I have been looking for Emmanuel this season and as I look around, what do I see? I see people...and every one of them a member of a family....small or large, solid or fractured...single parent, blended, adopted, immediate, extended...blood or choice...all kinds of families...sharing connections between themselves that cannot be erased. So many this time of year are rejoicing, excited to be together, to give and share and love, happy and beautiful....so many others, are fragile, dreading the being together, saddened by loss or past hurts, feeling isolated even in the midst of those who know them best....Every marriage, every family, every household, not just Christian families or whole and happy families, but even the broken ones, even the dysfunctional ones, even the mixed up messed up disastrous ones.... ALL families....are targeted for destruction...but WHY??!! Because...the truth is...Family is just too dangerous....
How can family be dangerous for Satan? I mean...really?
I'll tell you how....Because family is spiritual...it came right out of God....every one of them, every single one of them....is a representation, a likeness, a witness if you will... of God Himself. His Triuneness, His Oneness, His Love, His commitment. Families are, even if unwittingly, a picture of God's relationship with His Son, His relationship with His Church, with His Family both near and those afar off.....and even if the earthly view is broken, cracked and distorted, damaged almost beyond recognition...and it always will be to some degree in this earthly realm...still, in each family a small imagine of Him remains...living, moving, breathing on the earth...a likeness always imperfect, often dim, and sometimes almost completely obscured...but still...a representation, no matter how slight...of Deity....God with us.
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Dear Cheryl, I saw that you have two other posts for November... and I will return to read those. This post, Looking for Emmanuel: Family is Dangerous... is such a right on target post. Satan is the enemy who doesn't deserve too much attention, but yes, we do need to be aware of where he is coming from. He hates marriage, he hates family. Because a spiritual marriage, where man and woman walk in obedience to God's ordained purpose is a huge threat to the kingdom of darkness. The family is under attack... but praise God the family is being strengthened and redeemed as God's showcase and masterpiece, even in its imperfect state. Your post is so beautiful... thank you for blogging again, dear friend. You have much to share with us.
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