Luke 4:18

"HOMECOMING"

"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."  (Luke 4:18)  This gives you a real "homey" feeling, doesn't it?  You've heard the saying, "Home is where the heart is?"  The world's hearts are about to have a "Homecoming!" 

Where is Home?  In the mind of Almighty God, according to the Word of God, because that's how we know the "mind" of God  ...  "Home" is living and abiding in Him in His house!  "But as for me, I will come into thy house into the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple."  (Psalm 5:7)  The answer for a grieving, tormented, angry, rioting, hurting, hungry, terrified, and shaken world, is to come Home!  Come Home to the Lord Jesus Christ!

"But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time

of your favor; in your great love, O God,

answer me with your sure salvation."

(Psalm 69:13)

What is the time of God's favor?  NOW!  It's the time before the door slams shut and time shall be no more.  We are living in the time of Grace, a time of God's overwhelming favor!  He is nigh unto the brokenhearted; He is forgiving, longsuffering, and He runs to anyone who repents and seeks Him with a sorrowful heart.  He stands with open arms saying, "Come Home; Come Home!"  

"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for

help, as I lift up my hands toward your

Most Holy Place."

(Psalm 28:2)

The world is a very lonely place, if you're walking around in it without the One who made it!  Where can you find refuge; where is it safe?  It's eternally safe in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ and in His Church.  Psalm 132:7 says, "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool."  God's Church is where we find solace for our souls, peace for our fears, love for our discontent, power against evils, healing for our beings, strength for our weakness, direction for our confusions, and salvation for our "eternities." 

"I will bow down toward your holy temple and will

praise your name for your love and your faithfulness,

for you have exalted above all things your name and

    your word." 

(Psalm 138:2)

"Home" is where your sins are forgiven by "Amazing Grace," where He makes "Beautiful Things" out of dust; it's where your normal existence is filled with "Holy, Holy, Holy" sounds of Glory, and it's where you realize "You Gotta' Serve Somebody," and so, you rise on eagle's wings and you say, "I'm Goin' To The Enemy's Camp To Take Back What He Took From Me;" and all the while, you're thinkin' "He Didn't Bring Me This Far To Leave Me," and you keep your eye on the prize and sing "I'll fly Away;" then, as you ponder these things, you remember the bad times aren't so bad because "He Whispers Sweet Peace To Me" and you tell yourself "I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy," so you know you will make it, because you obeyed Acts 2:38 and "This is That Spoken By The Prophet Joel" and "Ain't No Grave Gonna' Hold My Body Down;" so, you lean back and breathe a sigh of relief that you're glad you're Home, and Hey, things are lookin' up, because "There's A Little Bit Of Mornin' Outside."

   "COME HOME!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)