Pure Joy, Our Forever Home

Recently I received a message that a pastor who I had once attended his church had passed away.   My immediate response was, how sad, and even though it had been over two decades-I remember him being a good man.  He helped a lot of people in his life, he will indeed be missed.

When I got this message, it was in the middle of servicing several stores-and I continued to keep busy so I could complete my schedule.

After ‘finally’ getting home later that night-getting Diesel walked and calmed down…everyone was quiet and sleeping-it was time to enjoy one the best parts of the day-night time, lights out 🙂

This did not happen at once however.    Looking back, it was the first quiet moment I had all day.   It was the first time my spirit could be whispered to by the Lord-at least in the normal ‘nudging’ manner.

The apostle Paul says most of our walk is like a light in a dim mirror…quiet whispers by the Lord.

When things became calm, I kept getting glimpses of a pastor I once knew being extremely happy, off the charts happy…overflowing happy.   Just glimpses, but enough to make me wonder.

The recurring feeling I got was he was sooo encouraged at his life he ‘had’ to encourage others-I kept seeing him being sooo happy – doing the activities he was working on (and future ones that were planned).   He kept speaking encouragement to others, desiring for them to keep up their activities for the Lord-in pure joy.   I thought, this guy would be really, really fun to be around 🙂

I kept asking myself, why am I seeing this particular pastor-again and again?   It was like he was speaking not only to me but to all those in the church-in absolute joy-keep up the good work-you have ‘little’ idea how much joy you will encounter in the future 🙂

Then it hit me why I was getting these quiet but important directions from the Lord.   Light bulb goes off.  This was the same pastor that passed earlier today.

Maybe it was the hectic schedule, maybe it was my lack of maturity that caused a lapse of sympathy for the family…or just maybe it was meant to be, but I forgot about that he had passed earlier today.    Light bulb turned on now Lord…

The Message

As it did with me years ago, sometimes the Message from above gets lost in ‘translation’.

When I became a Christian-the first thing that broke through was an infinite love from Jesus that completely touched me, beyond measure.   I finally found home-my ‘forever home’.

 As mentioned before, I kept asking myself, why didn’t these Christians emphasize this part-this excitement about God’s love for us… and receiving their ‘forever home’.

The fact of the matter is they did, several times-I just wasn’t listening.

This pastor’s forever home message went beyond words.   His joy was just as an important message as what he said, let’s not lose this point ‘in the translation’.

In street lingo-opps-street lingo while walking on streets of gold-

Revelation 21:21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.   (The City of heaven, where God dwells)

Here we go.  

The Lord wants every corner of your soul, every known and not yet discovered part of your mind, emotions, hopes-dreams-aspirations to be absolutely full of joy.   This is done by making your heart soooo full of value as a person.   In other words, His divine glorious love (that’s the love that is sooo attractive and positively addictive it’s literally burning within you) -it radiates out of you.

Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”

He desires your value and self worth to be directly charged with an infinite touch-a touch that only an infinite God can give you-cause…you got it…He is infinite.   Comprende!

1 Cor. 13:12-13  for we now see obscurely through a mirror, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I will fully know, as I was also known; ¹³ and now there remains faith, hope, love—these three; and the greatest of these [His] love.

Paul is simply teaching us-one day we will be able to see the Lord our God and ‘know fully’ the infinite beauty of His companionship and love. We will also finally realize our complete unending value as a person who is made in the image of God ‘(I am) fully known’. Gen. 1:27

Qualities of your personality and soul you have not yet discovered, and those you have only begun to explore-will be lit with an eternal loving light and set on ‘GO!’

You have seen this example throughout all the earthly kingdom.   Every child, every pet, every animal all have desired sometime in their life a parent nurturing them in life.  Our self value is amplified when we have someone of higher authority give us affirmation.  It gives us greater confirmation that our value and self worth are true and permanent.    We ultimately desire absolute affirmation with the highest truth and authority…which obviously, could only come from God above.

 What every person desires most, what many do not know how to achieve-what no one on earth has yet fully experienced…is that burning love penetrating every part of your soul and spirit.   This is waiting for you when we come to our forever home with our God in heaven.   A taste of heaven on earth makes us weep with appreciation and laugh with joy-knowing we are on the road to fill our lives completely.

All this just to say…if I could summarize the message from the glimpses of this pastor that has ‘passed forward’ it would be…

In Heavenly street lingo….Kido, you gonna LOOVVEE this place! 🙂

Yes, Eternal joy, your forever home

Please see one of my favorite scriptures that help explain this experience…and also below, please see knowing God-to get to our forever home…just like the pastor who is so excited to have us join him.

See  Knowing God 

 

Ephesians 3:14-21

(14-15) When I think of the wisdom and scope of His plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God-some of them already in heaven, and some down here on earth-

16) that out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit. 

17) And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in Him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love;

18-19) and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is, and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it.  And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself.

20) Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. 

21) May He be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of His master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ.