Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name… (Luke 11:2, KJV)

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named… (Ephesians 3:14-15, KJV)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God… Beloved, now are we the sons of God… (1 John 3:2)

I’ve been thinking about family a lot lately. My schedule has slowed down dramatically and I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my family, including going to church with my four year-old niece.

She goes to a Catholic school. Each Wednesday morning there is a mass held where all the children attend. It is somewhere between seven to eight hundred children. Those who know me, know I was in heaven sitting there among hundreds of children worshipping God!

I was raised Catholic, so much of the service was familiar to me. Then the priest began to speak. He asked the children if it was possible to make God sad. He told them it was possible. He asked them why is God sad when we do wrong things. His answer, “Because He loves you”. Once again those who know me know I was in heaven at that point. The priest then went on to ask the children what are the things that we do that make God sad. His response, “When we don’t love one another.”

The commandment of love, spoken of in churches all over the world, whether Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Non-denominational, and the list goes on. Sitting in this Catholic church, hearing the precious Word of God, I was sitting among family and not just my niece.

One day at my own church, a woman sat next to me. She shared that she was visiting the church due to a special meeting we were holding. I suddenly felt love for her in my heart. I thought to myself, “I may never see her again, but we will forever be connected through Jesus.” She was family.

In 2008 I was blessed with a trip to Brussels. As my husband worked during the day, I walked through the streets of Brussels and visited the churches. I sat in the pews. Admired the architecture. Read my Bible and prayed. I also sat in the back at noon each day as they gathered for communion services. I watched these people take their lunchtime to go to church and partake of the Lord’s supper. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I did understand what they were doing. I also understood that in this room I was among family.

I’m sure there were some in each of these settings that may not have joined the family yet, but I am also sure that in each of these settings there were those who had.

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name… (Luke 11:2, KJV)

Whoever says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother [Christian, born-again child of God his Father] is in darkness even until now. Whoever loves his brother [believer] abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin. (1 John 2:9-10, Amplified)

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. (Psalm 133:1, Amplified)

PS… Follow this link to find out how you too can join the family of God 🙂

http://www.faithman.org/howto.htm