Home – Sweet Home!

It’s very hard for some people to believe that they can get right in their life again. They think it’s too late and convinced in their mind that they have gone too far from God. Serious rebelliousness, addictions or one big mistake they did or a sinful life style. These incidents cause them to think that there is no way out. They feel discouraged, sad and depressed and no hope left in their mind. Their good days will never re-visit, they conclude.  No light is seen at the end of the tunnel. It’s still dark and night in their lives. Do you feel this way?  Then continue reading.

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There are many people who think this way. Jesus Christ was aware of such individuals and their needs. This is the reason why he said a story about a young man who rebelled against his father and went away far away from his father’s home. The story is recorded in the Bible in Luke 15:11-32. A father had two sons and the younger of them wanted to be away from the home and his loving father,  to have the fun of all sorts and enjoy his life in luxurious living. In essence, he said to his father ‘give me my inheritance now’. He wanted to have fun and enjoyment right then. Typically the estates are divided when the father dies but this man was not willing to wait. He wanted it right then. It was, of course, painful for the father to give his property even before his death but this father did it and gave the share to his son. The son gathered everything and went far away from his father’s home and wasted all his money in wild and loose living with his friends. When his money ran out, there came a famine in the land and he started starving for food. All his friends left him one by one because they didn’t want a  friend who doesn’t have any money to spend. The young man went and talked to a local farmer and begged for a job and he hired the man and sent him to his fields to feed his pigs. The farmer didn’t care to give any food for his starvation. The boy wanted to satisfy his hunger with the pods he was feeding the pigs because it looked good for starvation.  But no one even gave little bit extra pod to fill his stomach. Pigs had enough but he went hungry.

Decision to go Home

Now the young man thought about his home and father. He thought even his father’s hired servants would share with their food. He remembered they had enough food back in the home and here he was dying of hunger and no one cares about him.  He made up his mind to go back home and tell his father that he had sinned against heaven and him. Then he would ask his father to take him as one of his hired servants because he felt he was not worthy to be called his son anymore.

He returned home to his father. While the boy was still far away from home, the father saw him coming toward the home. Father was filled with love and compassion, ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The young man said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am not longer worthy of being called your son.”

But do you know what this father did? He didn’t even bother to listen to his son’s words. He was so thrilled with the joy of his son came back home, that he ordered his servants to quickly bring the best robe and ring and sandals for his son. In addition, the father asked his servants to kill one of the best calves. He said to the servants we must celebrate with a feast. Then he said the reason for celebration. He said “this son of mine was dead and has not returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.” So they started the celebration.

My friend,  who was reading my notes above, let me tell you this. In the above story, Jesus said about the love of your heavenly father toward you. I totally understand there are earthly fathers who may not love and care much for their children like the father in this story. And that was not the intention of the story. Jesus wanted you to know the heart of the Father God in heaven.  He loves you deeply and He is waiting and waiting and waiting for you to come home to Him. Why did Jesus tell this story? There is only one reason and that is this – He wants you to know the deep and unquenchable love of your heavenly father toward you. Secondly, Jesus wants you to know you can come home with all your dirt and stinks. It’s not late for you to come to God because He loves you with an unstoppable love and has much compassion for you.

It doesn’t matter how far away you have already gone and how many bad things people around you may say about you and your actions. None of these matters now at this point.  What matters is you and your good future! And what matters is that first step you would take to come home. This is what the young man in the story did. Do you know?  From the day the boy disobeyed, rebelled and gone away from home, this loving father was looking at the horizon every single day -hoping this could be the day my son would return home. Every single day he looked through the windows of his house at the horizon, to see if his son would come back.

The devil would say it’s too late for you to come home. He wants  to keep you there and destroy you eventually because He is evil and from the very beginning devil is a liar and father of liars. He is a murderer from the very beginning. Don’t listen to him.  Come out of his works in your life and walk home right now. Make a turning point today. You will be pleasantly surprised how loving your father would be and how big a plan and purpose again He has for you in His mind.

Sinners loved Jesus.

