Land of Their Dreams

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

    When the realtor first showed us the home we ended up buying ten years ago, the goosebumps on my arms told me this was the right place for us. And it's true; we are very content here.

    Be that as it may, this is not my dream home. That is yet to come!

    A friend gave me this poem while at church yesterday. It's too divine to keep to myself:

Some glorious morning they will come

From all nations, from every generation;

Side by side, they will march

Into the celestial city of Jehovah.

And in perfect harmony

They will begin humming a new song,

A song composed by God, arranged for his children.

As the saved by grace approach the land of their dreams,

The Host of heaven will step aside;

Even the angels will be silent,

For they cannot sing this new song,

For it is a song reserved for voices

Who once cried out for the Redeemer -

Those washed in the blood of the Lamb -  

Yes, these are the Redeemed.

    As I was pulling weeds this morning, I kept thinking about "the land of their dreams." Tis the place Jesus spoke of in John chapter 14: "My Father's house has many rooms...I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

    If you are bogged down by a mundane task today, or troubled by grave circumstances, lift your hearts to God and let Him remind you of the dream home you will someday occupy as one of the Redeemed. Then go out and tell others of the wonderous things God has done in your life. Maybe they will come, too. There will be plenty of room (and no weeds!)

"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." Isaiah 35: 8-10

Martha, Martha

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11: 25-26)

        If you recall the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, then you would remember the sister, Martha, to whom Jesus spoke the words above. When the stone covering the tomb was rolled away, the stench of death assaulted her nostrils, confirming the gruesome reality of death. Rooted to her spot, Martha gaped in horror mingled with wonder after Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth. "What would happen?" she may have pondered, "Is this for real?"

    Imagine the irrevocable shock she experienced when she saw her bound brother stepping out into the sunlight as Jesus ordered, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

    Though the Scriptures make no mention of Martha being present in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified, I wonder what she would have thought as she puzzled over His death, recalling His words, "I am the resurrection and the life." How could He have raised Lazarus only to now be the One in the tomb? What of the promise He had made about never dying?

    I imagine Jesus, who knows the contents of the heart, chiding her softly: "Martha, Martha, did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40, emphasis added)

    What do you believe? What does Jesus mean to you? Was He just a prophet who spoke memorable adages to live by? Or was He the Son of God who laid down His life for sinners, only to take it back up again, leaving behind a tidy pile of grave clothes? 

    What happened on that first day of the week in Jerusalem that day changed everything. It was more than just a supernatural event. The resurrection of Jesus Christ claimed the victory over the grave for all who believe. 

    Getting back to Martha, imagine if she were one of the five hundred to whom Jesus appeared before His ascension. Would there be any ceiling on her joy? Should we have any limits on ours?

    Take off the grave clothes! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

"On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people's disgrace from all the earth." Isaiah 25: 7-8 

Funny Honey

 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

"God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life." 1 John 5: 11, 12

"Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" John 8: 31, 32

Amber and pure,

The scent of allure;

Will it be sweet?

Or a snare of deceit?

That is a question for the ants.

    I hate killing things. If I see a free range spider in the house, I trap it in an inverted glass for release outdoors because I figure we are all God's creation. He gave to mankind the charge to "rule over all the creatures that move along the ground." (Genesis 1:26)

    So, when spring's arrival begat the annual migration of sugar ants into our home, I tried to be tolerant of their trespass until they swarmed the honey jar. As their "ruler," I declared war solely born of territorial frustration. 

    The honey jar was surreptitiously replaced by a liquid ant bait which bore much resemblance to a honey jar invitingly laid open on its side. As I henceforth eyed the doomed swarm, I do confess my deceitful trick filled me with guilt, knowing they were carrying poison back to their hungry families. But, the trick worked and they stopped coming.

    This illustrates the spiritual battle that rages about us every day and, sadly, I represent the devil in the story. Jesus said of our adversary, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) 

    Satan has no original ideas, so he counterfeits whatever God has done. If God declares that Jesus is the only way to heaven, Satan is replacing the honey jar with the lie of interfaith harmony and religious diversity. Therefore, we have people like Oprah Winfrey who say, "There can't possibly be only one way" to heaven. 

    For example, this newspaper headline caught my eye a few months ago: "Giant Statue of the Buddha in New Jersey becomes Interfaith Hub." This article, found in the religion section, goes on to tell about the 30 foot high statue of Buddha erected a decade ago by a Sri Lankan monk whose dream was to unite people of all faiths. It has since become a hub and a spiritual home for "Buddhists, Hindus and Christians." 

    This, my friend, is some "funny honey," as the ants would say. 

    The article went on to joyously reflect on the religious diversity found there amid the murals and peace garden aflutter in colorful Tibetan prayer flags. One visitor enthused, "Anybody who comes to that temple feels so calm and collected once they see that big Buddha."

    How nice, until they carry that poison home to their families as they travel that wide road that leads to destruction. 

    In his book, "Answers to Questions about Spiritual Warfare," Dr. David Jeremiah said, "Someone once told me that if you want to identify a crooked stick, the best thing you can do is lay a straight stick down next to it." He continued, "That same principle works when dealing with the deceit of Satan. If you will lay the 'straight stick' of God's Word next to what it is you are trying to discern, you will usually be able to identify Satan's deceitful propaganda."

    I urge all to choose life! Don't fall for the deceptions, but put on the full armor of God as found in Ephesians 6: 10-17. It's a matter of life and death, so don't drink Satan's funny honey. 

"The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them, there is great reward." Psalm 19: 9-11

Home

 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

    Houses tell stories. 

    Like finding tattered pages from a book, I have read "excerpts" of the family who lived in my home before me. Written in the concrete of the basement floor are their names, Flo and Ed, along with a date: July 30, 1949. There are also footprints, smaller than mine, imbedded there which bade me to know more about these folks who once walked my floors.

    With a bit of research, I discovered Flo was a kind-hearted second grade teacher. Her husband, Ed, was an amiable man who liked to work with his hands. They had one daughter, Katy, whose name I found etched in the pavement out back, and they are buried in the Mayfield cemetery.

    I imagine Flo, looking out at the back yard as she washed dishes, waving to Ed who walked by with yard tools. Perhaps Katy was there, too, blowing bubbles in the sunshine. A happy family, I'd like to think, whose voices are no longer heard, just as mine will someday be silenced as well, because everything that is seen is temporary.

    That being said, is anything really mine? My car will one day join others in the junkyard. The halls of my home will be occupied by others someday. Even my body is an earthly tent, a temporary house for my soul. 

    So, what's the point? Where do I belong? What do I have in this life?

    What is unseen is eternal. My soul is my only possession that will last and, thanks be to Jesus, I know to Whom it belongs - to the One who has gone to prepare a place for it and has promised to come back and take me to be with Him where He dwells. "My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" Jesus said in John 14: 2-3. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." 

    When I get there, perhaps I will look out at the back yard and wave to passersby, who will return the gesture with a broad smile, because we will have arrived in that better country, a heavenly one. That is where I belong.

    There's no place like home!

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth...They were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11: 13, 16