The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

A number of years ago I had the privilege of traveling to Mali. The people treated me with a great deal of respect, courtesy, and friendliness. In every sense of the word they welcomed me to their country. In spite of trying to make me feel welcome and at home with them, it really was apparent to me that I was a stranger and a foreigner. One of the afternoons, the missionary and I traveled from the bush into one of the little villages. He told me it had been a long time since any of the villagers had seen a white man in their town. Leaving New York State in January, needless to say, my skin was very white. No suntans in January in New York State! The whiteness of my skin and the customs and culture of my home area were very interesting to them. Do you know why? It was because a stranger and a foreigner stood in their community. The missionary told me it would appear that every single person stopped working and every boy and girl was fascinated with this stranger. Did you know dear friends that we Christians are strangers and foreigners here on this planet? This world is not our home. Our home is in Heaven. Equally grand is the Biblical truth that once we were cut off from God and we were strangers and foreigners to Him. But now, through Christ, we are His family!

For today: Rejoice that you are no longer a stranger or foreigner to God.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Janice was having a miserable day. It seemed like one of those days when, if something could possibly go wrong, it did! Traffic was so heavy that she was three minutes late to work. Her toothache was back, and she was not happy with her hair that day. As she sat at her desk to take her first phone call, her favorite necklace broke, and several pieces of her jewelry rolled all over the carpet. Of course her first telephone call was from a dissatisfied customer who complained about the product. It seemed like everything was going wrong! She just simply felt miserable. As she reached into her purse to get a cough drop, there was her small New Testament. Taking just a second from her work, she opened her New Testament, and what she spotted was the verse that you read today from Ephesians 1:3. Yes, God indeed had blessed her with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places. She saw the tiny note she had written in the margin many years before that read, “Doesn’t take away the hard times, just makes them bearable.” How is your day going today? In spite of hard days here on earth, we who belong to the Lord have Heavenly blessings!

For today: We believers have a tremendous privilege of being in Christ. What a grand place to be!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works “ (Titus 2:13,14).

It was a grand day! George and his grandson, Michael, got up early that morning to go to the old train station and watch for the steam engine to come into town. It was due to arrive at 10 o’clock, and although word had gotten around that the train was going to be a little bit late, no one seemed to be discouraged to the point of leaving the old station. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some of the young boys and girls who loved railroads. The old steam engine, Number 999, was going to make one last historical run, and the itinerary brought it right through their town. The moments wore on. It was now 10:15, and no train. Another half hour went by and no train. It seemed like the crowd could barely stand it another moment! And then at the crossing two miles out of town, the very distinct wail of the steam engine whistle could be heard crossing that intersection. Everyone turned and watched with great anticipation down that railroad track! Come to think of it, that is exactly the way it should be for each of us as believers. We certainly must be about our business, but with great anticipation and with great longing we should be watching for the Lord Jesus to come! It will be a glorious appearing. He is going to return in the air for us, and He will not be a moment late. I guarantee that He will be right on time!

For today: Be watching for the Lord Jesus. Today could be the day!

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Timothy 3:1).

Ralph sat reading the newspaper in his barber shop. Things were a little slow that afternoon, and it gave him the opportunity to get off his feet and enjoy a few moments of quietness before the next customer would arrive. Glancing through the regional section of his newspaper, Ralph read the police reports of robberies, assaults, and drug arrests. Many of these serious situations were taking place in the neighborhood in which he lived. As he read the newspaper, Ralph shook his head and said to the Lord, “These really are perilous times!” Just then the local pastor came into the barbershop for a haircut. Pastor James sat down in the chair, and as Ralph was securing the barber cape around his neck he said to the pastor, “So what do you think is happening in these neighborhoods of ours?” To his amazement Pastor James said, “Well Ralph, obviously I believe the Scriptures say in the last days perilous times will come. These surely appear to be perilous times to me. But you know, Ralph, the wonderful part of all this is knowing the Lord Jesus as our Savior. I do not live in despair. I do not live in discouragement. I do not live in depression. I know the Lord, and I also understand that my precious Savior is going to take me home to be with Him. Oh Ralph, this world is not my home, I’m just passing through!” Ralph smiled and thought all day of the wise pastor’s counsel.

For today: Rejoice that our God is sovereign and that this world is not our home!

“And His name shall be called Wonderful…” (Isaiah 9:6).

The Hebrew word for “wonderful” has to do with marvelous, extraordinary, and hard to put into human words.” Everything about our Lord can be summed up in the one word, “Wonderful.” He is wonderful in His love, holiness, sovereignty, mercy, grace, and beauty. He is wonderful in all that He says and all that He does. Forever we believers will worship the Lord and rejoice in the amazing truth that He is wonderful. Late one evening Herman was going to be in for the surprise of his lifetime. He was a hard worker, and he and wife Marlene were now approaching the day of retirement. While he was at work, the Model T Ford was delivered and pushed back into the barn beyond the garage. After supper, Herman took down his Bible from the shelf, and he and his wife read the Scripture in Isaiah 9. They worshipped the Lord and celebrated His goodness. As Marlene closed her prayer she said, “And Lord, not only are You Wonderful, but in a human sense my dear Herman has been wonderful to me. I hope his retirement gift will be wonderful to him.” After a fair amount of teasing and pleading, Marlene took his hand and walked back to the barn. Opening the door she congratulated her husband on his approaching retirement. There it was! Something he had always wanted. Henry was stunned. Staring at the shiny black Model T Ford, all he could say was, “Wonderful!” Late into the night he was still talking about how wonderful his gift was. “But not nearly as wonderful as the Lord,” Marlene concluded.

For today: Look around at the many things you possess. Enjoy them. Just remember that only the Lord is truly “Wonderful!”