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Tag: family

  • A Picture of Heaven – Chapter 14

    A Picture of Heaven – Chapter 14

    As I walked through the brilliance of a field now bathed in light, through gentle caressing breezes which flowed over lily and daisy, I basked in the warmth of something I had never known: a love of God.

    I now embraced a love and tenderness toward Jesus I had never sought, but now had found.

    As I had journeyed from the grave and thought of these things, I had been completely unaware of a stream I had crossed in delight, when suddenly a little girl came running toward me, dragging along a beautiful woman also prancing along behind her.

    “Do you remember me?”

    I looked at her loving face and smiled.

    “You showed me your picture of Heaven,” I recalled as I smiled again.

    “This is my mommy!”

    I was certain.

    “Jesus sent us here to show you the way.”

    She beamed in that same love that she had said her mommy had every time she talked about Jesus.

    Now I saw this same love in the souls of both child and her beautiful mommy.

    “You know what?” she exclaimed.

    “JESUS said that we can call God, ‘Daddy.’”

    I smiled in joy and reached out my hand to her, THANKFUL that Jesus had sent this little girl to me with a picture of Heaven.

    +++

    A Picture of Heaven is dedicated to our beloved daughter, Rachel Katherine Harned, whose mommy died when she was seven. Rachel earned her Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from Wheaton College, currently works for a local hospice and will turn age 21 tomorrow, 21 September, 2013.

    Happy Birthday, Rachel.

    Your Daddy loves you.

  • ANGRY Children of a Loving God – Part 4

    ANGRY Children of a Loving God – Part 4

    “IF we harden our hearts in ANY hatred, we distance the love of ANY who come near – any loved one, even Jesus.

    IF I entertain any anger of my wife, or my child, or my parents, or my boss, or my brothers or sisters or friends; I try to seek their forgiveness and forgive what I hate in their hatred.

    Rather, I give my anger to God.

    “Let’s talk about this, Lord.  I have a complaint here.  I am probably wrong, but You will have to tell me how.”

    I rant and I rave in person-to-Person prayer, releasing my anger to the healing of the Lord.

    I try to stop long enough in silence to listen to His answer of love.  I could never hate the Lord, but I sometimes hate that He does not answer.

    Sometimes I hate His answer; but then… eventually I admit, I am wrong… and will learn to love His answer.  That is hard… but a softening of my heart is necessary to prevent a hardening of the hearts of others.

    ANGRY children of a loving God must bow down in humility to a loving Father who does discipline those He loves.

    It would not do us well to provoke a loving God to anger.

    There is no soundness in my flesh
    Because of Your anger,
    Nor any health in my bones
    Because of my sin. – Psalm 38:3

    Ephesians 4: 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

    Communication: person-to-person truthful relationship.

    This reference is to real relationship between the brothers and sisters of Christ’s body, His church.

    It is ALSO a person-to-Person relationship with Christ Jesus.

     26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

     31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

    32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

    We spoke earlier of Ephesians 4:26 – Do NOT let the sun go down on your ANGER.

    (A link to Christian Anger, in case you missed it.)

    [To be continued…]

  • ANGRY Children of a Loving God – Part 3

    ANGRY Children of a Loving God – Part 3

    Christians can safely presume that anything wrong in our person-to-Person relationship with God is OUR problem, NOT HIS.

    ANGRY children of God who remain a prodigal son or daughter do NOT look to God for ANY solution for their anger.

    By contrast, Christians pray.

    ANGRY relationships between two ANGRY children of God are quite another matter.  In all likelihood, we are BOTH probably wrong in this person-to-person love-hate relationship.

    The unbeliever or disobedient believer hides in the darkness of their sin.

    Other hidden issues boil beneath the surface of their anger, fueled by a hardened heart against the love of Christ – HATRED for the celebrated Son of the Father.

    Consider your own SELF from Jesus’ Parable of the Angry Brother.

    Are YOU the brother who will NOT let go of grace for another?

    Christ’s caution to the heart of the faithful son, however, is that we must set aside our anger and rejoice in the love of the Father for all.  You know His example:

    FORGIVE US our trespasses, AS WE FORGIVE those who TRESPASS AGAINST US.

    “Do ANGRY children of a forgiving Father really have any right to NOT forgive ANY other?

    [To be continued…]