Homecoming… for Some!

John 1:11-13 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Actually, Jesus left His home to show us the Way back to the home we were created for.

The home we often choose to leave (or turn our back on) because we want to own OUR OWN HOUSE. But, in truth, every house we build on our own, will always be a pig sty – AND – a pig sty is always remain a pig sty, even when decorated to the max with our human bling! Just Sayin… (see Luke 15:11-32)

Overall, mankind builds a world of hate, God builds a kingdom of love… review our version of brotherly love in the bibliography of “man child” Cain… Genesis 4:1-26. 

So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Genesis 4:3 

But… but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:5 

Oh, Oh!

How dare God choose Abel over me-me-me-me! How dare God not be grateful for WHATEVER I give Him! How dare my brother not agree with me-me-me-me! Time for him to disappear, then I will be the ONLY child and God won’t have a choice of BEST MAN. “I’LL SHOW HIM!”

Sounds somewhat like our world today!?!? Take for instance our current leadership. God says He gives governing authority (Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1), yet we plan and execute evil against the leadership we choose to hate (the ones NOT like us!)

There are SO MANY examples of the Cain spirit, throughout history and throughout our world today. Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “ Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:8-9 

Yes! You! Are!

But maybe the bodies won’t ever be found. He (God) said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:10 

Always found! Always known! Always consequences!

Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Genesis 4:11-12 

We are cursed from the ground!

But not convinced we should be! Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Genesis 4:13-14 

God gave Cain his temporary fix, as I know he watches and sends temporary fixes for all of His creation. Temporary because God did not change Cain, He changed the danger of Cain’s discovery and the consequences of such discovery. (So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Genesis 4:15)

He didn’t change Cain’s heart (which we also inherit from Adam just as Cain did). He didn’t take away Cain’s choice to hate (which ALWAYS kills, steals and destroys = see Evil 101. Our manual for “the good life” when Adam and Eve introduced the knowledge of evil and gave evil a position in their lives). Cain did not choose eternity, he chose a lesser punishment, a temporary fix to his lifestyle.

Jesus is THE ONLY eternal fix!

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

And guess what happened… He came to His own, and those who were His own DID NOT receive Him. (first to the Jews and then to the rest of us – but to all mankind in all this world.) God HATES sin but He LOVES His creation – this world!

But as many as DID RECEIVE HIM He gave the right to become children of God. The right… the certificate, so to speak… the adoption paperwork  to become.

A whole new life with a whole new heart (born of God). A whole new home (John 14:2-3 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.) A whole new Way of life (Matthew 22:37-40 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.)

All you have to do is receive Jesus!

Well… NOT quite! I hate to spoil our unicorn dreams of naming and claiming the big, wide, easy, no border fences, highway to heaven… but I must! (“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14)

Like Cain, some of us expect only the consequences of our “lifestyle” to change. We really do not think we should be our brother’s keeper and love him/her no matter what, we MIGHT agree to tolerating, IF they are tolerable, but caring about ourselves and our house is FAR MORE IMPORTANT!

For those of us who KNOW we have no home, we are orphans, without security or love, we not only RECEIVE our adoption paperwork, WE RUN to the courts of heaven to make it eternally legal. There we learn that God has indeed made His Covenant to provide abundant life for all of His children, eternal. We DESIRE ALL OF THE BLESSINGS of being His, we seek – pursue, run to, live within – His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

We not only receive our adoption, we begin to grow up as His child in order to receive the inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for each of us.  1 Peter 1:4

Should you demand your inheritance now, check out the “Homecoming” you may expect following in the prodigal son’s footsteps, returning to the life you craved before. The pigs do not care where you used to live, whom you used to be, how much you used to have access to. The pigs also will not willingly share their food with you. I guarantee, your own people, and those who party with you like they’re your own people,  will not receive you.

Once you become God’s child, only our Father in heaven, and all of His family, will celebrate your TRUE homecoming.

Come home to Jesus and see for yourself… no… come home to Jesus and BE a child of God!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.