My husband is off on Fridays, which is our weekly date
day. We usually walk the
three-mile path at Memorial Park and then head to our favorite breakfast spot,
Barnaby’s. We have become such
regular customers on Friday mornings that they know our names and what our
order will be. In fact, they will automatically put our order in when we walk
in the door. We know their names
and they know ours. Sounds like
the theme song of the old television show, “Cheers!” It is a comfortable place to be, feels like being with
family. But, are they family, or are we just fans?
Being a part of a large church can be daunting at
times. On a given Sunday it seems
like there’s a new sea of faces walking past me in the hallways. There are so many people that I only
know by face and some I know only by name. Since my husband is the mission’s pastor many people know
our names and our faces, but unfortunately we don’t have a clue when it comes
to knowing who they are. That is
one of the reasons I teach a Bible study each Sunday and mentor young women
one-on-one. When I interact
personally with the members of my class or those I meet with in a mentoring
relationship, I get to know them on a deeper level. When this happens, we move past the superficial stage of
greeting one another as we pass by in the hall, to a heart to heart
connection. We become family.
Jesus said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow
door because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” In this scene found in Luke 13 Jesus
answers the question, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” He goes
on to explain that many will be trying to get in the kingdom of God who were
simply fans of Jesus, but never truly got to know Him as family. Those, He explains will not be able to
enter heaven.
Our Facebook culture loves collecting “friends” as fans
rather than investing in real lives. The people who walked the streets in Jesus’ day had seen Him
walking past them and had heard His teaching, but they never committed to
following Him. They never took the
time to truly listen to what He was teaching, nor did they seek to get to know
Him personally. They were fans of
Jesus and when that final day comes for them to enter eternity they will assume
that just knowing who Jesus was will be their ticket in to the doors of
heaven. Their assumption will be completely in error! My heart breaks for the enemies of
Jesus and the complacent fans of Jesus, for they will be left out of His
forever family because they did not invest in a relationship with Him.
Jesus is the only way, truth and the only way to life
everlasting. Just knowing His name
is not enough. Believing that He
is who He says He is, and confessing with your mouth and your life that He is
Lord is your ticket in to the doors leading to a forever family in heaven. (Romans 10:9-13)
Yesterday I had the joy of witnessing an adoption. As the
couple stood before a judge an attorney asked questions validating their
commitment to the two precious girls they were seeking to adopt. Once the judge was convinced of their
investment in and commitment to the girls, she proclaimed them an official
family! Quite a celebration
followed. What a picture of
standing before the Father, a righteous Judge with Jesus our Defender
proclaiming us righteous members of His eternal family. It is only through faith in Christ
alone that we will enter the doors of heaven.
 |
| Proclaimed an official Family! |
Forever in the Family,
Nancy
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. If you really knew me,
you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen
him.” John 14:6-7
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