Ernie
-- the cat -- just wanted to go home.
Nobody knows why Ernie abandoned his family
in the first place.
The family was cruising down a
Did the black & white tomcat lean the
wrong way on a corner some-where out there in the desert 600 miles west of his
Possibly.
-- Did he instinctively lunge at a passing insect without realizing that
he would come down beyond the bed of the moving truck?
It's anybody's guess.
By the time Ernie's owners missed him --
they were already many miles down the road.
"We ought to go back & look for
him" -- they said -- but by then it was dark -- & they didn't know
where to start looking -- anyway.
Imagine their astonishment when two weeks
later Ernie showed up at their
Just how Ernie navigated that far through
unfamiliar terrain -- only God knows.
Ernie's worn claws & the sores on his
feet convinced his veterinarian that the spunky cat had covered lots of rough
real estate.
Like everybody else who heard of Ernie's
journey -- the vet was totally amazed that a cat could cover so much distance
in so short a time.
"But" -- the vet said -- "I
wouldn't put anything past cats."
With so many questions unanswered -- one
thing is clear: -- Ernie wanted to go home. -- And, so do we!
There's no telling what all Ernie went
through as he tried to find his way home.
-- I am sure that danger after
danger dogged his steps.
But -- when he finally arrived home -- he
found love, peace, safety & a warm bowl of milk.
You see -- it was the thought of home that
kept Ernie going!
According to God's Word every person who is
truly a child of God -- is a "pilgrim & a stranger" in this old
sin-filled world (1 Pet. 2:11).
As we make our way through this world -- we
are headed home.
But, along the way -- there are many elements
of this life that trouble us -- & hinder our progress.
Evil bullies -- like death, disease,
discouragement, depression, & the devil -- make our journey home
threatening & difficult.
But -- when I read a passage like
Like Ernie -- there will come a day when the
journey will be over -- & we will be safely at home in our Father's
Heavenly house.
We will be in a place of peace, safety &
perfection.
While I travel the journey of life -- I am
troubled -- but I remind myself that the
Bible is full of wonderful promises -- & one of those promises tells
me that -- "No eye has seen, nor
ear has heard, no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).
Here we are on Memorial Day weekend -- &
I am thinking about those dear loved ones who have gone on ahead of me to that
Heavenly Home.
I am at the stage in life where I now have
more friends on that side of Eternity -- than I have on this side of
Eternity.
And -- my friends -- I am getting homesick
for Heaven!
There is a beautiful song in our hymnal that
says: -- (C.B. Widmeyer, 1911)
When
the toils of life are over & we lay our armor down,
And we
bid farewell to earth with all its cares.
We
shall meet & greet our loved ones,
And our
Christ we then shall crown
In the New
Jerusalem.
Tho'
the way is sometimes lonely, He will hold me with His hand.
Thro'
the testings & the trials I must go.
But
I'll trust & gladly follow, for
sometime I'll understand,
In the New
Jerusalem.
In
Then I
saw a new heaven & a new earth,
for the
first heaven & the first earth had passed away,
and
there was no longer any sea.
I saw
the
coming
down out of heaven from God,
prepared
as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"Now
the dwelling of God is with men,
and He
will live with them.
They
will be His people,
and God
Himself will be with them, and be their
God.
He will
wipe every tear from their eyes.
There
will be no more death -- or mourning -- or crying -- or pain,
for the
old order of things has passed away.
He Who
was seated on the throne said,
'I am
making everything new!'
Then He
said, 'Write this down,
for
these words are trustworthy & true.'"
Some people think we are foolish to believe
in some city far above the earth -- where people are happy, holy & home.
I may be foolish for believing that -- but I
am in good company!
Jesus believed it! -- Paul, John & the
rest of the disciples believed it!
Countless millions of precious saints have
entered death longing to go to that city. -- My friends -- I believe in Heaven!
D.L. Moody once said: -- "The thought
of Heaven has cheered the soul of many believers. -- Some say that we are fools
to believe in Heaven. --
But to deny Heaven is to deny Jesus, for He
came from Heaven; --
To deny Heaven is to place our departed
loved ones in the cold dark grave; --
To deny Heaven is to deprive millions of
Christians of the greatest hope they have; --
To deny Heaven is equal to murder for it
kills hope; -- it is equal to thievery for it robs joy; -- it is equal to
slander because it calls God a liar."
According to The
In
He gives us seven negatives: -- no more sea
(21:1); -- no more sorrow (21:4); -- no more crying (21:4); -- no more pain
(21:4); -- no more curse (22:3); -- no
more night (22:5); -- no more death (21:4).
No -- I'll not cover all seven of those; --
so you can relax!
