Blood is Thicker Than Water

Last night I taught on the book of Joel.  The name of Joel means Jehovah is God.

As a child I was told that Joel meant Proclaimer of God – you can probably guess why I remember that.  I remember that day vividly.

It was a Sunday like every other Sunday back when I was in Junior High.   I attended Northeast Assembly of God church in Fresno.  In order to get to go I had to ride the church bus.  Henry Tong was the bus driver and had been since I started attending during the summer before the 5th grade. 

I remember being one of the oldest kids on this bus and was proud when Henry let me assist in leading Sunday school songs to younger passengers.  I got to be his helper until he got married to the lovely and sweet Laurie.  At first I missed being the bus helper but when Laurie started teaching us wonderful things of God, I quickly got over myself. 

That day’s lesson was not the typical lesson.  Laurie taught on the meaning of names and brought a Baby Name Book to tell each of us what of our names meant.  I was not particularly excited to participate in that particular activity as I never could find my name on anything that kids with normal names could. 

I really didn’t want to hear how she couldn’t find my name in her book. 

However that wonderful lady must have read my face, or maybe she felt that icy wall of attitude that I immediately built, as she looked up my name without waiting for me to ask. 

That day I learnt that my name Joela derived from the name Joel meaning Proclaimer of God.  That was the day that I fell in love with my unique name.  

(Later I ran from the calling that my name prophesied but that is a story for another time)

The great thing about what the prophets had to preach in the Bible is that it is not just for God’s beloved people Israel. 

Because Christ came to this earth,

lived out the plan of the Father,

lived a sinless life,

was a living example of how we should live this life,

died for our sins

and through the dunamis power that raised Christ from the dead…

we have the chance to live a life that is full of God’s glorious blessings. 

That we may be apart of His family by being adopted into the Royal Family of God.

If any of you know my family’s history you know that my family is not all related by blood.  Some of my closest relatives were adopted into our family.   Related, Not Related, Adopted, Not Adopted, everyone in my family is my family and i love everyone of them – blood or no blood.

I find it rather amusing that my family had a saying of Blood is thicker than water…Did you know that Blood is a mixture, not a compound, and therefore does not have a chemical formula?  Water’s chemical formula is H²O.  So even though my family may not have been blood, they considered everyone blood that entered the family. 

Isn’t it great that when God adopts us, we become related by blood?  The powerful blood of Jesus is stronger than the biological blood that runs through a family’s pedigree.

Some people think of adoption is just someone took in unwanted children.  But it is so, so much MORE than that.  Children may not be wanted or properly cared for (or whatever reason) by their bio-parents but they are GREATLY DESIRED and CHOSEN by the adoptive parents.

It is the same way with God, HE CHOSE us.  The world may have cast us aside not thinking much of us.  But God Loves us so much, that He chose us to be in His family, He chose to send His only begotten son to this world to die for our sins so that we could be worthy of His Royal Pedigree.

Becoming a child of God is as easy as ABC:

ACCEPT Jesus into your heart

BELIEVE that Jesus died on the cross for your sins

CONFESS you are a sinner

Once we become children of God, we are members of His family.  HE LOVES us so much that He forgives us for all past sins.  We are accepted into His ROYAL FAMILY, we regain our Royal Status and our Royal Inheritance.  All we have to do is say yes…then our names are in His Book of Life.   

If I was thrilled to have my name found in the BABY book of names, I can just imagine the emotions to be felt when He reads off my name in the book of life as I enter Heaven. 

It is our job as members of His Royal family to make sure that the lost find their way to Him.  No matter our calling the assignment is the same, the Great Commission was not the Great Suggestion.  We are to proclaim the word of God and spread the Good News.  We help the lost be restored back to God’s family and get their names in HIS BOOK of LIFE.

You would have to hate people to not tell them about the best thing that ever happened to humanity...JESUS.  Jesus is Love.  His message was love.  He told us to love God and love others.  Don't think that you could love all people?  Start by loving God with your all.  When you love God first and foremost you are able to love others more than you can if you put them first.  

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  His blood was shed for us to live.  Living a life that is full and abundant because when we accept Him we become HIS BLOOD and nothing can beat that! AMEN!

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!