tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22607374384845744432024-03-20T19:24:32.795-07:00Marriage Fire MinistriesHelping marriages get through the fires of life. Because the fires will come and we must rely on God's help to extinguish them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-44306583668766644952013-03-09T05:38:00.001-08:002013-03-15T12:17:43.933-07:00A FUNERAL AND AN ANNIVERSARY<div align="justify">
<span style="font-size: large;">It saddens me to use "A Funeral and an Anniverary" for the title of this post. You see, on February 7, 2013, my sister went home to be with our Lord. That morning, my father called me about 6AM to tell me my sister had passed away. Then he gave me the good news, her new daughter, Elizabeth, is alive and at Cook Children's Hospital in Ft Worth.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had a hard time gathering my thoughts as I walked into our bedroom to wake Dianne up and let her know that my sister had passed away. We drove my parents to Ft Worth to be with my brother-in-law and my two nieces. We met my brother-in-law at the hospital and went to the third floor to see baby Elizabeth. She was 7 lbs 2 oz and 19 1/2" long, had more wires connected to her than Apple Computer's IT room, and beautiful. (She is due to be released in the next few days and proclaimed healthy. YEA!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dianne and I drove my parents back to their home on February 10th. (</span><span style="font-size: large;">My wife and I married on February 9, 2008.) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, we spent our anniversary with my family at a hospital. Not the most romantic of choices. We decided that we could celebrate our anniversary later that month because our family needed us right then. It is not about me, but what can I do for others. Mainly advancing the Kingdom and being the husband and father God called me to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our pastor called early February 7th. He prayed for Elizabeth and our family and assured us the <a href="http://marriagetoday.com/" target="_blank">Lifelong Love Affair Simulcast</a> by Jimmy & Karen Evans that Dianne & I were to facilitate at our church on February 8th & 9th would go on and he would facilitate the event for us if we did not make it back from Ft Worth. While Dianne and I were grieving about my sister's passing we knew that our mission on earth is not yet compete. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Jesus told us to "occupy 'til I come". The word occupy means to do God's work until Christ returns. All I could think about was there are marriages still hurting and we must continue to help.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">God really answered our prayers over the past several weeks. We saw Elizabeth getting healed, relationships grow, and we celebrated another anniversary.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The visitation and funeral for my sister was held in our home town. Over 550 people signed the book at her visitation. The funeral was huge in attendance. My sister's life had touched many people. She left a big hole where she once was. How big will your impact be when you are gone? What are you doing each day to ensure that your legacy will last with your children and the next generation? Make it huge!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What does this have to do with marriage? Or your marriage? Life is too short to be bickering, complaining, fighting or just mad at each other. Do whatever you have to do to have the marriage God designed for each of us. Your spouse and kids will thank you for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">God Bless you and your marriage. Thank you for your prayers for Elizabeth and our family.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-3297382714968928052013-01-09T07:10:00.003-08:002013-01-09T07:10:51.725-08:00THAT OFFENDED ME<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are the one person in
the world who has never been offended, this post is not for you. However, if you
are like the other 7.7 Billion people in the world - let's see how we can work
on not being offended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It seems everywhere we turn;
someone is getting offended over something. It does not matter whether there
was an intended or unintentional offense. I do believe some people us the term,
"I'm offended by that" in order to further their own agendas. Most
seem to be politically motivated, but what about being offended in your
marriage?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text">Psalm 119:165
says, “Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them <i>or</i>
make them stumble.</span>” (Amplified Bible) I believe this passage says
a lot about whether we are offended or not. If we are not offended, then we
love God’s word and we have great peace. Not just peace but great peace. Who
doesn’t want great peace in their marriage and life?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of the time we are offended it was not on purpose. Our spouse says or does something and we take it wrong. Before going down the bumpy road of offense, ask what they meant by their words or actions. Make sure you are not seeking to be offended. Be sure to talk and walk it out with your spouse - your marriage and kids depend on you. Your married friends are depending on you also. Iron sharpens iron.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How many times have you been offended by your spouse? How many times have you offended them? If you have been married very long it may be too many to count. The important thing to remember is to forgive 70 X 7. When Jesus said this, he did not mean to stop forgiving after the 490th time. We are to always extend forgiveness just as God has forgiven us.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We are to forgive our spouse even if they committed adultry or have been caught up in pornography? It is very hard to not dwell on the offense, whatever it was. Satan will bring the offense up to you when you lease expect it. He hates marriage and will do anything to steal, kill and destroy your marriage, family and life. Remember that we have a renewed mind in Christ. Think on the good things and do not dwell on the past hurts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Purpose yourself to always live at peace with those around you and remember that 99% of the time when you get offended it was nothing. It was only a misunderstanding. Seek to be understood by communicating more and better with your spouse, your kids and others.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We are praying for you and your marriage. God Bless.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-4077506086240169722012-12-07T12:33:00.001-08:002012-12-07T12:33:30.781-08:00DON'T BE A GOMER<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Do you remember Gomer? It’s not the most
popular name found on the birth registry at most hospitals. No, not the one
from the TV show, Gomer Pyle, USMC. The Gomer I am writing about was a woman. <span class="text">She was the daughter of Diblaim. Yes the names are a bit different,
but stay with me on this because it gets even more strange. This post is about just
one aspect of Gomer’s story.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="text"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="text"></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">What would you
do if God told you to marry someone who you knew would not remain faithful? Gomer
was a prostitute and God told Hosea to marry her. See, I told you it gets
strange. Why on earth would our loving God tell the prophet Hosea, a man of
God, to marry a prostitute? Hosea knew she had not been faithful; after all she
was a prostitute. Hosea also knew that she probably would not remain faithful
after they married. He was right; Gomer left after giving birth and fell back
into a life of prostitution. When Hosea found her, she was being sold for less
than the slaves. Her life had hit rock bottom. Hosea bought her back and they
remained married afterwards.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">How many people
remain faithful before or after the wedding night? Unfortunately that number continues
to decline. Statistics say that about ½ of married couples will have an affair.
Affairs are not just for ordinary, common people. President Clinton and </span>Monica
Lewinsky</span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">, </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Gen. David Petraeus
</span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">and
Paula Broadwell, are just a few examples of highly influential married people
that had affairs. The world tells us to do whatever we want, with whomever we
want, whenever you want and there are no consequences for your actions. What a
bunch of lies. Don’t fall for the lies of the world.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Stay connected to
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit with prayer and Bible reading. Stay connected
with your spouse. Not just in a sexual way even though it is the glue in
marriage, but by playing together, talking & listening (hearing) to each
other, reading the Bible together, praying together, etc. There are endless
ways to connect with your spouse. Did you notice I did not mention kids? They
will grow up and leave one day (at least they are supposed to). After the kids
are grown and gone you and your spouse will be spending much more time with
each other and you do not need to be strangers to each other. Ever.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Do whatever you
must to remain pure to God and your spouse. No matter what our past looks like
our future is up to us to write. So, write a masterpiece of a life and
marriage. God tells us to remain faithful to Him and our spouse. God lays
before us a choice of life or death. Choose life.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Hosea & Gomer = God’s love for
unfaithful Israel and us.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-66026912380520526022012-11-28T16:33:00.002-08:002012-11-28T16:33:17.585-08:00START A REVOLUTION IN YOUR MARRIAGE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhc0YHnHKFFUnBOOP_Zag_602ZEirTenbAVVVW4PD9tVVN4PR5CGGEyS59FPqvOErZnkDJLFvuaoJUzqnc4PRLqgiaBDpxY1U9wErRJAPsl6-fpCFa-5EeBZwynW7Tfk95ZvOLhEb0yTk/s1600/love_revolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhc0YHnHKFFUnBOOP_Zag_602ZEirTenbAVVVW4PD9tVVN4PR5CGGEyS59FPqvOErZnkDJLFvuaoJUzqnc4PRLqgiaBDpxY1U9wErRJAPsl6-fpCFa-5EeBZwynW7Tfk95ZvOLhEb0yTk/s320/love_revolution.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It's time to get a revolution started within your marriage. If you don't start it, who will. Let God take your marriage to the next level. Raise the bar on how you treat each other, speak about each other, out serve each other, and out love each other. Inside your home as well as outside.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Seek God's help. When we try to do something on our own it usually does not work at all or the results are less than desired. But when we rely on God working in us we are unstoppable. Phillipians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Remember that a three cord strand is very hard to break - God First, your spouse second, and yourself third.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Seek your spouse's help. Yes, ask for their help. For us husbands this may be more embarrassing than asking for directions at the convenience store. Ask them to help keep you accountable to God and them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Ask your Christian marriage mentors to pray for your marriage to emulate Christ's love for us - the church. If you do not have a marriage mentor, seek out a mature Christian married couple and discuss it with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We have to be the light of the world and we must start at home with our marriages. Well, light it up!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-43929967791042265992012-11-23T05:22:00.001-08:002012-11-23T05:22:13.828-08:00LOVING THE HATERS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I saw a quote this morning from George Orwell, "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it." I completely agree with Orwell on this. It really got my mind thinking about who the real HATERS are and asking about why they hate. I believe they</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> are people that simply cannot be happy for another's success so they try to bring them down by insults and lies. