HEY! I am family...

Recently I was attending a family event with my brother, Jeff. Unfortunately it was my Aunt Fern's funeral service. Upon arriving at the funeral home, we were greeted by the funeral director who asked, "are you family or friends of Fern?" Well, Jeff said, "we are family." At that point we broke out in the chorus of that Sister Sledge song: 

We are family 

I got all my sisters with me

 We are family 

Get up ev'rybody and sing...

Ok, so we didn't really but I thought about it! Anyway, the funeral director said, "great, the family is down the hall in the family room, you can join them if you want to." Jeff and I were excited as we haven't seen our cousin Dan for quite some time so I ask, "Dan and the boys are here?" "Well no, it's not Dan." So we decided not to join them. Feeling as though we weren't family enough. As I investigated the guest book, I didn't see any last names I recognized, and thought "I wonder who the "family" is in that room?" So we decided that whoever they are they are NOT more related to my aunt than we are! We made our way to the room to find 2 older couples who seemed just as confused as us as to how exactly we were related. It was kinda comical as I introduced myself and Jeff to the 2 couples. Turns out they were cousins to my aunt on the other side of the family! 

As I continued to ponder that experience I thought of how the devil works so hard to pull us away from our Christian family. Jeff and I were deceived by or own minds into thinking we couldn't go to the family room because we were not related (not family enough) to those 2 couples who were already in there. 

The enemy is constantly is at work trying to convince us we are alone and aren't rightly related to anyone. The Word of God says this in 1 Peter 5:8, Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (NLT) 

If he can get you or I to believe that we are not family enough, or not rightly related to a local body of believers he can take us down. Just like a Lion seeks to take down a gazelle for dinner! The Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance what The Word of God says about acceptance: Ephesians 1:6  to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. That's right WE ARE ACCEPTED IN THE FAMILY! Now there is a condition to belong in the family of God: If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Once you fulfill the condition you are in the Family! So next time you fell dis-connected take heart, God says you ARE in the family!