JUNE 9 2012. GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
PROVERB: The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes the crooked path will be found out. Proverbs 10:9.
PROMISE: Those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with evil doers. Psalm 125:5
PRAISE: The Lord reigns forever, He has established His throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice. Psalm 9:7-8.
June 10, 2012
Prejudice: June 8, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE 8, 2012.
PREJUDICE
DEFINITION:
An opinion often unfavorable; formed without adequate reasons; bias.
SCRIPTURE:
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. Acts 17:26.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Prejudice is a serious problem in our world today. Prejudice can be based on race, on the color of one’s skin, one’s culture, on one’s social standing, on one’s financial status, talent or treasures of others, on education, on religious belief and any of a number of other things that sets one person apart from another. God’s Word has made it clear that prejudice of any kind is not acceptable. Prejudice grows out of pride and causes people to look down on others they consider inferior to themselves.
In the verse above we are reminded that all men and women today are created equal in God’s sight since all came from one man --- Adam. This teaching was a real blow to the national pride of the Greeks, who believed that all non-Greeks were barbarians. (Romans 1:14)
Likewise the Jews though they were superior to others. Jewish males recited this prayer every morning: “Lord, I thank You that I am not a gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Jesus came to make all believers one in Christ, because we are all joint heirs in Christ. No one is more privileged than anyone else nor is anyone better than anyone else.
In the verse (above) the writer of Acts says, “Having determined their appointed times and their boundaries of their dwellings.” God’s sovereignty determines when and where we are born and thus who we are.
We live a life of faith when we are a child of God. Prejudice and faith cannot coexist in the life of a believer. Prejudice destroys faith and faith destroys prejudice. In James 2:1-6 he writes that there must be no partiality, no prejudice in a believer’s life. If a person is prejudiced against another person for any reason he or she is not a true follower of Jesus. As believers we are to love one another.
We cause real sorrow to others when we dishonor and debase others through prejudice or bigotry. Every human being is created in the image of God and worthy of honor. When by our own prejudice we demean someone we will wound another human being at the deepest level. We are all of the same family, the family of God. God expects us, as His children, to be treasured and cherished by one another. He desires us to show respect to all people because everyone was created by God in His very image.
The sad fact about prejudice is that it is usually passed from parent to child. Children learn from their parents. As believers, parents have the responsibility to make sure they do not have prejudice against others. If they do they can be sure their children will pick up on it.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Continue to remind me daily that all of Your creations are rare treasures but none compares to one man’s worth to You. Thank You for creating me in Your image and help me to always show respect and honor to all of my fellow man.
PREJUDICE
DEFINITION:
An opinion often unfavorable; formed without adequate reasons; bias.
SCRIPTURE:
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. Acts 17:26.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Prejudice is a serious problem in our world today. Prejudice can be based on race, on the color of one’s skin, one’s culture, on one’s social standing, on one’s financial status, talent or treasures of others, on education, on religious belief and any of a number of other things that sets one person apart from another. God’s Word has made it clear that prejudice of any kind is not acceptable. Prejudice grows out of pride and causes people to look down on others they consider inferior to themselves.
In the verse above we are reminded that all men and women today are created equal in God’s sight since all came from one man --- Adam. This teaching was a real blow to the national pride of the Greeks, who believed that all non-Greeks were barbarians. (Romans 1:14)
Likewise the Jews though they were superior to others. Jewish males recited this prayer every morning: “Lord, I thank You that I am not a gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Jesus came to make all believers one in Christ, because we are all joint heirs in Christ. No one is more privileged than anyone else nor is anyone better than anyone else.
In the verse (above) the writer of Acts says, “Having determined their appointed times and their boundaries of their dwellings.” God’s sovereignty determines when and where we are born and thus who we are.
We live a life of faith when we are a child of God. Prejudice and faith cannot coexist in the life of a believer. Prejudice destroys faith and faith destroys prejudice. In James 2:1-6 he writes that there must be no partiality, no prejudice in a believer’s life. If a person is prejudiced against another person for any reason he or she is not a true follower of Jesus. As believers we are to love one another.