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Merriam-Webster defines hate as: to feel extreme enmity toward, to have a </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">stung aversion to, usually deriving from fear, anger or sense of injury.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why do liberals say that Christians are haters just because we do not approve of a lifestyle </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">outside of God's word (Homosexuality) or because we do not approve of some "free" choices (abortion)? We, as Christians, are the ones promoting God's love. But I digress.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Have you ever felt like you hated your spouse? Maybe that time when they said something that cut you to the bone or after they acted a </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">certain way? We must remember that hatred is a feeling and our feeling can lie to us. We should always love the sinner but hate the sin. While our spouse will at times do things that we do not like, we must </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">remember that we are commanded to love them no matter what. Husbands are given this commandment three times in Ephesians 5:25, 28 & 33. Wives are commanded to respect their husband, Ephesians 5:22 & 33. Vs 22 says submit not respect but submission is showing respect. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">God commands us to love people. We do not get to choose who we will love and who we will not love or hate. But is it ok to hate something? Yes. We are to hate sin just as much as God hates sin. P</span><span class="text Prov-6-16" id="en-NIV1984-16557" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; position: relative;">roverbs 6:16 tells us, "There are six things the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord </span>hates,</span><span class="text Prov-6-16" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; position: relative;"> </span><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-16" style="position: relative;">seven that are detestable to him; haughty eyes,</span></span><span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="indent-2-breaks"> </span><span class="text Prov-6-17" style="position: relative;">a lying tongue, </span></span><span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-17" style="position: relative;">hands that shed innocent blood, <sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV1984-16558Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)"><span style="font-size: large;">a heart that devises wicked schemes</span>, </sup></span></span><span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-18" style="position: relative;">feet that are quick to rush into evil, </span></span><span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-19" id="en-NIV1984-16560" style="position: relative;">a false witness who pours out lie </span></span><span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-19" style="position: relative;">and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Matt-22-37" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text Matt-22-37" id="en-NIV1984-23908" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;">If you're asking how and why we should continue to love our spouse after they did or said that horrible thing, the answer is in Matthew 5:37-40 where Jesus gave us the Greatest Commandment: <span class="woj">“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’<b> </b></span></span><span class="text Matt-22-38" id="en-NIV1984-23909" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="woj">This is the first and greatest commandment.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span class="text Matt-22-39" id="en-NIV1984-23910" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="woj">And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’<b> </b></span></span><span class="text Matt-22-40" id="en-NIV1984-23911" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="woj">All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Our spouse is our neighbor. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">When they do or say something we do not like, it is imperative to continue loving them and separate the action or word from the person. Our marriages depend on our ability to do this. If we are unable to do this our marriages will fail. The other relationships we have with people will fail also because we would be continuing to judge them and not their actions.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, what are we to do now? Forgive our spouse for anything they have done or said that caused us harm. Forgive yourself also. (I am not saying to stay married if there is abuse) I will conquer that in another post. If abuse is in your marriage please read 1Corinthians 7, seek counseling and pray.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-19" style="position: relative;">My version of the George Orwell quote: "The further a society drifts from God, the more it will hate God and the truth". The more our marriage drifts from God, the harder it will be to stay happily married. So, get back to God and make Him your Lord and Savior, give him your marriage, kids, work, finances, all that you have. It is all from Him anyway. And love God, your spouse and your neighbor.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="indent-2" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Prov-6-19" style="position: relative;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Keep on loving!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-71159612066984315452012-11-15T12:43:00.001-08:002012-11-15T12:43:12.890-08:00DID YOU SAY SOMTHING? I WASN'T LISTENING<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The greatest compliment you can give anyone, especially your spouse, is to listen when they’re speaking. But do more than just listen, hear what they are saying. Watch their body language and how they are saying it, not just what they are saying.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The greatest insult you can give anyone is when you don’t listen to them. Do you keep your eyes on the TV, computer screen, video game, texting or just look past them? Is it wait for the next timeout or commercial break? Or is it, just let me call my girlfriend back first?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How often do you give your spouse (or kids) your undivided attention? Do you put down whatever you were doing and look them in the eyes with your full attention? When we do, our actions tell them that we actually care about them and what they are saying.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The next time your spouse (or kids) are speaking to you, stop everything and give them your full attention. If it is hard at first, keep working at it and pray about it. They are the most important people in your life and they are worth the effort.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-13589433355187051432012-10-31T09:06:00.000-07:002012-10-31T09:06:19.447-07:00Oct 31st - Celebrate Reformation Day!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Did you know that today, October 31, is one of the most significant dates in church history? No, I’m not talking about Halloween—I’m talking about Reformation Day! You probably won’t see neighborhood kids going door-to-door dressed like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther">Martin Luther</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrich_Zwingli">Ulrich Zwingli</a> tonight, but these men and their fellow reformers made a huge and lasting impact on the way that evangelical Christians understand and approach Scripture.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Protestant Reformation was shaped by many people over many years, but came into focus when a monk named Martin Luther nailed his famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ninety-Five_Theses">95 theses</a> to the door of the Wittenberg church in 1517. Luther was a Catholic priest who was upset at the widespread corruption he observed within the ecclesiarchy, most notably the sale of “indulgences” that promised postmortem forgiveness of sins for deceased loved ones.</div>
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Outside Luther’s Germany, similar “protest” movements were helmed by people like John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Knox. Beyond protesting corruption in the church, the emerging “protestant” movement challenged many of the theological teachings of the Roman Catholic church. The reformers believed that Scripture alone—not human traditions or the rulings of a church—held complete authority for Christians (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_scriptura">“sola scriptura”</a>), and that salvation was a free gift of God that could not be earned by good deeds. The widespread publication and distribution of Bibles—indeed, the fact that all of us can afford and freely read the Bible ourselves—is one of the most enduring legacies of the Reformation.</div>
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The century following the Protestant Reformation was a chaotic and violent time, but the reform movements survived to form the basis of today’s Protestant denominations. Protestants owe a debt of gratitude to the many reformers who risked (and in some cases, lost) their lives rebuilding the church. And non-Protestant Christians can appreciate the reformers for confronting corruption in the church, even if they don’t agree with all of Protestant theology. So today, pause for a few minutes amidst the Halloween festivities to remember this pivotal moment in church history.</div>
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From BibleGateway:</div>
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2012/10/celebrate-reformation-day/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BG%20News%2010312012%20(1)&utm_content">http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2012/10/celebrate-reformation-day/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BG%20News%2010312012%20(1)&utm_content</a>=</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-58984457348984504402012-10-30T15:40:00.001-07:002012-10-30T15:40:45.375-07:00PUT A NUMBER ON THAT DOOR!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What is it about having a number on the outside of a door that makes us act like we are honeymooning again? What is so special about a little number on the door?<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> </span>You know – the number – on the outside of the door at the hotel. Is it that you are in an unusual location? Is it not having all the clutter in the bedroom? Is it that you are not worried your kids will not hear you from the next room? Whatever the reason, it’s time to start acting the same way at home. Why not?</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some people will act and say things from behind a door with a number on it that they would never even think of saying at their home<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> </span>while having sex with their spouse. I am not suggesting going (porn) here, just live it up a little more. Just read the Song of Solomon and see how much God wants us to enjoy each other.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, put the number on the door or a Do Not Disturb sign and bring back those honeymoon feelings?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-72859592607151373222012-10-22T15:24:00.000-07:002012-10-22T15:24:00.802-07:00HELP! MY SPOUSE DOESN’T WANT A BETTER MARRIAGE<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So, you think your spouse does
not want a better marriage while you want a marriage made in Heaven. You
believe your spouse doesn’t see the need for any changes to your current
situation. At least that may be what you are thinking. Chances are that your
spouse is just complacent with the way things are. They may not believe things
need to change because they are happy with the way things are currently. Marriages
only coast downhill. They take work to go uphill with both spouses helping each
other.</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How many things do you want to
change? One, ten, everything? The first thing to ask may be why do you believe
things need to change? Secondly, why do you believe your spouse does not want a
better marriage? Have they told you they don’t want your marriage to get better?
(If so, know we are praying for your marriage.) If you want a better marriage
so the two of you are showing your kids and the world God’s love you are one the
right track. As a married couple we are to emulate Jesus, our groom, to others.
