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How many “houses” do you know that want to provide you with a Life Style? The fashion industry is divided into houses. The house of Dior, Valentino, Versace, Givenchy, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Faberge, Ralph Lauren, and Pierre Cardin. Then there is Martha’s World at K-Mart and Michael Graves at Target. Each wants to impart a Life Style for you!
What about your house? When people or strangers walk into your house can they see and feel that it is: a house of praise; a house of prayer; a house of faith; a house of justice; a house just not made with hands but also not made with human hands?
For my teenagers and young adults: I can see your spiritual gifts. You do not just see the surface of things; you can see beneath it. This is what frustrates you because your peers only judge according to the facade, according to what they see and you can not understand why they do not see what you see “underneath the exterior.” Don’t be jealous when you see someone living in a larger home than you; especially if God is not there. God is love. He is life. Where there is no God, there is no life or love. It becomes a vacuum and nature abhors a vacuum. What will come in? Death will come in to kill the spirit, the soul, and the heart. It will all be just the material. It will be a monument to narcissism. Then comes the spirit of want and need. There will never be enough.
What does Jesus explain to us about the house He goes to prepare for us? First: there will be room. How ironic that when He stripped Himself of glory to become one with us in the mystery of the Incarnation there was no room for Him.
Second: we need a reservation. Children do not. Why are you so attracted to small children? Because your spirit senses their innocence and their purity. They are naturally close to God already. But we have all been seduced by the glamour of evil at one time or another. We have fallen from this purity and need a reservation. It is a priceless room. He has paid the price.
He goes ahead to prepare a place. He is the forerunner. This is a Greek word which refers to a reconnaissance patrol that goes ahead to prepare the way for the main body of troops. That’s us!
Third: we know the route we need to take. There are three ways to help someone find their way. We could give verbal instructions; draw a map; or personally escort them to their destination. This is what Jesus is promising us. He will be there at the door to say, “This is my brother or sister. I died for him or her. I am this person’s sponsor.”
If a cynic tells you that thinking about heaven is just sentimental or an escapist mentality how will you respond? Tell them, “Only when I have my long-term future secure can I live fully in this present age. If I do not know my final destination, I will be extremely confused along the way.”