Most of you reading this article already know that good deeds will not help you into heaven. I could help all of my neighbors financially, and I could feed and clothe all of the hungry and poor in the world, but that is not what God wants from me. What does God want from me? God wants me to have faith in Him! And the funny thing about that is, faith is a gift from God.
God wants us to “believe” with all of our being that Jesus is who He says He is, and then God will bless us with faith. It’s not that God does not want us to do good deeds and help our neighbors, friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord, but that is a given of being a Christian. On the contrary, it is our Christian responsibility to always do what is right. But first, to be responsible stewards, we must believe in and love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul.
Did you know that as a believer you have a duty to “go” and preach to all nations about the awesome power of Jesus? There are many different ways a Christian can evangelize. God has given us all gifts to use for His purpose. Find your gift and use it to help build up God’s earthly kingdom – the Kingdom of God.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. (Matthew 28)
The most important aspect of our Christian walk is for us to realize, we are not the only Christian (family, individual) working for Christ – it is not about us and what we do and what we say – it is about Jesus and what He has done for those people who have faith to believe in Him as their personal Savior.
If it was about the Christian then he or she would have the authority to moderate others faith and tell them what to believe and how to believe. But it is not about us!! It is about Jesus. It is about building up God’s earthly kingdom and doing it in love. If we do not encourage and love others then what kind of faith is that?
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of a man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God”. (1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
Unfortunately, there will always be dissection within God’s kingdom because personal opinions and judgments cloud love. Where love is clouded boundaries are made segregating God’s people from each other. Then…the self-righteous attitude gets in the way of ever breaking that boundary and loving one another in the ways of the Lord. What kind of faith is that?
“Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there also must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
(1 Corinthians 11:17-19)
Good deeds, gifts, abilities, and talents are of no use to God unless done in love. Good
Stewardship must make love its foundation; otherwise we are only feeding our self and not God. But it is not about us; it is about Jesus and what He has done for us. To have love we first have to have faith to love. When Christians finally have the faith to love that is when boundaries will be broken and God’s love shine through in the Christian so that God’s kingdom can be built up on love rather than selfish indignation.
“And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all of my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing”.
(1 Corinthians 13:2-3)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, July 30, 2007
Codependent or Dependent on God
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being dependent on a spouse in certain areas of marriage. What makes it wrong is when it becomes negative dependency, such as threatening your spouse, or abusing them with words or fist, and or behaving selfish and needy. All relationships, no matter what kind, depend on another person for its subsistence; if it didn’t there would be no relationship. When one or both spouses behave in negative ways toward one another, society labels it codependency. I like to call it spiritual bankruptcy.
Actually, there is no such thing as codependency, it is a psychiatric term applied to people living in unhealthy relationships. Many of the mental health establishments like to stress that codependency is a disease but this only gives validation for people to continually treat their spouse and others badly and not seek inner healing for themselves or the relationship. When people think they have a “disease” they believe they are incurable and therefore will continue living in that behavior which is termed codependent and they will probably take antidepressants and, or other meds to treat the symptoms with.
We all have areas in our marriage and other relationships where we are dependent on another person for our needs getting met. But when one behaves destructively or negatively in their relationship does not make them diseased or codependent- it makes them spiritually lacking. God is our healer! Granted, carrying around negative and feelings can make us feel like we are diseased, and we may even act like we are diseased to others, but it is the lack of spirituality in ones life that causes one to be needy, selfish, destructive and dependent in a negative way on another person.
A healthy relationship first begins with a dependency on God. It is God who fills us up spiritually, so that we can be mentally and spiritually healthy to be givers, and to love others in the way God intends for us to love. Neediness, addiction, selfishness, self-righteousness, bad attitude, emotional turmoil, depression, and the list goes on, all stem from not having a person relationship with our source, Jesus Christ. We need to start focusing more on where our “life source” or “source for life” comes from. We need to be humble and ask Jesus into our life where He belongs, and ask Him for what we need.
Why are we addicted? Why do we abuse others with words and or with fist? Why do we get depressed? Why do we become needy and insecure? Why do we feel hopeless and emotionally in despair? Maybe because we are going to the wrong sources to fill our needs rather than getting filled up spiritually with the Love of God.
It is perfectly healthy to get filled up emotionally by our spouse appreciating us for who we are, and encouraging us in our endeavors in life. It is a no-brainer that we would be dependent on our spouse for our physical needs being met, right? So it is okay to be dependent, it is not okay to be needy, selfish, abusive, etc with our spouse. That is not codependence but someone who needs inner healing. Jesus Christ, being our life source, should absolutely be the head of the marriage and from Him being the foundation, couples can get their spiritual needs met, so they can be the loving and giving marriage partners they were intended to be for each other.
