YOU DO NOT MISS GETTING TOGETHER WITH?
Do you actually prefer not to see them at all?

Do you pray for them to become a loving, nice person, a child of God?! Do you deeply desire a lasting and/or restored godly relationship with them? Is it obvious to you that by their words and/or actions they pay no reverence to God, no awe; dislike (or even hate) you? Would you make yourself a liar and produce crocodile tears if they died and you felt obligated to go to their funeral because it is ‘the right thing to do’?

Don’t feel ashamed of all these things if you are in Christ.

Selah.

Why?

The quick and true answer is because there are two kingdoms with two different types of people: saints and sinners.

Selah.

Let me expound. While some of us choose to be children of God; others do not want anything to do with God or His Bible; and as a matter of fact, they’d rather keep away from you too. But there are traditions. Family sometimes pick the tradition that is not necessarily holy. Gathering for Easter and Christmas may be considered a must. Must you? No. Christian holidays are only celebrated by Christians. Those who pretend they are, are terrible. When these very sacred celebrations are just a show to the ungodly, a pleasant (and holy) time is not had by all… God help them! He has! But at this point in their lying lives, they simply won’t receive the truth of the celebration: Jesus Christ, the hope of glory. We do pray, and want to, the salvation of our enemies. God makes it clear we cannot get along with everyone. Yes, sad to say, some of these are even blood relatives. It simply is not possible to live in harmony and with good feelings for all people. Truly, not possible at this time:

 

Romans 12:9-18
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 

It is not possible. Why do you think there are wars?!

My husband’s sister-in-law was one of our sweethearts. She died too young. When we were told of her death we all immediately burst into sorrowful and lingering tears! She was beautiful! Lisa was kind, generous, gracious, loving… She not only gave into our loving relationship, she took. She received our love. We will miss Lisa until we are in the presence of the Lord ourselves…

Lisa and my husband’s brother even were divorced. But Duane, myself, and our three children (who were very young at the time of Lisa’s death) did not divorce her. Why should we? We did, though, encourage her to be yet happy; make new plans for a better future. Divorce is a very painful thing! I believe it is worse than a death…

Selah.

Then I have other relatives that I pray for their salvation; or simply; their repentance. If I were to hear they died today my attitude would be no different. I pray while they are alive only for them to become a child of God, or simply repent; but the bond that should be there is not. And it is their fault. (Don’t ever be afraid to say that!)

 

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 

This verse is a very soothing Scripture… Relationships always take two. Read about Joseph, sold into slavery: Genesis, chapters 37 through 50. This saint of the Old Testament is known as a most Christlike figure (a foreshadowing of Jesus) who demanded his brothers’ repentance: and not just once, but twice! These wicked brothers (not all of them) had to prove to him they no longer wanted to murder him. Jealousy is a very dangerous and potentially, damning thing!

Selah.

Being related biologically to anyone does not bring holiness to the relationship (perhaps never at all) and does not automatically bring brotherly love.

Selah.

Holiness is a choice. And it is a choice that must be maintained:

 

Genesis 37:12-20
Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem,  a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.  But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.  “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

 

Hebrews 6:4-6
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

 

NOTE: be like the biblical Berean  Jews. Make certain you are hearing the truth from God, Himself. One example in my own life: I actually heard a ‘pastor’ claim we all should be like Cain! Cain was the first, unrepentant murderer in the Bible! Thankfully, I had decided he was a false pastor and rejected his preaching! He had even claimed that the Bible was ‘just words on paper.”! Who’s your authority?

 

Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

 

1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

 

Beloved, pastors should never lead their sheep astray. True Christian leadership should always be correctly taught. And funerals are no place to lie in order to make someone feel better. Feelings don’t come before holiness.

Lying to the bereaved is sin…

When someone dies who is biologically related to you, someone you knew well, or somewhat well, don’t give God crocodile tears. God knows! And don’t care what people think when you wear your heart on your sleeve…

(You may want to read my article dated April 12,
WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE. It’s enlightening!)

Be at peace that you are blessed to know during these end times it is, without question, impossible to live at peace with all people! Family included…

Selah.

 

Herewith are suggestions on how to remain true to God and strive to bridge broken relationships (remembering always, relationships take two):

 

• Always keep God as your first love
• Love yourself as He tells you to; if you don’t you won’t be that wonderful witness He calls you to be
• Loving relatives who don’t want you is painful. Don’t put them before God and remember Jesus did come to bring separation; some of this separation is with those biologically and very closely related to you
• Claim Scriptures for your household and relatives that speak of restoration, unity, salvation: and claim those that speak of God’s plan for your life
• Be willing to put God first and foremost no matter how much you love people
• Choose to be faithful to God and claim   Revelation 12:11:  They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

 

 

 

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FOR THIS REFRESHING JOY STORY:

 

 

Psalm 37:7-11
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

 

1 Corinthians 13:6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

 

Matthew 10:32-39
 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’  “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

 

1 John 4:7-16
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.