FAMILY

“Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

(Eph. 3:15)

In that excellent western movie, “Wyatt Earp,” there is a great quote. Gene Hackman plays the father, Nicholas Earp. As the whole family is sitting around the dinner table he reminds them, as he had many times according to the children, “Remember this, all of you: nothing counts so much as blood. The rest are just strangers.” This can certainly be applied to our physical families on earth or our spiritual family in heaven.

Family counts with God! It’s the oldest and most basic human institution. The Old Testament Passover was all about family. Noah was told to bring his house into the ark.  The first social function Jesus attended was the start of a family; and the last thing He did was to make sure a family member was cared for, His mother. The New Testament emphasis is on households. There is no substitute for family!

Satan fiercely opposes the Christian family. He knows as the family goes so goes a nation. To bring a nation to its knees is to keep families off  of theirs. The only type of family God recognizes is the kind He instituted: a father (male), a wife and mother (female), and children (both male and female).  Any other type is man made. Jesus’ principle is, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”

A happy home is one of the most convincing of all Christianity. The Queen of Sheba was impressed with the happiness of Solomon’s servants, so this sad world will be with that of a Christian family that is in such a state. It has been said, “Happiness grows out of our own firesides, and is not to be picked in strangers’ gardens.” And to quote another, “At the end only two things matter to a man-the affection and understanding of his family.”

“To discard the family is to destroy a nation.”

(rds)