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How Have I Found Family? We All Can Find Family.

02.26.2019 by Anne Marie Sopiarz //

Welcome to FACETS of Faith.  We are wrapping up our series Have you found your family with our guest contributor, Anne Marie Sopiarz.  I (Tracy) met Anne Marie at a Christian Women Business Organization meeting. She was the guest speaker and blessed us with her communication gift during her talk on connection with others.  I knew I wanted to share her gift with others, like seed scattered so that others could receive the good gifts God has for us all through what He puts on her heart.  With that, enjoy Anne Marie’s contribution to this month’s topic on family. Have You Found Your Family? (Guest)Family. What a complicated word! Ask someone about “family” and you will likely get an emotional response. The response might be a huge smile representing love and thankfulness. The response might be eyes that glance downward revealing deep wounds and hurt at the mention of family.

Family is complicated in my life too! I have a brother who didn’t grow up with us, and my father has been married a few, well lots, of times.

I have friends all around the country whom I consider family, and I am blessed when I look at the beautiful family God has given my husband and me! This little nuclear family includes our adopted daughter who has shaped my understanding of family dramatically.

Most of all, when I think of family I think of the family of God. God is my good Father, and I am His child.

I have been blessed to study the book of Romans in-depth this year through BSF. We dig and dig each week into a handful of verses. We wrestle with each one and let God speak to us. What a gift!

As a result of my study of the book of Romans, I have been struck lately with the truth that we are adopted as God’s children. I am a child of God. If you are a believer, then you are a child of God too.

Adoption is quite the word.

My study of Romans left me considering adoption, but life experience made it come alive.

Last December I sat in the courtroom for another hearing on behalf of our foster daughter. But this one was not just another hearing. It was her “best case” hearing. Basically, our agency was laying out evidence to the judge that our daughter’s “best case” was to be adopted by us– her foster family who has loved and cared for her most of the years of her life. It was gut wrenching and sacred. I was not “allowed” to speak in court, but I sobbed silently in the last row as the judge declared my girl’s standing and placement to be “best” with my husband and me.

She has been ours all along, but with this declaration she becomes a full member of our family, and she inherits full rights as our daughter!

It’s the same for God with you  and me, adopted with full rights!

God, our Father, sees each of us as His child.

How does God feel when we let Him claim us as His daughter or son? Probably similar to how I felt in that courtroom!  

We are His all along. Once we realize that truth, we can finally be freely loved by God. We get the full benefits of being His child.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Jesus in John 14:18

Behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into His family– calling Him Abba, Father. Romans 8:15

The Greek word for adoption here is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture. God, our good, good Father adopts us. We will experience this fully one day (Romans 8:23), but it makes a difference in our life here and now as well. We are His. You are His. You are claimed and adopted. I am claimed. I have been declared His child. What a gift!

I get emotional when I let this truth sink in and when I live out of that place. How about you?

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6  (emphasis added)

There were legal realities God had to deal with, which is why He sent His Son, Jesus, to cover our sins. His justice and law demanded punishment and exclusion from his presence because of our sins. God’s mercy brought our redeemer, Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross and our acceptance of Him as Savior gives us righteousness in Christ. God had to satisfy His justice and His law in order to adopt sinners into his family. This He did by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.

God our Father cries in the courtroom too. It has been decided. We have been claimed. Let Him claim you. Let Him claim me.

I have Full Rights as His daughter! My prayer is that I sit in it and live from it. How about you? Family to a believer means being a child of God! I thank God for this truth today!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Do you desire to be part of the family of God? He wants nothing more than to adopt you as His son or daughter, dearly loved. He died so you can freely live, both here on earth and in heaven. He sets the lonely in families, where as Christians we call each other brother and sister. If you would like to be adopted into God’s family, say this prayer from your heart:

I believe You, Jesus, died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin. I believe You love me enough to die for me, and You desire my adoption into Your family. I commit to following You as You lead and guide the way like any good parent would do. Show me what is best for my life and help me to live in light of that truth.  I know being a Christian comes with blessings but doesn’t eliminate every trial either. The difference, though, is I am never alone as a child of God. Thank You for never leaving me, nor forsaking me. Thank You for helping me navigate each day as You help me every step of the way. Help me to hear Your voice, to listen and to obey the good, loving, Fatherly guidance You have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen!

If you just said the above prayer, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

Have something to say? Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page. 

Categories // Faith, Finding Family, Guest Perspectives Tags // Adoption, Belonging, Child of God, Family, Full Rights, Galatians 4:4-6, John 14:18, John 3:16, Resurrection, Romans 8:15, Salvation, sin

What Are You Desperate for God to Do?

