So my wife and I took our 9 yr-old son Julian to the airport last Saturday. He flew out to Seattle to visit my family and Jen’s family for a week each. This is the first time he’s ever been away from home for that long. I’m really glad he had a chance to go out there because I know he’ll have a great time visiting with family whom he doesn’t get to see all that often. But he will have been gone for two weeks before I fly out and join him. I kind of miss the little guy and I actually teared up as I left the airport (I know that’s a real shocker that I got emotional). I miss the little tender moments between him and me, like when we’d be in the middle of playing catch or something and then for no particular reason he’ll simply say “hug” and come over and I’d give him a hug.
I’m reminded of the Matthew 10 Bible verse where Jesus is sending out his 12 disciples and tells them “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
At first glance that passage might give the impression maybe Jesus is trying to give us a guilt trip about loving our parents or our children too much. Far from it!
I think what the passage really illustrates is that it gives us a glimpse of the depth and scope of God’s love that exists for us through his Son. We all (hopefully) can relate to how at one time or another we have been loved by our parents and how as parents we have such a profound love for our children.
Jesus also wants to be loved by us and be in communion with us on a daily basis. But it’s not so much that as Christians we should start loving our family less as if Christ is demanding it all for himself. Rather, it should get us trying to imagine that as much as we have a deep capacity to love and be loved by others, how much greater is the Lord’s unconditional love that exists when we seek Him. This is what we have in Christ!
So when I think of how much I love that little guy and what a blessing he is to my wife and me it also reminds me of an even greater love from the Lord that dwarfs anything I could ever express. The idea of that brings about a profound peace and comfort to me. And that’s way better than even a hug.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
August 11, 2013

On Adoption
“While it costs us a lot to adopt children, it cost God the blood of His own Son.”
- Rick Morton and Tony Merida, Orphanology
“Adoption graphically and intimately describes the family character of Pauline Christianity, and is a basic description for Paul of what it means to be a Christian.”
- Trevor Burke, Adopted into God’s Family: Exploring a Pauline Metaphor
“Forgiveness isn’t an end in itself. The point of forgiveness is to remove the barrier that stands between us and God so that He can give us His Spirit and bring us into His everlasting family.”
- Darrell Bock, Real Lost Gospel

On God as Father
“What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.”
- J.I. Packer, Knowing God
“There is no one concept of God which dominates the theology of Paul more than [the fatherhood of God].”
- Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters

The quotes above give insight to theological truths of our relationship with God.  We’ve been bought at a price, through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ to be welcomed into the family of God.  The definition of “family” can be confusing here.  It can be seen as the acceptance and welcome into the church, the community, or the body of Christ.  There is truth to this statement.  But I believe adoption adheres to a more profound truth.  As Christians, we believe in the Trinity, God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Among these three “persons” of God, there is perfect unity, glorifying the other.  The words “Father” and “Son” point to a familial bond within the Trinity.  Often times in the bible, we are referred to as co-heirs of the kingdom (Romans 8:17) and co-heirs refers to the position of a child to receive inheritance from a father, so in other words we have the same inheritance promised to CHRIST Himself!  In other words, we are sons and daughters ALONG WITH CHRIST HIMSELF!  It says in the bible that we will be glorified with Christ.  Because of sin, we were far from the Lord, but because of the price paid on the cross, we are given the title of SONS and DAUGHTERS of Most High God!  Isn’t this amazing?  Does this help in your perspective of calling God, Abba Father, knowing that it was at the cost of His Son, that we are adopted AS HIS OWN and called sons and daughters with Jesus?  This is GREAT NEWS that compels and allows us to live lives of faith, hope, and love… of victory!

Starting today, many of us are heading out to our annual Summer Retreat for Timothy Youth Group.  The topic is “The Father’s Heart” and I believe wholeheartedly that our amazing God desires to reveal who the youth are in His eyes, as His own sons and daughters.  As they become more and more aware of Who God is and who they are to God because of Christ Jesus, I know that at a young age, they can live lives in total surrender and abandonment to the One who loved and saved them.  I believe among us, we have the next King David’s, Apostle Paul’s, Billy Graham’s, Hudson Taylor’s, Jim Elliot’s… and will do even GREATER things than them.  Please pray for us.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
August 18, 2013