We cause real sorrow to others when we dishonor and debase others through prejudice or bigotry. Every human being is created in the image of God and worthy of honor. When by our own prejudice we demean someone we will wound another human being at the deepest level. We are all of the same family, the family of God. God expects us, as His children, to be treasured and cherished by one another. He desires us to show respect to all people because everyone was created by God in His very image.
The sad fact about prejudice is that it is usually passed from parent to child. Children learn from their parents. As believers, parents have the responsibility to make sure they do not have prejudice against others. If they do they can be sure their children will pick up on it.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Continue to remind me daily that all of Your creations are rare treasures but none compares to one man’s worth to You. Thank You for creating me in Your image and help me to always show respect and honor to all of my fellow man.
Afraid: June 7, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 7, 2012.
AFRAID
DEFINITION:
Feeling fear or apprehension; feeling a threat of danger or harm.
SCRIPTURE:
Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. Matthew 14:27
Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Genesis 26:24.
When I am afraid, I will trust in You. Psalm 56:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you often feel afraid? If you do you are not alone. In times when we are afraid, God’s message to us is the same message that He gave to Isaac when he feared for his life. God said to Isaac, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (above verse). Great men down through history, in their time of fear, needed the assurance from God that they had no reason to fear.
When you read the scriptures you will see that Abraham, Moses, Isaac, David, Jeremiah, the disciples, Peter, Paul and many others were all told by God not to be afraid.
Psalm 56 (above) was written by David at a time in his life when he was afraid because he was being endangered by the Philistines. David’s natural reaction was to panic but in this Psalm he demonstrates that the believer in God can replace anticipated terror with composure of trust.
In verses 1-4 David relates his fear and contrasts it with his trust in God. His trust and faith in God gives him the victory he needs over fear. In verses 5-9, David recognizes that those he fears are his destroyer and that he has a deliverer in the God he trusts. In verse 9, David says, “This I know, that God is for me.” In verses 10-13 David tells us that the result of putting his trust in God gave him victory over his fear and a cause for thanksgiving.
Being afraid is a result of the evil that engulfs us on every side and this comes to us because of our unbelief and sinful nature. The solution is to put our trust in God when we are afraid.
We can remember our young children from time to time waking up in the middle of the night saying that they were afraid. What makes this happen? Most of the time it relates back to a time when they heard about something that was frightening and might do something to hurt them. There reaction, of course, is to run to someone they can trust. There is no place where a child feels safer than to be in the safety of their parent’s protective and loving arms.
Being afraid is not uncommon for many people today. We live in such an evil world that just the everyday circumstances of life can give us reason to be afraid. We hear parents tell us that they are fearful of the direction their children are going. Others are fearful that their marriage is falling apart. Some are fearful of losing a job or even their home.
Remember our hope and strength is in the Lord. When fear comes into your life put your trust in God. When we cast our cares, our worries, and our fears upon Him, He will take care of us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Take away my thoughts of fear today. Give me confidence that all my concerns are in Your hands and You will not only take care of each one but You will shelter me with Your protective hand. May my family find the same assurance as they walk through life today.
AFRAID
DEFINITION:
Feeling fear or apprehension; feeling a threat of danger or harm.
SCRIPTURE:
Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. Matthew 14:27
Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Genesis 26:24.
When I am afraid, I will trust in You. Psalm 56:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you often feel afraid? If you do you are not alone. In times when we are afraid, God’s message to us is the same message that He gave to Isaac when he feared for his life. God said to Isaac, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (above verse). Great men down through history, in their time of fear, needed the assurance from God that they had no reason to fear.
When you read the scriptures you will see that Abraham, Moses, Isaac, David, Jeremiah, the disciples, Peter, Paul and many others were all told by God not to be afraid.