But, if you want a better marriage out of selfish reasons you need to
re-evaluate your heart and motive on this one.</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Where do we go from here? Let’s
try a few new things. It may be painful at first since the new things will stretch
us out of our comfort zone but the rewards are plentiful.</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you want your husband to
help with the housework try doing the housework naked. (Obviously, your husband
will need to be in the house for this to work) Ok, not if kids are around and
only with the blinds closed. Your spouse is the only one ever allowed to see
you naked. Yes, a guy is writing this but I hope you see the benefits
of this. While fatigue is your number one reason for a lack of sex, it is the
number one reason for men also. We are just too busy of a nation. Find ways to relax together and enjoy God's peace.</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you want more sex try doing
the housework for her. Do the dishes, vacuum the floors, do the laundry –
including putting the clothes up and/or cook supper. How about helping the kids
with their homework, bathing them and tucking them into bed while your wife
relaxes with a Calgon bubble bath or reading a good book? Fatigue is the number
one reason for a lack of sex. A survey by Paul at The Marriage Bed “Why wives
say no to sex, and what a man can do about it” can be found here </span><a href="http://bit.ly/UtNx6H"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">http://bit.ly/UtNx6H</span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> Paul also says, “<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So, if you want more sex</span></strong>,
your number one job is to find a way for your bride to get more rest and better
sleep. Nothing else will have as much of an effect, and for most women nothing
else can have an effect until the exhaustion issue is resolved.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The main thing to remember in your marriage is that your marriage is not about you. It is about serving your spouse. Jesus said He came to serve not be served. All of us are to be Christlike. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Remember, you cannot change
your spouse. Your job is to pray for God to change you and to make you the
spouse that God wants you to be. Changing your spouse: That is a job left only
to God.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-63526204536685575552012-10-16T13:05:00.003-07:002012-10-16T13:53:41.142-07:00VOTING TOGETHER – SETTING A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE FOR OUR KIDS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of you may be asking –
Vote together? We hardly do anything together any more. Why on earth would we
vote together? I’m glad you asked. Let me explain why we should vote together
and take our kids with us. I know some will say that we should not mix church
and state. If you believe that then how on earth do you separate your Christian
walk from your everyday life? We cannot do that, it is impossible. We cannot be
part time Christians – In Revelation 3:16 Jesus told the <span class="woj">church
in Laodicea, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to
spit you out of my mouth.” We must take a stand.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span class="woj"></span> </div>
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<span class="woj"></span><span class="woj">Back to being
the example for our kids, think on these points:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Who else will show them how the voting process
works? </div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>We have a choice, our vote, in who we want to
lead us and our children. We must be the leader and show our kids how to
properly choose Christian leaders.</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>As parents it is our God given duty to raise
them up in His ways. </div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
God created government to
protect our freedoms so we can spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. By
hearing God’s word and praying for our country, we can lead a quiet and
peaceable life which will enable us to spread the gospel.<br />
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
1Timothy 2:1-2 states: “I
urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”</div>
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</div>
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Satan is working through our
government, government agencies, the ACLU, atheists, secular humanism, etc. to
stop Christians from spreading the gospel by either limiting or eliminating our
liberties.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
How can we stop this?</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Spread the gospel </div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Pray for our leaders to lead with a Christian
example.</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Register ourselves, our kids and our church to
vote. It is legal to hand out voter registration cards at church.</div>
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4. Hand out Christian Voter Guides at church and to your friends and family. Yes, this is legal also.</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Vote our Christian convictions</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian voting patterns from 1992 – 2000 were dismal to
say the least. There was a 40% decrease in Christians who voted. In the 2002
election, following the dramatic drop in 1992-2000, national evangelical
leaders widely urged Christians to register, vote, and vote their values. The
national efforts showed a 2% increase in Christian voter turnout which resulted
in dramatic improvements. We, as Christians, are to shape and transform
culture. Our light is to shine before others so that they may see our good
works and give glory to God. Christians are to be transformers of society, salt
of the earth and the light of the world. God does not want us to just get saved
and then sit on a pew, sing our bless me songs and not be engaged in this
world.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nationwide, approximately one-half of Christians who are
eligible to vote are registered. Only one-half of registered Christians
actually vote. This means only 25% of eligible Christians actually vote. If
that number was increased by only 10%, Christians would be elected to virtually
every office in America.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is not only our duty, but our honor to vote and to vote
for Christians. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the
people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Well then,
do we want to rejoice or do we want to mourn? It is our choice.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As citizens of earth, as well as of heaven, we cannot
complain about the political leaders we have, or the decisions they make,
unless we are willing to elect men and women of integrity who support policies
that restrain evil and reinforce goodness. For Christians to make a difference
in this world, as salt and light, they need to be involved in the political
process, both by voting and by encouraging qualified men and women to enter the
vocation of politics.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>We cannot escape by
simply pointing out the imperfections of our leaders, we must act! Tweet This > <a href="http://clicktotweet.com/9e5JE">http://clicktotweet.com/9e5JE</a></div>
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</div>
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Our calling in this world is
not to wait for the perfect candidate to be placed on the ticket, but to pick
our way through the thicket of flaws we find in a Genesis 3 world by walking in
wisdom and voting for imperfect candidates who best reflect a biblical
worldview.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Political decisions affect
every aspect of our lives from taxation to issues such as stem-cell research,
abortion, marriage, the family, war and economic policies. God has commanded us
to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to
the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find welfare” (Jer. 29:7).</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The apostle Paul writes:
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high
positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in
every way” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Praying for the welfare of our
city and for our leaders is being involved in politics. If Christians would
spend more time praying to our Father in heaven with broken hearts rather than
murmuring and criticizing our political leaders while failing to pray for them,
we could see God transform this nation.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
We, as Christians are to be a
positive, godly influence in their communities. When you walk into the voting
booth, the kingdom of God will not be on the ballot. However, there will be
electoral choices that significantly impact the common good. And your choices
are important. May you enter the voting booth and make your selections for the
glory of God and the good of your fellow man.</div>
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</div>
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My Prayer:</div>
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Father, give us leaders after
Your heart! A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith and
ready hands; leaders whom the lust of office does not kill; leaders whom the
spoils of office cannot buy; leaders who possess your opinions and will;
leaders who have honor; leaders who will not lie; leaders who does not use
false claims and promises in order to gain power, and can withstand the
treacherous flatteries without winking!</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Father, give us Christian
leaders who are not afraid to stand up for you. Leaders who will do the right
thing when the wrong thing will benefit them. We thank You that we live in a
Christian nation.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Father, we thank you that we
and our leaders have your supernatural wisdom and the ability to make the right
decisions every time. Father, you said the steps of a good man are ordered by
the Lord, so we thank you that you are guiding our steps and our leaders’
steps.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Father, I thank you that our
leaders are strong in the power of Your might and well able to do what you have
called them to do. You tell us in Micah 4:5 that “All the nations may walk in
the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever
and ever.” Lord, we thank you that we walk in Your name.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
In Isaiah 33:22 you tell us
that “You are our judge, our lawgiver, our king and only You can save us.” Help
us to always seek you when we enter the voting booth to elect Christian leaders
and help us to encourage those who we elect.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Father I pray for our
government officials to recognize Your authority and rely on You for wisdom,
for our country to stand strong on the principles of our Judeo-Christian, and
that our leaders will make wise decisions rather than succumbing to special
interest groups.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Father I pray Isaiah 1:26 over
our leaders. You said, “I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your
rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of
Righteousness, the Faithful City.”</div>
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</div>
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We pray this in Jesus’ name.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Amen</div>
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-80285075082214333142012-10-13T12:59:00.001-07:002012-10-13T12:59:22.295-07:00The Test for an Unfaithful Wife or The Jealous Husband<br />
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I believe every spouse has at least a hint of jealousy in them. We are made in the image of God and He is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14, “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” </div>
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The test is given in Numbers 5:11-30. It is a longer read than I like to give in my posts but it is important to get the entire picture.</div>
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Numbers 5:11-30, <sup>11 </sup>Then the Lord said to Moses, <sup>12 </sup>“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him <sup>13 </sup>by sleeping with another man, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act), <sup>14 </sup>and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure—or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure— <sup>15 </sup>then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder offering to draw attention to guilt. <sup>16 </sup>“‘The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the Lord. <sup>17 </sup>Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. <sup>18 </sup>After the priest has had the woman stand before the Lord, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse. <sup>19 </sup>Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. <sup>20 </sup>But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband”— <sup>21 </sup>here the priest is to put the woman under this curse of the oath—“may the Lord cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.<sup> 22 </sup>May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells and your thigh wastes away.” “‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.”</div>
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<sup>23 </sup>“‘The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water. <sup>24 </sup>He shall have the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water will enter her and cause bitter suffering. <sup>25 </sup>The priest is to take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the Lord and bring it to the altar. <sup>26 </sup>The priest is then to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial offering and burn it on the altar; after that, he is to have the woman drink the water. <sup>27 </sup>If she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then when she is made to drink the water that brings a curse, it will go into her and cause bitter suffering; her abdomen will swell and her thigh waste away, and she will become accursed among her people. <sup>28 </sup>If, however, the woman has not defiled herself and is free from impurity, she will be cleared of guilt and will be able to have children.</div>
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<sup>29 </sup>“‘This, then, is the law of jealousy when a woman goes astray and defiles herself while married to her husband, <sup>30 </sup>or when feelings of jealousy come over a man because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand before the Lord and is to apply this entire law to her. <sup>31 </sup>The husband will be innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman will bear the consequences of her sin.’”</div>
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In Verse 14 the King James calls it a <b>Spirit of Jealousy</b> whether the wife is guilty or innocent. What an awful way to be treated as a bride. Sounds like something we would hear about from the Middle East. </div>
