I Can’t feel at Home...the Wayfarer 6/19/16

I Can’t feel at Home
  6/19/16

Titus 2:11-15 King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

¹² Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

¹⁴ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

¹⁵ These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Home and comfort, sense of belonging, sense of security, surety of being surrounded and ensconced in the freedom from the plague of turmoil and strife that is created simply by the necessity of existing in the world surrounding that home are things sought by all, found by few.

The wolves are constantly just outside the door, demanding to be let in, to wreak havoc at will within the walls and bulwarks that have been built to keep them at bay, to destroy all that has been promised and all that has been built once allowed inside.

There is another old song that sums up the ferocity of the attack that shall, and must, continue against those bulwarks, until they are forever banished by arriving at the end of the journey HOME, where they cannot enter, shall not enter, and will no longer be cause for concern as they destroy themselves before ever arriving at the gates of that HOME.

“I can't feel at home in this world anymore”

 “This world is not my home, I'm just passing through
My treasures and my hopes are all beyond the blue
Where many many friends and kindred have gone on before
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Over in Glory land, there is no dying there
The saints are shouting victory and singing everywhere
I hear the voice of them that I have heard before
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh, lord, you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home, oh, lord, what would I do
Angels beckon me to heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Heaven's expecting me, that's one thing I know
I fixed it up with Jesus a long time ago
He will take me through though I am weak and poor
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh, I have a loving mother over in Glory land
I don't expect to stop until I shake her hand
She's gone on before, just waiting at heaven's door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh, lord, you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home, oh, lord, what would I do
Angels beckon me to heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore”

As sojourners, wayfarers in this world, our comfort level is dependent upon the level of faith held in that “blessed hope” Paul spoke of in the opening scripture….dependent upon the belief in the promise already delivered us by Christ Jesus.

We cannot be comfortable and complacent while sojourning and wayfaring to the end of that journey, but must be vigilant, ever keeping the comfort at the end of that journey the priority as opposed to the false comfort offered during that journey.

Any who finds themselves comfortable, assuaged by the baubles, and the “blessings” given by mankind, will not complete the journey to its intended end, finding that the wolves that have followed in the shadows eventually are ravenous enough to consume them while they sit idly by without having ever considered the preparation for the attack.

Such is the world in which we live, one of lust and greed, that continually attempts to blind each, and all, willing to be blinded to both the results of concentrating on themselves instead of the necessity of the completion of the journey, attainment of the promise made and delivered.

John 14:1-4King James Version (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Take note of the requirements set forth in the 1st verse!

Take note also of the statement in the 4^th verse that reiterates the necessity to follow the Way provided.

If you feel at home here, then you will not ever find HOME with Him.

Home is just over the next hill for each of us, to quote yet another song I love, but we must first find the endurance to climb that hill and keep the goal in sight if we are to arrive there.

Once more, in reminder, despite previous use and perhaps overuse, I close again with reminder of the HOME that should be sought, and the HOME to be found, one or the other by all.

Revelation 22King James Version (KJV)

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

⁶ And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷ Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

⁸ And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

⁹ Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

I continue to look for that blessed hope, in full expectation of what is to be found only through my faith in the grace that delivers both the hope and the promise given through Christ Jesus.

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer