Our True Home

Luke 23:43 (ESV)

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

When was the last time you stopped the business of life for a moment to think about God’s promise of heaven? Consider some thoughts from believers who have done just that . . .

The Reverend Billy Graham said, “God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there.”

Evangelist D. L. Moody said, “Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal—a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint: a body fashioned like unto His glorious body.”

What does God Himself say about it?

Heaven is a place where there will be no hunger, no pain, no sickness, no sadness, no reason to fear (Revelation 21:3–4).

It’s our true home, where beloved people to whom we have said goodbye will be ready to welcome us (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

God’s heaven is an eternal kingdom where we will experience infinite peace and joy, and where nothing will stand between us and our Savior (John 14:3).

Near the end of His life, as the heartbreak of the cross grew near, Jesus comforted His disciples with a hint of heaven: “Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you” (John 14:1–3). Could the disciples have received any better news than that?

And it’s great news for us too. The trouble and pain we know in this world won’t last forever. What will last forever is the future joyful home with our Savior who loves us.

Jesus has gone to get our rooms ready, and He is returning soon.

Dear Jesus, we thank You for going to prepare a place for us. Give us the heart to reach out to those around us so that they may join us there with You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Really happy

1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

Raising our two children was an incredible time mixed with many  adventures and overwhelming joy. I love happy families!

That joy and intense love are like the joy we feel when we experience the knowledge of the love God has for us. And even though at times it can seem a bit cloudy with all the day-to-day tasks, it’s real. There is great joy in the relationship, and we haven’t yet seen Him with our natural eyes. We see Him with the eyes of our spirit. We see Him through His Word and others’ encounters, but what will that day be like when we see Him face to face and fall into His arms, or maybe swoon at His feet before we can even get there?

He said, “I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am so will you be also.” We prepare parties, food, presents, books to read, vacations, and activities for our children because we want to express our great love for them. What joy we have in the preparation! Jesus is preparing a place for us to make our joy full when we see Him. We have joy now, but we haven’t seen anything yet! So if things seem a little rough today, don’t forget the joy of His love and the fuller experience of that joy that is yet to come!

Dear Lord, thank You for the place you are preparing for us. We want to thank You for the joy  that is waiting for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

You are a Child of God, Right Now!

1 John 3:1-2 (ESV)

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Can you picture yourself enjoying heaven right now? Can you picture yourself forever free from all sadness, grief, sickness, or pain? Looking into God’s eyes and seeing your Savior face-to-face? Serving God perfectly, with no more sin ever getting in the way? And can you picture yourself as a perfect child of God, standing before your perfect Father in his perfect heaven, experiencing nothing but joy, gladness, happiness, and peace that will never end?

Maybe you can’t picture all that because right now is filled with so much that is confusing, jumbled up, and messy. Maybe you can’t because right now is clouded by turmoil, pain, fears, doubts, questions, and worries. It seems like everything you see and experience is about as far away from a perfect life, in a perfect heaven as you can possibly imagine.

In a sinful world, it is easy for children of God to feel like that, and even feel like they aren’t children of God at all. That is why the words of the apostle John are so comforting. He reminds us that our status before God doesn’t depend on how we are feeling or how things are going in life right now—good or bad. Instead, our status before God depends solely on what God has declared us to be.

So, what has God declared us to be? “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” God has declared us to be his children through the forgiving work of Jesus, his Son. Not might be, could be, or will be someday. God says, “That is what we are!”

Thanks to the saving work of Jesus, we are children of God right now. We already experience so many of the blessings that come along with being his children—the strength and desire to say “No” to sin, the peace of sins forgiven, the joy of our salvation, and the certain hope of eternal life.

All these blessings, and so many more, are already ours right now, even in the midst of turmoil, pain, fears, doubts, questions, and worries that cloud this sinful life. God’s blessings will continue to be ours right up until the day our perfect heavenly Father takes us to join him as his perfect children in his perfect heaven.

Dear Lord, there is no greater status we could enjoy than to be Your very own children. Thank you for making us Your children through the work of Your Son. Grant us the joy of living as Your children until the day You bring us to be with You in heaven. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The quilt of life

Ecclesiastes 3:7  (ESV)

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

This is dedicated to all the quilt makers in my life.

As I faced my Maker at the last judgement, I knelt before the Lord along with the other souls . Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt. An angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and all the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of the truth ...The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been.

My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it.

I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many lonely nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully: each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgemental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been...I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes opened wide.

Then I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, The Face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with love and warmth in his eyes. He said: "Every time you gave over your life to me, it became my life, my hardships, and my struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let me shine thru, until there was more of me than there was of you."

-Author Unknown

Dear Lord, thank You for all the things in our life that You use to make  us who we are.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Looking forward to the eternal world

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV)

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

As believers, we are all called to transform the little world around us. C.S. Lewis offered a thoughtful perspective on remaining heavenly minded while continuing to make an impact in this present world. In Mere Christianity, he said. "Hope...means...a continual looking forward to the eternal world...it does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next...It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither."

Being heavenly minded is not natural. It happens when we focus and meditate on the reality and wonderful hope of the world to come. When we do, we can bring a taste of heaven to the little world around us. So let's not become complacent -- but stay focused there, so we can be effective here... and soon enough we will hear the Lord saying, "Well, done thou good and faithful servant!"

Dear Lord, we pray that we would have our focus on heaven. Help us to be effective here on Earth as we strive to bring as many with us to Heaven. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What's at the end of your rainbow?

1 Peter 1:4 (ESV)

To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

As we celebrate Saint Patrick’s a lot of people think about "luck" of the Irish. It  reminds me how blessed I am.

My rainbow does not lead to a “pot of gold” but to my relationship with my Lord and Savior. That relationship with the Lord entitles me to so much. It's all there waiting for me, just because I have accepted Christ as my Lord.

The wonderful treasure that I find is eternal life and a home in heaven. Wow! Isn't that something to find! People have been searching for centuries and throughout history for the key to long life and to be ageless. I think "eternal life" qualifies, don't you?

Here are some wonderful things waiting for us in heaven.

·       There's Joy There.

Look how the angels rejoice over a soul that accepts Christ. I so want to live in a place of joy. There's so much here on this earth that isn't full of joy. The things in this life on earth can bring so much heartache and heartbreak, but there's a place of joy at the end of my rainbow and I can't wait to embrace that.

·       There's Rest There.

I'm so glad that there's a place waiting for me where there's no trouble and it's a place of rest. This world is full of trouble. Just pick up the newspaper,  check your Facebook page or turn on the TV and you'll see it everywhere. And sometimes I feel so tired and weary, but in heaven that's all gone. God wipes away those tears.

·       God's There.

To me that's just so exciting to know that we will live with the Lord forever. That the King of Glory, the Beginning and the End is there sitting on the throne. We know that now, but just think about being in His presence.

·       There's Beauty There.

Sometimes I see those beautiful places to live on HGTV and I am just in awe at the level of extravagance that some people live, but think about heaven. Hey! There's streets of gold there. We'll be walking on them! The bible also mentions, gates of pearl, jasper walls, jeweled foundations. What extravagance that the Lord went to for us, His children.

·       I Have An Inheritance There.

What a consolation it is to me to know that I'm an heir of Christ. Because I accepted Him into my life, I have an incorruptible inheritance. I don't have to worry about any legal papers being drawn up, wait for a DNA result, or put my trust in a lawyer to prove it. I don't have to be in any doubt that I will receive what's mine at the end of my rainbow. I know heaven is mine because my name is written in the Book of Life. I know the things of this world will not last but there is heaven waiting for me because there was a time and place that I accepted Christ.

·       I'll Have A New Body There.

I don't know about you, but my body here on earth could use a little repair. It's flesh. It's not going to last, but we do have a promise that we will be changed. Philippians talks about our citizenship in heaven and how God will change our bodies.

I love the thought that I have a rainbow that leads to my relationship with the Lord. Eternal life with Christ in a beautiful place--what a thought.

So, what's at the end of your rainbow?

Dear Lord, we thank You for what is waiting for us at the end of the rainbow. Help us take the time to share that great gift with those around us today. In The Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Thoughts of my dad and heaven.

John 14:2- 3 (ESV)

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Today Ronald Lewis Yahr Sr celebrates 16 years in the presence of God almighty.  

God once made a father

his best one of them all

he was smart loving and determined

to come when his kids called

This father could be so serious

And sometimes he would get mad

but he was forgiving

when we did something bad

This father could be silly

he would tell many jokes

But many times was serious

Because of his love for God

God would give him to someone

but who would that be?

the very lucky person

turned out to be me.

You never said “I’m leaving”

You never said “goodbye”

You were gone before I knew it,

And only God knew why.

There are no words to tell you

Just how I felt inside

The shock, the hurt, the anger

Has gradually subsided

A million times I’ve need you

A million times I’be cried 

If Love alone could have saved you

You never would have died

In Life I loved you dearly

In death I love you still

In my heart you hold a place

That no one could ever fill

It broke my heart to lose you

But you didn’t go alone

For part of me went with you

The day God took you home

Things will never be the same

And all though it hurts so bad

I still smile whenever I hear your name

And will always be proud that you were my Dad.

I love you dad. Thanks for making me the husband, dad and man I am today. 

Dear Lord, we thank You for those You bring into our life to help shape and mold us into who You have planned for each of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Reunion With My Dad

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV)

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1999 December 28, 1999 my went to sleep and woke in heaven for his eternal retirement.  Pain surrounded me during those dark days. I ached inside and missed him terribly.

There was a great sense of loss, thinking my sons would never see Bumper again. Maybe you can relate and have experienced grief too? If so, you may be encouraged by this truth: for those who love and know the Lord, parting is only temporary. It’s not really goodbye, but see-you-later.

The apostle Paul assured the Thessalonians of this truth. “The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” 1 Thessalonians 4:16b-17.

That assurance is for us too. There are three words in Paul’s statement that provide hope, comfort, and assurance for the brokenhearted: we, together, and them.

We (people on earth) who are still alive will be caught up together (two parties meeting) with them (those who are in heaven).

These words of reunion indicate that God’s children never have to experience permanent separation. That’s good news! One day you and I will be reunited with our loved ones who believed in Jesus while on Earth. What a glorious day that will be.

We don’t have to let grief burden our hearts. We have hope in God’s promise that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones. Holding on to that hope takes death’s sting away and fills our heart with anticipation.

Even in grief there is hope. For those who accept the Lord as their Savior, death is not goodbye. It’s simply see-you-later.

Dear Lord, thank You that death is not the end. Thank You for that glorious reunion one day when we will see our loved ones that went before us.  And for the day we will see You face to face. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Looking Toward Heaven

Hebrews 11:10 (NIV)

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

"Daddy, put me on your shoulders and let me touch Grandma's hand!" The little girl said.

Daddy bent down, turned her around, and lifted her high above his head until she was safely positioned on his shoulders.

"I can see tomorrow up here, Daddy," she said.

"You can?" He asked. "What does it look like?" He questioned her.

"Just like today, but more pretty!" She giggled.

"Now hold on, Jenny. I'm going up on top of this hill. When I tell you to, stretch your arms way up and you can touch her hand."

He carefully walked up on top of the small hill just behind the bench I was sitting on. The softball fans sit there each evening during the spring and summer watching the local players compete. But today this hill served a higher purpose.

For this is a spot where memories are made. This is a moment between parent and child that gets filed away in memories for tomorrows yet to come. Perhaps when this young girl will hold her babe high upon her shoulders and together they will reach for Grandpa's hand, just like when she was a child.

He came down to sit as his daughter played nearby. He shared with a man sitting there that Jenny was very close to his mom, who died a few months ago.

"Jenny said she wanted to hold hands with Grandma like she always did. I told her Grandma was in heaven, out of reach,"

"Jenny told me that heaven is in tomorrow. If she climbed way up high she could see it and touch Grandma's hand."

"Why did she say that Heaven was in tomorrow?", the man asked

"Well, the last time she saw Grandma, she told Jenny that one day soon she would go to heaven. Of course Jenny wanted to know when. Mom said 'Maybe tomorrow, Jenny. She died two days later."

"So, then, heaven is in tomorrow,"

"So does she feel Grandma's hand?"

"Yes, very much so. In fact..." he paused when his daughter came running up to him.

"I'll be right there, Jenny."

