A Crucified Life - - Is At Home With The Lord

 

2 Corinthians 5:8

We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1736

At Home:  to be in one's own country, to be at home

From the Greek word 'endémeó' (pronounced en-day-meh'-o): to be among one's own people, dwell in one's own country.

    Someday. Someday always comes. God's people have been longing for someday ever since we became separated from God in the garden of Eden. We look forward to the day when we are no longer apart and are in His presence permanently.

    On this side of heaven we get glimpses of eternity. We read of this place called heaven in the Scriptures. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12 "Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

    Its size cannot be measured. Its landscape is dotted with a variety of buildings, animals and trees. Its population consists of God, His angels and His people.

GOD

>Only One God - Deuteronomy 4:39, 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6

>Father  - Matthew 6:9

>Spirit - John 4:24

>Love - 1 Corinthians 13:8

>Holy - Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16

And so much more than this, God is.

HIS ANGELS

    We read of some of the different types of angels and their ministrations in God's kingdom. Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2-4) and cherubim: (2 Samuel 22:11 [living chariot]; Isaiah 37:16  [His throne]; Ezekiel 1:4-14 [descriptive].

   Archangels [chief angels, rulers of angels], mentioned specifically as archangels occurs twice in Scripture (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 1:9). All other references to archangels refers to them as princes [Daniel 10:13] and guardians [Daniel 12:1] and defenders [Revelation 12:7].

HIS PEOPLE

>Children of God - John 1:12; 1 John 3:2 

>The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD - Isaiah 62:12

>A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession - 1 Peter 2:9 

>Martyrs - Revelation 6:9

>A great cloud of witnesses - Hebrews 12:1

Giving you just a few verses of our relationship with God.

HIS HEAVEN

>An Unshakeable Kingdom - Hebrews 12:28

>Eternal Day - Revelation 22:1-5

>Filled With Worshipers - Revelation 4:8-11; Revelation 5:11-14; Revelation 7:9-12 [point of fact: the Book of Revelation is filled with instances of worship]. 

    Someday. Someday soon. 

AT HOME WITH THE LORD

I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe

What Happened To Your Hands - Tammy Jones

Scars In Heaven - Casting Crowns

There Will Be A Day - Jeremy Camp

Hymn of Heaven - Phil Wickham

If I Could Take My Family - Tammy Jones

Holy - Jeremy Riddle & Tayla Rede

To Worship You I Live 

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Angelic Announcement

 Luke 2:13, 14
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 

Angel: messenger, delegate

From the Greek word 'aggelos' (pronounced ang'-el-os). Spiritual beings created by God to serve His plan, convey His messages to people. They are servants and attendants of the Most High God. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 134 and 136

Praise: praise, laudatory discourse

From the Greek word 'ainos' (pronounced ah'-ee-nos).

To laud is to:

1. To praise, honor, or exalt in words or song.

2. To praise in words alone, or with words and singing; to celebrate; to extol.

3. Laud is from the Hebrew word 'shabach', which means 'shout'. 

Romans 15:11

And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 

Psalm 98:4

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Such a wondrous birth needed a wondrous choral announcement. "The Lord is Here! Shout praise! Sing of the glories of God! that such an unusual event is taking place! Come and See! Come and Worship! Your King is born!"

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

AWESOME GOD by Carman

Glory, Honor, Renown, The Unspoken Manifestation of God, Splendor, His Infinite, Intrinsic Worth (Substance, Essence)

1 Chronicles 29:11

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all.

Matthew 6:13

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

AND ON EARTH PEACE

WONDERFUL PEACE by Don Moen

God's Gift of Wholeness, One, Quietness, Rest, When All Essential Parts Are Joined Together

John 16:33

Psalm 85:8-11

8. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.

9. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.

10. Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together; righteousness and peace have kissed.

11. Faithfulness sprouts from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN

In Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2107, the two-word phrase "good will" reads as "God's good pleasure requires something is done through His work of inbirthing faith. Good or beneficial to men (meaning all of mankind, including women; for the Word is not just for some but for All). 

Kindly intent, Delight. 

Ephesians 1:9, 10

9. And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ

10. as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

PROCLAMATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS

Psalm 111:1

Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

Psalm 118:26

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

Luke 

Luke 19:38

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Luke 10:36

He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

John 12:13

They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: "Hosanna!" "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

HOSANNA medley 

Have you heard the good news? A Savior has been born! He saves us from our sins, from all our unrighteousness. He saves us from death and the grave and hell. For this purpose God sent His Son to this dark earth: to reveal the Light of God's Holy Love to all men everywhere. 

Can you see His Light? Rejoice that Jesus is here! SHOUT to the LORD all you people! Truly we sing, with the heavenly host, and all the people who have gone before us, "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!" 

Our hearts ring out with JOY. The cry of our hearts is, LORD SAVE US! and He does. Have you cried out in the night for God to come near? He's right there. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Sweet, sweet Name of Jesus. Hold me in Your arms that I might not wander from You. 

Let's walk this last little bit of our journey together, hand in hand, side by side. 

 

Hiding Place

Psalms 91

I live in the secret place of the Most High where I abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I say of my Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress: my God; in Him I trust. He delivers me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He covers me with His feathers, and under His wings I trust: His Truth is my Shield and my Buckler.

I shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies (in my direction) by day; I shall not be afraid of the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor am I afraid of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it shall not come near me. (All around me is death and destruction. The tongue kills quicker than the sword.) Only with my eyes shall I look and see the reward of the wicked. Because I have made the Lord, which is my Refuge, even the Most High, my habitation. My home, my dwelling place; therein shall no evil befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling.

For He gives His angels charge over me, to keep me in all His ways. His angels bear, lift, me up in their hands, preventing my destruction against the stones. I tread, heavily walk upon, the lion and the adder: the young lion and the dragon I trample under my feet. (Another section of the Bible says, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel." After walking on snakes and lions, I still have pretty feet.)

Because I have set my love upon Him, my Lord, He will deliver me: He will set me on high, because I have known His Name. I will call on Him, and He will answer me: He will be with me in troubled times; He will deliver me, and honor me. With long life will He satisfy me, and show me His salvation.