Always Part of the Family

When we are born, we are born into a family – we don’t have any choice in the matter.  We all have a biological mother and father, and whether we like it or not they will always be our biological parents.  We may also have biological sisters, brothers, uncles and aunties.  Some may not know who they are, some will wish they didn’t know and change their name and cease all contact; however, the fact remains we were born into that family and nothing we can do will change that.

As Christians we are ‘born again’ into the family of God (through faith in Christ).  We did nothing to earn our place in God’s family and we can do nothing to change it.  As soon as a person believes in Christ, their names are placed in the ‘Book of Life’.  Once born into God’s family, nothing can remove us – not even ourselves.  We may disown God.  We may turn our backs on Him and never talk (pray) to Him.  We may even tell everyone we’re not a Christian, but it does not change the fact: once a Family member – always a Family member.  We did nothing to earn salvation and we can do nothing to lose salvation. 
In Heaven, there will be many surprised people in the Royal Family of God, and they will be eternally thankful at one point in their life they believed in Jesus Christ and God immediately adopted them as joint heirs with Christ and nothing they did thereafter could ever change that fact

Forced Love

Love can not be forced, it must be freely given – we fool ourselves thinking otherwise.  We may desire that someone love us, but we can not win their love by force.  If love is demanded at the point of a sword, people may go through the motions out of fear, but in their hearts they would despise us.

When nations have forced their religious views on others (Crusades, Inquisition, etc), it has always ended in disaster.  These unfortunate episodes have blighted Christianity, resulting in international distrust that has lasted for centuries. The ‘Cause of Christianity’ will never be won by the ‘point of a sword’.  We should remember this when making national policies, work policies, school policies and family policies.  There should always be the desire to see many people receive salvation and come to love the Lord, but if we think we will achieve this noble aim through legal action, bullying or harassment we fool ourselves.  Christ has shown us the way by living the example.  People flocked to him seeking forgiveness, compassion, grace and love - He never forced himself on anyone.  When we start living our views instead of forcing them on others, people may cease fleeing from Christianity and run towards it.

Joining the Royal Family

Four poor little children lived with their wicked, self-serving stepfather who never fed or clothed them and beat them daily.  Quite clearly he didn’t care whether they lived or died.  One day, policemen came to the children’s house and arrested the stepfather for the murder of their mother.
When the news spread, a kind prince said he would like to adopt the children.  He then approached the four of them and said he had arranged the paperwork, paid all expenses and solemnly promised to always look after them.  All he needed was their signatures and they would then legally become members of the royal family for the rest of their lives, living in a palace of great splendour and many wonders.  The four children would surely jump at the prince’s gracious offer.  But it was not to be.  Incredibly, perhaps, one of them spat on the legal papers and kicked the prince in the shin.  Sadly, the ungrateful child wanted to grow up just like his stepfather.
                                                         
Our stepfather, Satan, is the ruler of this world.  He was served an arrest warrant and his sentence is pending.  God wants to rescue us from our cruel stepfather.  He has done the necessary legal work and sent a gracious Prince (Christ) with the offer to adopt us into His family.  All we need do is accept this generous offer and sign the papers (believe in Christ).  Then we are adopted into the greatest Royal Family of all time - and beyond.  
What fools we would be to spit at Jesus Christ’s offer by rejecting Him as Saviour.  We must remember, if we keep Satan as our legal stepfather, we receive his inheritance.  Satan has only an eternal jail sentence to share with his family, but God has the riches of the universe to share with His.

Joining the Family Dinner

A very rich man sat at his dinner table and watched his three children fight over the TV remote.  He decided to make his children an offer.  If they would stop what they were doing and come to the table as a family for dinner, then join him afterwards to clear away the dishes, he would generously reward them.  He told them that his private jet would fly them to the world’s best theme parks with each being given a million dollars spending money.  Then they could tour the world to find a beautiful mansion to be filled with everything they personally desire.  Added to this, they could invite all their friends and the same offer would be made to them.
Two of his children eagerly leapt from their chairs and joined their father at the dinner table - this was an extremely generous offer not to be missed.  They were so overjoyed, that spending ten minutes afterwards doing the dishes was just an opportunity to discuss the fantastic wonders to come.  As for phoning their friends with the invitation, that certainly wasn’t a chore. 
However, one son didn’t join the family dinner - his favourite show was on.  He gave away a lifetime of riches to watch a half hour sitcom.

When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are ‘reborn’ into God’s family.  As our father, God has made us a generous offer, which makes the above offer look dull.   God has said, if we join our family at the table (Christian fellowship), help with the dishes (Christian service) and invite all our friends (witness), He will give us fantastic rewards, far beyond our imagination and expectation.    What we do in life does have repercussions throughout eternity.  Life is so small compared to forever – less than a half hour sitcom.  We would be pretty stupid not to switch off ‘life’s distractions’ and join the family dinner for an eternity of riches.

