Heavenly Homecoming . . .

Homecoming have a special place in the course of human events and human relationships. When you have been gone for a period of time, nothing compares with the emotions of going home . . . which is even true during alumni homecoming after several years we haven’t been together with our batch mates in secondary and tertiary years in school.

         It has been said that our life here on earth is temporal. Accordingly, we only have seventy years to live, and if by chance, our life be extended to eighty or more years, then it is by the grace of God that we are to be thankful about. The book of Psalm 90:10-12 confirmed: ¹⁰The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

A homecoming is to be looked forward to as we all await the grand day of “God’s White Throne Judgment.” Life is temporal so as it is numbered that even the very hair of us is perfectly known to God! We are to enjoy life at its most . . . as if the lord will come a thousand years yet. But we are to be prepared as if the Lord will come anytime soon. Definitely, this is not a myth . . . its reality that we need to take heed into.

       We are living in a world full of chances. In fact, the God we are serving is a great God of second chance. If we fail today, we are still given the chance tomorrow and the next day . . . like what Peter asked the Lord Jesus about forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22 in the new King James version of the Bible reads: Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

The 70x7 is synonymous with God's eternal forgiveness. Jesus isn't telling us to forgive our brothers 490 times, or 70 times, or 77 times. He's telling us we should always forgive our brothers when they have sinned against us. God in heaven has forgiven us all of humanity's sins. How wrong it would be for us to deny our brothers and sisters a similar forgiveness for much lesser matters. 

     We can never be included in the throng of the great homecoming attendees not unless we are emptied with even a dot of stain in our being. Every day is a trying moment. We are faced with a dilemma and trial. We struggle from time to time on  wanting to be accepted and admired, but we know ourselves better than anyone else.  We are often short of strategies to exit from messes and misfortunes in life which are caused by our wrong choices. 

How many of us have  secrets we’d rather keep to ourselves? To be freed . . . we need to give everything to the Lord. At the moment of crisis, natural instincts surfaced . . . the cat was not a trained butler. It was still a cat. What is needed was a new nature. Same with us because we are imperfect! What we need is total humility and full submission to the God of all ages. Total forgiveness to our fellow brethren is the entrance key to God’s total cleansing and forgiveness in our life. 

Have you given any thought to the heavenly homecoming? One of these days there will be a great homecoming when all the saints of the ages will be gathered to a heavenly home. It’s promised to be an unexpected event, so, in order to be a participant, each of us must always be prepared. It’s like a sudden knocking at the door – it can come at any time! Are you ready and watching?   

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 .....' For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.'