1 John 3:10 “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother”. (NIV)

Carson Crimeni (14) dies of drug overdose in a skate park in Langley Township, British Columbia on Aug 7, 2019.  Jamel Dunn (31) dies while drowning in Cocoa Pond, Florida on Jul 9, 2017  he was disabled. Khaseen Morris (16) dies from stab wound in chest Oceanside, NY on September 16, 2019 by an ex-boyfriend of a girl he walked home the day.   Dear Abba father all of them cried out, needed help and…

All of these fatalities videotaped by people who showed no care or concern.  What a shame living in an age where people choose to pick up a camera before pressing a few numbers to dial 911 for help.  What is even more implausible is there are no laws criminalizing such behavior.  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, Cain unabashedly replied to God after killing his brother Abel over jealousy.  Paralelling, Obdulia Sanchez (19) on Feb 8, 2018 was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter in the death of her sister Jacqueline Sanchez (14).  If she were asked, was she sister’s keeper, she may have indeed considered she was.  For Obdulia, found DUI (blood alcohol intake level of .1) livestreamed on Instagram, the loss of her vehicle’s control while driving.  This crash  ejected her sister out the window.  Yet to ensure that the family would have enough money for Jacqueline’s proper funeral; Obdulia continued to maneuver her way to record her sister’s dying as they both were covered with blood.  Manuela, Jacqueline’s friend was also thrown from car  and Obdulia panned over to record her as she waved in the distance desperate for help.   Manuela who survived with leg injuries blames no one but social media.  “That’s what life is now”…

The word of God says something similar in 2 Tim 3:1-5, “But mark this:  There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves..unholy…without love…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”  Sounds like a horror movie we already are given the ill-fated ending to.  What can we do as Christians, or as a society who wants a better ending?  NOTHING..but we can be careful not to fall into the temptation of wanting glory so much for ourselves that we hurt or are impassive to the hurt of our brothers and sisters also created by God.   Experiencing fear, insensitivity, disregard, pain and seeing others in pain can make one want isolation- for safety, quiet, peace and self-preservation. A woman after I invited her out to worship service said, “I don’t deal with all these (types of) people.  I just worship in my own way.  I have church with myself and I try to be a good person. I try to treat others good for I believe we are all children of God”.

But is that true?

According to the scriptures Yes God made us all and is the Father of all creation.  But that just means he owns us not that we are His children.  To be a parent’s child, normally means to be born or adopted into a family that created or accrued to care after and raise you.  Commonly this occurs in an accepting and belonging environment with demonstrations of variations of love and all that being a legitimate child entails.  Though there are many human arguments on the contrary this is generally the case.  Yet the Bible states there are godly requirements to be rightfully called a child of God, such as: Gal 3:27 Faith; 2 Cor 6:18 Separate from wickedness ; Rom 8:14 Led by Spirit; Gal 4:7 Are Adopted & Heirs;  John 1:12 Must Receive Him & Believe in His Name ; 1 John 3:10 Practice Righteousness & Love His Brother; John 11: 52 God will bring scattered children of His together and make them one.  * No child of God should worship Him all alone, or believe they are His just cause they exist or feel like they are—it simply is not biblical.

Jesus says in John 3:5 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”.  Jesus gives not one, but two “truly”s here.  This indicates he reinforces with soundness and seriousness the baptismal requirement.  In further studying the Bible, to enter this family/kingdom you must be a part of the body of Christ.  Jesus is the head of the body Col 1:18 which is the church.  Further in Col vs 21 it says we were alienated from God because of our evil behavior. You cannot be naturally his child and synchronously be his enemy living in sin.  Yes, God loves you but you have to repent of your sins and be reconciled with Him 1 Pet 2:10. Once you become a part of His people you can confidently call yourself and know you are His child.  Welcome to the family!

Concern (C):  Sister are you God’s daughter for real?  No one can tell or judge you being lost or saved Rom 2—But God,  Yet His Words which are in the Bible will! John 12:48.

Act (A):  Jesus came to seek and save what was lost.  When he comes back, it will be to gather those that are His 1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10.   So we should act as those staying on guard and doing the right thing.  The Bible as the final word and not we ourselves.

Encouragement (E):  Sisters, study the Bible and Join a church that follows the truth, the Scriptures.  If a church does not follow God’s standard keep searching!  I encourage you with love, pray to find an Acts 2:38-42 body of believers.  Let the description of Jesus’ church established after his death with Peter holding the keys Matt 16:19 talking to the crowd be your checklist.

 “Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he warned them and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.  They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”