IF THERE WERE NO GOD: THERE WOULD BE NO FAMILY!

Before you start this post, please click on and listen to the new song on the playlist: IF THERE WERE NO GOD.

IF THERE WERE NO GOD LYRICS:

.

1.If there were no God there would be no music

There would be no dream to be dreaming of

What a dreadful thought of an empty future

If there were no God there would be no love.

.

2.If there were no God there would be no children

There would be no joy to relieve our tears

Not a tender hand to provide us comfort

No consoling heart to subdue our fears.

.

Chorus: But we know that God is with us

And we know His majesty

Reigning now, the King eternal

Yes we know the victory.

.

3.If there were no God there would be no sunshine

There would be no rain to refresh the earth

There would be no jewels to display their value

There would be no thought of enduring words.

.

4.If there were no God there'd be no creation

There would be no light there would be no breath

No surpassing joy nothing in existence

If there were no God all would be death.

.

Repeat Chorus (x2).

Yes we know, yes we know the victory

Yes we know the victory

.
Today has been a very encouraging first day of the week...Sundays are always encouraging because that is when I get together with other christians to remember God coming to earth as Jesus, the Son...living sinless...dying crucified...rising to live inside of you and me.... I cannot fathom a world where there would be no God!

.

YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN: I drove into Philadelphia this morning to pick up a christian sister who is a university student in downtown Philly. Her momma and daddy are so thrilled that she has found a church home with people who love Jesus and who will be her family while she's away from family.
.
When you are a christian, you have family all over the world:

• This month our oldest son Jordan is interning at a hospital in Denver, staying with a christian family and worshipping with the Littleton church of Christ family. Little did he know that was where Garth (from Pitman) would be speaking this morning.
• This last week, while Jordan was away, his pregnant wife Jacqueline passed out in front of her elementary students in Chicago. Jacqueline is now living with a family from church until she is better or Jordan returns...she's letting "family" help care of her and our first grandbaby.
• The past few weeks, in Michigan, Crystal has gotten to know a young lady whose parents were killed in a motorcycle accident in May. Crystal has become her "sister" in many ways over a short time. Our Tuesday morning ladies class in Pitman wrote notes of encouragement and sent money for new clothes to this young lady who is going through so much grief. She asked why we would do this...Crystal's response: "Because they love you as their sister and they want you to know that they are praying for you."
• This past week, Jessica got a call from her dear friend, Audrey, who called to say that she was headed out with her husband for the Dominican Republic as missionaries. Amazingly, our world is so connected by phone and internet, they will be able to keep connected over the miles.
• Over the last year, Caleb has had trouble getting his medicine at times. Yet, everytime, just at the right time, God has worked through some christian who's heart was pricked by the Holy Spirit to meet Caleb's need of the moment.
• This past month, Shelly (Steve's sister), her husband, children, and grandchildren packed up and left Houston and Hurricane Ike and went to live up in the Texas panhandle with their christian family. Many of you know people who did the same.
• This past week, I have had opportunity to personally minister to several of our extended christian family here at Pitman and across the miles. Only God could have orchestrated some of the stories yet I've seen again and again how God cares for His family...miles are not an obstacle.
  .

Can you imagine life without family? Maybe a better way to put this is: Can you imagine family without God?...I know that some of you can. You've lived it! Some of you have told me that the only way you have made it is with the love and support of your large extended christian family.

.

What about life without your large extended christian family?

.

God's the One who came up with the idea of family! When Jesus came to earth, He was born into the family of Joseph and Mary. Then, along came other siblings. In fact, He had at least 4 brothers and 2 sisters - if not more :

.

Matthew 13:55-56 says "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all His sisters with us?"

.

Jesus knew that His family extended far beyond those in His household where He grew up. Mark 3:34-35 says that one day while in a house with some of His disciples, Jesus said, "Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Now, that's how God does family: a worldwide group of those who do God's will."
.

This morning, at Pitman, Steve preached on James 3. James, the brother of Jesus, quotes Jesus more than any other New Testament letter. In fact, he has 23 quotes alone that refer to the Sermon on the Mount. Now that's family: little brother quoting big brother! Yet, it had not always been that way for James because there was a time (right before the quote above) that Mary and her sons thought that Jesus was "out of His mind"! Now, that's that's how God does family: going from unbelief to belief!

.

I remember our third child, Caleb, used to quote the authority of older brother, Jordan, "But Jordan said we could..." And, then I remember Jordan reminiscing that one of his favorite memories of Caleb was waking up in the middle of the night to find him laying in his bed reading his Bible. Now, that's how God does family: mutual respect for each other and a place where He shows up everyday!

.

This morning, at Pitman, in Bible class Mary Lea spoke to the ladies of things that she treasured in her heart about motherhood. I was especially touched to hear another christian woman talk about being raised in a christian home where her mom and dad NEVER argued in front of the children. How convicting! She shared about her nightly devotionals with her own kids. She told about her sons prayers to God for her on days when she didn't do too good of a job being a mother. Now, that's how God does family: people who control their tongues and pray for one another!

.

IF THERE WERE NO GOD...THERE WOULD BE NO FAMILY!

.

Great Acappella song sung by a different group:

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=MLruGjvW4WE&feature=related