Words of Inspiration and Encouragement
1-27-23
Early this morning Irene went to be home with the Lord. This is something that she has been looking forward to for a while now. It might be hard for us to imagine this, but she knew that what was to come is wonderful beyond imagination. Pray for her family as they knew this was coming, but it is still difficult and there is grieving.
Revelation 21:1-7 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Over the past couple of weeks members of Berea have experienced the loss of loved ones. Dallas, Val's father, passed away a couple of weeks ago. Orv, Bev's brother, passed away earlier this week. Early this morning Irene passed away. And there have been other loved ones who have passed away as we look back over the years.
Death is something that comes to us all, but to those who trust and believe in Jesus death has been defeated. Yes, there is pain and loss involved, but the sting of death is gone because of the hope that we have in Christ. The passage in Revelation talks of a wonderful new place where we will dwell with God. A place of unimaginable joy. As we go through life keep your eyes fixed on what is eternal.
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Early this morning Irene went to be home with the Lord. This is something that she has been looking forward to for a while now. It might be hard for us to imagine this, but she knew that what was to come is wonderful beyond imagination. Pray for her family as they knew this was coming, but it is still difficult and there is grieving.
Revelation 21:1-7 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Over the past couple of weeks members of Berea have experienced the loss of loved ones. Dallas, Val's father, passed away a couple of weeks ago. Orv, Bev's brother, passed away earlier this week. Early this morning Irene passed away. And there have been other loved ones who have passed away as we look back over the years.
Death is something that comes to us all, but to those who trust and believe in Jesus death has been defeated. Yes, there is pain and loss involved, but the sting of death is gone because of the hope that we have in Christ. The passage in Revelation talks of a wonderful new place where we will dwell with God. A place of unimaginable joy. As we go through life keep your eyes fixed on what is eternal.
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1-20-23
This past week I listened to the "Consider This" podcast by NPR. The title of the podcast was "The Key to Happiness According to a Decades-Long Study". The title intrigued me because of course I would like to be more happy. I don't know anyone who doesn't want more happiness in their life. I was also interested in hearing what NPR and Harvard would say on happiness.
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/16/1149427841/the-key-to-happiness-according-to-a-decades-long-study
The Harvard study of Adult Development has been going on since 1938. The study started out as a study of what makes people thrive and how people take good paths through life. It has grown to include the families of the original subject - the grandparents, the parents, and the children.
The interviewer asked, "If people could change one thing in their lives to be happier, what should they choose, according to the data?"
I was surprised by the answer that a secular study found. The director of the study didn't hesitate and said that the one thing people should do is "invest in their relationships with other people. We found that the strongest predictors of people who stayed happy and healthy as they went through life were the warmth and the quality of their relationships with other people."
I found the answer fascinating not because it was surprising to me, but once again science (even social science) is saying what the Bible already has said. In the creation account we read about the human need for relationships:
Genesis 2:18 - Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Of course humans don't only need relationships with other people, but we also need a relationship with God. That is the missing part of the study.
What are you doing to invest in your relationships with other people? I listened to another podcast yesterday that talked about the short-falls of a church defining themselves as "friendly". "Friendly" can be going up to someone new, introducing yourself, and saying welcome. The podcast said "Congratulations, you've taken the minimal steps of being polite." And then it challenged the listeners to ask if they were just being friendly or if they were trying to build relationships. How about at Berea? Are we friendly with each other or are we trying to build relationships (with each other and with new people)?
What are you doing to invest in your relationship with God? The podcast went on and talked about the need to consciously make space for our connections and to prioritize relationships. To actually spend time with our friends. Are you prioritizing your relationship with God? Are you carving out time for him?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This past week I listened to the "Consider This" podcast by NPR. The title of the podcast was "The Key to Happiness According to a Decades-Long Study". The title intrigued me because of course I would like to be more happy. I don't know anyone who doesn't want more happiness in their life. I was also interested in hearing what NPR and Harvard would say on happiness.
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/16/1149427841/the-key-to-happiness-according-to-a-decades-long-study
The Harvard study of Adult Development has been going on since 1938. The study started out as a study of what makes people thrive and how people take good paths through life. It has grown to include the families of the original subject - the grandparents, the parents, and the children.
The interviewer asked, "If people could change one thing in their lives to be happier, what should they choose, according to the data?"
I was surprised by the answer that a secular study found. The director of the study didn't hesitate and said that the one thing people should do is "invest in their relationships with other people. We found that the strongest predictors of people who stayed happy and healthy as they went through life were the warmth and the quality of their relationships with other people."
I found the answer fascinating not because it was surprising to me, but once again science (even social science) is saying what the Bible already has said. In the creation account we read about the human need for relationships:
Genesis 2:18 - Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Of course humans don't only need relationships with other people, but we also need a relationship with God. That is the missing part of the study.
What are you doing to invest in your relationships with other people? I listened to another podcast yesterday that talked about the short-falls of a church defining themselves as "friendly". "Friendly" can be going up to someone new, introducing yourself, and saying welcome. The podcast said "Congratulations, you've taken the minimal steps of being polite." And then it challenged the listeners to ask if they were just being friendly or if they were trying to build relationships. How about at Berea? Are we friendly with each other or are we trying to build relationships (with each other and with new people)?
What are you doing to invest in your relationship with God? The podcast went on and talked about the need to consciously make space for our connections and to prioritize relationships. To actually spend time with our friends. Are you prioritizing your relationship with God? Are you carving out time for him?
_____________________________________________________________________________________