WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
Have you watched the tv program “Who do you think you are” it is produced in at least 3 countries. Australia, U.K. & U.S. The programs tell some very interesting stories of various people and their forbears.
Margaret and I are both the offspring of English migrants to who came to Australia in the early 1900″s. Margaret’s family is quite well documented, at least until around the “Irish Potato famine” in 1844. Her maiden name was Ireland, and many thousands of Irish died during that time, or immigrated to the U.K. U.S. etc. There the records simply stop.
My family line is much harder to follow and it is only in the last say 15 years have I been able to track down my Mother’s side of the family, and discovered some lovely relatives in Birmingham & Kidderminister in England , plus one first cousin now living here in Australia (who is a Christian). On our visits to the U.K. since then we have always made a point of visiting them
My Father’s family has been so much harder to track down, I eventually found out he had immigrated to New Zealand and married an New Zealand woman, and there the trail died. Only recently did someone contact me through Facebook asking me if I was any relation to a certain William Ollis. I am, and yes he did marry a N.Z. woman, and soon after the birth of their first child he literally walked away and migrated to Australia, met my mother and moved in with her, and I am their eldest child. Every year they celebrated their wedding anniversary, but it was all false. As divorces were difficult to obtain in the 1930’s. I did not find this out until I applied for a British Passport and was informed the U.K. government does not issue Passports to illegitimate children of British citizens. This came as a dramatic shock, and then I immediately felt the peace of God, and felt the Holy Spirit remind me I was a citizen of heaven ,and the child of a King.
I have shared the above only to highlight the glorious privilege we have to belong to THE FAMILY OF GOD.. This is my spiritual birthday month, and I was adopted, chosen and placed into the family of God 66 years ago.
Like a natural family, every member is different in personality and temperament, and hold differing opinions. In relation to the Word of God, their interpretations can be miles apart BUT WE ARE STILL FAMILY.
I have had the privilege of ministering in at least 25 different nations, so as well as all my Australian Brothers & Sisters, I have met family from many different cultures as well as their diversity in other areas. I cannot help but sing:
I LOVE THIS FAMILY OF GOD, SO CLOSELY KNITTED INTO ONE,
YOU’VE TAKE ME INTO YOUR HEART, AND I AM SO GLAD
TO BE A PART OF THIS FAMILY OF GOD
Have you ever attended a church that was multi-cultural, I have, and it is simply a foretaste of heaven, I remember a very old chorus we used to sing as teenagers, I cannot remember all the words, and cannot find all the words on the Net, but the first lines were: I DON’T CARE WHAT CHURCH YOU BELONG TOO, AS LONG AS FOR CALVARY YOU STAND.
Doctrine and Theology should never divide us, for it is not them that get us to heaven, but the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the glorious Salvation that our heavenly Father planned for us in eternity past, and fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. we are family today, because of the BLOOD OF JESUS washing our hearts clean of sin and making us righteous and acceptable to the Father.
I think we may all be surprised when we get to heaven and the doctrines we thought were so important and correct, were not!!!!!!
So those who read this blog today, if you are born again of the Spirit, and have assurance your sins are forgiven, whether you are a Calvinist or a Arminian, an Evangelical or a Charismatic/Pentecostal, WE ARE FAMILY and I thank God for that.
I may not have the opportunity down here, but the day will come, and I will hug you and greet you with a holy kiss, and tell you I love you, AND WE WILL SPEND ETERNITY TOGETHER AROUND THE THRONE OF GOD,GAZING ON THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN (for you and me) WORSHIPPING AND PROSTRATED BEFORE THE LORD.
It is Saturday here in Australia, and I can’t wait to meet with FAMILY tomorrow, I trust you feel the same.
