Homesick for where you have never been

"Now we know that if the earthly tent [physical body] we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling." 2 Cor. 5:1-2 (NIV)

Ever been homesick for someplace you’ve never been to?

Do we as believers long for heaven? Many look at heaven as another stop on a travel itinerary. It will be nice but they worry about what to do when they get there. Will they be bored in church service all the time is their unspoken fear. That is not what heaven is like.

Let me suggest a few things that will make heaven special.

REDEMPTION comes to mind.

Heaven is the home of the redeemed. Those who have repented of sin and rebellion against a holy God and accepted forgiveness through the shed blood and death of Jesus Christ have been redeemed. God paid the price to restore the relationship He designed us to have with Him. Make no mistake. Heaven is not for “good “people but for those who confess their sinful state and receive God’s gracious forgiveness and new life.
How about RELATIONSHIPS?

Being in heaven will renew relationships with loved ones who have gone before and those will come later. Think about this. Who, after Jesus, do you most long to see in heaven someday? Let their memory and your anticipation be part of the hope that keeps you pursuing God with a hot heart.

Ask God to help you be homesick for heaven. Let the things of this world lose their attraction and look to God and heaven.

When you lose Joy... there's still Hope

In 1990, I was called to be Youth Pastor at FBC SLIDELL and immediately fell in love with the people at church, the people of Slidell and SE Louisiana.

When our family moved to Slidell, Diana was expecting our third child, Hope.

Coming to this church was a blessing and great relief from a stressful, barely getting by church in Texas.  We labored for the Lord years in Texas and wondered if the He had forgotten us. 

Compounding the frustration, in 1989, we lost a baby in the 2^nd trimester of pregnancy.  She was going to be named Victoria Joy.  I still recall with choking sadness the trip home from the hospital with empty arms and breaking hearts at our loss.

Things seemed hopeless.

That was a perfect time for God to show up.

In the next year, we were interviewed and visited at FBC. We were voted to be on staff with a unanimous vote.  God’s blessings overflowed.

As we recover from Isaac, let me remind you that Isaac was the son of promise born to older parents.  His name means “he laughs” because that’s what his mother did when told she would bear a child at age 90!

Our recent visit by Isaac has robbed much of the joy in the area.

In 1990, two days after our daughter Hope was born, I was driving us home from the hospital and turned the wrong way.  My wife asked why.  I told her to lift her eyes.  There was beautiful horizon to the heavens rainbow reminding us of God’s love and promises to us.

I asked Diana is she knew what happened a year before  to the day.  Through tears she recalled we were driving home from another hospital where we had lost Joy.

I said told her,” God’s rainbow reminder  is when we lose our Joy... He still give us our Hope.”

SE Louisiana, have faith…joy is diminished but have hope in God.