Psalm 56 (above) was written by David at a time in his life when he was afraid because he was being endangered by the Philistines. David’s natural reaction was to panic but in this Psalm he demonstrates that the believer in God can replace anticipated terror with composure of trust.
In verses 1-4 David relates his fear and contrasts it with his trust in God. His trust and faith in God gives him the victory he needs over fear. In verses 5-9, David recognizes that those he fears are his destroyer and that he has a deliverer in the God he trusts. In verse 9, David says, “This I know, that God is for me.” In verses 10-13 David tells us that the result of putting his trust in God gave him victory over his fear and a cause for thanksgiving.
Being afraid is a result of the evil that engulfs us on every side and this comes to us because of our unbelief and sinful nature. The solution is to put our trust in God when we are afraid.
We can remember our young children from time to time waking up in the middle of the night saying that they were afraid. What makes this happen? Most of the time it relates back to a time when they heard about something that was frightening and might do something to hurt them. There reaction, of course, is to run to someone they can trust. There is no place where a child feels safer than to be in the safety of their parent’s protective and loving arms.
Being afraid is not uncommon for many people today. We live in such an evil world that just the everyday circumstances of life can give us reason to be afraid. We hear parents tell us that they are fearful of the direction their children are going. Others are fearful that their marriage is falling apart. Some are fearful of losing a job or even their home.
Remember our hope and strength is in the Lord. When fear comes into your life put your trust in God. When we cast our cares, our worries, and our fears upon Him, He will take care of us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Take away my thoughts of fear today. Give me confidence that all my concerns are in Your hands and You will not only take care of each one but You will shelter me with Your protective hand. May my family find the same assurance as they walk through life today.
Poverty: June 6, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 2012.
POVERTY
DEFINITION:
Lack of money; great need; condition of being poor.
SCRIPTURE:
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy. Proverbs 14:31.
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17.
He, who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor, will also cry himself and not be heard. Proverbs 21:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you understand that it offends God, our creator when we neglect the poor? This is because they are part of His creation and He cares for them. All of our married lives we have had the privilege of working to help the poor. It began for us in South Korea after the Korean War where we set up over 140 orphanages for World Vision.
These orphanages were needed to house and care for the poorest of the poor children in Korea. They were the victims of the war and we knew that God loved them and needed us to make sure they had places to live so He could care for them.
Statistics help us to share with you the problem we face in our world today. We are told that last year over 16 million people, mostly children died in our world from hunger. Also last year over 10 million children died before they could celebrate their fifth birthday.
These are all numbers, but they are much more than numbers. Each number represents one person, mostly children that God loves. This is why there are so many verses in His Word that make it very clear to us that we need to reach out and help the poor.
Take a moment now and carefully read the three verses from Proverbs that we have written above. Does the question now come to your mind, “What can I do about this? Most people will react by saying to themselves something like, “I am too busy.” “I do not have any time.” I do not have the money to help now.’ But God says we must help.
We can show mercy by volunteering at a church feeding center or a soup kitchen. Maybe you can find a job for a father who has lost his job. How about taking a meal to a family that you know is hurting. Ask a few friends and someone will lead you to a family who needs a helping hand.
Accepting this responsibility honors God because he is concerned for each and every person in this world.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Lead me today to at least one person that we consider to be poor. Give me the one gift that I need to help this poor person. Help me to also share my love for You to these who are poor both physically and spiritually.
POVERTY
DEFINITION:
Lack of money; great need; condition of being poor.
SCRIPTURE:
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy. Proverbs 14:31.
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17.
He, who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor, will also cry himself and not be heard. Proverbs 21:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you understand that it offends God, our creator when we neglect the poor? This is because they are part of His creation and He cares for them. All of our married lives we have had the privilege of working to help the poor. It began for us in South Korea after the Korean War where we set up over 140 orphanages for World Vision.
These orphanages were needed to house and care for the poorest of the poor children in Korea. They were the victims of the war and we knew that God loved them and needed us to make sure they had places to live so He could care for them.