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It is important to note that there is NO test for the husband. Why? If we see the true nature of God it is revealed. Our husband is Jesus and he will never be an adulteress to us, the church, His bride. We, as husbands, are to act as Jesus does to us to our own bride. We, as the church and the bride of Christ, are to act accordingly to Jesus. I believe, no, I know, that if we acted as we are taught in Ephesians 5 and love our spouse as in the Song of Solomon our world would be much better. Our children would see the true example of God's love for us.</div>
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As far as the test in Numbers 5, let's not give our spouse any reason to have us drink the bitter water from that cup.</div>
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Our love for God is tested, but not His love for us!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-65677926144538031772012-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:002012-10-12T05:00:17.900-07:00OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IN MARRIAGE<br />
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I know, you are thinking this post is more relevant to men (husbands). However, recent research has shown that more women than ever are caught up in porn, emotional affairs and physical affairs. Whether you are a husband or a wife, temptation will eventually come knocking. The Bible is clear that to be tempted is common. Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”</div>
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A friend of ours runs our local Pregnancy Crisis Center told me, when she started there 10 years ago 90% of those seeking their help were young, unmarried girls. Over the years the demographics have changed to the point where up to 40% of those seeking their help currently are married women in their 30’s. I was stunned to hear this news. Unfortunately, these women did not run from being tempted and are now pregnant and are being tempted to abort their baby. Psalm 139:16 tells us "You saw me before I was born." My sister and I are both adopted so this is a subject that hits close to home for me. </div>
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The word temptation appears only twelve (12) times in the (NIV 1984) Bible. Nine (9) of those times are in the Gospels. The first mention of temptation is mentioned when Satan is tempting Jesus in Matthew 4:1-3, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” It is interesting that Satan is referred to as “the tempter”. Jesus said Satan is the father of lies and that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 Satan knows that if he can get you to move beyond the temptation and take a bite of the apple, so to speak, you will be falling into sin which moves us further from God. </div>
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Let me be very clear on something. Being tempted is not sinning. If it was a sin to be tempted then Jesus would have sinned and he did not sin, he lived a perfect life. If you are still unsure then let’s reread Matthew 4:1-3 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” </div>
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If you are thinking about cheating on your spouse, don’t do it! I will give several reasons not to.</div>
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<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">It is a sin. Flee fornication.</li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">You gave a vow to God and your spouse that you would remain faithful to them.</li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Sexually transmitted diseases that will not go away and AIDS is deadly.</li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Someone else may end up raising your kids.</li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">If divorce happens, it will effect your children and grand children for generations.</li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">The guilt from the affair.</li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Sexual sin the the only sin that effects the body, mind & your spirit.</li>
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It's tough to get a handle on how many of us are having affairs, given the inherent secrecy. Here are a few of the statistics I could find:</div>
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<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">22 percent of married men have strayed at least once during their married lives. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">14 percent of married women have had affairs at least once during their married lives. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Younger people are more likely candidates; in fact, younger women are as likely as younger men to be unfaithful. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">70 percent of married women and 54 percent of married men did not know of their spouses' extramarital activity. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">5 percent of married men and 3 percent of married women reported having sex with someone other than their spouse in the 1997. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">22 percent of men and 14 percent of women admitted to having sexual relations outside their marriage sometime in their past. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">90 percent of Americans believe adultery is morally wrong. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">50 percent of Americans say President Clinton's adultery makes his moral standard "about the same as the average married man,'' according to a Time-CNN poll. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">61 percent of Americans thought adultery should not be a crime in the United states; 35 percent thought it should; 4 percent had no opinion. </li>
<li style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">17 percent of divorces in the United States are caused by infidelity. </li>
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Source: Associated Press</div>
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If you are around someone that causes your mind to wonder, stop being around them. Change jobs, restaurants whatever you must do too not be around that person any longer.</div>
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Remember the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife from Genesis 39? Joseph ran out of the house leaving his cloak. This is how we are to act when the temptress tries to lure us into their web of deceit and lies. RUN!</div>
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The books Every Man's Battle and Every Woman's Battle are great tools to help get your mind where it needs to be when temptation tries to show up. Seek professional help to deal with the battle in your head. Pray for God to give you the courage to do the right thing in all situations.</div>
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How did Jesus overcome Satan each time? Jesus spoke God’s Word back to him. We have the ability to do the same. Jesus gave us authority over Satan and his demons in Mark 16:17-18. Satan was defeated when Jesus was resurrected from the grave. Hallelujah!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-71891380498265767672012-10-11T06:49:00.000-07:002012-10-11T06:51:04.775-07:00DON'T LOOK BACK<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are spending your life
looking back over your shoulder at your old life wondering what it could have
been if things were different, then you are not looking to the One who will
guide your every step perfectly. When God tells us what to do and especially
when to do something we must do it in his timing. The windshield in your car is
much bigger than your rear view mirror for a good reason. We would never drive
our car while looking in the rear view mirror so why spend your life continuing
to look back at the past. If we continue to look back and think on the old
things our mind will not be set on the things we must do to make our current
life better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lot and his wife from Genesis
19 are the perfect example of why to not look back. Yes, both of them, not just
Lot’s wife. Verse 16 gives us the example, “When he <u>hesitated</u>, the men
grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led
them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.” Does the Bible
really say Lot hesitated? Why would Lot hesitate? He was the leader of their
home. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Was it because they didn’t want
to leave, they liked their home and friends? Had </span>Lot and his family
grown attached to the things around them. Don’t forget they were in a <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">wicked<b> </b></span>city.<i> </i>Most of us
just think of Lot’s wife looking back over her shoulder and turning into a
pillar of salt for her disobedience. What would have happened had the angels not
grabbed their hands to lead them out of Sodom? They all would have perished
with those left in the city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We must remember that it was
after Lot and his daughters reached Zoar, their safety when Lot’s wife looked
back. She looked back when she was almost to the place God set aside for them
to be safe. The running and hardships were over. Even when our hardships are
over we must continue to keep looking forward. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“You cannot serve God and mammon … no one can
serve two masters”</span> Lot’s wife wanted her old way of living in her new
city. She wanted to serve two masters – her old ways and God’s ways. When Satan
reminds you of your past – remind him of his future. We must keep a renewed
mind, and change our stinking thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In verses 17-20 we see that
Lot had a faith flaw. “As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said,
“Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!
Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” But Lot said to them, “No, my
lords, please!<sup><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></sup>Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you
have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the
mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die.<sup><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></sup>Look, here
is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very
small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” Lot did not have the faith that
he could run to the mountains until he feared for his family’s life in Zoar.
His faith was only for a very small town. How big is your faith? Have the faith
to take your mountain.</span><br />
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When God is leading us to our
safety we must keep our faith in Him and not look back. If God tells us to let
go of something we must do it for our own good. We can’t look back and hold on.
“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many
are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Proverbs 19:20-21</span></div>
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As the Spiritual leader of our
home, we must lead our family in God’s will and timing. We need more husbands
who will step up, lead and say: <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“As for
me and my house, we will serve the Lord”</span> (Joshua 24:15).</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-31061429676218843692012-10-10T21:23:00.000-07:002012-10-10T21:23:13.922-07:00GETTING THE BONFIRE BACK IN YOUR MARRIAGE<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, the feelings that
mesmerized us when we were dating, got engaged and the first years of marriage.
The feelings of joy, happiness, relief, pleasure, gladness, and ecstasy were
running wild in our hearts. We believed life would be perfect from that day
forward. We would never have any problems in our marriage. We will never fall
out of love. We knew we would never argue over finances, kids, work or sex.
Nothing and no one would ever make us believe otherwise. Heaven on earth has
arrived!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Little did we know what really
happens in marriage is that two totally different people are being forged into
one. We knew that men and women are different physically but the emotional
differences are as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon. Sometimes one spouse does
not like the fact that their independence is now being threatened. They want
their old independence back but still want to be married. This can lead to
resentment of the other spouse and depression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But how do we get the fire
back we had when we first got married? Let me start with an analogy. If you
build a bonfire in your back yard there will be a large flame at first. As the
bonfire continues to burn it will end up as red hot coals. These coals are much
hotter than the large flames that you saw just after you started the bonfire.
These red hot coals are how our marriages were designed to be as we matured,
physically and mentally. While the flames may not still be there know that the
red hot coals will continue as long as you put more wood on the fire.</span></div>
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What is the wood in your
marriage to keep the coals burning red hot? Sex. You are probably
thinking; a husband must be writing this. You are correct, but why not read what
Kate at One Flesh Marriage has to say about sex as the glue in marriage. It is
a great article and from a wife. Take a few minutes and you can read it here - <a href="http://www.onefleshmarriage.com/2011/11/sex-glue.html"><span style="color: red;">http://www.onefleshmarriage.com/2011/11/sex-glue.html</span></a> I
know it sounds corny to say that sex is the glue and the way to a marriage with
red hot coals, but it is the truth. You may not remember the song from 1975, “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain
& Tennille, but the title is true. Just read the Song of Solomon to see how
God designed sex to keep us together.</div>
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While most surveys state that
sex usually takes 15 minutes or less it is a very important 15 minutes. If time
is the reason try looking at it this way. 15 minutes is 1% of your 24 hour day.
Out of the 168 hours in a week it is only .0015% of your time. And you said you
don’t have time for sex with your spouse. We make time for the important things
in our lives. If you are making time for work, kids, exercise, and things other
than your spouse, you are sending a signal to them that they are not as
important as these things. Are they more important than your spouse? Are you
really ok with sex not happening in your marriage? God does not think so. Just read 1 Corinthians 7:5. God said it is only ok if you are praying and fasting. See my post about it here <a href="http://marriagefire.blogspot.com/2012/10/but-i-dont-want-to-fast.html"><span style="color: red;">http://marriagefire.blogspot.com/2012/10/but-i-dont-want-to-fast.html</span></a></div>
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But where did the feelings go
and how can we get them back? Start by spending time with each other. That
means scheduling some quality time together. It may mean getting a sitter for
the kids and leaving the dog at a kennel for a day or two. Yes, a day or two.
Longer if you have the time and money. Oops, there is that word again – time.
