Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Jentezen Franklin from his book, Love Like You've Never Been Hurt: Hope, Healing and the Power of an Open Heart (p. 28). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   But we do it don’t we? Jentezen says, “If those we love are doing something that is wrong, often our judgment kicks into overdrive. Disapproval quickly trumps love. We refuse to have anything to do with those people. We announce to them and to the world that the relationship is over. And we do this in the name of faith, thumping our Bibles with self-righteous intolerance.” But 1 Corinthians 13:1–2 in the Bible says, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I wo

A thought by Jentezen Franklin from his book, Love Like You've Never Been Hurt: Hope, Healing and the Power of an Open Heart (p. 8) . Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And this is a very good thought for all of us. Jentezen says, “To move forward, you have to let go of the past. You have to release what is behind you and reach for what is before you. If you will reach for a new day, God will begin, little by little, to release you from the past.” He says, “Life is an adventure in forgiveness. It is all about releasing and reaching. Release the past and reach for the future. The only way to do this is to love like you’ve never been hurt. This means loving so intensely that it overrides all your natural instincts for bitterness and revenge. “Have you ever noticed how a jeweler shows his best diamonds? He sets them against a black velvet backdrop. The contrast of the jewels against the dark backgr

A thought by Jentezen Franklin from his book, Love Like You've Never Been Hurt: Hope, Healing and the Power of an Open Heart. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   But that is not what we think, is it?    Abundant stuff = abundant life.   But does it? Jentezen says, “The world does not place much value on relationships. It tells us money is important. Titles are important. The right zip code is important. Looks are important. Fast cars and big homes are important.” He goes on, “Do you remember when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was?  ‘ He replied,  “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ’ ”    This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it:  “ ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ”  (Matthew 22:37–39 NKJV). “Here Jesus emphasized in a big way the importance of relationships. This is what life is