Actually, there is no such thing as codependency, it is a psychiatric term applied to people living in unhealthy relationships. Many of the mental health establishments like to stress that codependency is a disease but this only gives validation for people to continually treat their spouse and others badly and not seek inner healing for themselves or the relationship. When people think they have a “disease” they believe they are incurable and therefore will continue living in that behavior which is termed codependent and they will probably take antidepressants and, or other meds to treat the symptoms with.
We all have areas in our marriage and other relationships where we are dependent on another person for our needs getting met. But when one behaves destructively or negatively in their relationship does not make them diseased or codependent- it makes them spiritually lacking. God is our healer! Granted, carrying around negative and feelings can make us feel like we are diseased, and we may even act like we are diseased to others, but it is the lack of spirituality in ones life that causes one to be needy, selfish, destructive and dependent in a negative way on another person.
A healthy relationship first begins with a dependency on God. It is God who fills us up spiritually, so that we can be mentally and spiritually healthy to be givers, and to love others in the way God intends for us to love. Neediness, addiction, selfishness, self-righteousness, bad attitude, emotional turmoil, depression, and the list goes on, all stem from not having a person relationship with our source, Jesus Christ. We need to start focusing more on where our “life source” or “source for life” comes from. We need to be humble and ask Jesus into our life where He belongs, and ask Him for what we need.
Why are we addicted? Why do we abuse others with words and or with fist? Why do we get depressed? Why do we become needy and insecure? Why do we feel hopeless and emotionally in despair? Maybe because we are going to the wrong sources to fill our needs rather than getting filled up spiritually with the Love of God.
It is perfectly healthy to get filled up emotionally by our spouse appreciating us for who we are, and encouraging us in our endeavors in life. It is a no-brainer that we would be dependent on our spouse for our physical needs being met, right? So it is okay to be dependent, it is not okay to be needy, selfish, abusive, etc with our spouse. That is not codependence but someone who needs inner healing. Jesus Christ, being our life source, should absolutely be the head of the marriage and from Him being the foundation, couples can get their spiritual needs met, so they can be the loving and giving marriage partners they were intended to be for each other.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Move Mountain
Move Mountain
I believe the more hardships we endure in our lives, the more trials and errors we overcome, which make us better people for all others we have relationships with. Obviously if we don’t look for ways to overcome the hurdles in our life and we just move on to the next relationship or next transition in life, how will we learn? What is that?
I think hardships are a part of life and they are put before us for a reason. Maybe those reasons are so we can become the people God wants us to be. But before we can BE-come the person that God would like for us to be, we need to allow ourselves to BE lead into God’s kingdom here on earth. One way in which most people do that, by accident, of course, is by going through hardships and than eventually overcoming those hardships.
If I am addicted to alcohol, for instance, and I do not grow out from that addiction, what use am I to God and to others? In another example if I am stuck in a sin such as infidelity or living in anger, and I abuse and use others, what value would I be to society and my marriage? We are only what we think we are. Adversity is overcome while we are living now, and later we are rewarded with eternal life.
But if we overcome addiction and grow out from the selfishness that addiction has caused in the mind, and we learn to truly love others, than we have been blessed. If we overcome infidelity and learn to value ourselves as a person and child of God, and to treat others the same, then we have truly overcome, and have been blessed! To serve and help others without conditions is a blessing!
As children of God, He wants us to come out of our hardships and seek Him for our new life. Then, we truly become God’s children. God wants His children to not allow themselves to be overcome by the evil and wickedness of the world, but to overcome evil with what is good. So how do we do that? We do that by being true to our convictions, whatever they may be. (Romans 12:21 NIV)
When we live by the standards of society, what are we saying? We are saying that we have been beaten because societies standards lead to corruption of the heart and mind. What a man thinkith...
Christ Ones may live in society and walk among it, but they are not to be a part of it because they belong to Christ. What do you think is going to happen when we allow our heart and mind to become a part of “it”?
I believe the more hardships we endure in our lives, the more trials and errors we overcome, which make us better people for all others we have relationships with. Obviously if we don’t look for ways to overcome the hurdles in our life and we just move on to the next relationship or next transition in life, how will we learn? What is that?
I think hardships are a part of life and they are put before us for a reason. Maybe those reasons are so we can become the people God wants us to be. But before we can BE-come the person that God would like for us to be, we need to allow ourselves to BE lead into God’s kingdom here on earth. One way in which most people do that, by accident, of course, is by going through hardships and than eventually overcoming those hardships.