Statistics help us to share with you the problem we face in our world today. We are told that last year over 16 million people, mostly children died in our world from hunger. Also last year over 10 million children died before they could celebrate their fifth birthday.
These are all numbers, but they are much more than numbers. Each number represents one person, mostly children that God loves. This is why there are so many verses in His Word that make it very clear to us that we need to reach out and help the poor.
Take a moment now and carefully read the three verses from Proverbs that we have written above. Does the question now come to your mind, “What can I do about this? Most people will react by saying to themselves something like, “I am too busy.” “I do not have any time.” I do not have the money to help now.’ But God says we must help.
We can show mercy by volunteering at a church feeding center or a soup kitchen. Maybe you can find a job for a father who has lost his job. How about taking a meal to a family that you know is hurting. Ask a few friends and someone will lead you to a family who needs a helping hand.
Accepting this responsibility honors God because he is concerned for each and every person in this world.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Lead me today to at least one person that we consider to be poor. Give me the one gift that I need to help this poor person. Help me to also share my love for You to these who are poor both physically and spiritually.
Adversity: June 5, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 5, 2012.
ADVERSITY
DEFINITION:
Misfortune; trouble; calamity; a difficult circumstance.
SCRIPTURE:
“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are saying to me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” Psalm 3:1-3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Adversity is a fact of life. All of us at some time or another either have or will face difficulties or misfortune in our lives. In fact, we will no doubt face it often. We often cause our own troubles but it is also true that we often suffer adversity through no fault of their own. We have all read the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. He certainly knew what it was like to suffer adversity at the hands of others.
Joseph’s family moved to the land of Canaan when he was 6 years old. Joseph had 10 older brothers and he and his brothers tended their father’s flocks. Joseph’s father, Jacob, had made it obvious that Joseph was his favorite son. The brothers were jealous because of this and they hated Joseph.
It was 11 years later when he was 17 that he came home from being with his brothers and shared with his father a bad report on his brothers. This just added fuel to the smoldering fire of animosity toward Joseph within his brothers.
Joseph, in his immaturity, was not sensitive to his brother’s feelings. Joseph was boastful and his brothers could not interact with him without conflict and hostility. The brothers totally rejected Joseph and conspired against him and they sold him into slavery. He was not only cut off from his family and his financial security, but he was taken to a strange land with a different language and strange customs. This was truly adversity for Joseph because he had lost control of his own destiny and was at the mercy of others.
Joseph had lost everything but he did not lose his faith in God. This was the one thing that he could still possess. We read in Genesis 37:2-4 that Joseph kept his faith and his relationship with God. As a result the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered in spite of his adversity. As the story of Joseph’s life unfolds there is no doubt that God was in control and working to fulfill His plan and purpose for Joseph’s life. It is evident that it was God who determined that Joseph would be sold as a slave to a rich officer in Pharaoh’s service and taken to live in his home.
Joseph found favor with his master because his master saw that Joseph’s God was blessing him and he wanted the same success that Joseph had. Joseph did not let the adversities of his dire circumstances keep him from being the Godly man that God wanted him to be. Joseph did not give up in despair but he worked hard and was diligent even in the lowliest jobs that he was assigned to do. As a result of his integrity and faithfulness the Lord was with him and gave him the success that only God could have given him.
Like Joseph. David also knew what it was to face adversity which he wrote about in Psalms 3 (above). David also kept his faith in God through his adversities that he faced in life and God protected him from all of his enemies and continually lifted him above his adversities.
When we face adversities in our lives we can learn from Joseph and David. We must never forget that God never forgets us nor does He leave us. In the times of our deepest adversities we need God and we must never lose faith in Him. He is there for us when we need Him most.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
I am so grateful that I can know that You are with me in all of the circumstances that I face today, even the adversities that may come my way. Keep my faith strong and help my life to be a testimony to others as what it means to know You as my Savior. Help me to teach my children to turn to You in their darkest hours.