Expressing Our Love

When we are in love with someone it is natural to continuously think about, talk about and long to be with the object of our affection.  As a result of our love we freely desire to do things to show our adoration.  We delight in forgoing things for ourselves in order to buy gifts for them.  Doing tasks on their behalf is a pleasure - not a chore.   This is an expression of our love and a natural result of devotion.

We should question our spiritual life when our service becomes a chore.  If we serve from peer pressure, guilt or a desire to receive something in return, our service will soon be a great burden.  Furthermore, God is not honoured by this and He will not honour the ‘forced’ gift.
We talk about sacrificing this and that for Christ, but when we are truly in love everything we do should be a natural result of devotion.  Sacrificial love, sacrificial giving, sacrificial service all sound quite painful.  In reality our meager works mustn’t be forced as in a sacrifice, but be gifts of appreciation to a loving Father who continuously showers us with gifts.

The Frightened Child

It is complimentary as a parent when your frightened child runs into your bedroom in the middle of the night.  Then, the same little one who was too scared to sleep alone, promptly falls peacefully asleep by your side having complete confidence that they are safe in your protection. 

It praises God when we run to His side filled with our worldly woes.  Then, our fears promptly vanish because we are in His presence.  God is complemented when we are at peace - completely assured that nothing can harm us.
On the other hand, we should conclude that God is insulted when we don’t trust Him and remain scared when He has assured us there is nothing to fear.

Oxygen Mask

When flying on a plane, it is standard practice for a flight attendant to demonstrate safety procedures in case of an emergency.  If the air pressure drops within the cabin, an oxygen mask must be put on.  A parent must always fix their own mask before placing one on their child.   Initially, this may seem selfish and callous - shouldn’t a loving parent look after their child’s needs before their own?  We can answer that question by proposing another question.  What good would the parent be if they blacked out from lack of oxygen while trying to save their child?

God tells us to love Him above all else.  This is not a selfish command from a jealous God, but wise counsel from a loving God.  If our first love is Christ, we actually increase our ability to love our family and friends.  If we are occupied with Christ, we will not faint in times of adversity.
When we focus on God, we have the strength necessary to aid those who are desperate for the oxygen of grace.  It is important to firstly fix the mask-of-grace on ourselves by making sure we have the right relationship with God.  In having God in our lives, we can claim His promises, delight in His grace, slam our problems on Him and relax.  When we put other people’s spiritual needs before our own we will soon feel the effects of a lack of grace in our own spiritual life.  Then, in times of emergency, if we spiritually blackout, what good are we to those around us?

Writing Love Letters

A man, filled with romantic notions, decided to write a love letter to his wife.  He became so caught up in writing on how unbearable life would be without her that he didn’t notice she had arrived home.  He continued to write page after page, listing how he was his wife’s undying servant - as she cleaned the house, did the washing and cooked in the kitchen.  So involved was he in composing poetic words of his wife’s incomparable beauty, he didn’t notice she had dressed-up and changed her hair.  When she invited him to walk in the park and watch the sunset, her husband declined; he was far too busy writing about how he loved to spend every minute in her glorious company.  
On her return, he eagerly presented her with the passionate love letter.  His wife read it, gave a half smile and politely thanked him.  Her husband was disappointed.  He expected her to respond with romantic joy.  Baffled, he asked, ‘Doesn’t my letter please you?  Haven’t I written every loving thing a woman likes to hear?’ 
‘Yes, it’s very sweet, my darling,’ she quietly replied.  ‘I do appreciate your sentiments, but I would rather see your love than read about it.’

We sing songs to God with many ‘Halleluiahs’ and ‘Praise the Lords’.  We give offerings and tell God how wonderful and glorious He is.  We rightly recognize how awful our lives would be without Him.  But are we just ‘writing love-letters’, or is our life a living-love-letter to God?

Two Halves Make A Whole

Many things have two parts to make a whole.  A candle needs wax and a wick to make useful light.  A bow needs an arrow to effectively hit the target.  A CD needs a CD-player to make beautiful music. A BBQ will not cook without gas.  A hose is just a pipe without water.  So many things need a counterpart before they can become truly effective.

God designed man and woman as two parts that come together to work as an effective whole.  They’re the missing piece in the puzzle.  Quite often, we will only start functioning when we are connected to our counterpart.  What one lacks, the other has in abundance and visa versa.  Only as a whole do we start realizing our purpose and full potential.  God created marriage so greater things could be accomplished.  However, in order for this to be achieved, both parts must be in working order.

