"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." ~ William Shakespeare

It's Tuesday, the 20th of May, in the year of 2014, and I'm still hanging out here at the old keyboard, squirting keystrokes up on the screen. Put a few up there, take them down, change them around, still didn't help. Figure out a way to come at it from a different angle. No luck there either. The spell checker is getting real aggravated because he thinks some of my words are wrong. Who died and left him in charge, anyway? Don't worry. I do let him know what I think about it too. You can be sure of that. Whew, I do feel a little relief. I looked over the most popular baby names from 2013 here in the state of Texas and I was so glad that Bubba did not make the list. We might be making a little progress here in the lone star state. Many of the names chosen by parents come from the Bible. They may have had a celebrity in mind but Matthew, Mark, Jacob, David, Abigail, Sarah, and many others on the list have Hebrew and biblical roots. I remember telling a little guy one time how that his name had special meaning in the Bible and his eyes got big and he went looking for his parents to tell them. Hopefully they knew that. They do now.

We had our annual close out of the Bible Club ministry at our local fellowship of believers this past Sunday evening. There's something special about seeing children grow and develop with the Bible as their base. Our club features game time and other fun activities but the core is learning God's Word through memorization and in doing service projects that reflect Christian service. We don't have any of our own grand kids in this program but there's something so very special about being a part of a local fellowship over a long period of time. All the kids end up being our kids. That's right. We watch them grow up and we share in their lives and in the lives of their families. We see them become fully capable of taking their training from club off to college and eventually into the work place. As they are recognized for their hard work, we feel a sense of parental pride because these are God's children and they are precious to Him and we are so privileged to be a part of His plan and purpose for them. Amen.

Things like that celebration bring renewed understanding of that pop song from yesteryear: We Are Family. I've been called a local Church fanatic but here's how I see it. God designed and brought into existence His way for how men, women, boys, and girls can best function in this life. That includes His local called out assembly, that which we call Church. Since I'm stuck up here on my soap box I want to finish up with this Gaither song that explains it in a way that does put it all together:

The Family of God

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

You will notice we say "brother and sister" 'round here,
It's because we're a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I'm not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God


Yes. You can be a part of the family of God without being tied to a local fellowship of believers. That's a wonderful blessing that comes to each individual who are saved by the blood of Jesus. However, His best life for us all includes us connecting into His plan for how we can best live. That includes our being a part of a local New Testament Assembly. Sure. There are ups and downs in any local congregation. What would one expect? We are family, after all. Okay. Enough preaching for one day but I commend you to think seriously about this great provision from the very mind and heart of our great God. Amen.   ....More later.