Saturday August 25, 2012

Ring up one other believer and encourage them in some way.

Read Psalm 2, Hosea 11:1, Matt 2:15. Rom 8:14-17

 

It’s sad that the idea and concept of a family is being attacked and eroded by our current society. The world would love to see the family completely disintegrate simply because it’s a creation of God and is the basis of a godly, healthy society. Statistics show that when families are working well all of society benefits. Crime, violence and so on are dramatically reduced when families are working well.

 

Israel formed the family of God. Israel was called God’s son but through her disobedience, moved away from that privilege. In the New testament God declares that Jesus is the Son of God in the ultimate sense. He fulfils what Israel failed at - being the Son of God.

 

As we’ve seen so often, Jesus opens up the door of fulfilment of this family image for the Church. When a person is born again through the gracious work of God’s Holy Spirit he/she is adopted into the family of God.  God’s Spirit is sent into his/her heart so that he/she may call God Abba, Father. This makes the church the household or family of God (Eph 2:19, 1 Tim 3:15).

 

We have been raised to the incredible and privileged status of sons and daughters of God. We have been given legal rights as God’s children and look forward to an incredible inheritance from God.

 

As family members of the greatest family ever, we are bound to each other as brothers and sisters. We are related by the blood of Christ and have a mutual interest in each others’ welfare. God expects, even demands that we love each other as He has loved us (John 13:34-35).  We are called to put each other’s interests above our own and even to lay down our lives for each other, should the need arise.

 

Prayer:

¨ Pray for bonds of love to encase your congregation, that love would grow and multiply and be the dominant factor in all relationships. Pray that those relationships that are based on putting up with each other will grow and develop in love. Pray that unforgiveness will be burnt away by the power of love and that hard hearts would be melted by God’s grace.

¨ Pray that we would see growth in numbers as we love each other, showing ourselves to be Jesus’ disciples. Pray that the world would be challenged by our love for each other. Pray this for all the churches in your city or region.