Wheels on a Car

A car needs its front wheels facing in the same direction to successfully drive.  If the wheels are facing in opposite directions it should be obvious that the car will go nowhere.
A car heads in the direction in which the front wheels are pointing.  When they are aligned there is very little wear and tear.  However, when travelling over bumpy roads, the car’s wheels can become unbalanced and unaligned.  Soon they start pulling at each other which will cause unnecessary wear and tear.  If unchecked, the wheel damage will affect the car’s travel and make the journey uncomfortable.  If the wheels are not quickly re-aligned, every bump will push them further out-of-whack and this does not make for a smooth ride.   

Marriage is like a car.  Joined onto the car are two front wheels (the husband and wife).  Where the car (marriage) goes depends on where the front wheels (husband and wife) are pointing.  Life’s bumpy roads have a habit of unbalancing a marriage. To reduce the stress and anxiety we must quickly re-align.  If unchecked, there will come a day where both husband and wife are trying to head in different directions and then the marriage will come to a complete standstill.
We must also consider as we journey on life’s roads, if our car’s front wheels are aligned it makes it so much easier for the back wheels (the children) to follow.

The King's Banquet

A good leader knows there are times to work and times to play.  In days of old, a good king would hold a banquet for his subjects.  These banquets were intended to refresh, encourage, foster loyalty, raise moral and allow people to better know their king.  Now, if a king went to a lot of trouble to prepare a banquet for his subjects, would he be pleased if no one turned up? 

Everyday, God prepares a banquet for us - feasts for the eyes, ears, body and soul.  Graciously, God has provided a great variety in nature, scenery, sound and taste.  He has provided added companionship through loved ones, friends and pets.  He has also provided divine guidance through the Word (Bible).  We should take the time to appreciate these things daily.   
However, we have many excuses for not attending God’s banquets: ‘Sorry Lord, I am too depressed.’  ‘Sorry Lord, I feel too guilty to appreciate the things around me.’  ‘Sorry Lord, I am busy chasing my own glory.’  ‘Sorry Lord, I am too busy serving You to eat at Your table.’
We can not love the world and God at the same time.  It is so easy to banquet (be preoccupied) at the altar of our works, accomplishments, sufferings, desires, disappointments or duties - when we should be dining with Christ.  We should never be too busy to notice and enjoy the banquets God has prepared for us (family, food, nature, etc), no matter how meagre or grand.  We should take time each day to see what God has placed on life’s table before us.  When we see our cup is overflowing - raise it up and toast the King Almighty.  

The Matchmaker

A matchmaker is someone who observes two people who they think has the potential of becoming a happy couple.  They then scheme to bring about a marriage and act as a go-between answering any questions.  When both parties are pleased with what they have heard, the matchmaker may stop acting as a go-between by arranging an introduction.  The couple can then start a personal relationship, which will hopefully end in marriage.

As Christians, we are called to be spiritual-matchmakers for those in our family, neighbourhood, workplace, etc.  If any lonely souls are seeking a spiritual relationship we should tell them of the most Perfect Person we know – Jesus Christ.  When they initially start asking questions about this Stranger, we can confidently say, He is a Gentleman as well as a Lord; He is always reliable, loyal, honest, caring, brave and would willingly lay down His life for those He loves.  If all goes well they will be very excited about meeting this Inspiring Person and immediately wish for an introduction.  This will hopefully lead to an eternal-spiritual-marriage (salvation) and the start of a glorious relationship.

The Unneccesary Middleman

A middleman is an agent who occupies a middle position between the dealings of two parties.  Though a middleman is handy in many of life’s dealings, a good marriage does not require one.  Marriages will only function if the two people involved communicate directly.  If we use a middleman to communicate our thoughts, desires and actions to our partner, we don’t have a relationship with our spouse we have a relationship with the middleman.

As Christians, we should have a very personal relationship with God.  In this age, we have the privilege of speaking directly (through prayer) to our Heavenly Father - we don’t need a middleman.  However, many of us court the communicators instead of the Creator.  Teachers of God’s Word are often very inspiring people and we may mistakenly think that if we impress them, we will also impress God. 
We must remember that a good relationship with God’s teachers doesn’t necessarily mean a good relationship with God.  By devoting our time to winning brownie-points from them, we can inadvertently destroy any chance of having a satisfying relationship with the One they are trying to teach us about.  

In Love

It would be foolish to say we love a person we had never met.  Only a love-struck individual, in love with being in love, would make such a claim.  True, we may see someone and be instantly attracted, but until we get to know that person we are not in a position to definitely say whether or not we love them.  The best way of getting to know someone is through personal communication and spending time in their company.  Only then do we truly learn who they are, what they believe and if their words correspond with their actions.