Jenny is such a beautiful child. You look at her and think "buttons and bows" like a little girl in a story book.

He continued. "One day when we did this, she stretched out her arms and said, "Daddy, I can feel her hand!" Of course I played along and asked if it were soft like I remember."

"She then said, 'Yes, Daddy.

I thought a lot about this today. I asked myself a hundred times. So I'll ask you. Based on who you are. Knowing more about you than anyone else. Having whatever faith you may have in yourself, your God. Can you see "Heaven in tomorrow?" If you believe just reach up right now and touch it

Dear Lord, We thank You for the promise of Heaven.  We pray that as we look forward to heaven that we would take the time to share the great hope with those around us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Home in Heaven

John 14:1-2 (New International Version)

 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

The British novelist and playwright David Lodge was watching one of his own creations, a satirical revue, the evening of November 22, 1963. The theatre audience chuckled as an actor in the play showed up for a Job interview with a transistor radio clutched to his ear, demonstrating his character's blasé indifference. The actor then set down the radio and tuned to a station, letting its news, music, or commercials play in the background while the play went on. This night, however, a voice came on the radio with a live news bulletin: "Today, the American President John F. Kennedy was assassinated ..."

The audience gasped and the actor immediately switched off the radio, but too late. In one sentence, the reality of the outside world had shattered the artificial world of the theatre production. Suddenly, whatever action took place onstage seemed superficial and irrelevant.

The city of God and cities of this world exist in parallel universes (from our perspective, at least), with low-level signals transmitted back and forth between them. The risk is that we may feel completely at home on earth, unaware of another world. Like the people in the theatre, we live inside a reality so engaging that for a time we can forget about any other-until the outside world abruptly intrudes.

Dear Lord we thank You for the home You are preparing a home from us. We pray that as we live here on Earth that we would work diligently to bring others to You so they may also have a home with You in Heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Through the Gates Into Heaven!

It has been 11 years since my dad passed through the gates into heaven. I have been thinking a lot about Dad’s time in heaven since he died and departed from this earth to his eternal home. I have been wondering what it was like to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.

I have had many thoughts go through my mind, some of great wonder, imagination and many questions. Things like:

1. What happened right after his last breath?

2. Did angels come and usher him right into the presence of God and Jesus?

3. Did he hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” immediately?

4. What did he see? What did he hear?
5. What did he feel?
6. When I prayed to God and asked Jesus to tell my Dad thank you for a good life lived and that I love him, did he tell him?

7. Did he see people that he led to Christ?

8. Did he see people that he was surprised to see?

9. Did he meet Paul? What about all the other “biggie saints” like Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Mary and Joseph, John the Baptist, the 12 apostles, early church fathers, John Calvin, Martin Luther and thousands upon thousands other believers? Did he see his mom or his dad?
10. Did he see an amazing host of angels?

11. Were the streets really of gold?

12. Was there a mansion? (Will mine be next door?)

13. Did he see the true heavenly tabernacle spoken of in Hebrews 9 and 10?

14. Did he see the heavenly hosts getting ready for the return of Jesus?

15. Did he see the armies of God?

16. Did he see the new and true Jerusalem being prepared?

With all these questions it is a great comfort to know that I will see him again someday. My dad Ronald L Yahr Sr is my hero! He is the reason I am the man I am today. I pray that when it is my time to leave this Earth that I will leave a legacy as great as my dad.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 1:3- 6 (New International Version)

Dear Lord we thank you for our parents. We thank you for the time they spend to mold us into the people we are. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Kingdom Dream

What grand "Kingdom dreams" do you have for God's glory? What incredible ideas can you imagine requesting that God would bring to pass? What are your expectations of heaven with God? Now that you have stretched mind, challenged your imagination, and loaded up your expectations, are you ready for some down to earth truth straight from the Marvel of heaven? God is able to do far more than any of that. His power is at work in us to do his glorious will and accomplish his eternal purposes. So let's not set our sights too low and expect too little. Live for his glory and expect to see it at work in your life.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
— Ephesians 3:20-21

Dear Lord, God of heavens and earth, please stir our thoughts by your Spirit to dream bigger dreams and have higher hopes than our earthbound and selfish brain can imagine. Give us a sense of wonder and expectation as I live for your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.