Matthew 10:32-39 (NKJV): “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and a ‘man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Mark 3:20-27: Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
So He [Jesus] called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
Matthew 12:25-30: Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Matthew 13:46-50: While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Luke 8:19-21: Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Matthew 13:53-58: Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things? So they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Matthew 19:25-30: When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed you. Therefore what shall we have?”
So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
John 7:1-18: After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come. When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
Acts 1:6-14: Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
Romans 8:14-17: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
GOD LOVES US, enough that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And GOD loves us with an EVERLASTING LOVE that PURSUES US, DRAWS US, SAVES US, REDEEMS US, HEALS US, RENEWS US, EMPOWERS US, TRANSFORMS US, and COMMISSIONS US to GO fulfill our purpose in His plan.
We’re COMMANDED to LOVE the LORD our GOD with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to LOVE OTHERS as WE LOVE ourselves; we’re CALLED to be HEARERS and DOERS of GOD’s WORD; we’re INSTRUCTED to DENY OURSELVES, TAKE UP THE CROSS, and FOLLOW JESUS; and we’re urged to MAKE GOD our FIRST PRIORITY, even before family—father, mother, sons and daughters--because anything we put before GOD becomes an IDOL.
In essence, the FAMILY GOD CREATES and the HOUSE GOD BUILDS come through and stand on the FOUNDATION of His Son, JESUS CHRIST, and the BLOOD of JESUS SHED for us on CALVARY’s CROSS RECONCILES US to GOD the FATHER and UNITES US more than any familial blood coursing through our veins. So then, a FAMILY isn’t only the one we’re NATURALLY BIRTHED or BORN into but also the FAMILY we’re SPIRITUALLY or SUPERNATURALLY BIRTHED, ADOPTED, or ENGRAFTED into by GRACE through FAITH in JESUS CHRIST. And the only BLOOD thicker than water in our SPIRITUAL LIVES and FAMILIES is JESUS'. And according to JESUS, HIS FAMILY are THOSE who DO THE WILL of HIS FATHER in HEAVEN—THOSE who HEAR the WORD of GOD and DO IT.
So, here are the real questions: Are we WITH GOD or without Him? For Him or against Him? Part of GOD’s FAMILY or the advesary's? Are we joint-heirs with CHRIST, adopted sons and daughters? Are we living in a HOUSE DIVIDED or a HOUSE UNITED--a HOUSE made by the HANDS of MEN or a HOUSE made by HANDS of GOD?
