Have You Researched Your Faith Ancestry?

I think if I had the time I would certainly be a genealogy buff. Because my father was so much older than me I don’t have a lot of information about his family. I’m the youngest child of all his family and all of his ancestors are long gone. As I was searching for information about my grandparents’ marriage I discovered something I didn’t know about my Aunt Paralee’s daughter June. She was a much loved niece and cousin who died in early adulthood leaving behind 3 young children not much younger than me. Anyway, I found that her first name was Helen. That was my mother’s and my sister’s first name. I had no idea that June was a Helen. For a moment I got choked up because I thought mother would like to know that. 

Although genealogy is fun to see where our roots come from, if we live in the past we may just feel sentimental and teary eyed. As believers our roots are now founded in Christ. Family roots are interesting and we all love our ancestors and want to know more about them. But my main focus as a believer is now the ancestry of the faith. My Father in Heaven knows my genealogy well. Even if there were to prove some bad blood in the line, I am secure in the Blood of Christ that has cleansed me from all sin.

God speaks to my heart: It’s okay to take a sentimental journey, but I AM not there. I AM in the present, leading, guiding and directing those who will allow Me to. If you live in the past and concentrate on its memories I will let you. But I AM going forward. Isn’t it time to quit spending all your time reliving things you cannot do anything about? Whether it’s your ancestors or your sins, your problems or your fears, those are covered by Me. You are destined to live a life full and blessed as you move forward with Me. I have called you and that calling may require you to lay aside some things that have been holding you back. It does not matter what the past looks like or what your ancestral tree contains. What matters is that My Spirit is within you to work and accomplish My will through you. 

Oh beloved, God wants you to know who you are in Christ and how you are perceived by the Lord. When you know who you are, then you know how you are supposed to live. You destiny has nothing to do with your past regardless of how wonderful or how awful it might have been. Your destiny is wrapped completely in Christ. Let Him take care of today just as He cared for your past. You are a mighty invincible sword of the spirit wielding believer who is going to triumph in all your ways because God has put this in your Blood Bought line of faith. Stop reliving the past and begin looking for opportunities to go forward. No one can stop God’s plan for you, not past mistakes of any kind nor past encounters with those who would like to stop your flow of grace and honor from God. Your life is hid in Christ and it is He who will propel you on to the days of destiny you will walk in.

God loves you and He’s for you. The king of Heaven has called you into His presence. You are chosen, you are covered, you are going forward. Your heavenly genealogy is your strength and your Savior is your guide.

I Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

Proverbs 31:25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.

Who Do You Think You Are?

“Who Do You Think You Are?” Watching the program and seeing famous people find out their roots, past skeletons and good news, makes me all the more interested in my own ancestors. Some branches of my family are easily found and bring much good news. Other branches not so much. From the Indian great grandparent who walked the Trail of Tears to Daniel Boone who married into the family, there is much available. But my father’s family tree is amazingly elusive. Beyond my great grandfather I can find very little. It makes me wonder and want to know so much more.

I especially get excited when there is mention of a family Bible or a preacher in the tree. At least I know someone who had a walk of faith.  Just like the title of the show asks, we all want to know something about those who have gone before us. For my husband, he was especially blessed with great grandparents and five generations of living relatives. I’m not so fortunate as my grandparents were gone before I was born.

For the believer, genealogy is incredibly important as well.  We are very fortunate people for our godly spiritual genealogy is written in the Bible. Scripture plainly states the blood line of Jesus’s mother and tells as well the spiritual genealogy of the One Who was born to die for us. Pretty exciting stuff to read the names in that family tree. To start with Adam and Eve, the fleshly line, who for the momentary decision to disobey eternally changed the world. Then to see the spiritual lineage of the Son of Godand read what it means to be In Christ…this line of Christ has spiritually given redemption and eternal life for all mankind. When a person is born again, they are automatically adopted into the line of Christ.

