The Lord has been giving me glimpses of my home throughout the past couple months of living in Guat. I’ve realized that home isn’t a building. Home isn’t a property. Home isn’t this life or this planet. My home is heaven!
1 Peter 2:1-5, 9-12 says, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation– if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
I’ve experienced some homesickness throughout the past two months; however, I desire to be in my heavenly home so much more than my earthly home in Phoenix. The Lord has allowed me to catch pieces of heaven throughout each day. In chapter 2, Peter calls us resident aliens of earth. Because when you are born, you become a citizen– we have been born again to a living hope! (1 Peter 1) This means that our citizenship is in heaven. Our home on earth is the body of Christ or the Church! The Lord illustrates heaven through community– a place to be home, a place to smell the smells of heaven, feel the comforts of heaven, get a taste of heaven. The Church is home. The Church is a place to serve, give, and pray together. The Church exemplifies a holy habitation– an outpost of heaven.
Peter describes followers of Christ as living stones! Home means stone upon stone! Building each other up! Allowing the Lord to give us pieces of home! There are many times where I do things my way instead of the Lord’s way. I try to build home my way; attempting to replace the sense I lost of feeling at home. A building isn’t a home, the presence of God is home. Essentially, I have an emptiness and void in my heart and I try to build a bigger house or better property-– to feel a connection that can only come from God. The Church stacks upon each other; fighting against isolation and loneliness.
The Church provides a connection and taste of heaven by worshipping and lifting up Jesus! King of Kings! Messiah! Prince of Peace! Emmanuel! Yaweh! The House of God provides a place to celebrate, grow and belong.
This is what the Lord says about me and you:
“I believe you are not your guilt, not your shame, not the awful things you’ve gone through. You belong here if you’re hurting, you’re mad at God, if you don’t believe in God, you belong here. He cares about you. You are uniquely created, knitted together in your mother’s womb. Jesus has great things in front of you. The people of your home will speak life over you; they will celebrate and love you. You are equipped and made for this. You have a royal destiny, you are not common or ordinary, you are destined for impact. This Church is there on the hardest times and most beautiful times. This is a safe place to do life with one another.”
We’re not home yet. In this life, in exile, the Church is a place where you belong. The Church is your home away from home.
I urge you to prepare and get ready because there is a war to be waged. The devil wants to defeat you and give you lies to believe. Thankfully, he is no match against the matchless Name of Jesus. Peter says at the beginning of chapter two, to set aside any deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. As you find all those things, make sure to set them aside! What you can do, doesn’t come close to what God can do- rest in that truth.
Friends, you are not home yet. But, thank God that He gives us touches of heaven/home.
Blog Ya Later,
Alicia:)
