Roots by the River

As much as possible, follow up on the letters by spending time with your parents. Show them with your attention that they are valuable to you. When you go home, express affection to your parents physically. Don’t do the polite hug. Get into it. Really give them a squeeze. Maybe even a kiss! Just rock the old man. Surprise your mom. You may receive a favorable response to your letters. If you do not receive a response, do not think that you did something wrong. Be patient and keep on giving. Some cultures (e.g. those of Northern Europe) are not expressive with their emotions, except for lost tempers. This kind of expression from you may be embarrassing for your parents. But they still want and need to receive this expressed love, even if they do not know how to return it. If your parents are still alive, it’s not too late to do this. One man I know who is in his late fifties wrote this kind of letter to his father. His mother replied, “I have been married to your father for sixty...

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). You may have wondered what my eschatology is. I do not often speak about it. These few words from the text summarize my anticipation: Hope Purifies Encourage “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” This keeps me from differing with the saints on the order of events at the end time. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading ...

Here are some suggestions for how to go about either reestablishing relationships with your parents or making them better. First, write two letters home. Do not write, “Dear Mom and Dad.” If you write that, who answers the letter? Mom. Dads are illiterate when it comes to answering letters. In many cases, the father thinks that any communication is between mom and the kids. He doesn’t think he ever gets a letter, even if it is addressed to both Mom and Dad. So, write a letter to your father and a separate one to your mother. Make them very clearly separate. Put on the outside “Dad Only,” “Mom Only.” (Yes, I am suggesting sending actual letters in the mail. It will mean more than an email.) When you write to your father, include at least five things. [1] I recommend covering one element per paragraph as follows: 1. Tell your father how much you respect him. If you do not respect him, do not write the letter until you do respect him. You must not be hypocritical. But not respect...

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exod. 20:12) Our country is full of broken families. Whether you are a Christian or not, from a broken family or a whole one, God calls you to honor your parents. The apostle Paul tells us this “is the first commandment with a promise—‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Gal. 6:2-3). Your relationship with your parents affects your relationships with your spouse and children. If you are not yet married, a good way to prepare for those future relationships is to reestablish a good relationship with your parents. The Ten Commandments give us two statements that relate to this. The first is the Exodus quote above. Here is the second: You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God,...

Based upon the Word of God, if you are in a homosexual relationship, you are either a very disobedient Christian, or you are not a Christian. Things that would indicate that you are not a Christian are the complete absence of a sense of guilt and your current manner of life. The points for being a Christian are your conversion, if you have had one, and any previous record of Christian living. Galatians 5:19-23 gives us two lists: the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Which list de...

  by Bessie Wilson Victorious Christian living means walking in obedience to God in all areas of our life. Obedience is something not many Christians are interested in. We dismiss the commands of Scripture with spiritual words and nuanced arguments of why we don’t need to obey a command that seems difficult, instead of simply asking, “How do I do this?” If we want to live a victorious life, we must be committed to obeying God with everything we are: physically, mentally, morally, socially, and spiritually. Physically. Physical obedience means recognizing God’s ownership of your body. This relates to your marriage as well. Are you withholding physically from your husband? What if it’s hard? You don’t love him anymore, or you’re tired, or you’re just not in the mood. “I can’t; not tonight.” I come up with the same excuses, and the Lord used a verse about the man with the withered hand to show me the way. One Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue, and there was a man with a with...