. The terms house or estate suggest spaciousness. That’s Heaven: a place both spacious and intimate. Some of us enjoy coziness, being in a private space. Others enjoy a large, wide-open space. Most of us enjoy both—and the New Earth will offer both.

Heaven isn’t likely to have lots of identical residences. God loves diversity, and He tailor-makes His children and His provisions for them. When we see the particular place He’s prepared for us—not just for mankind in general but for us in particular—we’ll rejoice to see our ideal home.

When you’re traveling late at night and you don’t know where you’re going to stay, nothing’s more discouraging than finding a No Vacancy sign. There’s no such sign in Heaven. If we’ve made our reservations by accepting God’s gift in Christ, then Heaven is wide open to us. Jesus knew what it was like to have no vacancy in the inn and to sleep in a barn. On the New Earth, He’ll have plenty of room for all of us.

Our love for home, our yearning for it, is a glimmer of our longing for our true home.

The Parables of the Lost Sheep and Coin...Craig Denison Ministries

 The Parables of the Lost Sheep and Coin

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Jesus loved to use stories to illustrate profound, life-transforming concepts. He loved to use real and genuine settings, characters, and ideas that apply to all of us to reveal God’s heart of pursuit and love. This week we’re going to spend time allowing the parables of Jesus to speak directly to our situations, mindsets, and core beliefs about who God is. Open your heart and mind to be transformed by the powerful and captivating stories of Jesus.

Scripture:“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:4-7

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

Devotional:    

If the core of Jesus’ teachings on the gospel could be summed up in two stories, they would be the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Both stories illustrate one crucially important truth: God pursues us. Both clearly display God’s heart for us in that he willingly and passionately comes down to meet and help us wherever we are. As we look at these important parables today, open your heart and allow the reality of God’s pursuit of you to transform the way you relate to him and stir up your desires to seek his face in return.

Jesus says in Luke 15:4-7,

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Then Jesus teaches in verses 8-10,

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Jesus tells two parables to re-emphasize a perspective-shattering truth. The One, True God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, so values us that he leaves everything behind to pursue relationship with us. So great is God’s desire for restored relationship with you that he came down off his throne, left transcendent perfection, and lived his earthly life in total service to us, thereby leading him to an unjustified and sacrificial death.

Has the reality of that truth been fully realized in your heart? Has both the grandeur and love of our God hit home to the point that the depth of God’s love is your chief reality? Too often we pass by the core message of the gospel because we have heard it before, and we don’t allow it to stretch past our mind into our heart. It’s when truth rests in our heart, impacts our emotions, and becomes real to us that it transforms our life. You were the helpless and lost sheep. You were the coin that was so valuable God worked and searched until he had it back in his possession. You are of the highest value to the only One who truly decides the essence of worth. Don’t let that truth pass you by today. Instead, grab hold of it, reflect on it, and wrestle with it until it becomes the foundation for every decision, thought, and action in your life.

Let’s respond to the depth of God’s pursuit with our own. Let’s allow God to bring every part of our lives entirely into his possession. Let’s be the reward of Jesus’ sacrifice. In Psalm 27:8 David says, “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” God is calling out to you, saying, “Seek my face.” He waits patiently for your reply, excited at the notion that you would live your life receiving the abundance made available to you by Jesus’ sacrifice.

Spend time in prayer meditating on God’s pursuit of you and responding to him by seeking his face.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the powerful, core truth found in the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Meditation is an effective way to take knowledge and allow it to sink into our hearts. Rest in the truth of Jesus’ teaching.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:4-7

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

2. Ask the Spirit to guide you into a time of response. How can you seek God’s face? What can you do to offer your life as the reward for Jesus’ sacrifice?

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25

3. In faith seek God today. God promises you his presence, his nearness. He longs to guide you into real relationship with him where he satisfies your deepest desires. As you seek him, allow him to fill you up with the power and love of his presence.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:10

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalm 27:8

The chief characteristic that marks those who live life in the Spirit is their continual pursuit of God. Psalm 34:10 promises us that “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” God will always respond to your pursuit of him because his greatest desire is relationship with you. You don’t have to be scared to seek him, wondering if you will find him to be real and responsive. He’s already promised that to you. Take Hebrews 11:16 and live your life in obedience to his word. Have faith and believe that he “exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” May you discover a deeper reality of his nearness, love, and pursuit of you today as your respond to God’s word in faith.

Extended Reading: Psalm 27

Remembering God’s Goodness so You Don’t Have To Be Afraid..JAMIE C. FINN

 Remembering God’s Goodness so You Don’t Have To Be Afraid

JAMIE C. FINN 

“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” Isaiah 41:13 (ESV) 

My fingers shook as I dialed my husband’s number.

