Time is Short, but What About my Lost Family?

 I came across this verse last week while reading through the Book of Acts. I'm reading the Amplified version which I really like because it takes certain words and extends their meaning in the Greek (New Testament) and Hebrew (Old Testament) Both those languages are very intricate languages. Their words are far more specific than we have in English. For instance, there are 3 or 4 different words in Greek that mean Love. Each one describes a different kind of love. I believe God specifically used these 2 languages because of their richness and also because each letter in both languages also has a numeric value. It behooves the serious Bible Student to look up various words in their original Greek and Hebrew to really get the full meaning 

Anyway, I know many of you out there are concerned for lost family members. Especially as we can see the end of the age approaching... the New World Order Rising and the soon coming rapture. 

 

And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him and take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.

Acts 16:31

There are TWO very important things to take from this verse. The first one is the word, "Believe". In English, our word believe means to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something.  It is a head belief that requires no action. But in Greek, it is the word

 

 pisteuō which translates to commit unto, to put one's trust in, to be committed to

Which says that believing in Jesus requires the action of committing yourself to Him, which in essence means to follow Him, to be obedient, to no longer run your own life. This certainly adds a great deal more to just a "belief" in Jesus, and certainly helps us understand why James says

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! James 2:19

But the word I really want to get to is household oikos

 

In the Greek, it means the inmates of a house, all the persons forming one family, a household, a family (more or less related, literally or figuratively) 

To me, this includes those of our immediate family, mothers, fathers, all siblings and their children, and all descendants (including children and grandchildren)  These are the people who form a Family Unit.  Could it also include uncles, aunts, cousins? I don't know, but it certainly includes the immediate family. 

I don't know about you, but I found this very comforting. YES, I know every individual has to make a decision for Jesus themselves, but Scripture proves that God makes extra provision for family members. Which means that if there is even ONE Righteous person in the family who truly follows Jesus, and that person is praying fervently for the rest of the family, God will save them!

 

Two other Scriptures that prove that we can trust God at His Word.

 

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

 

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1

 

While you are praying for your loved ones, remind the Lord that His Word never returns to Him void and that you know His arm is not to short that it cannot save your loved one.  God loves it when you use His Word in your prayers!