ADVERSITY
DEFINITION:
Misfortune; trouble; calamity; a difficult circumstance.
SCRIPTURE:
“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are saying to me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” Psalm 3:1-3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Adversity is a fact of life. All of us at some time or another either have or will face difficulties or misfortune in our lives. In fact, we will no doubt face it often. We often cause our own troubles but it is also true that we often suffer adversity through no fault of their own. We have all read the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. He certainly knew what it was like to suffer adversity at the hands of others.
Joseph’s family moved to the land of Canaan when he was 6 years old. Joseph had 10 older brothers and he and his brothers tended their father’s flocks. Joseph’s father, Jacob, had made it obvious that Joseph was his favorite son. The brothers were jealous because of this and they hated Joseph.
It was 11 years later when he was 17 that he came home from being with his brothers and shared with his father a bad report on his brothers. This just added fuel to the smoldering fire of animosity toward Joseph within his brothers.
Joseph, in his immaturity, was not sensitive to his brother’s feelings. Joseph was boastful and his brothers could not interact with him without conflict and hostility. The brothers totally rejected Joseph and conspired against him and they sold him into slavery. He was not only cut off from his family and his financial security, but he was taken to a strange land with a different language and strange customs. This was truly adversity for Joseph because he had lost control of his own destiny and was at the mercy of others.
Joseph had lost everything but he did not lose his faith in God. This was the one thing that he could still possess. We read in Genesis 37:2-4 that Joseph kept his faith and his relationship with God. As a result the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered in spite of his adversity. As the story of Joseph’s life unfolds there is no doubt that God was in control and working to fulfill His plan and purpose for Joseph’s life. It is evident that it was God who determined that Joseph would be sold as a slave to a rich officer in Pharaoh’s service and taken to live in his home.
Joseph found favor with his master because his master saw that Joseph’s God was blessing him and he wanted the same success that Joseph had. Joseph did not let the adversities of his dire circumstances keep him from being the Godly man that God wanted him to be. Joseph did not give up in despair but he worked hard and was diligent even in the lowliest jobs that he was assigned to do. As a result of his integrity and faithfulness the Lord was with him and gave him the success that only God could have given him.
Like Joseph. David also knew what it was to face adversity which he wrote about in Psalms 3 (above). David also kept his faith in God through his adversities that he faced in life and God protected him from all of his enemies and continually lifted him above his adversities.
When we face adversities in our lives we can learn from Joseph and David. We must never forget that God never forgets us nor does He leave us. In the times of our deepest adversities we need God and we must never lose faith in Him. He is there for us when we need Him most.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
I am so grateful that I can know that You are with me in all of the circumstances that I face today, even the adversities that may come my way. Keep my faith strong and help my life to be a testimony to others as what it means to know You as my Savior. Help me to teach my children to turn to You in their darkest hours.
Adoption: June 4, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 4, 2012.
ADOPTION
DEFINITION:
Take or receive as one’s own; to take and rear another’s child as one’s own.
SCRIPTURE:
We are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Romans 8: 16b-17a.
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In ancient Rome, adoption was occasionally used by the emperors to pass on succession to competent heirs. Augustus Caesar was adopted by his great uncle Julius Caesar so he could be his successor. Emperors Tiberius and Hadrian did the same thing, adopting a capable person to succeed them.
Such Roman emperors had no entitlement to the emporship by right of birth. It was only because of the Roman law of adoption. Under Roman law, adopted children became an heir to their father’s estate. Adopted children under the Roman laws had all the rights and privileges of the biological children. It was the Jewish practice for the inheritances to go to the first born.
Every Christian, a believer in Jesus, is an adopted child of the King of kings. Our adoption comes at a great cost. God brought us into His family through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. We became a child of God when we asked Him for forgiveness for our sins and accepted Him as our Savior. Although we are adopted children, God has made us joint heirs with Christ as written in Romans 8.
