It’s home. When you’ve wandered most of your life, it means something to stand on a piece of ground and call it your own. It gives you a feeling… I couldn’t tell you what it’s like…to look across that valley yonder and know it’s yours…to know that come tomorrow you’ll still be here…and next month…and next year.”
–Elmer Kelton (Llano River)
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
–Acts 17:11 (NKJV)
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The Scripture declares in Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (NKJV) Nothing will prevail against the Church. It will stand the onslaughts of the world. Evil made come against it, but the Church will still stand.
I have always said that the devil knows he cannot destroy or defeat the Church. Christ will not allow anything to blemish His bride. However, that being said, the devil will attack those within the Church, and his main target is the family. Destroy the family and the Church will go with it, therefore, it is all the more imperative that the family and home remain strong and steadfast in the faith.
Christ must always be first and foremost in the home. There is no other alternative. Here are a few suggestions I found that make for the foundation of a solid home. Some of it is borrowed from Carlos Murphy.
First — it is a home where the Lord Jesus is welcomed. Is Jesus welcome in your home? Would He be embarrassed to enter the entrance to your house? Martha often gets a bad rap, but we read in Luke 10:38, “A certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.” (NKJV) She became excited when she heard that Jesus was coming to visit.
Second — it is a home where the Lord is honored. The home should be such that He does feel welcome. It should be altered to accommodate His needs. There must be time allowed to sit with Him and fellowship. Would you hide anything from Him, or welcome Him to gaze throughout your house?
Third — it is a home where His word is obeyed. We may sit around the table and commune with Him, have fellowship, but what good does it do if we then do not obey? It is said that righteousness is “right orderliness”–this is accomplished when His commands are followed. When events of daily life line up to His divine wisdom and standards, peace prevails. This is true even in the midst of storms.
Fourth — is it a home of prayer. Trouble, perplexities, and unsettling events are taken to Him. When you do not know what to do, that is a time for prayer. The prayer of praise should be prevalent. Happiness and joy should abound and glorify Him. Prayer calms volatile emotions and changes perspectives.
Fifth — it is a sanctified place. The home is the temple of the family. It has been given a sacred trust. It is not to be desecrated. If the Lord is in the house, worldliness and wickedness will be kept outside. The home will be set apart for His habitation and dedicated to His service.
There is a real need in our country to welcome Christ back in the home. But when does He eat and fellowship when there is not sitting down at the table with the family? How can He talk with us when we glance at Him then go back to our phones? Has the cell phone taken priority over the Bible? Reap the benefits of Jesus in your home; welcome Him in with no distractions.
One word about dads since Father’s Day is coming up. Far too many children are born today with no father in the home. In one segment of our society 76% of children born do not have a father in the home. Add to that the “dead-beat” dads. They may be around, but they are not really a part of the home. They try to make up for their mental, emotional, and spiritual absence by special events or buying special gifts. Sorry, that doesn’t cut it! The father, despite the feminist movement, is responsible for the home!