But I do want to look at three things which
heaven shall not have!
1. In Heaven -- There Shall Be No Separation!
We are assured that there will be no
separation in Heaven when we read in verse 1 -- "There was no longer any
sea."
Now I love the sea; -- I love to look upon
the vast expanse of sky & water.
I love to hear the waves crashing upon the
shore.
I love to walk along the beach & feel
the sand beneath my feet -- & feel the breeze blowing gently in my face.
But the sea separates families & friends
from each other -- & the sea separates entire continents!
In Heaven -- there will be nothing that
separates us from each other -- or from God -- ever again!
No more separation -- caused by hard
feelings -- or hurt feelings.
No more separation -- caused by
misunderstandings -- or critical spirits.
No divorce or death; -- no business trips --
or military call-ups.
No fires -- no famines -- no floods.
No wars -- or refugee camps -- or ethnic
cleanings.
No racial -- or political -- or religious
prejudice.
No religious denominations -- which so often
divide people.
No class system -- or economic sanctions --
or human slavery.
No boarder crossings -- no fences -- no
Berlin Wall.
Nothing will ever separate us in our
Heavenly Home!
Following the terrorist attack on the
A fence lining one of the nearby parks
became a memorial wall as hundreds of pictures were posted with detailed
descriptions of what the missing loved ones were wearing -- of where they
worked -- of when they were last seen -- all in the hopes that those missing
persons might be found.
As the days dragged into weeks -- it became
apparent that there would be no more survivors.
Just when our nation began to heal -- &
we thought such scenes where only of the past -- then it happened all over
again in
Each heart-wrenching, tearful good-bye --
makes me long all the more for my Heavenly Home!
In Heaven -- we will enjoy perfect health
& harmony & unity & unbroken times of togetherness!
In fact -- there will not even be the
natural separation between night & day -- because "the city has no
need of sun or moon -- for the glory of God illuminates the city -- & the
Lamb is its light" (21:23
Our Heavenly Home will glow & radiate
with light from within; -- the light of God Himself upon the throne -- &
the glorious radiance of His presence.
In our Heavenly Home -- there will be no
darkness at all.
No one will ever stumble -- or be lost -- or
unable to find his/her way.
Jesus said: -- "I am the light of the
world" (Lk. 8:12).
The sole light in Heaven will be the light
that comes directly from God Himself -- through Jesus Christ.
The entire city will be saturated with the
glory & light of life, truth, righteousness, goodness, love, & peace.
Our hope is sure! -- As John was given this
Revelation he was instructed to "write this down, for these words are
trustworthy & true" (21:5).
You & I can look forward with confident
hope that in our Heavenly Home there will be no more separation!
2. Also, In Heaven -- There will Be No Scares!
John emphasized this -- when he described
"a new heaven & a new earth" -- & a "new Jerusalem” (21:1,
2).
And once again the clear directive came from
the One Who sat upon the throne, saying: -- "I am making everything
new!" (21:5).
Heaven will be perfect -- for there will be
nothing to mar its beauty.
It's all fresh & new! -- Unscarred,
unsoiled, & unworn by age!
Planet earth is -- at the very least --
thousands of years old.
Some think it may be millions -- or billions
-- of years old.
And it is showing signs of age. -- It is
getting ragged & worn out.
It is being polluted, gouged, stripped,
burned, & poisoned -- & much of the damage has been willfully &
selfishly inflicted by mankind.
But some of the scars are simply due to the
wear & tear of age.
Earth was not created to last forever!
In contrast -- our Heavenly Home is going to
be brand-new!
Not just restored -- but created fresh!
Some of you have deep physical scars -- left
behind after injury -- or surgery -- or the results of severe burns.
Some of you have deep emotional scars caused
by disappointments & hurts that have never healed.
What scars of sin -- or stains of guilt --
do you bear in your life?
On your body? -- On your emotions? -- On
your personality? -- On your relationships? -- On your memories?
Like planet earth -- do you feel abused
& gouged & worn out & burned by other people -- or even by the
aging process?
Does your life show the signs of wear &
tear -- inflicted by the harshness of the way others have treated you?
Have you ever longed to be able to start
your life over again?
Maybe you can even identify with the
testimony of a dear woman who described being raised in a family where her
father & her brothers repeatedly abused her sexually.
She was so humiliated -- angry -- &
bitter -- that she grew up to live a very immoral lifestyle.
When she finally married & had a family
-- she abused her own children.
One day she heard that God loved her --
& had sent His Son, Jesus, to die in order to cleanse her of her sins.
She responded by asking God to forgive
& cleanse her for Jesus' sake -- & she said she knew He had answered
her prayer.
