The Family of God

Even the most devout Christians sometimes overlook the importance of belonging to the family of God. To be children of our Lord means that we are members of a holy family and will receive all the benefits and privileges belonging to this group right here and now.

There's no need to wait until we arrive in Heaven to enjoy the peace, love and hope that are the special attributes of the family of God. We are by rights the heirs with Christ Jesus of an inheritance devine beyond imagination but with that blessing comes the responsibility of conducting ourselves in such a manner as behooves children of God.

Consider the words of

1 John 3:1
"Hear what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God;and that is what we are."

Further confirmation is found in

1 John 3:2, "Beloved, we are God's children now..."

No wonder that there are so many beautiful poems and songs celebrating the Family of God!

What an honor and joy it is to obey and serve God. All should consider this to be a privilege and a pleasure to live in love and obedience according to His will. However, there are times when we want to enjoy the benefits of this relationship without shouldering the responsibilities.

Obedience to God is one of such responsibilities. But what a small price to pay for the blessing that are bestowed upon the children of God!

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes for more thoughts on what it means to be a child of God.

GENUINE CHRISTIAN BELIEFS and PRACTICES

There are many who profess to have and to follow genuine Christian beliefs and practices that are merely going through the motions at best or at worst are knowingly pretending to be true believers. Theirs is a false pretense even though some are so polished and practiced in this behavior that no man on earth will ever be the wiser.

But the Bible teaches us that man’s opinion is not the one that counts. Someday they will face God and be judged phony. Jesus tells us that God will separate the real Christian from the phony Christian and that on this day there will be no hiding what is in your heart. Separation will be according to the individual’s spiritual relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ and their genuine Christian beliefs and practices, not how good they were at fooling their fellow man.

We are taught that a list of good works, affiliation with a particular religious denomination and reputation are not important and that while these things may be evidence of a relationship with God, they are just evidence. You can read on how the Lord will separate the believers from the non-believers in the book of Matthew 25: 31-46.

Now is the time to examine your own relationship with God and if you feel there is room for improvement a good place to work on it is in the church of your choosing and by discussing your feelings with your spiritual guide. One day, when it counts you will be ever so happy that you did.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to join us in our own journey towards a relationship with God through Christ our Savior.

SCRIPTURE for a BROKEN HEART

I had a phone call from a dear friend that prompted me to search for some scripture for a broken heart after my early morning devotional. I immediately recalled a comforting Bible verse that gave me peace in the past after receiving devastating news and picked up my Bible to read these words to her in hopes that they would have the same effect on her that they did for me and that she could get some much needed rest from her troubles.




Psalm 34:18-19

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

As we know, even the most dedicated Christians can have a bad day but we know exactly where to go for comfort and guidance, the word of our Lord in the Bible. He in all his wisdom and glory provides to the faithful, scripture for a broken heart, knowing that His followers will have times of sadness and suffering.

Young people more commonly search for comfort relationships fail and breakups follow and older people search for peace during times of bad health or after the passing of a loved one. And then there are those times when we simply have a bad day and need reassurance that the Lord is always with us. Bible verses can heal a broken heart as well as guide us toward salvation.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more comforting scripture for a broken heart.

COMFORTING BIBLE VERSES

As a kid, memorizing comforting Bible verses were not what I considered fun on a sunny afternoon. I must confess that I was less than enthusiastic about learning my Bible memory verses on any day but was especially reluctant when I could hear the kids from less religious households outside playing.

As an adult I am now very thankful that the Holy Spirit (and my determined Christian parents) encouraged me to devote some time each and every day to committing some scripture to memory. Back then I felt very sad and put upon that I might miss playing basketball, jumping rope or anything that didn't involve sitting in my room reading God's word. However, once I matured and had a few years of experience I came to realize that the benefits of missing a few hours of playtime would no doubt last me a lifetime.

When I feel weak and feel the need to be in the company of Jesus, to feel better and more assured all I have to do is recite the words that I memorized so long ago from John 11:25-26 where Jesus stated to Martha "I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

During times of trouble or loss comforting Bible verses such as this one reassure us that our troubles are temporary but that through our belief in Jesus Christ we shall never die.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more scripture that offers comfort during times of sorrow and grief.

SCRIPTURES ON DEALING WITH THE DEVIL

Scriptures on dealing with the devil not only reinforce what we know about his true nature and his capabilities for evil, but give us the tools to defeat him. Any soldier will tell you that it’s very important to know your enemy.

I Peter 5:8-9

We do not fight or wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness.

This quote tells us what we need to know about our opponent he seeks to infect your very spirit with ugliness and evil.

HIS NAME :
What he is called may or may not be of importance as the Prince of Darkness is known by many names such as Lucifer, Satan, the wicked one and perhaps the most profound; EVIL!

HIS PERSONALITY :
He is a trickster and a liar. He knows exactly how to present the bait so that the weak and those who are unaware will fall into his trap.

HIS ACTIONS :
He is a master deceiver that has taken control of too many souls. He is constantly on the prowl searching for more to do his bidding.

HOW TO WIN the BATTLE :
The best strategy for beating and defeating the devil is to arm ourselves with our faith. My favorite scripture telling how to deal with the devil is

Ephesians 6:10

We are to buckle our loins with the truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, cove our feet with the Gospel of Peace, wear the helmet of salvation and have with us the shield of faith.

Then we take the Word of our Savior which is in reality the sword of the Spirit and offer up much prayer. And there is another weapon we may use against him which is resistance. If you are able to resist his temptations he will run from you in his failure.

I’m certain that there are many more scriptures on dealing with the devil but in my mind this Bible verse in Ephesians tells me everything I need to know about how to deal with and defeat the devil when he comes calling.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Quotes and Scriptures on Dealing with the Devil
to see more discussion on how to resist the temptations that are placed in our path.