“Hello?”

“They removed him again.” I jumped right in. “They removed him, and they’re going to bring him to some strangers’ house, and strangers are going to adopt him, and we’re never, ever going to see him again. And I am not OK!”

If you pictured me walking around my kitchen in circles, crying and gasping for breath between each word, you would be right.

My husband’s response, through his own pained realization that our beloved former foster son may be placed somewhere else, was this: “Jamie, God is good. And everything He does is good.”

Hanging up, I repeated it like a mantra as I continued to walk around my kitchen in circles. God, You are good, and everything You do is good. God, You are good, and everything You do is good. God, You are good …

I fall into fear when I define who God is by what I see, rather than defining what I see by who God is. And who is He?

God is omnipresent, everywhere all the time.
God is omniscient, knowing everything from every time.
God is omnipotent, having all the power ever needed for anything.

God is sovereign, perfectly in control of every person and place and thing.
God is immutable, never changing, because He is perfect and will never get any more perfect or any less perfect.
God is eternal, existing from forever past to forever future.

God is holy, perfect and pure, separate and unlike His creation.
God is wise. God is righteous. God is good. God is merciful. God is love.

These are real truths about the real God who is involved in every part of our lives. They’re not platitudes or plaque quotes. They are the most determining factors of our fates, the most decisive forces in our lives and the lives of those we love. And they are the reason we can trust in Him.

So in the midst of fear, I can speak with confidence in who He is: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3, ESV).

Throughout Scripture, when God’s people are told not to be afraid, they’re told something else along with it. Some important truth, beautiful promise or big-picture reality of God’s character:

• “… Fear not … I am your shield …” (Genesis 15:1, ESV)
• “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you …” (Genesis 26:24b, ESV)
• “… Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today.” (Exodus 14:13a, ESV)
• “You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22, ESV)
• “… Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (Isaiah 41:13, ESV)
• “… Fear not, for I have redeemed you …” (Isaiah 43:1, ESV)

It’s not just that we shouldn’t be afraid. It’s that we don’t have to be afraid.

Fear is a sort of forgetting, a focusing on the “what” instead of the “who.” An amnesia of just how good God is and always has been and promises always to be. We look at God with worried accusation: But how can I know You’ll do it again?

If fear is forgetting, then the antidote to fear is remembering. Remembering the faithfulness of God, the character of God and the promises of God.

Heavenly Father, You are everything we need and more. Help me to hold on to hope and to trust in Your goodness even when life overwhelms me. May I always seek Your goodness and be reminded of Your love in times of turmoil and times of gladness. Thank You for all that You are. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Family Influence: Good or Bad.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Family Influence: Good or Bad

Dr. Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Proverbs 22:6 tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." What a great responsibility this places on parents. Records of royal lineage (1 Kings 15-16) illustrate that one's level of submission to God is often mirrored in the offspring's life.

Now, it's true that children eventually grow and make their own decisions. There are godly parents who are heartbroken by their kids' poor choices. Similarly, some from backgrounds full of sinful bondage become righteous people of integrity.

As mothers and fathers, we are given a momentous task: to model and teach how to live according to God's Word. Thankfully, we don't have to rely on ourselves for wisdom. Good parenting involves prayerful self-evaluation, godly counsel, and thoughtful course corrections.

Start by considering how you'd answer the following questions if your children were to walk in your way: What place will Jesus, the Word of God, and the church have in their lives? Will they seek God's direction as the ultimate guide for decisions? Will they develop strong godly relationships? Will they know how to handle money wisely? Will they do their best in their vocation? As you seek answers, ask God to reveal truth, since self-examination can be difficult.

In prayerfully considering your impact as a parent, expect to see positives and negatives. The goal isn't self-condemnation, so keep in mind 1) there's no perfect parent and 2) it's never too late. Even if the kids are grown, you can ask forgiveness, share what you've learned, and model a godly life starting now.

Onlooker Delay......By Brent Rinehart

 Onlooker Delay

By Brent Rinehart

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12: 1-2a).

If you are a daily commuter, you’ve undoubtedly heard the unfortunate phrase on the morning or afternoon radio traffic reports: “onlooker delay.” A wreck has happened that has been moved to the shoulder, yet there are still miles of backups due to everyone’s desire to catch a glimpse of what happened as they pass by. We all complain about it, yet I’d venture to say that we are all guilty of “rubber-necking,” as I’ve heard it called. We are distracted by what’s happening around us, and we take our eyes off the road ahead.