"But" -- she softly cried --
"I just can't seem to forget. -- What do I do about the memories?"
What can we say? -- All I can say to you
dear friend -- is that one day there will be no more scars!
God will wipe all tears away -- & erase
all memories of such sin & abuse.
Everything -- including our heart, mind,
emotions, memories -- & even our bodies -- will be made new!
And along the way -- God does give us hope
& encouragement.
His reassurance is illustrated by this true
story that took place years ago in the Highlands of Scotland.
A group of fishermen sat around a table in a
small pub -- telling their "fish stories."
As one of the men flung out his arms to more
vividly describe the fish that got away -- he accidentally hit the tray of
drinks that the young bar-maid was bringing to the table.
The tray & the drinks sailed through the
air -- crash-landing against the newly white-washed wall.
As the sound of smashed glass &
splashing beer permeated the room -- the pub became silent -- as all eyes
turned to the ugly brown stain that was forming on the wall.
Before anyone could recover from the
startling interruption -- a guest who had been sitting quietly by himself in
the corner -- jumped up -- pulled a piece of charcoal from his pocket -- &
began to quickly sketch around the ugly brown stain.
To the amazement of everyone present --
right before their eyes -- the stain was transformed into a magnificent buck
with antlers out-stretched -- racing across a highland meadow.
Then the guest signed his impromptu work of
art. -- His name was Sir Edwin Landseer
--
And -- my friends -- God can transform the
ugly brown scars & stains of your life into a piece of beauty even today --
until -- until that time when there shall be no more scars -- or stains.
What ugly brown stains does your life bear
today?
Have you been mistreated & abused? --
Have you abused someone else? -- Have you been the victim of a violent crime?
-- Or raped?
Have you had an abortion -- that has left
you emotionally scared?
Have you committed adultery? -- Is there a
nasty addiction in your life to drugs? -- To alcohol? -- To pornography?
Regardless of what the stain is -- submit it
to God!
You must be willing to turn away from any
& all sin! -- Period!
Then God excels in transforming ugly brown
stains into beauty marks when we surrender them to Him.
And when we get to our Heavenly Home --
there will be no more scars of any kind -- including the kind that inflicted the
wound that has scarred your life here below.
3. Finally -- In Heaven -- There Will Be No
Suffering!
Heaven will not only look fresh & new --
it will feel fresh & new!
The Apostle John writes -- "And I heard
a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men,
& He will live with them. -- They
will be His people, & God Himself will be with them & be their God. --
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. -- There will be no more death -- or
mourning -- or crying -- or pain -- for the old order of things has passed
away'" (21:3-4).
May I ask you today -- in what way are you
suffering?
Are you suffering physically? -- Emotionally?
-- Mentally? -- Financially? -- Materially? -- Socially? -- Spiritually?
One day -- God Himself will take your face
in His hands -- & gently wipe away your tears as He reassures you there
will be no more suffering in your Heavenly Home!
No more pain -- or hospitals -- or doctors
appointments -- or death -- or funerals -- or grief -- or walkers -- or canes
-- or wheelchairs.
There will be no more broken homes -- or
broken hearts -- or broken lives -- or broken dreams.
There will be no more mental retardation --
or physical handicaps -- or blindness -- or sickness of any kind!
There will be no more Parkinson's disease --
or heart disease -- or diabetes -- or arthritis -- or cataracts -- or
paralysis.
No more cancer -- or strokes -- or AIDS.
No more guns in schools -- or car bombs --
or terrorists -- or missiles -- or air strikes. -- And there will be no more
war!
Are you -- along with me -- looking forward
to your Heavenly Home?
Conclusion:
-- Like Ernie the cat -- I just want to go Home!
I look forward with hope -- & with the
beautiful promises of God's Holy Word -- to a day in which there will be no
more separation -- no more scars -- & no more suffering -- in my Heavenly
Home.
Oh, how we need to remind ourselves of the
hope we have in Christ!
Oh, how earthbound we can grow in our
thinking here below.
We know that Heaven will be a place of
radiant splendor (Rev. 21:23).
We know that it will be a place of reunion
-- as we meet again those whom we have loved -- & from whom we have been
parted for a little while (1 Thess. 4:17).
And as we journey the road of life
hand-in-hand with our Lord & Savior -- Jesus -- we know He will guide us
safely to our Heavenly Home!
Are you walking with Him today? -- In sweet
fellowship? -- In obedience?
If you have placed your faith in the Savior
-- then your sins are blotted out -- & you can look forward to a blessed
eternity in Heaven!
My friends -- the more you love Jesus -- the
more you long for Heaven!
Pastor