If money is an issue, ask a couple from church to watch your kids for the night
or weekend and you can return the favor for them. Then use that time to talk
and use open and honest communication and to make love. You want the
red hot coals don’t you?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-66372640343721338522012-10-09T13:36:00.001-07:002012-10-10T10:07:12.648-07:00STOP GOING AROUND THE MOUNTAIN <div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The shortest
distance between two places is a straight line. The problem usually lies in the
fact that many of us will not take the straight line. We get in our own way in making our life and marriage better. We wonder from place to
place or person to person seeking our perfect marriage. We listen to too many
voices and do not listen to God's voice (The Holy Spirit) when He speaks to us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">The children of
Israel went around the same mountain range for 40 years before getting to the
Promise Land. If they had traveled in a straight line it would have been an 11
day journey. An entire generation had to die off before they could go in. So
what went wrong? Their lack of faith, then continuing to murmur and complaining
kept them from achieving what God had for their lives. They were not far from
Egypt when they cried out to Moses to take them back so they would not starve. The
Israelites believed it was better to remain slaves in Egypt with adequate food
than be on a tough journey to the place God set aside for them. They murmured
and complained about the lack of food and then complained about the food
itself. Their faith was not there when they gathered up more than one days
supply of food - the bread worms came and at the excess food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">So, what is the
more excellent way for your marriage? Love. The kind of love that God has for
us and the same love we are to have for our bride. In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul
says, "But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the
most excellent way." Paul has just described the Spiritual Gift from the
Holy Spirit and then how it takes each of us to do the entire work God has laid
out. It is no coincidence that the Love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, is
sandwiched between two chapters where Paul gives introduction and instruction
on the Spiritual Gifts. We must use them in our marriage every day. "Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. It is impossible for us
to meet the conditions of the day, to "walk in the light as He is in the
light" 1 John 1:7, to subdue kingdoms and work righteousness and bind the
power of Satan, unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Your marriage is
a journey to God’s Promise Land. Your marriage is to be a reflection of Jesus’
love for us. We must love our spouse even during the most difficult days of our
marriage. Remember, love is an active choice, an action. A conjunction junction
if you will. (Yes, from the old Saturday morning cartoons) It connects us to
our spouse in the way God designed. Yes, there will be days, or maybe several
in a row, when our spouse is "unlovable". Our spouses loving or
unloving actions do not give us the right to stop loving them. That is when we
are to love them even more. Put more actions in effect during these trying
times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">1 Corinthians
13:4-8 tells us what love is. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does
not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always
trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." We need to
remember that God is love. You can read these scriptures aloud and say God
instead of love and you still have the truth. There have been times in my
marriage when I was not one or more of these towards my bride. I asked her to
forgive me and I asked God to forgive me and help me not do them again. It will
work for you too. With His power upon you there can be no failure. God desires
that His Word will be established in our hearts; and, as we believe His Word,
we will see that "all thing are possible" Matthew 19:26.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Many marriages
are in the midst of a great river of life but are dying of thirst because they
do not dip down and take it. It's time to jump into the deep end of the river
and have faith in God to restore and renew your marriage.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-69454965746815124642012-10-09T12:16:00.001-07:002012-10-09T12:16:49.369-07:00PRAYING FOR OUR BRIDE<div style="text-align: justify;">
As husbands, we are the Spiritual leaders of our family. Just as Jesus prayed for His disciples in the garden we should pray over our wife. There are several subjects in this prayer and there are days that God leads me to just one. I have started asking Dianne if there is anything specific she wants me to pray about for her. If what she asks about is not in this prayer, God leads me in how to pray for her that day. If you are not up to asking this question yet, just ask God and He will lead you in what to pray about for your bride on that day. This prayer is from "The Power of a Praying Husband" by Stormie Omartian. I want to thank her for helping me stay focused about praying for Dianne, my bride.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lord, create in me a clean heart
and renew a right spirit within me. Show me where my attitude and thoughts are
not what you would have them to be, especially toward Dianne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Convict me when I am being unforgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to let go of any anger that confusion
will not have a place in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
there is behavior in me that needs to change, enable me to make changes that
last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever you reveal to me, I will
confess to you as sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make me a man
after your own heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable me to be
the head of my home and family that you created me to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, show me how to really cover Dianne in
prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable me to love her the way
that you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Convict my heart when I
don’t live your way.</div>
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</div>
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Lord, as much as I love Dianne, I
know you love her more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that you
will give Dianne the fulfillment of knowing you in a deeper and richer way than
she ever has before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to be
diligent and steadfast in her walk with you, never doubting or wavering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make her strong in spirit and give her an
ever-increasing faith that always believes that you will answer her
prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to increase her
knowledge of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give her discernment
and revelation and enable her to hear your voice instructing her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that Dianne will find new life in you
today and enjoy your blessings poured out upon her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to trust you with all her heart and
not depend on her own understanding.</div>
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</div>
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Lord, protect Dianne from the
author of lies and help her to cast down “every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give her
discernment about what she receives into her mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray she will quickly identify lies about
herself, her life or her future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May she
turn to you rather than give place to negative, upsetting, evil or disturbing
thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me not to react
inappropriately or withdraw from my wife emotionally when I don’t understand
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please restore her soul, heal her
broken heartedness, and bind up her wounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Make her to be secure in your love and mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take away all fear, doubt, and
discouragement, and give her clarity, joy and peace.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you will help
Dianne to be the best mother to our children that she can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guide her as she makes decisions regarding
each child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the authority you have
given me, as a believer as well as a husband and father, I ask you to break any
rebellion or area of disobedience that would erect a stronghold in our
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I know we cannot
successfully raise our children without you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I ask that you would take the burden of raising them from us and
partner with us to bring them up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give Dianne
and me patience, strength and your knowledge to train, teach, discipline and
care for each child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Establish an
environment where our Christian beliefs are on constant display before our
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to better schedule our
time with our children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give us
discernment about what we allow into our home through TV, books, movies, video
games, magazines and computer activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also ask you for the gifts of intelligence, strength, talent and
godliness to be in our children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep
them safe from any accident, disease or evil influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that Dianne will find fulfillment,
contentment and joy as a mother and wife, while never loosing sight of who she
is in you.</div>
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</div>
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Lord, I pray for Dianne and ask
that you would calm her spirit, soothe her soul and give her peace today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where there is error in her thinking, I pray you
would reveal it to her and set her back on course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balance her body perfectly so that she is not
carried up and down like a roller coaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Give her inner tranquility that prevails no matter what is going on
around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me how to convince her that
I love her, and help me to be able to demonstrate it in ways she can perceive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I know that you have “called us to
peace”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us both hear that call and
live in the peace that passes all understanding.</div>
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</div>
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Lord, I pray that you would
establish in me and Dianne bonds of love that cannot be broken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me how to love her in an ever-deepening
way that she can clearly perceive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ask
that you give Dianne and me agape love for each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May we have mutual respect and admiration for
each other so that we become and remain one another’s greatest friend, champion
and unwavering supporter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where love has
been diminished, lost, destroyed or buried under hurt and disappointment, put
it back in our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable Dianne and
me to forgive each other quickly and completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to be kind to one another,
tenderhearted and forgiving, the way you are to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where we are in disagreement and this has
caused strife, I pray you would draw us together on the issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make our communication open and honest so
that we would avoid misunderstandings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Teach us to seek each other’s well-being first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that we will not live two separate
lives, but will instead walk together as a team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, protect our marriage from anything that
would destroy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take out of our lives
anyone who would come between us or temp us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Help us to immediately recognize and resist temptation when it presents
itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sever all unholy ties in both of
our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May there never be any
adultery or divorce in our future to destroy what You, Lord, have put together.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I submit myself to you
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lead me as I lead my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to make all decisions based on your
revelation and guidance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I submit my
leadership to you, enable Dianne to fully trust that you are leading me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to understand the kind of submission you
want from us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable me to be the leader
you want me to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to love her
the way you love me, so that I will gain her complete respect and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to submit to one another in your
fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, help us to also use our
testimony to share our relationship with you and bring others to you.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray for Dianne to have
good, strong, healthy relationships with godly women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take away any relationship that will not bear
good fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also pray for good
relationships with our entire family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
pray for resolution of any in-law relationships for either of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, please protect our parents and extended
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me what I can do to make a
positive difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I pray that
Dianne will always be a forgiving person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if she doesn’t feel like it at the moment, help her to forgive out
of obedience to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show her that
forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right, it makes her free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I especially pray that here would be no
unforgiveness between us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable us to
forgive each other quickly and completely.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I lift up to Dianne to you
today and ask that you would be in charge of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show her how to seek you first in all things,
and to make time with you her first priority every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show her how to find balance between being a
wife, mother, running our home, working, serving in your church and finding
time for herself so that she can be rested and refreshed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I pray that you would help Dianne to
make our home a peaceful sanctuary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Regardless of our financial state, give her the knowledge, energy,
strength, vision and clarity of mind to transform our home into a beautiful
place of refuge that brings joy to each of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ask you to lift her from the burden of caring for our home and give
her peace about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me how I can
encourage and help her in that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holy
Spirit, I invite you to fill our home with your peace, truth, love and unity.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would give
Dianne the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious
in your sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to appreciate
the beauty you have put in her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me
to remember to encourage her and speak words that will make her feel
beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where anyone in her past has
convinced her that she is unattractive and less than you made her to be, I pray