In Hebrews 1:2 the writer tells us that God has appointed Jesus heir of all things. As children of God we have inherited eternal salvation along with everything in the universe. Think about what this means for us who believe in Him. Every believer is going to receive, by God’s grace, the same inheritance that Christ receives by divine right, Earthly inheritances will perish, but we are heirs to God’s eternal kingdom and its riches which will never perish.
Paul tells us that “Our Lord Jesus Christ though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Do you realize that you are rich?
We should feel great indebtedness to Him for all that he has done for us. There is no way to repay Him. In return for our being adopted into God’s family, God wants us to live in a way that a child of God is expected to live.
In Colossians 3:5 the apostle Paul writes that we are to get rid of sin in our lives when we have been adopted by God. He writes, “put to death the sinful ways of our old life; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed and idolatry.
These are to be replaced by activities and desires that show that we belong to the family of God. In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes for us to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering.”
Can those that meet you daily see that you are an adopted child of God? We should be able to be seen as such by our walk and our talk. Make sure today that you are an adopted son or daughter of God. Now is the time because God is waiting to adopt you. You need to recognize you are a sinner, ask Him for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into your heart. He then will adopt you as one of His children and you will become part of the family of God and a joint heir with Christ and you will receive a priceless inheritance.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You, that by Your grace I am a joint heir with Christ. Thank You for the priceless inheritance I have in Your kingdom because I am a joint heir with Christ. May all those that I meet today see by my words and deeds that I am an adopted child of God.
ADOPTION
DEFINITION:
Take or receive as one’s own; to take and rear another’s child as one’s own.
SCRIPTURE:
We are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Romans 8: 16b-17a.
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In ancient Rome, adoption was occasionally used by the emperors to pass on succession to competent heirs. Augustus Caesar was adopted by his great uncle Julius Caesar so he could be his successor. Emperors Tiberius and Hadrian did the same thing, adopting a capable person to succeed them.
Such Roman emperors had no entitlement to the emporship by right of birth. It was only because of the Roman law of adoption. Under Roman law, adopted children became an heir to their father’s estate. Adopted children under the Roman laws had all the rights and privileges of the biological children. It was the Jewish practice for the inheritances to go to the first born.
Every Christian, a believer in Jesus, is an adopted child of the King of kings. Our adoption comes at a great cost. God brought us into His family through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. We became a child of God when we asked Him for forgiveness for our sins and accepted Him as our Savior. Although we are adopted children, God has made us joint heirs with Christ as written in Romans 8.
In Hebrews 1:2 the writer tells us that God has appointed Jesus heir of all things. As children of God we have inherited eternal salvation along with everything in the universe. Think about what this means for us who believe in Him. Every believer is going to receive, by God’s grace, the same inheritance that Christ receives by divine right, Earthly inheritances will perish, but we are heirs to God’s eternal kingdom and its riches which will never perish.
Paul tells us that “Our Lord Jesus Christ though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Do you realize that you are rich?
We should feel great indebtedness to Him for all that he has done for us. There is no way to repay Him. In return for our being adopted into God’s family, God wants us to live in a way that a child of God is expected to live.
In Colossians 3:5 the apostle Paul writes that we are to get rid of sin in our lives when we have been adopted by God. He writes, “put to death the sinful ways of our old life; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed and idolatry.
These are to be replaced by activities and desires that show that we belong to the family of God. In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes for us to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering.”
Can those that meet you daily see that you are an adopted child of God? We should be able to be seen as such by our walk and our talk. Make sure today that you are an adopted son or daughter of God. Now is the time because God is waiting to adopt you. You need to recognize you are a sinner, ask Him for forgiveness and then ask Jesus to come into your heart. He then will adopt you as one of His children and you will become part of the family of God and a joint heir with Christ and you will receive a priceless inheritance.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 6:47.
I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
PRAYER:
Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Thank You, that by Your grace I am a joint heir with Christ. Thank You for the priceless inheritance I have in Your kingdom because I am a joint heir with Christ. May all those that I meet today see by my words and deeds that I am an adopted child of God.
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