Family Moving Forward

In the opening pages of His Holy Word to us, we find God introducing Himself to us in the context of union and family—within the Godhead, as He inspired Moses to quote His words, “… ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…’ ” [Genesis 1:26—NKJV]. We also discover therein that He created male and female within this likeness, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God  He created him; male and female He created them.”  [Genesis 1:27—NKJV]. 

Family—the unity of family—clearly appears in the activity of the Administrator and Author of our existence in this universe, prepared for us to express His image and intent in and through our lives and endeavors; of which, ‘family’ is a characteristic of God’s image and likeness.  God’s usage of plural (Us, Our, them) and singular terms (image, likeness, him) emphasizes this oneness and orientation of ‘family,’ both His and ours.

In the closing pages of His Holy Word to us, we read of God’s revelation regarding His future family, His forever-family, a family described with intimate imagery and words, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” [Revelation 19:7—NKJV].  This is extraordinary and must be observed within the context of Eden—there is a place prepared, an exquisite place for family to dwell and excel…a place so wonderful that God will ‘relocate’ to its environs and illuminate it with His glory—the components of the first creation no longer present or needed—wherein this new family of God…one in which He became a part by the incarnation of Christ…will be His and our forever-family, a family of holy harmony.

Dear friends, in the Book of Genesis, we read of our Creator working, administrating, interacting and visiting from heaven, but in the Book of Revelation, we read of our Father supplying, reigning, connecting and dwelling upon the earth—which was always His eternal plan, even before the foundation of this creation.  God established family. We were created for family.  Christ came for family.  Christ will return for family.  The Father will reside with His family—forever.  And so, we should strive for family, His family, to, as Moses quoted the Father, “…Be fruitful and multiply…” [Genesis 1:28—NKJV], which is predictive language of Jesus’ words, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost:” [Matthew 28:19—ERV] Clearly, the church has been made fertile to be fruitful.

You are heartily invited to come celebrate the family of God, and your presence will elicit much joy and gratitude as we gather before our Father to rejoice in Family Moving Forward…this is our future, this is our destiny; may God help us realize its priority.