Friday, February 11, 2011
Hope from a Family Tree
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people.
—Luke 1:68
The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 teaches us there is hope for the future and the future of our families. Most of us probably don't have any murderers or prostitutes in our family tree like Jesus did, but we may have some adulterers, liars, and cheats. Yet God can intervene.
What state is your family in right now? Men, are you being the spiritual leader in your family that God has called you to be? God has called you to be a leader to your wife, to love her as Christ loves the church (see Ephesians 5:25). He has called you to be a representative of himself to your children, a model for them to look to.
A wife is to love her husband (see Titus 2:4) and respect him (see Ephesians 5:33). When is the last time you told your husband that you loved him? He needs encouragement. He needs to be affirmed. He needs to know that you appreciate and notice all of the things he does for you. You need to tell your husband that you love him.
Parents, are you setting an example for your children to follow? It is so tragic when we see the bad behavior that parents practiced being practiced by their children—and even by their grandchildren. But God can intervene and change things.
No matter where we are in life, we need to be faithful to God. And if you have made a mess of things, the good news is that Jesus can clean up messes. He can untangle things. He can sort things out. If you will commit your life to Him, He will forgive you and transform you, no matter what you have done up to this point. But you must ask for His help.
Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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SPECIAL OFFER
Even believers sometimes doubt...
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Have you ever doubted the Bible? Have you ever had questions about how the Bible came into being? Have you wondered about the historical reliability of the Bible? Listen. Don't feel bad about that. Let us help you. Here is a great resource that will bolster your faith and help you to defend your beliefs. This book is called Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible. It is written by Greg's friend, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, who is the pastor of the famed Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Illinois.
You can have your own copy of Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. 
