…. love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you (John 15:12). Harvard’s Grant and Glueck longitudinal study of 724 participants over 75 years revealed that the building of quality relationships would determine how healthy and happy your life will be. The clear message that the research uncovered should be no surprise to followers of Jesus Christ. Your kinship with Jesus is the first relationship in your life that needs cultivation. He is your first love, and because you love Him, you will be able to love others as He loves you. Roots of bitterness in our life from past wounds and traumas sour our perspective on life, and many relationships suffer damage beca
For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease Job 14:7 (NKJV). Bitter roots produce bitter fruit. The seeds planted in your life years past have they been bitter ones? The trauma, pain, and family strife of one’s childhood all play a significant part in your life today. Harsh or dismissive words germinate in the soil of a child’s heart, and over time trees of negativity flourish, producing a bounty of rotten fruit. Bitterness poisons how you see your life. You expect the worse because you always call to mind your dashed hopes and dismal past. In your perspective, nothing good ever happens to you. Why does everyone else
Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name Psalms 91:14 (ESV). What is your security system? Is it high tech surveillance cameras, triple-locked doors, or your pit bull in the back yard? Many people feel that the world is more dangerous now than ever. They are afraid and the inner voice that says, “what if it happens to me or my children” fuels images of tragedy and heartache in their minds. The earth is no stranger to violence, having experienced it as far back as Cain and Abel. Scripture describes the heart of man as deceitfully wicked above all things. So what are we to do other than hope for the best and expect the worse? Is it
Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9 ESV). In the days of Noah, things looked pretty miserable. The human race was at its lowest ebb. Had it not been for the ark, God's promise of the "seed" would be in jeopardy. But God found a man named Noah. He gained God's favor because of His faith to see the unseen. He honored His Creator and did what He asked of him. His obedience preserved the "seed" Jesus Christ, who, like the ark, became the Savior of the world. What you do in your generation affects the next in line. No one lives an insignificant life. Choices matter not only for yourself but for your children and every one of which you are in a relationship. Satan's cleverly crafted propaganda that
Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1 NLT). Heaven is a real place. If you want to know what it is like, imagine earth with no sin — a planet with no pollution, zero filth, poverty, and heartache. There is a river that runs through it. Its streams make glad the city of God. You may have read about people who have died and experienced heaven for themselves. They returned to testify of its indescribable beauty. Some who came back have said they have seen their family members, friends, and their beloved pets. Jesus walked through fields of flowing grass with them and showed them the crystal rive
