Today is the beginning of the SECOND purpose the book discusses. So just when you think your mind has hit COMPLETE information OVERLOAD & things are starting to get a little foggy, it switches up on you & you start FOCUSING on ANOTHER important avenue of your life....people & RELATIONSHIPS.
"Point to Ponder: I was formed for God's family."
Daily Verse: "His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ." Ephesians 1:5A (NLT)
Daily Question: "How can I start treating other believers like members of my own family?"
From my Journal: When people hurt me, harm me, love me, loathe me, question me - REMEMBER that they are ALSO a child of God. They are also a unique, beautiful, and perfect being created by God for his love & his plan. They are on their own journey to Him & always be open and ready to let them back in.
I'm telling you now that this second purpose will make you REALLY look at things, IF you apply yourself. I mean the whole book does, BUT now that I have read it & understand the things I understand I am now responsible for how I move forward. Here are a few things this chapter discusses. It briefly points at some VERY important things, so I'll mention a little from them, because it will be discussed more later throughout this section of the book.
Our "spiritual family" lasts forever UNLIKE or physical family. From the book: "Your spiritual family is even more important than your physical family because it will last forever. Our families on earth are wonderful gifts from God, but they are temporary and fragile, often broken by divorce, distance, growing old, and inevitably, death. On the other hand, our spiritual family - our relationship to other believers - will continue throughout eternity." I KNOW.... a lot to take in.
One of my very best friends reminded me of something this weekend. We went to the same couples marriage retreat before we got married. My husband & I went a couple years before her & her husband, but one of the things that was told to us at the beginning of the retreat is that it was our responsibility to get our spouse to Heaven. This chapter didn't SHOW me this right away, but the further I read into this purpose, the MORE I realized that we have a responsibility to each other...not just spouses & parents to children & children to parents, but believer to believer & believer to non-believer & friends & frienimies & long-time friends & acquaintances & strangers....aunt/uncle to niece/nephew, grandparent to grandchildren, siblings...... We have to HELP each other get to Heaven.
The next part of this chapter discusses the BENEFITS of being a member of God's family. This was probably the part that I liked the most. The fourth one hit me to my core: "First, we will get to be with God forever. Second, we will be completely changed to be like Christ. Third, we will be freed from all pain, death, and suffering. Fourth, we will be rewarded and reassigned positions of service. Fifth, we will get to share in Christ's glory." Makes you wonder why so many people OBSESS about their inheritance when God gives us ALL the EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to share in His kingdom.
This chapter also talks about BAPTISM: why it is IMPORTANT, what it means, what it symbolizes. This is a celebration of becoming a part of God's family. The books says: "The only biblical condition is that you believe."
Last night I read about Pentecost in Acts & how thousands received & witnessed The Holy Spirit & how THOUSANDS were UNITED in CHRIST. I LOVE how it made me think that, THAT many more people enlisted in God's army.
Mount Up & Buck UP Baby & Ride with Jesus!! God Bless!!
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