When Jesus talked, the notorious sinners and people who had bad reputation in the society used to come to listen to his teachings. In fact do you know Pharisees -the religious people of Jesus day- always complained that Jesus, was associating with sinful people and even eating with them?  That is the reason why Jesus said the above story. Jesus also said there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who think that they are good enough because they are outwardly religious. He also said there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents (Luke 15:7 and 10). When you come home to Jesus, there will be joy in heaven in the presence of God’s angels. You will also enjoy the pure joy in your heart. You will be welcomed and accepted not as a hired servant but as  His own precious child. Jesus said on another occasion, “People who are well do not need a doctor. Only those who are sick need a doctor. I have not come to call those who are right with God. I have come to call those who are sinners (Mark 2:17).” Jesus know you need Him to get well from your current condition.

You can come home. You don’t need to hesitate period! It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. The more serious sins and mistakes you have committed in your life, there is a higher potential to become a better saint for the rest of your life. Usually, serious sinners and criminals turn to be excellent saints, when they repent and come to God. They appreciate more the unstoppable love and forgiveness of God. The Pharisees,  who never got a grasp of God’s grace,  never understand the heart of God. They choose to continue in their miserable condition of the judgmental heart.  This young man’s brother was a typical representative of a pharisee and hypocrite. He couldn’t accept his brother back. You can read about him in this story. His words were filled with hatred. He was filled with rage and said to his father, “when this son of yours came back …..”. He was judgmental even at his own father. He won’t even go inside the house due to his heart issue. Aren’t you glad about the fact that the Father was not like him? I do.

Two vitals -Remember and Repent.

The first thing the young man in Jesus story did was,  he came to his sense- means he remembered his father’s home.

Secondly, he repented about his wrong actions. He agreed- he sinned against heaven and his father. Whenever we sin, we sin horizontally and vertically- against people and against heaven/God. Remembrance and repentance are the two vital ingredients that help you to come home.

Think about the towering personalities of the Bible. Moses was a murderer but God made him an exceptionally brilliant leader of God’s people- Israel. He authored several Old Testament books. David did adultery and murder and when he wept and cried to God about these intentional sins, God forgave him and took him back into His fold and used him to write so many Psalms of the Bible. In fact, Jesus Christ is called the son of David. What a blessing when confessed his sins and came back home? His bad and good experiences of life still comfort and guide people through the centuries. Read his several psalms in the Bible. It will rejuvenate and energize you to face life’s challenges. Apostle Paul was a blasphemer, a terrorist criminal and a murderer who killed many devoted Christians.  But when he responded to Jesus Christ he became a flaming evangelist who gained the continent of Europe and much of Asia to Lord Jesus Christ. God turned him to be the author of several books in the New Testament and we study these books as part of the Scripture. Remembrance and repentance helped them to come back home.

No Matter What.

You may be a person who never heard about the love of the heavenly father. You may never knew the God of the Bible, who loves and deeply cares about you. Or you may be a person who is born and brought up in a Godly home and turned your back on God. Finally,  you may be a person who was used for the Lord in the past but now due to some compromise or sin in your life or due to circumstances beyond your control-due to other people’s action-  life has turned its back on you and now you feel lost and worried. Remember this -the young man in our story was once living in a loving Godly family. But he left home and did senseless things in his life, but father accepted him back with the best robes, ring, and sandals with celebration.

What is that holding you back?? When you think about it -nothing holds you back – only your willingness to come home is required. Remembrance and repentance make your way home.

Lord Jesus with a loving and warm heart filled with compassion and with out-stretched arms invites you to come home. Remember and repent. Please come home.

An old hymn ‘Heaven Came Down’ gives a glimpse of the pure joy of coming home to Lord Jesus Christ.

1. O What a wonderful, wonderful day, Day I will never forget; After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met. O what a tender, compassionate friend He met the need of my heart; Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

2. Heaven came down And glory filled my soul, When at the cross The Savior made me whole; My sins were washed away And my night was turned to day Heaven came down And glory filled my soul!

Prayer time:

The young man in the story of Jesus made up his mind to come home. You can take the same step with a small prayer right now. You can pray like this.

“Lord Jesus, Even though no one else understand, I know you know and understand me. I am sorry for the sins I committed in my life. I understand my sin is against heaven and you.  (repent and confess your sins now). Please forgive me Lord. I believe you died for my sins on the cross and rose again. I accept you as my Lord and savior. Amen.”

If you prayed his prayer, please go to contact/prayer tab and send me a note.