We Need to Stick Up for the Family of God

The family of God is under attack. 

How should we react when someone calls us hateful or stereotypes all Christians by a few bad examples?

1. Remember that our perfect Savior was accused of being empowered by the prince of demons, and He said we should expect the same kind of hatred (Matthew 9:34; John 15:18-19). 

2. Remember that we'll be rewarded when we're insulted for our faith (Matthew 5:11-12). 

3. Take pride in our family heritage. If you aren't aware of those who have served God sacrificially and faithfully, I encourage you to start reading Christian biographies. Learning about the faith of others has deeply impacted my walk with the Lord, inspiring and instructing me. (See note.)

4. Stick up for your family. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are our "family" (Ephesians 2:19), and we should defend them against unjustified bigotry and negative stereotypes.

5. Encourage your family. Why not take some time this week to encourage a fellow believer who has taken an unpopular stand for the Lord, sacrificially given of their time, or shared God's love in some other way (Hebrews 10:25). 

“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Galatians 6:10 

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To increase your family loyalty, I recommend these two devotions: Why Christians Don't Need Holy Wars and Who Are the Children of God?

Note: Bible Love Notes offers a one-minute look at some Christians you might want to read more about. See Christians Who Inspire Us.  

And let me suggest some Christian biographies that have had an impact on my life. I get no money for recommending these:

End of the Spear is about a little boy named Steve Saint who was baptized by the man who killed his father. If you click the link, the book is on sale for $5 from the ministry Steve started. We worked with that ministry for several years, and Steve and his wife are special friends. If you want to read my one-minute devotions about them, see A Saint's Life, Divine Appointment in Timbuktu, When Hardship Is a Privilege, and Back Door Miracles. 

God's Smuggler is about a Christian man who took great chances to share the gospel in Communist countries.

The Hiding Place is about Corrie Ten Boom's incredible love for God and the sacrifices she and her family made to help persecuted Jews during WWII.

The Emancipation of Robert Sadler is about a man sold into slavery by his father when he was a young boy. Despite his horrible mistreatment, he found the Lord and served Him with incredible fervor.

Several other biographies that impacted me are out of print, but I've written a devotion about one of them, Haralan Popov: Starved Spiritually. 

And I hope you'll check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. Click this link or the image to find out more.

It's not a biography, but I think it will give you a deeper appreciation for the books of Psalms and Proverbs. 

 

It's a hard-cover book priced lower than most paperbacks.  

Bible Love Notes