A Heavenly Home

We desire a peaceful, happy home.

One might say a “heavenly” home.

We desire a place where we can simply be ourselves.

We desire a place where people accept us as we are.

We desire a place where we can simply ask and receive the very best.

Faith is the key to Our Heavenly Home

Faith helps us to perceive better things, beyond the material.

You don’t need faith to perceive physical matter

Beyond physical senses

Spiritual things cannot be seen or touched

Faith is not justified on its own

Simply having faith OR in “god” is not enough

Faith is a willingness to trust in and cling to something

Faith is a verb, and we need a noun (a subject) to complete the sentence

That noun (or subject) cannot simply be a physical object or person

Faith takes what God says seriously.

(Scripture)

In faith, we endeavor to know God.

In faith, we endeavor to know more about all that God creates.

Faith evaluates the present in the light of God’s word.

In the Scriptures, God promised his future home will be opened to everyone

The patriarchs and prophets believed in the future coming of God’s kingdom

And were sometimes frustrated by the lack of effort by their people.

Abel genuinely worshipped God and found an early end.

Enoch walked with God into eternity, finding no end.

Noah warned others about their end out of holy fear of God.

Abraham left his earthly homeland to be an immigrant into old age and died.

None of them received what was promised in this life but continued to long for a better home in eternity.

Faith recognizes God’s power to make something from nothing.

Faith of the patriarchs and prophets was justified because it was founded on the promise of God of the fulfillment of God’s kingdom.

God’s kingdom arrived with the coming of Christ

Christ ushered in the kingdom, drawing people to God

Christ brought those who had faith in God and his future kingdom together

To make a family out of unrelated people.

Faith is only justified in Christ

The empowerment given to those who had faith in Christ to overcome sin and evil in obedience is evidence of its justification.

Faith in Christ is Resurrection Faith; creating something from nothing.

God is preparing a better, future place for his people.

The existence of the church today is a foretaste of the kingdom of God.

God is the Heavenly Father of the faithful.

The church is the household of God, and Heaven is their home.

Whatever is done in faith by the household of God is foretaste of Heaven.