that you would replace those lies with your truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Convince her of how valuable she is to you;
so that I will be better able to convince her of how valuable she is to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to always have Dianne as the standard
of beauty and to stay passionate about her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Make Dianne beautiful in every way, and may everyone else see the beauty
of your image reflected in her.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would bless
Dianne today, and especially bless our marriage and our sexual
relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to be unselfish
and understanding toward each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Teach us to show affection to each other in ways that keep romance and
desire alive between us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me if I
ever hurt her, and help me to apologize in a way that will cause her to forgive
me completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any time we have an
argument or a breakdown in communication, enable us to get over it quickly and
come back together physically so no room is made for the devil to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make our sexual relationship fulfilling,
enjoyable, freeing and refreshing for both of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May our intimacy bond the two of us together
and connect our hearts and emotions as well as our bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep our hearts always faithful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take out of our lives anyone or anything that
would cause temptation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, give Dianne
and me the strength to remain sexually pure in your eyes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where there has been unfaithfulness in thought
or deed on the part of either of us, I pray for full repentance, cleansing and
release from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep us free from anything that would cause
us to neglect this vital area of our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Renew and revitalize our sexual relationship, and make it all you
created it to be.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would help Dianne
be anxious for nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set her free
from any fear and comfort her today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Teach me to recognize the ploy of the enemy every time he tries to steal
life from her by bringing fear to torment her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I stand against any enemy attacks targeted at my wife, and I say that a
spirit of fear will have no place in her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Strengthen her faith in You, Lord, to be her Defender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable Dianne to rise up and say, “The Lord
is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to separate herself from that which
tempts her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say to Dianne that “no
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God if
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to
bear it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, enable my wife to endure
temptation and receive the crown of life which you have promised to those who
love you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to wait upon you
instead of waiting for things to change.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I know that you have placed
within Dianne special gifts and talents that are to be used for your purpose
and your glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show her what they are,
and show me too, Lord, that I may encourage her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that you would give her understanding
that your plan for her life has a specific and perfect timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I pray that Dianne will be the wife you
have called her to be and the wife I need her to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring her into alignment with your ultimate
purpose for her life, and may she be fulfilled in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, grant my wife according to her heart’s
desire, and fulfill her purpose.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would give Dianne
the ability to trust me in all things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of all, I want her to trust Your Holy Spirit working in and through
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where I have not been trustworthy or
have violated her trust, show me, and I will confess that before you as
sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help me to not conduct myself that
way anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where she has lost trust in
me unjustly, I pray that you would help her to see the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she doesn’t trust me because of something
someone else has done to her, help her forgive that person so she can be
free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any place where we have broken
trust with each other, help us to establish it as strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Break any unholy bonds or soul ties between
us and any other person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to
fully repent of all relationships outside of our own that were not glorified to
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I pray that you would deepen
my trust and love of Dianne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that
she will always be a trustworthy person and that I will be able to trust her
completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say this day on behalf of
my wife and me that you are our refuge and our fortress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are our God, and in you will we
trust.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would
surround Dianne with Your hand of protection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep her safe from any accidents, diseases or evil influences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Protect her in cars, planes or wherever she
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Protect her from the plans of evil
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that Dianne will make her
refuge “in the shadow of your wings” until “these calamities have passed
by”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I pray that you would help Dianne
to truly see that her body is your dwelling place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May she acknowledge you in all her ways –
including the care of her body – so that you can direct her paths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let no weapon formed against my wife be able
to prosper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep her at all times under
the umbrella of your protection, and deliver her from the enemy’s hand so no
evil comes near her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, Lord,
that this day You will cover Dianne and help her to lie down in peace, and
sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make her to dwell in safety.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would touch
Dianne this day and fulfill her deepest desires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to surrender her dreams to you so that
you can bring to life the ones you have placed in her heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I pray that in the midst of all my wife
has to do; there would be time for what she enjoys most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me how to encourage her to prioritize
her time for the things she enjoys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
pray we will have common interests we can enjoy together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, I know that you would not give us
dreams that are not compatible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray
that the desires of our hearts will be perfectly knitted together.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Lord, I pray that you would help Dianne
to be successful in her work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter
what her work is at any given time, establish it, and help her to find
favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continue to reveal, develop and
refine those gifts and talents you have given to her, and use them for your
purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to build one another up
and not forget that we are on the same team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lord, your word says when we commit our work to you; the financial
blessing we receive will not bring misery along with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that Dianne will be rewarded well for
her work and that it will bless us, our family and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enable her to accomplish great things so that
you are glorified.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
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Lord, I pray that you would set Dianne
free from anything that holds her other than you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deliver her from any memory of the past that
has the power to control her or keep her trapped in its grip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to forgive any person who has hurt
her so that unforgiveness will not be able to hold her captive. Help her to
live in your presence so that she can be made totally whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the name of Jesus I pull down any strong
holds the enemy has erected around Dianne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pray she will walk with wisdom and find full deliverance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show me how to love and support her well in
the process.</div>
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Lord, I pray that you would
enable Dianne to live in total obedience to your laws and your ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to see where her thoughts and
actions are not lined up with your directions and as to how she is to
live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remind her to confess any error
quickly, and enable her to take the steps of obedience she needs to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep my wife from doing anything that
separates her from the fullness of your presence and your love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bless her mind, emotions and will as she
takes steps of obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give her the
confidence that comes from knowing she has just obeyed you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, your word says, “No good thing will He
withhold from those who walk uprightly.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pray that my wife will walk uprightly and that you will pour your
blessings upon her.</div>
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Lord, I pray for Dianne to have
total peace about the past, present and future of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give her a vision for her future that makes
her certain she is safe in your hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep her, and the people she loves, protected from the plans of the evil
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help her to see her future from your
perspective and not believe any lies of the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give her confidence that the future is
something she never has to fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
she has to make any decision, I pray that You, Holy Spirit, will guide
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bless Dianne with the discernment
to distinguish the truth from a lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May
the fruit of her life be seen every year and even into old age may she be fresh
and flourishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bless her with a long
life, and when she comes to the end of her life, may it not be one moment
before your chosen time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the
transition also be attended with peace and joy, and the absence of
suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let it be said of Dianne that
she was your light to the world around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am confident that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete
it until the day of Jesus Christ”.</div>
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In Your Holy Son’s name, Jesus
Christ, Amen.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-74180155517738373502012-10-07T05:35:00.001-07:002012-10-07T05:55:51.238-07:00WIVES BODY IMAGE ISSUES: A HUSBANDS VIEW<br />
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This may be dangerous ground but I will try to tread lightly. What comes to my mind right now is that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Well, I pray I am no fool. Just a husband trying to help others. For the handful of readers that will come back tomorrow for day 8 of the Christian Marriage Bloggers Association 1/2 marathon challenge, I say thank you. This post may run a few people off or make some mad. That is never my intention or my heart. I only want to help your marriage and get your brain thinking. Ok, here goes.</div>
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The body image war is waged in our minds by the thoughts we hold captive. The though of not being pretty enough or not measuring up is not from God. Those thoughts are from Satan and his demons. It is said that beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes to the bone. I believe that we have been deceived as to what true beauty is. To quote our pastor, Duane Sheriff, the world says beauty is a blond-Cambodian-refuge-lookalike. When we look to the world for our acceptance, we will always see a flawed version of the truth.</div>
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Satan uses the media (TV, magazines, music, music videos, social media, etc.) to tell our ladies that if they do not look like the image being portrayed then they are not beautiful. Over the past few decades this influence has grown rampant. Our young daughters are even caught up in this deception. They are told to look like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears then they do not fit in and they are not beautiful. Our wives are told to wear these clothes, her hair like this and this brand of jewelry will make her even more beautiful. The Bible tells us not to look to outer adornments for our beauty. 1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." I firmly believe it is not a sin to wear the items mentioned above. But we should not look to them to make us beautiful. We are to look to God for all we need.</div>
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I believe Satan uses the worlds definition of beauty to come between a husband and wife. Most women have one or more body parts they would like to "fix". They believe their breasts are too small or large, their hips are too large, cheek bones not high enough, their weight is either too high or too low, etc. etc. etc. They see the airbrushed models who do not have the stretch marks, C-Section scars or extra weight of childbirth, their hair flowing perfectly down their tan back and perfect makeup. Most women, and men, are intimidated by this person. However, this image of the perfect woman is a lie. The perfect woman is the one we married. At least she is perfect for her husband.The average woman is 5' 4" and 140 lbs. not 5' 11" and 115 lbs. like the airbrushed models who starve themselves just to have their picture taken and be on the magazine cover. Eating disorders are becoming the norm for more and more young women trying to live up to the worlds standards. Scientists have even given this a label, Body Dysmorphic Disorder or BDD. Body Dysmorphic Disorder has been called "imagined ugliness" because the appearance issues the person is obsessing about usually are so small that others don't even notice them. Or, if others do notice them, they consider them minor.</div>
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If our wife does not believe she is beautiful she is less willing to be undressed in front of us. She will be less willing to be intimate with us. This is tough for her husband since he wants to see her naked and make love to her. Her husband could even start to believe that his wife does not love him anymore. The low self image wife will spend hours getting herself ready to go outside her home and would never go the grocery store without her makeup and hair fixed just right. There might be someone there who she knows that could see her. When our wife sees herself as less than beautiful she believes that we see her the same way she sees herself. We know this is not true.</div>
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I will jump on the hand grenade here. Body issue images are when we look to our own image for acceptance and not to God. It is selfish because we are putting acceptance for ourself above being accepted by God as His child. When this happens we are putting ourself before God. This is never good: Have no idol, beauty can become an idol that we worship. The world sure worships their standard of beauty.</div>
