For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
Acts 17:23
For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!
Romans 8:23
Some of you may have watched a favourite TV program of mine "Long lost family" - it traces the stories of adopted children looking for their birth parents or vice versa. I almost always end up reaching for the box of tissues as it very much tugs on the heart strings.
Just this evening we watched two people being reunited with their birth mothers after 40 or 50 years. Oh! the sheer joy as they heard the news that their parent actually wanted to meet up with them. There were tears and hugs of delight as they caught sight of each other at the rendezvous. They usually find out that they have a whole new family of brothers & sisters.
Often they will relate how they always felt someone was missing from their lives - even though they had been well brought up in their adopted homes.
“Well, in the same way heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who haven’t strayed away!
Luke 15:7
Deep inside each one of us is the search for the meaning of our existence. We can suppress it, but God has set eternity in our hearts and there will always be a hollow feeling until we are reunited with our Creator, Father God through Jesus.
St Augustine wrote: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
Did you know that Our Heavenly Father is eager to be reconciled to each one of us. He is trying every which way to get our attention and bring us back into face to face relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit hovers over each heart yearning to draw us toward the cross of Jesus. There to be cleansed and forgiven and brought into the family.
As believers we are called, like Paul, to introduce people to Jesus. Many people believe in some kind of god but they're not sure what or who that god is.
We can take the veil away and show them the face of Jesus.
No matter what kind of earthly father you may have had - whether he was good or anonymous - a stranger to you - you have the best Father of all. One who did not spare His only Son in order for you to be brought into the family.
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:32
This year the TV Long lost families have to be COVID tested in order to meet up and hug.
Much like we have to be washed and cleansed by Jesus' blood in order to meet face to face with our Loving Heavenly Father.
Time to get washed up ready for the reunion with Father God.
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