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Monday, March 11, 2013

WHERE ARE OUR AFFECTIONS?


 


We love this sign that our grandchildren, Daniel and Shanelle, parents of Levi Trent and Keegan Ingram,  gave us for Christmas.  It really does describe us.  We would spoil them if they were around us very long,  just like we spoiled our own two little babies, because we loved them so much.

Bobby reminded me not long ago that we didn't really spoil our own.  When we'd go to town to shop we would offer them some money and they'd say, "No, I brought my money."   Or "No, I have enough."   Unusual even in those times.   And we did demand obedience from them...as soon as we spoke... and usually did not tell them a second time...and not a third, for sure.  Parents should always demand obedience the first time, because sometimes, in the Bible... even God only tells us something once!

Because this sign was sitting on the clock with a lamp sitting under it, one day it fell and broke the pretty globe on the lamp.  The lamp was given to us as a house-warming gift and we liked it.  However we LOVE this sign more.  So it was okay. We do need a special place to put this sign though, surrounded with the grandchildren's pictures.

This reminded me of the Kingdom that Christ was to establish, prophesied in Daniel, chapter 2: 44.  “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."

This kingdom that Christ eventually established many years later was more important than all those earthly kingdoms, just like this gift from our grandchildren was more important to us than the lamp.

Some people do not realize the importance of the kingdom that Christ established...and they keep on establishing fake kingdoms (churches) and some of them have quite a following.   But the saved are in the one that Christ built (established).  When we obey the gospel by hearing it, repenting of our sins, confessing Christ and being baptized,  God adds us to this kingdom, (church)  Acts 2: 47.   Matthew 16: 16-19;  Ephesians 1: 22-23; Colossians 1: 18.

 
Jesus taught that spiritual ties were more important to Him than physical (biological) ties, although we know He loved His family:  
Matthew 12: 46-50:   While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.  Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”  Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
 
 We followers of Him, (Christians) ...must love God's kingdom more than earthly things and earthly ties too.  How wonderful it is when your earthly family is also among your spiritual family! 




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