03.06.2018 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to Facets of Faith. Whether it’s your first time reading or you frequently join the conversation, our team hopes you’ll stick around to read the other perspectives for this month’s topic. Jennifer and Kim will share their hearts as to what they are desperate for God to do, and we have a new guest writer coming up in week four. The beauty of writing with a team is one of our perspectives will likely hit home with you. We pray God ministers to your hearts and minds as you read what God puts on our hearts to share with you. Be blessed sweet friends!

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind. The ones you think it would be so much easier to throw in the towel. Mentally you resign yourself, wanting nothing more than to check out and let someone else deal with the situation, project, or person.

I have never felt that way.

Not even once.

Ha!

Not true!

Some days I am full of joy and zest for life, passion overflowing, spilling upon everyone around me. I like those days. I like myself on those days. Sunny side up. Lots of yellow to brighten spirits, mine and others’.

But what about the days when I feel downcast and discouraged?

Those are the days when I need extra doses of God and His love for me. Those are the days when I don’t care what any human being has to say (no offense intended). Human voices may be the very ones who discouraged me most that day.

Oh, I know intellectually where the source of that discouraging voice comes from. The enemy is on the sidelines gloating when he sees any of God’s children gloomy and discouraged. Perhaps he enjoys it the very most when he thinks he is interfering with God’s plan for our lives. He deludes himself into thinking he can win.  But he’s not on the winning team!

Some days I need to remind him – and myself – of that fact.

According to Merriam Webster, discourage means

1: to deprive of courage or confidence: dishearten

2a: to hinder by disfavoring

2b: to dissuade or attempt to dissuade from doing something

Recently, discouraging words were spoken within my earshot. It wasn’t a word or two. It went on and on for an extended period. The longer the conversation continued, the more I withered inside. Unbeknownst (at first) to the person, little by little the lies of the enemy began to drown out the sweet still small voice of the Lord. Each word the person spoke stabbed at my heart. I wanted to leave, but I felt trapped.

Chisel, chisel, chisel … the words chipped away at my heart and my spirit. I went from excited about what God is doing in my life to disheartened.

Not because of anything God had said or done. This wasn’t the voice of encouragement, or even quiet correction that God might need to give. No. This voice was downright discouraging, intent on stealing every ounce of courage and joy within me as I embark upon a new endeavor.

I know why that happened. God has plans for my life. They are good. They involve others. I feel like there are amazing things He has on the horizon. My strategic brain can see His fuzzy plan in the distance. Not every step mind you, but some strong hints at where we’re going. And it’s good. It’s awesome. And the enemy wants to discourage my heart in the infancy of this new endeavor. He wants to silence me before I’ve barely gotten started.

The enemy wants to steal my courage. Remember, that’s what discouragement is, a stealing of our courage. The enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy us at every turn (John 10:10). Discouragement is one of the tools in his arsenal of weapons.

Because the enemy has been defeated, he attempts to make us walk in defeat.

Our task is to not let him, to be spiritually aware enough to shake off his slimy words intended to weigh us down.

Many of you have probably heard that God’s Word tells us 365 times not to be afraid. In other words, to take courage. Not to be discouraged.

In moments when I feel discouraged, I am most desperate to hear God’s voice.

In moments when I feel discouraged, I am desperate for God to encourage me. I NEED His encouragement. He knows EXACTLY what words I need to hear in any given moment.

I am DESPERATE to hear God’s sweet, encouraging words. He is always in my cheering section!

Yes! This way My dear! Don’t let anyone discourage you. If you need to borrow courage, I will give you Mine.  You discern correctly. We are going somewhere really wonderful together. And we will do good things together. My love for you will drown out the deceptive voice of the discourager. Take courage, dear heart. Take courage. Through My encouragement, take courage.  You know how it says in My Word that the humble come to Me and I hear them? I hear you. I hear your desperate cry for encouragement. I hear your silent prayer, from your heart, for help. I hear you, dear one. I hear you.  

Maybe you needed to hear those words too. Are you desperate for encouragement? Know that God hears you. I pray God speaks the words your heart needs to hear and that you absorb them into the very fiber of your being. I pray you take courage from God’s encouragement to you. Because He’s got something good for you too!

God understands our needs and desires. He understands our desperation. I am grateful for His insight and understanding. I am grateful for His still small voice that continues to speak in the midst of our despair and discouragement, The Voice that guides our heart back into alignment with His view of us and our situation.

This doesn’t mean God will never correct us, but His voice isn’t the one condemning and chipping away at our courage. Never would God speak to us in that tone. Never!

For consider Him who endured such hostility against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.─Hebrews 12:3 NKJV

As I think about Jesus and His assignment to come and save the world through His death and resurrection, I wonder how discouraged He must have felt. He was on assignment from God the Father. He was sacrificing much! Ultimately, His life. But even before that, He gave His time, talent, and attention to those around Him. He ministered from a deep well of love. Yet He experienced hostility against Himself.