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What's a guy to do? Is there anything we as husbands and fathers can do to thwart this attack on our wife and daughters? Yes. We must stand against Satan so he is not able to convince our wife and daughters that the worlds standard of beauty is the one they should compare themselves to. If we, as husbands and fathers, do not take this stand and fight then we are to blame. As the spiritual leader of our homes, it is our God given duty to let our wife and daughters know they are beautiful. We must speak God's word over them and to them so they will believe just how beautiful they are to us and to God.</div>
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I do believe that some wives have an issue with their body image because of their husband. He looks extra long at the pretty lady that comes into his line of sight. Mark 9:47 "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell." Some husbands tell their wife that she should look like someone else. Or he tells her that a certain part of her body is not like he wants it to be. Husbands, never, ever compare your spouse with another woman. 1 Corinthians 7:2 "But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband."Husbands, we must tell our wife and our daughters how beautiful they are several time a day. Daughters look to their father as a guide when choosing who to date - then marry. We must keep our eyes pure. No emotional affairs. No pornography, that is cheating. </div>
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If we look at ourselves and believe we are not beautiful, then we are saying that God is not beautiful. We are made in His image. Genesis 1:26 says that we are made in God's image and likeness. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”</div>
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But can we use our beauty for God's glory. Yes, it may sound like an oxymoron. Ester was a beautiful queen, or a beauty queen, so to speak. She was able to use her beauty to save Israel by using her beauty with the king. We are not to see our beauty as a tool to get what we want or who we want. We are to be humble and submissive to God in all we do. Being the salt of the earth is being beautiful in God's eyes. And he and your husband are the only ones that matter.</div>
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Like the stars in the heavens, our inner beauty should display the wonders and majesty of God. He named everyone of them and he knew you before you were born. He knows you're beautiful.</div>
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We are praying for your marriage.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-60951347673825981302012-10-06T13:00:00.005-07:002012-10-06T13:01:00.546-07:00WHY DID WE GET MARRIED?<br />
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Yeah… why did we get married? What is the purpose of this thing called marriage? Why not get married? Everyone else is doing it.<br />
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There have been many surveys on "Why did you get married". The answers over the years have not changed. The top reasons people get married are: (Drum roll please) </div>
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#1 To be happy. While this may seem to be a good answer, most will look to their spouse to make them happy. If we do not look to God for our happiness, we are fooling ourselves. "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b When we go outside of God to find our joy and peace we will be deceived by Satan to look to others for our happiness. </div>
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#2 To get away from parents. Girls usually want to get out from under their dad’s authority. So they get married and then usually come under an immature authority? Their husband's authority. If the husband is spiritually immature, their relationship will be rocky. The husband has to lead his family. The girls who get married to get out from under their fathers authority have a very difficult time dealing with their husband's God given authority.</div>
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#3 To solve their problems or get out of problems. So many people believe that when they get married all their problems are automatically solved. As though a magic wand has been waved over them and they are in Never Land. Too many people get married with the visions of sugar plums in their heads. They believe everyday will be Christmas. They spend months or years planning the wedding and only 1-2 hours planning the wedding with their pastor / priest. I do believe marriage can be Christmas everyday, but only if we go by our faith and not by our feelings. 1 Corinthians 7:28b "But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this." Paul is telling us that marriage will not fix our problems and expect problems to come. Marriage usually magnifies our faults and problems.</div>
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3. God designed marriage to fulfill His plan for man. Man being male and female. Only as “one” do we reflect God’s image. We are as one in marriage as in creation. Man (male and female) is to fill the earth with God’s glory. Both male and female were given dominion and stewardship of creation. </div>
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Genesis 2:18 further explains why we get married, The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” In Genesis 2:24-25 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." Adam and Eve had a compete companionship. Adam did not even know that he was incomplete without Eve. We were created for relationships / fellowship.</div>
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There are a few who are the exception and stay single, the Apostle Paul was one of the exceptions. However, when Paul went out to minister the Gospel of Jesus, he went with someone by his side.</div>
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Ecclesiastes tells us that two are better than one.</div>
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4. To pro-create. Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Malachi 2:15-16 speaks of a “godly seed”. We are also to raise our children in the ways of God so they will not stray when they are older. </div>
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5. To avoid fornication. Sex within the confines of marriage is beautiful to God. He is the one who designed it. Sex outside of marriage will always lead to chaos and death. For the wages of sin are death. In Genesis 2:25 we see that Adam and Eve were both naked and unashamed. Since they were the only people on earth, they probably knew each other very well. They had intimacy on a Godly level that we aspire to have with our spouse. They knew everything about each other. </div>
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1 Corinthians 7:2-3 "But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband." Paul knew that as humans we have a sexual desire. He also knew that outside of marriage it would bring misery. In vs 9 Paul says "But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." It is much better to have a burning passion for our spouse than for anyone else.</div>
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6. To love and serve one another. Each of us have a different love language and we need to strive to learn our spouses language. Even if our spouse has a love language other than acts of service we need to serve then also. In my post <b>Faith Without Works = Dead Marriage</b> I told of when Jesus said He came to serve and not be served. There are many different ways we can serve and love our spouse and we need to be open to finding and doing them. More than just the obvious food, clothing and shelter, we need to serve the needs of our spouse above all others. Their main need may be affection, affirmation, attention, acts of service, kindness, sexual intimacy, etc. If you do not know what it is, ask them. I'm sure they will tell you.</div>
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7. The Great Mystery. Paul speaks of a great mystery in Ephesians 5. The husband is a type of Christ and the wife is a type of the church. As a married couple we are to reveal Christ and His church to the world. Husbands are to lay down their lives for their wife as Christ did for us. We, as married couples, should live in a way that when the world sees us they want what we have.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-56559311420865925942012-10-05T07:03:00.002-07:002012-10-05T07:03:46.582-07:00Faith Without Works = Dead Marriage<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you or your spouse tell each other you love them but there are no loving actions behind the words, your marriage may be headed off the cliff. Let's say you are driving down the road and your friend knows the bridge is out. You probably want them to tell you before you drive off the bridge (cliff). I am not trying to say your marriage is headed over the cliff, but if you are not following up your loving words with loving actions, your marriage at least may on the wrong road. If you are the person driving this car, do not get angry with the one trying to save your life (marriage).</div>
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James 2: 14-17 & 26 tells us, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Vs 26 "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."</div>
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Clarke's Commentary on the Bible says, "If it hath not works, is dead - The faith that does not produce works of charity (love) and mercy is without the living principle which animates all true faith, that is, love to God and love to man." James is telling us that we must put action behind our words. Our spouse must see action and substance behind our words. Blessing, not salvation, is what is promised to the doer of God's work in James 1:25.</div>
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It just seems logical that if you are not working on making your marriage better that it could die on the vine. Or your marriage will just end up like millions of others - the married couples are just roommates. If you or your spouse are just going through the motions in your marriage, literally and figuratively, it is no wonder your marriage is not growing. Marriage is work. I know you have heard that before but it is true. The work can be horrid or it can be an fun adventure depending on how you see it. Choose to make it an adventure. It is up to you to believe for and have faith in growing your marriage. Pray that God will make the work easy for you and your spouse. Jesus said we have not because we ask not.</div>
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Having your dream marriage can be as simple as opening up and trusting your spouse with the inner most parts of your soul. Yes, real and open communication. As men, we are usually horrible at this. We were told from childhood to "suck it up" "you aren't bleeding" "men don't cry" etc. It's no wonder most men only speak in one word sentences. If you believe you can't open up completely, pray that God will open your heart to trust. Your trust may have been broken in the past but with God's help it will be restored like never before. First you must have the faith that it will be restored. Having the faith is key. Pray for God to increase your faith also. He will do that.</div>
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We must follow through with what we tell our spouse. Honest and open communication is a must for your marriage to thrive. Think of it this way. If your boss said you were getting a pay raise but it did not happen, how would you feel? Would you feel like you were slighted or lied to? I am sure you would ask why the raise did not happen. Your boss then says the raise will be there tomorrow. You feel enthusiastic inside because you know the raise is coming tomorrow. But if it doesn’t, then your trust in every getting a pay raise can be diminished.</div>
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Making your marriage better can include reading Christian books or listening to Christian audio books together. I am emphasizing <b>Christian</b> here. Seek Godly council. There are several Christian authors whose books will help you have the marriage God intended. Read the Song of Solomon together. God included a book in the Bible about our marriage relationship. Yes, the Bible talks about married sex also. Well, God did invent sex and He intended it to be awesome when it is between a husband and wife. A little slice of Heaven on earth. However, if we have sex outside of God's context, marriage, the result will always be CHAOS!!!</div>
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Seeing a Christian counselor together is a sign of strength not weakness. Not all pastors, priests, Rabbis are marriage counselors. Make sure you find someone who is a Christian counselor. Many churches have them available to their parishioners at no charge. However, you cannot just go to them and agree with what they are saying, you must put some work behind the words.</div>
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I believe one of the best ways to work on your marriage is to try to out serve your spouse. Jesus said He came to serve, not be served. As husbands we are commanded to love our wife as Christ loves the church and wives are commanded to respect their husband (Ephesians 5:33). Our wife seeks intimacy on many levels: emotional, spiritual, financial, sexual, etc. Most husbands need respect more than sex. Many men say they would live in a loveless marriage if they were just respected.</div>
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Spend the next month trying to out serve your spouse. I know a month may seem like forever. However; it just may be the beginning of the rest of a beautiful and God based marriage. Just think of the example you will be showing your children. We, not the world, must model a Christian marriage to them.</div>
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We are praying for your marriage.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-79000680469610120702012-10-04T06:40:00.002-07:002012-10-04T06:40:41.406-07:00BUT I DON'T WANT TO FAST<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I have fasted
few times in my life. It was usually because I would not slow down long enough
to eat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">When my bride and
I were in Paris the first time, I was so excited about seeing all the sights
that I did not realize she had not eaten since 6AM until she reminded me at
7:30PM that she was hungry. Breakfast that morning was a piece of toast and a
small cup of coffee. Being a gracious man, I offered her a sandwich from one of
the street venders along <span><span style="color: #222222;">The Avenue
des </span>Champs</span><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;">-</span></b>Élysées. Their sandwiches looked
fine to me. Her reply was, “I need something with some fat in it. I’m starving.”
What I needed at that moment was a renewed mind. I was being selfish. Not one
of my most debonair moments to say the least. We did find a great Italian restaurant
that evening before going to the Eiffel Tower to watch the New Year ring in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I know I should
fast more often than I have in the past because each time I did I was able
to hear more clearly from God than before. I have not fasted recently, not
because I did not want to hear from God but fasting just makes my stomach hurts.
I get really hungry. Our bodies must have food (fuel) to keep going. We can
only go about seven days without water and about 45-60 days without food. But
why would we ever want to find out how long we can fast until we die?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Now, what does
this have to do with your marriage? How can fasting relate to our marriages?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">n 1 Corinthians
7:1-6 Paul tells us, "Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your
letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly—but
only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a
woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong
enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in
a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the
husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband.
Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision
to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible
for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of
prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again.
Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not,
understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best
counsel if you should choose them." The Message Bible</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">You may have noticed
the part about abstaining (fasting) from sex is permissible for a period of
time if you both agree to it? And that period is to be for the purpose of
prayer and fasting? Then we are to come back together again (sexual intimacy).
Why? Because Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it.
