Family Family of Believers

Family

Family of Believers 

Some friends of ours just came

back from southern California.

One of the first thing this white, Caucasian

couple said when we asked about their trip was…

They felt like a minority.

 

God created Adam and Eve; from them

came the family of the whole earth.

Throughout time this earthly family

became tribes and nations of families;

Separated by geography and beliefs.

As the world becomes more connected by

technology and modern travel, these races

of people are blending together again.

 Family makes a special bond.

If you were isolated on a deserted island,

it would not matter what race of people were in the

rescue boat you would feel a bond and connection.

When brothers, sisters, Mom, Dad, or grandparents

stop by, you feel a special connectedness.

There are levels for relationship.

The earthly family is distant, where the family

you were born into or you gave birth to, is close.

If you are what the Bible says “Born again”, you

understand another level or dimension of family.

“Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision

 or a husband's will, but born of God.” John 1:13  

When I was in the hospital, a young black girl

from Ghana came in with my meal.

She had a great smile on her face and I asked her

where did you get that smile and she said from “Jesus”.

 I felt connected as family to her and

2 years later we love her as family.

A family from Texas was in Toledo for

a week looking for a place to live.

When they contacted me about a house I had for

rent I discovered they wanted a home close

to the Christian school my granddaughters attend. 

Again, I fell in love with them as family.

For the one born again, who calls God their

Father, family takes on a wonderful meaning.

As the scriptures say…

 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male

nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Our connectedness is not skin color, statist or sex.

Our connectedness is the genes of God.

A bond not motivated by the looks of the

outward body but by the inward spirit.

The genes (if you will) of God are…

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the Spirit is the making of the greatest family bonds.

The Bible calls them the family of believers.

When two total strangers from the Family of Believers

meet they will feel an immediate bond for one another.

In grade school, I had an enemy.

 As an adult, my enemy became born

again and now we are great friends.

There is no family greater than the family of God.

Do your part to persuade others

to become part of this family.

Make sure you always demonstrate the genes of our

Heavenly Father to others especially the “house hold of faith”.

 

Scripture Reading

John 1:1-13 NIV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Galatians 6:9-10 NIV

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.