If Jesus can go to the cross for my sins and your sins too, can’t we consider Him and what His Word says?

Any sacrifice I am making is nothing compared to what Jesus sacrificed (obviously). Nothing! I heard some words that I wish I wouldn’t have. But I (none of us) has endured hostility anything like what Jesus had to endure as a result of people’s sin. My sin. Your sin.

If He can utter, forgive them Father for they know not what they do as He hung from a cross, what is left for me to consider? (Luke 23:24)

I have sinned. I have been given God’s free gift of forgiveness as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice. His death and resurrection conquered the hostility that came against Him and each of us as His followers. His death conquered MY hostility toward the gospel, because I didn’t ALWAYS believe. And even as I believe, I still do things out of alignment with God’s heart. I need to forgive, because I’ve been forgiven.

If we are His children, He left us with the greatest encouragement of all. One day, heaven will come down to earth and we will abide in a peaceful dwelling with Him for all eternity. Words of discouragement and deception will not exist. Sin, mine and others’, will not exist.

Until that time, we can take courage.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.─Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

 Jesus, who came to do good encountered great hostility and yet He still finished His assignment. He wants us to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares (ours and others) in order to run our race with endurance. God is the author and finisher of our faith. Let His Word encourage you when others’ words attempt to weigh you down. Nothing can weigh us down when we walk in the fullness of understanding of God’s truth. Our inheritance is to be seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Nothing the enemy tries to say can change that. Nothing!

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Signature Image: Tracy Stella

Categories // Forgiveness, Resurrection Power, Tracy Stella's Perspective, Uncategorized Tags // Assignment, Cross, Death, Desperate, Discourage, Discouragement, encouragement, Enemy, forgiveness, God's Plan, Hebrews 12:1-2, Hebrews 12:3, Hostility, Hurtful Words, Inheritance, John 10:10, Luke 23:24, Perseverance, Resurrection, Sacrifice, Seated with Christ, Take Courage, Voice

What’s So Good About Good Friday?

04.03.2017 by Tracy Stella //

Before getting into the question we are all answering at FACETS of Faith this month, I (Tracy) felt it would be remiss of us not to provide a brief explanation of what God’s resurrection power means for those who may be unfamiliar with the term. We celebrate Easter, because Christ died on the cross (Good Friday) for the forgiveness of all our sin. He rose again on the third day (Easter) overcoming death.

Imagine the supernatural power required to rise above death. Jesus was sealed in a tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. When the women (Jesus’ followers) ran to His gravesite and saw the tomb empty, they were curious as to where Jesus’ body went. They knew He couldn’t have opened the tomb by Himself. The rock which sealed it was immovable by man. They also knew Jesus couldn’t have slipped past the Roman soldiers. The empty tomb pointed to only one thing: Jesus rose from the dead! (Just as He said He would) That’s God’s resurrection power!

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.─1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 HCSB

God’s resurrection power gives us Hope. Hope points us all to heaven for ourselves and those we love. The only requirement to access the hope of heaven is to have a relationship with Jesus.

If you don’t know Jesus personally, you haven’t accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, you can do that today. It’s never too late as long as you are alive to say “yes” to Jesus and all the hope He has for you─here on earth and eventually forevermore in heaven.

You may be wondering what’s so good about “Good Friday” if God had to die in order for it to happen. The only reason Good Friday is good is because God rose from the dead. He didn’t stay buried.

Figuratively speaking, we don’t have to stay buried in our sin, our lack of hope, our worry and wondering what will be for our future.

When you know Jesus, you know your future is good. THAT’S what’s good about Good Friday! And your good future can start as soon as this next moment.

Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin. I ask You to come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Teach me who You are more-and-more each day. Lavish Your love upon me and lead and guide my steps. Help me to stand firm in your love and truth as you strengthen and encourage me as I walk with You. Give me a love for You, Your Word, and conversations with You through prayer. Thank You, Jesus, for Your ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sin. Thank You, too, that I am never alone, that You keep Your promises and You promise I will never be alone again. You will never leave me nor forsake me. I will never have another lonely day in my life. Thank You Jesus for loving me with an everlasting love. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Share with someone the commitment you just made. If you don’t have a church home, it’s really important to find a church that loves Jesus and teaches from His Word (the Bible). If you’d like some help with that, please leave us a comment.

CONGRATULATIONS! From personal experience, I know you are in for the sweetest, most intimate relationship you’ve ever had in your life!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.─John 3:16 NIV

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Categories // Faith, Forgiveness, Tracy Stella's Perspective Tags // 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Easter, Good Friday, hope, Jesus, John 3:16, Resurrection, Salvation

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