Proud to belong

In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of “malpractice of parenting.” Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, he charged in his suit, that he would need years of costly psychiatric treatment. (Source unknown)

Where are you being raised and how are you being raised?

As Christians we are blessed in the beloved; we are accepted in the beloved.

We are called to belong to the family of God’s Son. We are members of the royal and divine family with all the privileges. 

Rudyard Kipling once wrote about families, “all of us are we–and everyone else is they.” A family shares things like dreams, hopes, possessions, memories, smiles, frowns, and gladness…A family is a clan held together with the glue of love and the cement of mutual respect. A family is shelter from the storm, a friendly port when the waves of life become too wild. No person is ever alone who is a member of a family. 

I have a Father who loves me so much He gave His only Son for me that I may live forever.

He is so responsible He provides all my needs!

He cares for me. Protects me and guides me. He loves me so much He doesn’t sleep.

As a believer, I belong to the richest and most powerful family in the whole of creation. Nothing compares with it!

God expects us to… 

1. Commit to one another as much as we commit to Him. 

If you Love The Brethren, it is Indisputable Evidence that you are Saved.

1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”

If you Love God, then you will Automatically Love God’s People.

1 John 4:20, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

Un-Saved people do Not Love Christians ….. They may Admire …

1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” — V. 11-13, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Brotherly Love Tells The World that we are Saved.

John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

2. We are to share the responsibilities of the Church and of one another.

Responsibility

When Queen Victoria was a child, she didn’t know she was in line for the throne of England. Her instructors, trying to prepare her for the future, were frustrated because they couldn’t motivate her. She just didn’t take her studies seriously. Finally, her teachers decided to tell her that one day she would become the queen of England. Upon hearing this, Victoria quietly said, “Then I will be good.” The realization that she had inherited this high calling gave her a sense of responsibility that profoundly affected her conduct from then on. 

Source Unknown. 

Some years ago a former American astronaut took over as head of a major airline, determined to make the Airline’s service the best in the industry. One day, as the new president walked through a particular department, he saw an employee resting his feet on a desk while the telephone on the desk rang incessantly. 

“Aren’t you going to answer that phone?” the boss demanded. 

“This isn’t my department,” answered the employee nonchalantly, apparently not recognizing his new boss. “I work in maintenance.” 

 “Not anymore you don’t!” snapped the president. 

Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 35. 

3. We are to work as a team. We are to fight together, pray together, eat together, rejoice with one another and bear one another’s burden.

There’s a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of the great entertainers of a generation ago. He was asked to be a part of a show for World War II veterans. He told them his schedule was very busy and he could afford only a few minutes, but if they wouldn’t mind his doing one short monologue and immediately leaving for his next appointment, he would come. Of course, the show’s director agreed happily. But when Jimmy got on stage, something interesting happened. He went through the short monologue and then stayed. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept staying. Pretty soon, he had been on fifteen, twenty, then thirty minutes. Finally he took a last bow and left the stage. Backstage someone stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?”

Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason I stayed. You can see for yourself if you’ll look down on the front row.” In the front row were two men, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that’s exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully.  (Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 104-105.)

4. We are expected to protect one another, love one another and assist one another.

Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing. 

John Henry Jowett said, “Your candle loses nothing when it lights another.”

5. We are to commit to the growth of the Church through witnessing, financial sacrifice and the use of our gifts and natural talents. The same thing can be said for the nation. We must contribute our own quota towards building a strong nation.

A preacher said recently that one of the causes of poverty and failure among Christians is gossip and lack of love for one another. He declared that this is one of the things that bring curses on believers. This curse is the devil’s number one weapon against the Church today.

Love sets us apart.

As Nigerians, we should stop slandering one another; we should accept one another, regardless of tribe or religion. We should do everything to avoid hate speech and promote all those things which promote unity and togetherness. Let us all join hands together and build a strong and prosperous nation we can all be proud to belong to.

God bless our nation Nigeria!

Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l. Website: www.dayspringcmi.org e.mail: [email protected] Help lines: 08035150515, 08054224779, 08036387989