The amount of time abstaining must be agreed upon, this is vital to your
marriage. Don’t let sexual temptation even get close to your mind. We must hold
those thoughts captive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">There are many
who deprive their spouse of sex for different reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Too
tired – try getting to bed earlier so there will be quality intimate time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">I’m mad at him/her – We must not go to bed in our
anger. <span class="text">“In your anger do not sin” Do not let the sun go down
while you are still angry,</span> <span class="text">and do not give the devil a
foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27. If we go to bed angry with our spouse the devil
will tell you all the negative things about them. Don’t give Satan the
opportunity. Rebuke him. Ephesians 4 comes before Ephesians 5, the chapter that
deals with marriage more specifically than any other in the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">It may be a control issue. Which can
lead to the next bullet point.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Punishment for not doing
something or for doing something your spouse did not like. Maybe for not doing
something the way they thought it should be done. Sex should never be used as a
punishment. God intended it to bring us together not push us apart.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Low sexual desire. Please see
your doctor about this. It could be your hormones are out of sync. It could
also be that you have not forgiven your spouse, or yourself, for something that
happened. Forgive so that you may be forgiven, Matthew 6:14. Forgiving
ourselves is vital to the marriage relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Whatever
the reason one spouse uses to withhold sex this is not what God intended. By
withholding sex from your spouse you are giving Satan the full opportunity to
bombard their head with thoughts that are not productive and not from God. Such
as: This is the best your marriage will ever be, just get sex from someone
else, pornography will not hurt my marriage, my spouse must not love me
anymore, my spouse must be having an affair – either emotional or physical,
what is wrong with my body, etc.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Why
men do not want to fast? Especially from sex. Sex makes us feel like a man. It
shows us that we are loved by our bride. It is an event. Sex to a man is like
food. Yes, we ate yesterday but we are hungry again. Please do not punish us
for this. This is a trait given to your husband by God. I believe the reason is
so that your husband can be away from you for a period of time, war for
example, and still want to come back to you. Not to someone else.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Here are some
symptoms you may see if you go more than a couple of days without food. Can you
see any correlation to a lack of food and a lack of sex for your husband?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Weakness</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Confusion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Irritability</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Bad decision
making</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Decreased <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">sex drive</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Immune
deficiency</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">If a person goes
long enough without food they will become very weak and eventually die. I do
not believe anyone ever died from a lack of sex. However, I do believe many
marriages have died from sexual malnourishment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">If your spouse is always wondering when sex will happen
again, just cuddling will be torture to them.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Without sexual
intimacy in a marriage, the marriage will become very weak and it may
eventually die. Why take the risk with your marriage?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Our marriages are worth dying for, but we have to
die to self for it to be the way God designed.</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-35773587020348112532012-10-03T06:45:00.002-07:002012-10-03T06:46:23.169-07:00WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK FROM AN AWESOME MARRIAGE?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you believe is holding back the awesome marriage you could be having? Are you sure? Fear is
usually the main culprit for us not having the marriage of our dreams or the
career we want. Some people actually have a fear of success. They fear that if
their life will be too good, then it may not last. They fear what could happen
instead of working on obtaining the results they want for their life and
marriage. <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 Timothy
1:7, “</span><span class="text">For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of
cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a
spirit] of power and of love and of calm <i>and</i> well-balanced mind <i>and</i>
discipline <i>and</i> self-control.” Amplified Bible.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">In Luke 19: 1–9, we see that
Zacchaeus had a goal; he wanted desperately to see Jesus. However, a very large
crowd was in his way and being a short man he couldn't see over the crowd. Instead
of him saying "Well I can't do this", "I am too short", Zacchaeus
came up with a plan. Zacchaeus made a decision to see Jesus through the crowd. He
decided no one would stop him. Zacchaeus expected Jesus to show up by the
sycamore tree. He made a plan and followed through. He didn't allow others to dictate
what he would receive from God. He didn't allow others to dictate the outcome
of his dream. We must expect Jesus to show up in our marriage and in our
bedroom. Tony & Alisa DiLorenzo have a great podcast on Jesus in my
bedroom. Yes, Jesus is in your bedroom also. Why wouldn’t He be, God made sex
for us to enjoy with each other and as a way to bring us closer together.
Access the podcast here> </span><a href="http://www.oneextraordinarymarriage.com/130-jesus-in-my-bedroom"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.oneextraordinarymarriage.com/130-jesus-in-my-bedroom">http://www.oneextraordinarymarriage.com/130-jesus-in-my-bedroom</a></span><a href="http://www.oneextraordinarymarriage.com/130-jesus-in-my-bedroom"></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Let's now examine our
marriages. Whatever barriers you believe are holding you back, no matter what
they may be, they are only temporary barriers or obstacles. In Matthew 17:20,
Jesus tells us to speak to our mountains. Too many times we make mountains out
of molehills. Is the barrier (subject) a molehill or a mountain? Is it really
worth battling with your spouse? It could just be that the barrier is worth
both of you fighting for. Your marriage is worth fighting for! Fight with your
spouse (not against them) to win the battle. You are on the same team. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">No matter what, or who, Satan
puts in our way, even if the doors seem closed, or barriers are in the way to
accomplish your dream, be like Zacchaeus! I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippeans 4:13 NIV </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Zacchaeus ran on ahead and
climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by. Zacchaeus
refused to say no. "If I can't get past the crowd I will climb that tree
to see Jesus." Jesus saw Zacchaeus when he arrived at the tree; he looked
up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house
today.” Jesus wanted it to stay at his house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Don't let the fear of anyone or
anything stop you from obtaining the marriage God has for you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a plan with God, be creative, and
aggressively pursue a relationship with Jesus and pursue the awesome marriage
God designed for you. Jesus will pass by and He will see you. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Jesus wants to
stay in your house! It is up to us to invite Him in so we can live in the
reward that He has set aside for us.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-2004424527363274552012-10-01T14:26:00.003-07:002012-10-02T14:11:55.922-07:00WHAT REJECTION MEANS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What does rejection mean?
Rejection keeps us at a distance from those we love, like someone with an
infectious disease. This is especially true for those of us who are adopted.
The great news is that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are
adopted into God’s family. So I am adopted twice, a double blessing so to
speak.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Rejection is one of our
greatest fears. Being rejected by someone makes us feel small, insecure and
unwanted. We lose our self-confidence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When a husband is rejected by
his bride, he feels unwanted, unloved and unvalued. Instead of saying no, why
not ask for a rain check and set a day and time to come together again
intimately? Do not let Satan or his demons win the mind game they will play in
your husband’s mind. Satan, our enemy, uses the pain of rejection to stop you
and keep you away from the call that God has for your life. His goal is to
steal, kill and destroy – your marriage, family, finances, health, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Husbands, if we are rejecting
our wife’s advances, they will feel the same as when the tables are turned on
us. So, here is our homework – 1 Corinthians 7:3-4, “<span class="text">The
husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to
her husband.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="font-size: large;">The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but
also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him
alone but also to his wife.” This is never to take advantage of your
spouse but to show your love for them and to bring you closer together.
Becoming One Flesh Ephesians 5:31, <span class="text">“For this reason a
man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two
will become one flesh.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Rejection and the fear of
rejection did not stop Jesus! He was determined, and persistent in his
ministry. Even to the point of death on the cross for you and me. Jesus gave us
authority over Satan and his demons.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Jesus was moved by the Holy
Spirit whether people accepted him or not. Jesus knows all about rejection. He
understands how we feel when we’re rejected because he experienced it so
powerfully and personally.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">God cares about you! You are
Loved, Valued and Accepted. We must show our spouse how much they are loved,
valued and accepted not just by our words but also by our actions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“I have loved you with an
everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3
God draws us to Him in the same way we are to be drawn to our spouse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"These people who
survived the killing. Israel, out looking for a place to rest, met God out
looking for them!" God told them, "I've never quit loving you and
never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I'll start over with
you and build you up again," Jeremiah 31:3 Message Bible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are you hurt? The best
medicine is God's Love + Love Others. We need to stop being selfish in the frame
that we believe others owe us anything. We need to learn to care about other
people and then the pain will go away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Make a Decision. Live in God's
Love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't allow the rejection from
a few stop you from blessing others – especially your spouse!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2260737438484574443.post-12828968423814107202012-10-01T07:00:00.001-07:002012-10-01T07:33:22.543-07:00WHAT ARE YOU BELIEVING FOR IN YOUR MARRIAGE?<span style="font-size: large;">Hebrews 11: 1 tells us, “Now faith is being sure of what
we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” What are you certain of? We
surely are certain of the sky being blue and the grass being green?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why not be certain of having the marriage God intended?
Is it the demon yelling in your ear that your spouse will never amount to
anything, that they will never change, or that this is the best it will ever by
in your marriage? You see, Satan loves to take a picture of where your marriage
is right now and tell you that this is the pinnacle. Satan tells us to get
ready because this will never get better.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">First and foremost: tell Satan to take a hike! Jesus
said, “Get behind me Satan” in Matthew 16:23. Jesus did not ask Peter why he
said what he did. Jesus did not ask Peter if he was having a bad day. No. Jesus
spoke directly to Satan. Remember, that we have that authority and we must
exercise it daily.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We must use the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit, (1
Corinthians 12:1-11) and our Spiritual Gifts (Ephesians 6: 10-18) to thwart
Satan’s attacks. I know some will say these gifts died with the 1</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup></span><span style="font-size: large;">
Century Church. It does not say that in the Bible. Either the entire Bible is
true or all of it is false. Hint: it is all true – the living Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you really want your marriage to get better, here is
the best way. Keep God first in our lives. By putting God first, we are seeking
His will for our lives. This will help you hear the Holy Spirit speak to you on
what to do next. A counselor friend says, “Do the next right thing.” Sounds
easy but the world will try to rebuff your right thinking. Stand strong and
then keep standing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Put your spouse second. Many spouses put the children
second by living their life through their kids. This is not respecting the
husband or loving the bride. Ephesians 5:33, “However, each one of you also
must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
We must model the kind of marriage we want our children to have. We don’t want
the world modeling marriage for them. Satan is using inappropriate television
shows and bad music to model the wrong kind of lifestyle to our children. They
must see it at home first.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Our kids come third. Yes, third. Our role as parents is
to train them up in the ways of the Lord. When they mature, 18-22, they will
leave our nest and begin their own lives. Until then they are under our
covering. But afterwards, we can become friends with them and give them advice –
when they ask or if we see them about to go over the cliff.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Church and/or Ministry are fourth. Yes we all have a
ministry whether we want one or not. It is to tell others of Jesus, to be the
spouse God calls us to be, to model a Christian marriage to our kids and to
teach our kids about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Verbal declarations are a great way to help set your mind
on the things you are believing for. My bride and I have some we say daily.
They are below. By saying them aloud, you are telling yourself, your mind, of
what is to come. Remember Hebrews 11:1.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Our Declarations:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. That we fulfill the call God has placed on our lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. That our marriage is blessed by God and we are the spouse that God designed
us to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. That our finances are blessed and we have paid off all
debt. That our finances increase because God prospers what we lay our hand to.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. For witty ideas and inventions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. That we and our family walk in divine health.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. That our children are blessed and they marry strong
Christians, have a strong Christian marriage and that our grandchildren and
great-grandchildren are strong Christians.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">God spoke the world into existence so we must speak our
great marriage into existence also. Words are very powerful! That is why we are
commanded to say with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and not just think it in our
heads. Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Keep speaking life over your marriage!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974258033388718277noreply@blogger.com5