A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Friday,
September 10,
2021
Railroad
bridge in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Photo by
Steve Ephraim
(click on photo to enlarge)
(click on photo to enlarge)
"This
World Is Not My Home"
Note:
Today's message uses some of the same Scriptures and has a
similar theme to the one we shared on Wednesday
but further considers our eternal, permanent home.
Message summary: Remember, this world is
not our home, we are only passing through.
Listen to this message on your audio player
“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1). “We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it” (2 Corinthians 5:7-9). “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23). "Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear" (1 Peter 1:17).
Sixty-seven years ago I was in a familiar, comfortable place. I had been slowly growing in my mother's womb for the previous 8 months since my conception, when I became me, a unique human being. I was safe, comfortable and satisfied in my place and if I could talk I would have said this place is just fine. I don't want to leave. But just over a month later my "world" as I knew was over and I was born. I experienced the first of two major inevitable transitions that I will take place in my lifetime. Now I await my second inevitable transition: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die" (Hebrews 9:27).
Yesterday I
conducted a funeral service at Fort Indiantown Gap National
Cemetery for Conny Nichols, the wife of our longtime friend
Nick. We last saw Conny a couple of weeks ago when she was
in hospice here in Mount Joy in the final throes of an
affliction she suffered for many years. Nick faithfully
cared for her right up to the end, fulfilling vows he had
made 60 years earlier.
He requested
an old Gospel song at the service that is so appropriate,
"This World Is Not My Home".
This world is
not my home, I’m just a-passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
"This
World Is Not My Home" brought to mind a chaplain
visit nearly twenty years ago. An employee had asked me to
visit her grandmother who was dealing with a terminal
disease and lived in "Landis Homes" (one of the many huge
senior housing complexes in our area). After I located her
room number I knocked on her door and she warmly welcomed me
in. The prominent Bible on her table caught my eye
immediately. After visiting a few minutes I shared a
Scripture from her Bible and prayed with her.
Like so many of the elderly, she expressed how much she missed her own home but she made a great statement of faith with a contented state of mind. As we visited in her small, very modest, but tastefully decorated room, she said with a tone of acceptance: "This is fine for now, after all, it’s not my permanent home". I knew what she meant. She didn’t anticipate returning to her own home or ever moving into a bigger apartment. Clearly when she referred to her “permanent home” she meant her eternal home in heaven. What a healthy spiritual outlook and example of contentedness!
The Apostle Paul is speaking of our temporary and permanent homes in the daily text. “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” That’s a good verse to hide deep in your heart.
It’s interesting that in the daily text Paul speaks of the “earthly tent” which underscores the temporariness of our present life. However our future abode is described as “a building from God, an eternal house in heaven".
Remember, this world is not our home, we are only passing through. One day we will be transferred to our eternal, permanent home which, regardless of how our lives have been on this earth, will be “better by far”. "Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear" (1 Peter 1:17).
Like so many of the elderly, she expressed how much she missed her own home but she made a great statement of faith with a contented state of mind. As we visited in her small, very modest, but tastefully decorated room, she said with a tone of acceptance: "This is fine for now, after all, it’s not my permanent home". I knew what she meant. She didn’t anticipate returning to her own home or ever moving into a bigger apartment. Clearly when she referred to her “permanent home” she meant her eternal home in heaven. What a healthy spiritual outlook and example of contentedness!
The Apostle Paul is speaking of our temporary and permanent homes in the daily text. “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” That’s a good verse to hide deep in your heart.
It’s interesting that in the daily text Paul speaks of the “earthly tent” which underscores the temporariness of our present life. However our future abode is described as “a building from God, an eternal house in heaven".
Remember, this world is not our home, we are only passing through. One day we will be transferred to our eternal, permanent home which, regardless of how our lives have been on this earth, will be “better by far”. "Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear" (1 Peter 1:17).
Don’t drop a
single anchor
We’re almost home
Through every toil and danger
We’re almost home
How many pilgrim saints have before us gone?
No stopping now
We’re almost home
We’re almost home
Through every toil and danger
We’re almost home
How many pilgrim saints have before us gone?
No stopping now
We’re almost home
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we’re mindful of the
Scriptures that caution us not to fix our attention,
energy, and finances solely on our temporary brick
and mortar dwelling here on earth, for it will one
day perish or be taken from us. Likewise we are to
regard our bodies as perishable, like that of
earthly tents. Ever since Adam and Eve ate from the
tree of knowledge of good and evil our bodies have
taken on mortality. Our physical body is decaying
day by day even though we try to delay the
discomfort and limitations that accompany the aging
process. But the most wonderful news for the
believer is that these future resurrected bodies of
ours are not built by human hands but by You, our
Creator. And on Your appointed day our eternal
spirit will be joined with our flesh that has taken
on immortality. We will no longer groan from the
painful anatomical effects of aging, for our new
bodies will be perfect, disease free and ageless in
our everlasting life. Knowing that such unending
blessing lies in our future gives us hope and
endurance for the ills of this present life. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Almost
Home" Video Matt Papa
& Matt Boswell This is a newer song that has
really blessed us.
Almost
home
We’re almost home
So press on toward that blessed shore
O praise the Lord
We’re almost home
We’re almost home
So press on toward that blessed shore
O praise the Lord
We’re almost home
“This
World Is Not My Home” Video Youth Choir
"Finally
Home" Video MercyMe
Yesterday
I had the honor of officiating the service of
Conny Nichols at Fort Indiantown Gap National
Veterans Cemetery. These beautiful burial
grounds are located at the base of Blue
Mountain. Nick met Conny in Germany when he
served in the military. He sent us this photo
that was taken yesterday.
Early
yesterday morning we passed a wagon of pumpkins
near Strasburg, PA.
The
misty background especially caught our
attention.
(click on photo to enlarge)
(click on photo to enlarge)
These
autumn decorations are at the entrance of the
Strasburg Railroad.
The
colors of autumn are starting to appear in many
roadstands!
Ester
is the photographer for two sets of cards by Amish
Cheer, developed by Amish fiction author
Beverly Lewis and her sister Barbara Birch.
This is the newest set, "Farm Sweet Farm". We
are so pleased that Ester's photos were
selected and regular readers will recognize
the animals are photographed on the Old
Windmill Farm. Beverly writes a brief
backstory on the back of each card titled
"Adventures of Little Katie Lapp"
(click on photo to enlarge)
(click on photo to enlarge)
Last
night's sunset over the soybeans up the road
from our house.
(click on photo to enlarge)
(click on photo to enlarge)
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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