Peter knew a few things about being distracted. In Matthew 14, he sees Jesus walking on the water, and he calls out to Him: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14: 28). Peter steps out of the boat and miraculously, is able to walk on the water just like Jesus. That is until he noticed the wind and the waves around him. He took his eyes off of Jesus, and he began to sink.

Peter experienced onlooker delay. His eyes were drawn to other things – things of this world – and it diverted him from his path to Jesus. It’s easy for us to criticize Peter for his split-second loss of faith. But, how often do we let the things of this world distract us from our walk with Christ? As a result, we experience countless delays in our spiritual growth.

The Apostle Paul knew this, as well. In Hebrews 12, he encourages the reader (while writing also for himself, I might add, since he uses personal plural pronouns) to “throw off everything that hinders” and the “sin that so easily entangles…fixing our eyes on Jesus.” Paul recognized that even in his own life, he was drawn to be distracted from what mattered most.

In Psalm 119, the author writes about the importance of staying focused on God’s Word. He uses similar language: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (Psalm 119:9, 15).

In our current vernacular, to fix your eyes on something, or to become fixated on something, almost has a negative connotation. It’s an obsessive attachment to someone or something. I think of fixation in terms of my son and his Legos, or my daughter and wanting to hang out with her friends. They can be obsessed to the point that it’s all they think about.

In the biblical context, I believe that is exactly what we are exhorted to do: to fixate on Jesus and learn about God’s promises through the reading of His word. As followers of Christ, we are all on a journey to becoming more and more like Him every day. As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, it should produce a walk that is marked by certain characteristics. These “fruits of the spirit” (Galatians 5) - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – are the characteristics that set us apart from the world. But, if we are distracted on our journey, our eyes pulled from one thing to the other, this onlooker delay keeps us from being all that God intended us to be.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3: 1-2).

Today, let’s focus on what matters: our destination. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, block out those distractions, and avoid the onlooker delays. At the end is the ultimate prize, and it is worth every step in the journey.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

• What activities, routines, or habits in your life are distracting you from your relationship with God?
• Are there practical changes you can make in your life to “fix your eyes on Jesus?”

Further Reading:

• Hebrews 12: 1-13
• Psalm 119: 1-16
• Matthew 14: 22-31
• Colossians 3: 1-17

Title: A Prayer for Boldness to Share the Gospel...By: Emily Rose Massey

 Title: A Prayer for Boldness to Share the Gospel

By: Emily Rose Massey

“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion” - Proverbs 28:1.

A few years ago, I was met with a strong desire to begin to use my social media accounts to share my faith in Christ with others. I didn’t want to use my words to manipulate people’s emotions to gain likes or followers, but to point them to truth found in God’s Word alone.

As a writer, I see social media as a place of ministry. I never want to compromise God’s truth so that others may feel more comfortable embracing my message. I don’t want to twist or misinterpret scripture so that the entire meaning is changed, or confusion is created because it may contradict what we find in the Bible. I discovered very quickly that exposing darkness and error wouldn’t win me any popularity contests online.

As someone who has spent many years healing from the wounds of rejection, denying myself of the desire to be a people-pleaser has to take precedence when it comes to sharing God’s truth, even when it tends to offend. Standing up for God’s Word in a culture where truth is relative, and not absolute as it should be, comes with a lot of pushback (even among professing Christians).

But as true Christ-followers, we are to live to please God and not men.   As believers, we shouldn’t compromise truth to be popular, but we also shouldn’t be quarrelsome. We need to stand firm upon truth no matter what others may say about us or about our God.

Proverbs 28:1 reminds us that believers don’t back down or run away at the first sign of adversity:

“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1, NASB).

We need the Holy Spirit’s help any time we stand up for Jesus; it is His strength that we must lean on. We need His boldness and courage to be light in a dark world if we are to be a mouthpiece for Him. Just as we cannot muster up our own righteousness, we cannot muster up boldness and strength as a witness for Jesus.

We have to solely rely on the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and in our hearts. God desires that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), so that should be the heartbeat behind why we share truth with others. It’s not about us being right so that they would follow us, but that they would come to the knowledge of truth so that they might follow Jesus alone.

May the Lord give us the boldness to share His Word with others so that they may come to know Him and love Him more.

Father,

I thank You for calling me to Yourself and making me Your child through what Jesus did for me on the cross. In Him, I am now able to be called righteous, not for anything I have done, but because of His sacrifice.

You have called us as believers to go into the world and make disciples of every nation. I ask that You give me a courage and boldness to share Your truth and Your Gospel with those around me, whether that is online or with another person face to face.

I pray that those you place in my path would see Your great love for them in the truth that I share.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.