When we first become a Christian it would be imprudent to say we love God who we know nothing about.  True, we may be instantly attracted to His magnificence, His power and the things He has done and is doing on our behalf.  However, until we learn about His character and His beliefs, we are simply love-struck Christians who quickly declare undying love for a God we know little about.
We get to know God through communication.  He talks to us through the Bible (His Word which is alive and powerful).  If we study, we will learn about His character and His beliefs.  We also get to know God by working with Him (Christian service), talking with Him (prayer), and relaxing with Him (faith in God to solve our problems). 
As with all successful relationships, it’s about each party getting to know the other.  Omniscient God knows absolutely everything about us and He has graciously given us an eternity to get to know Him.  It will soon become evident that God is a perfect candidate for our personal, unreserved and eternal love.

Tit for Tat

We live in a world of ‘tit for tat’.  The rules are simple - you hurt me and I’ll hurt you.  For every action there is reaction - anger for anger – violence for violence – hatred for hatred. 

Christ turned the ‘tit for tat’ rule upside down by showing us grace when we deserved judgement - by giving mercy to the unmerciful - by demonstrating love when he encountered hatred - by showing generosity to the selfish.  Christ lived His life not for himself, but for others. 
When we are born again into the family of God, we are encouraged ‘not’ to play by the rules of the world, but by a new set of rules laid down by Jesus Christ.  If we all follow His example what a wonderful world it could be.  

Loved

When a lonely person enters a new loving relationship, those close to them notice a decided difference in their outlook.  The old melancholy has gone replaced by a special feeling of relaxed contentment and a tendency to laugh.  The great change is attributed to believing they are now wanted and loved.

When we as Christians are melancholy and have forgotten how to laugh - then maybe we have also forgotten we have a personal relationship with God who dearly loves and wants us.  It’s so easy to become caught up with life’s hustle and bustle that we forget that God (the Creator of the Heavens and Universe) loves us so much He became man (Jesus Christ) and paid the penalty for our sins - so we can spend eternity being spoilt by His perfect love.
When we remember and focus on the fact we are so loved (with a perfect, eternal, divine love) we should instantly cease feeling melancholy or lonely.  Our ‘sads’ should disappear to be replaced by a relaxed, contented attitude - which people around us won’t fail to notice.  When they enquire how our change came about, there’s a golden opportunity to arrange a divine introduction.

A Successful Marriage

Why remain devoted and loyal to one person in marriage when there are so many other fish in the sea?  Marriage goes much deeper than two people getting together for the shallow pursuits of personnel pleasure - it can be the eventual bonding of two souls.  To achieve this, both parties must put selfish pursuits behind and dive for something better.  Sadly, most married people stay on the superficial surface and never get to the true depths of what marriage is all about.

Why restrict ourselves entirely to one God when there are so many other gods to pursue in this world (eg, popularity, power, money, success)?  Just like marriage, Christianity is the bonding of Creator and creation.  To work, both parties must remain loyal and devoted to each other - if one is unfaithful, the marriage will break down.
On Gods part, He remains faithful - He never forsakes us, lies to us, or cheats on us.  But what are we doing to make this spiritual marriage work?  Are we simply swimming on the surface with our relationship with God?  If we are reluctant to give up selfish pursuits, our relationship with our Creator will always be shallow.   To successfully bond with God, we must stop flirting with the other ‘gods of this world’ hoping for a better deal.  Only when we stay faithful to God can He take us to a treasure far better than anything this world can provide.

Childhood Simplicity

Generally, to say we love someone when we know little about them is foolish.  Yet children rarely know much about their parents but still love them because they instinctively know three very important facts: their parents love them, support them and protect them. 

For Christian growth, it’s very important to learn about God – the more we know about our heavenly Father, the greater will be our love for Him.  However, as we study and mature, we shouldn’t forget the simple fact that Christianity is like the life of a child.  The core of Christianity is essentially a personal relationship between us and our Divine Parent.  The simplicity of our relationship with God can easily be overshadowed as we learn advanced doctrines and busy ourselves with many Christian commissions.  But when difficulties and adversities push us around, we should remember the simple fact that we have a Divine Father who loves, supports and wishes to protect us.  Whenever the world overwhelms us, we can confidently rush into the safety and comfort of God’s open arms and fearlessly poke our tongue at all of life’s problems. 

Hard to Build - Easy to Destroy

In life, we soon learn that it takes a lot of effort, time and thought to build something, but practically no effort at all to destroy. 

A good relationship is hard to build.  It takes a lot of effort, patience and thoughtfulness.  However it can easily be destroyed with one thoughtless act or word.
God created us so we can create many structures of grace that will ultimately give glory back to Him.  When we ultimately review our life, how very sad if all we see behind is a trail of destruction in the form of broken relationships and missed opportunities.   Thus God implores us in Ephesians 4:32, ‘…be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.’