The enemy of our soul will taunt us, “Who do you think you are?” He wants us to live under the assumption that all of our genealogy is flawed, simply of the flesh, damned and unforgiven. He wants us to believe that we are destined to remain in a long line of unredeemed people. He also wants us to think that we’re so flawed that we are weak, unable, have no virtue and worthless.  If Adam and Eve were our only ancestors this would be oh so very true.  Satan knows our name but calls us by our mistakes, our failures, our sin.

The lover of our soul will encourage us, “Listen to who you are!”  “Open My book of genealogy and find the incredible story of you.”  God will show you, if you let Him, that you were born to die, but destined to live. That you were born with an incurable disease but because of His incredible decision you have been healed of sin’s sickness unto death. He will go on to lead you through the hall of fame as you learn to live by faith, following your spiritual ancestors in Hebrews 11.  The Lord knows your sin but calls you by name – you are His.

Oh beloved, have you been dwelling on the wrong family tree? Even the best of trees are slated to be cut down and cast into the furnace. But God, your spiritual Father, your heavenly Redeemer has purchased you as His own and has given you life everlasting! Not only that, He’s given you a reason to be forgiven, a reason to forgive all who have done wrong to you and a reason to live in blessings of who you are In Christ. In Christ changes everything. In Christ moves your ancestral curse to a blessing.  In Christ gives you new life, faith and wisdom, power and love.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth being adopted into the Royal Family and letting Christ live through you all the way to heaven.

I Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Galatians 3:26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

What's In a Name?

What’s in a name?

There is not a lot of information about my Warren family ancestors. While I was searching recently I discovered that my grandfather and his father in law both had the same first and middle names. Benjamin Franklin Warren married Benjamin Franklin Reagor’s daughter. As I looked around on that genealogy site I noticed there were multiple Benjamin Franklins as well as George Washingtons. It appears that many people liked using the names of founding fathers for their children.  Those names seemed to carry much clout. One of my hubby’s childhood buddies is G. W. and you guessed it – he’s named after our first president.

There are countless books and websites on the meanings of names. There is even a website on the etymology and history of first names. Names mean a lot to us and family names are carried down throughout the history of families. My own son’s middle name is Warren. Since I was the last Warren in my family line, I wanted that name to be carried on beyond me. When we got married, I took on Danny’s family name. I’ve been a Beene for nearly 40 years. I cannot imagine now being anything but a Beene. It’s part of my nature and identity to be in the Beene family. After all these years I would not go back to being a Warren. I am a Beene.

Just as we can do a genealogy study on family names, we can also do a study on the name of Jesus. We can look into the perfect law of liberty and see everything we need to know about the Savior of the World.  We can find out His background, His nature, His identity. We also can see what clout His name carries for us who believe. If all our needs are met in Him and the Word tells us they are, then we need to know everything we can about our Savior.

Have you been struggling with your identity? Do you know, are you intimately acquainted with the One Who gave you new birth? Do  you understand that you have a new name in glory and that you are no ordinary person, but rather you are a child, a joint heir, with the King of the Universe? You may have been struggling with your past, your sorrows, your troubles or the future of your world, but when you look into the Name of the Lord, you will find that everything you need for life and godliness is found there. Your true identity is found in Him. While another may have written you off, cursed your name, driven you away, God has pronounced you His child, His heir, His recipient of great riches and honor and more.

Oh beloved, run to God’s genealogy book, the Word of God and learn all about the Lord! Find all the mercy for your past, all the power for your present and all the promise for your future! God says to you this morning that you belong to Him. He has given you His name so that whenever you need to call upon His name you will be safe, you will find power and you will be able to stand. His name is your safety, His name is your strength, His name is your focus and as you focus more and more on Him and less and less on your circumstances, pain or problems – you will find that you are more than a conqueror, you are always victorious and you will be full of His joy, His peace and His nature.

Your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has given you His name to call upon because He loves you and He’s for you and that’s more than wonderful, more than enough and more riches than you can ever contain!

I Corinthians 16:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Psalm 20:7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.

Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Isaiah 50:10 Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.