Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

27 December 2024

Reading From Revelation 1-5

“And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song with these words:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And you have caused them to become
    a Kingdom of priests for our God.
    And they will reignon the earth.”

 –Revelation 5:8-10

     From the glorious visions given to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, we are given this heavenly picture of the eternal family of God.  Once we were not a people.  Before we were born again, we were enemies of God.  But God loved us enough that while we were still sinners, alienated from His Presence, He took the punishment for our sins upon Himself and conquered sin and death on the cross and the empty tomb.  The blood of Jesus made a way for us to become a family.  Together we are the sons and daughters of the Most High God. 

     Heavenly Father’s eternal family is comprised of people from every ethnicity, every background, every language, every culture from all around the globe and throughout the ages.  Our family does not know the boundaries of time and space.  For those of us currently limited by our present reality, the Scriptures say that our citizenship is in Heaven and it is as though we are already there, seated with Christ on high, reunited with our loved ones who were born again and have gone on to Glory before us.  They surround us now in the spiritual dimension, enfolding us in loving encouragement to finish strong in the faith.  We share a bond with them by the unity and power of the Holy Spirit.  He indwells every believe and is bringing us all together to form one mighty Temple of Almighty God, an eternal community with the deepest sense of belonging ever known.

     In Christ we discover who were are. He shapes our identity. According to Joel 2 and Acts 2, He has also anointed us as prophets and prophetesses in these latter days by His Holy Spirit poured out upon each one of us, giving us His Gospel to share with others with boldness and courage.  The King James Version of Revelation calls us kings and priests unto our God.  This is an echo of Revelation 1:6 and thousands of years before it in Exodus 19:6.  These roles imply both duties and privileges as we function in the authority of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in His Kingdom.  As kings and queens He has blessed us with the wisdom and knowledge of His Word to make godly decisions.  He has ordained us as priests to minister to others, sharing the abundance of His spiritual and temporal blessings.   

     One day we will reign with Him in the New Heaven and the New Earth.  He has yet to reveal to us the details of what our rule will look like, but we know that as prophets, priests and kings, prophetesses, priestesses and queens we are being prepared to enjoy perfect unity and harmony with the Alpha and Omega.  We are partakers of His divine nature, transformed from glory to glory and conformed into the image of Jesus Christ, God the Son.  Our destiny is to be like Him.

“Lord God, You lead us to have humility by Your perfect example and You bless Your people with dignity as Your image bearers.  My fervent prayer is that You increase our faith.  May we trust in You more than earthly riches or our own understanding.  Let the power of Your Holy Spirit flow through us.  Fill us up to overflowing with Your love.  Empower us to lead holy lives and extend Your grace and mercy to others.  In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.”

  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 –I Peter 2:9-20