When Jesus came to earth in the form of a helpless baby, the sky filled with angels over shepherds in the fields who were watching their flocks. When those shepherds rushed into Bethlehem, looking for a baby king, onlookers must have thought they were truly nuts. But, those shepherds took a step of faith and found Jesus ---not in a palace or lavishly wealthy mansion, where one would expect to find a king, but lying in a feed trough in a stable.
Those shepherds had no way of knowing what we know now, that that baby would grow up to teach us about His Father God, to go about healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons. And then, to die a cruel death on the cross.
How could they know then that that little baby would be sacrificed for the remission of sins and to conquer death and hell?
Jesus's ministry lasted a mere three years. He touched multitudes upon multitudes with his teachings. He demonstrated the power of God every day of those three years, culminating in the resurrection of His body.
He even came back from the dead to continue teaching his followers for another 40 days in His brand new, "glorified" body that apparently had no blood in it. Then, He said, "Good-bye." He started levitating, and was taken back up to Heaven to sit on the right hand of His Father.
But, what He told us was, "I go to prepare a place for you!" (John 14)
As believers, we have a special place prepared just for us. Jesus knows exactly what we want and He is making sure that our "place" is perfect in every way. Plus, we don't have to pay rent or electric bills.
Nothing is too good for His children. In fact, the very streets beneath our feet will be made from pure gold, purified to the degree of being translucent. No dust, no dirt, no noisy traffic or pollution.
The Bible calls it "New Jerusalem" and it's coming down from God out of Heaven! Imagine, a whole city coming down out of the sky? Perhaps it's already on the way from who-knows-where-up-there-somewhere. (By the way, there is a new planet of some kind, recently discovered by astronomers that seems to be getting closer to the earth. I think they call it the second sun.)
This city of God is so beautiful that it is described as a bride adorned for her husband. It's our GIFT. We don't deserve it. We didn't earn it. But, we get it anyway. Just because.
Because Jesus loves us. It's a city of gold created for US. It is our Heavenly Home, no longer to roam.
"The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore."
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