R U Truly Homesick?

In their song “Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home,” the CCM music group, Newsong, sings the words , “The morning paper is reading like a scroll—Like the headlines from 2000 years ago—Everywhere I see the signs—My heart’s telling me it’s almost time.” That song seems to capture the direction where our hearts need to be focusing—toward our eternal home. Seems to me that more and more families today are being snagged by the trappings of this world—money, stuff and self-seeking pleasures. More Christians today are succumbing to the “lures of the world” - willingly accruing huge amounts of debt by living beyond their means, spending more time on all other types of “activities,” and then decrying “I have no time for church...or the things I know need to be doing (e.g. serving, daily Bible study-prayer)” - ultimately, they are saying by their actions that they have no time for Jesus! It’s the “Walk the Talk” principle seen in James 2:17 that “faith without deeds (service, actions) is useless!” 1 John 3:18 commands that believers “not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” You see, just “talking” about Jesus never brings salvation nor true transformation in our lives...the Pharisees “talked about Jesus,” and yet they led the charge to crucify Him; many in the crowds which welcomed Jesus in celebratory fashion into Jerusalem “talked about Jesus,” yet days later were heard screaming “Crucify Him!;” and Pontius Pilate “talked about Jesus,” but found himself standing before a beaten and bloodied Jesus asking the question “What is Truth?” (John 18:38) You see, anybody can “talk about Jesus,” but Jesus says I want you to know Me (through a personal love relationship) and to worship and serve Me daily in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24) That demands that we fix the eyes of our heart on Him (Hebrews 12:2) and allow that focus to prioritize our eternal values which direct our daily life actions! Matthew 24:37 declares, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” As you read and study the headlines and current events of today (1 Chronicles 12:32), there can be little debate that history is entering into its finals days before Jesus returns. OF course, the ‘Final Days’ actually began the moment Jesus arose from the grave! This Biblical truth should place in our daily step a sense of spiritual urgency to be drawing ever closer to Christ in our love relationship with Him and faithfully doing the will and work which He has uniquely purposed for each of our lives. The time clock is ticking closer & closer to His return...are you ready? Is your family ready? Is your church family truly ready? Until He comes, let’s serve Him out of love and in truth, not in “empty words” (Job 35:16)! Look at the time...let’s “Go and make disciples” as we seek to obediently honor His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)! …Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home" by Newsong.