Skip to main content

Stories of Home

                When a travel show visited London, England, the host said, “I have always wanted to visit London because all of my favourite stories are based here.  Stories like Mary Poppins and A Christmas Carol.  When you get here it feels strangely familiar.  You feel comfortable and at home because this is where our stories are”. 

                What stories do we tell?  What do we focus on?  What makes us feel safe, comfortable, and at home?

                More importantly, what stories did Jesus tell?  Here is one of his favourite themes: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 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? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:1-4).

                Stories shape and direct our lives.  Therefore, Jesus told stories about heaven.  He wanted us to think about something beyond this life and to value things that would last through eternity.

                The North American church has turned faith into a way to get what you want.  We tend to act as if God should make our lives easy and joy filled.  However, when one reads the Bible, it is obvious that there are no guarantees in this life.  Over the centuries, God’s people have had a range of experiences.  Some were rich and some were poor.  Some had security and others were constantly on the run.  Sometimes God’s people rejoiced and other times they lamented.   It seems that God is more concerned about getting his people ready for their new home than he is about their happiness here. 

                Heaven is not the consolation prize that you receive when this life ends.  Rather, heaven is the focus of faith.

                If you look down on Estevan’s water tower from the air, you will see a big arrow that points towards the airport.  It is there so that if a pilot is confused, or lost, he can find his way home.

                Christians need to be telling stories that point others towards home, as well.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consider This: Who Needs Worship?

  Why does God need our worship? The events of Matthew 14 provide at least one answer.   This chapter starts with the beheading of John the Baptist (verses 1-12). This is the first in a series of events that indicate things are about to become much more difficult for the believers. Next, the scene shifts to a crowd gathered on a hillside in Galilee. After listening to Jesus teach all day, the apostles realized that these people had nothing to eat. They brought the problem to Jesus. He took a child’s lunch and fed the entire group of five thousand men plus women and children. Afterwards, they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers (verses 13-21).   Then Jesus told them to get in a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee. As they went, a storm arose, and the apostles were scared. They struggled along until Jesus came to them walking on the water. Peter tried walking on the water too and sank. After Jesus rescued Peter, they got into the boat, and the storm immediately s...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Spiritual Makeover (1 Peter 1:13-16)

 Three responses to the new life God has given us.  https://youtu.be/FmqX5-3jOKc  
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: The Danger of Drifting

   Consider This: The Danger of Drifting Most people will not blow up their life in one big, messy moment. It can happen, and when it does, the damage is obvious and instantaneous. Like a car wreck at an intersection, people make a bad decision, and chaos ensues. Parts and pieces scatter all over. People get hurt. Situations like this are unexpected, loud, shocking and scary. Most of us will not wreck our lives in one big, terrible moment. The real danger is that we will lose what is valuable in small, almost imperceptible steps. It happens all the time. You can leave your marriage without ever leaving your house. You can leave your faith while still attending church. You can leave your life while you are still living it. Many people lose what they love, not by making one big, out-of-character decision, but by coasting, disengaging, neglecting and missing what matters. Almost every Biblical list of Christian characteristics mentions “Self-control”, yet I have not g...
Post a Comment
Read more