Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, Illinois is enjoying the Annual Missions in Marketplace Conference this week. I am currently working an evening shift, but I was able to stream some of the sessions last evening. One of the speakers was Steve Pemberton. Steve is the Chief Diversity Officer for Walgreen's. I plan to get his book, and share it with others. The title of his book is "A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, A Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home".
He described what happened when he finally met his family. He said relatives compared it to seeing a ghost. Even though he had never met his biological parents, his mannerisms and expressions were eerily similar. I could relate immediately. I never had the opportunity to meet my biological father. But when I did connect with his siblings, my uncles and aunts, they all had similar reactions. One Aunt just sat and stared at me. Every now and then she would remark, "Girl, you look just like Bud! You walk like him, you move like him!"
The world may wonder, how can this be possible? Aren't we learning what we see? How can I walk like and talk like a man I have never met? Great question! Genesis 1:12 says, "And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding SEED AFTER HIS KIND, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."(KJV). God's creations carry their seed within. An Apple seed carries untold numbers of apples within it. The human seed carries more information than we could ever imagine. God even prophesied about a special seed. In Genesis 3:15 it says, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her SEED; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."(KJV). Of course, this scripture refers to Jesus. He was the promised seed that would "stomp the head" of Satan.(Voice).
So I look and act like a father I never met. What about my heavenly father? Do I resemble him? In John 8:44, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders and said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."(KJV). Jesus was able to recognize the children of the devil by their actions. Ouch! Without thinking, they were representing their true family. In another place Jesus said, "For there is no good (healthy) tree that bears decayed (worthless, stale) fruit, nor on the other hand does a decayed (worthless, sickly) tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramble bush."(Luke 6:43-44, Amplified Version).
Where am I going with all this? So glad you asked! As I grow in grace and the knowledge of my heavenly father, I should look more and more like him! Even though I have not met him face to face, I have his DNA! I was born again into this new family when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence."(God's Word Translation). The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, "You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance."(Galatians 4:6-7, Message)
Steve Pemberton said one family member commented that his father's life was a wasted life. He refused to agree with this and said, "How can his life be wasted when I am here?" Life is never perfect! Even children from traditional families can have issues. But no matter what we go through, there is redemption. We can be and do more than others expect. Pastor Randy Morrison, pastor of Speak the Word Church International in Golden Valley, Minnesota always says, "You don't have to stay in the place you were born!" He should know! He was born to a single, teenage mother in Trinidad, but has excelled in ministry. Spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially we can overcome obstacles and hardships. We can make a message out of the mess we were born into. We can still be what God designed us to be!
I'm encouraged, and inspired even more than I was last night! I want to be more like my heavenly father each and every day!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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