If I am addicted to alcohol, for instance, and I do not grow out from that addiction, what use am I to God and to others? In another example if I am stuck in a sin such as infidelity or living in anger, and I abuse and use others, what value would I be to society and my marriage? We are only what we think we are. Adversity is overcome while we are living now, and later we are rewarded with eternal life.
But if we overcome addiction and grow out from the selfishness that addiction has caused in the mind, and we learn to truly love others, than we have been blessed. If we overcome infidelity and learn to value ourselves as a person and child of God, and to treat others the same, then we have truly overcome, and have been blessed! To serve and help others without conditions is a blessing!
As children of God, He wants us to come out of our hardships and seek Him for our new life. Then, we truly become God’s children. God wants His children to not allow themselves to be overcome by the evil and wickedness of the world, but to overcome evil with what is good. So how do we do that? We do that by being true to our convictions, whatever they may be. (Romans 12:21 NIV)
When we live by the standards of society, what are we saying? We are saying that we have been beaten because societies standards lead to corruption of the heart and mind. What a man thinkith...
Christ Ones may live in society and walk among it, but they are not to be a part of it because they belong to Christ. What do you think is going to happen when we allow our heart and mind to become a part of “it”?
Monday, May 21, 2007
Divorce According To God
Divorce According To God
God considers marriage sanctified even if there is only one believing spouse. This does not mean the wife can save her husband or the husband can save his wife. It means that through the relationship, the husband or wife may come to be a believer and become saved on his or her own. So the wife should not divorce her husband and the husband should not divorce his wife.
If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, She must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her husband.
(1 Corinthians 7:12-14 NIV)
Sometimes stubborn couples cannot compromise with each other and fight constantly. This happens because neither one of them is willing to give in - both the husband and wife are controlling and demanding of each other. When neither partner submits, usually chaos ensues within the boundaries of that marriage. I would tend to believe that this is not a Christian marriage at all, but a worldly marriage based upon selfishness.
If a husband or wife wants to leave the marriage and insists on a divorce because they are too selfish to reconcile their differences, God has instructions for that too.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:15, 16 NIV)
This doesn’t mean to automatically go get a divorce. God prefers that couples work through their problems and remain married. This verse is so often misunderstood to be a loophole for divorce. It does not even say anything about divorce! If a spouse insists on leaving, what can you do? God does not want the believing spouse to undermine their faith while trying to preserve the marriage with an unbeliever – that would be worse than divorce.
Now, if a wife or husband divorce and remarry, according to scripture they will be committing adultery. The reason is simple – they are still married to their first husband or wife
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not that way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery. (Matthew 19:8,9 NIV)
This does not mean just because a man or woman has been unfaithful that God is allowing them to divorce. Jesus meant by “marital unfaithfulness” a man who has not and will not repent of his infidelity and wants out of the marriage. If a husband or wife wants to leave the marriage and insists on a divorce because they are too selfish to reconcile their differences, here is the scripture for that. (1 Corinthians 7:15, 16 NIV) Do not misread this scripture to mean it is okay to get a divorce.
Jesus focused on marriage rather than divorce. God intends marriage to be permanent and gives four good reasons why. (Matthew 19:4-6 NIV)
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment she is happier if she stays as she is – and I think I too have the Sprit of God.
(1 Corinthians 7:39,40 NIV)
…And a husband must not divorce his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:11 NIV)
God considers marriage sanctified even if there is only one believing spouse. This does not mean the wife can save her husband or the husband can save his wife. It means that through the relationship, the husband or wife may come to be a believer and become saved on his or her own. So the wife should not divorce her husband and the husband should not divorce his wife.
If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, She must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her husband.
(1 Corinthians 7:12-14 NIV)
Sometimes stubborn couples cannot compromise with each other and fight constantly. This happens because neither one of them is willing to give in - both the husband and wife are controlling and demanding of each other. When neither partner submits, usually chaos ensues within the boundaries of that marriage. I would tend to believe that this is not a Christian marriage at all, but a worldly marriage based upon selfishness.
If a husband or wife wants to leave the marriage and insists on a divorce because they are too selfish to reconcile their differences, God has instructions for that too.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:15, 16 NIV)
This doesn’t mean to automatically go get a divorce. God prefers that couples work through their problems and remain married. This verse is so often misunderstood to be a loophole for divorce. It does not even say anything about divorce! If a spouse insists on leaving, what can you do? God does not want the believing spouse to undermine their faith while trying to preserve the marriage with an unbeliever – that would be worse than divorce.
Now, if a wife or husband divorce and remarry, according to scripture they will be committing adultery. The reason is simple – they are still married to their first husband or wife
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not that way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery. (Matthew 19:8,9 NIV)
This does not mean just because a man or woman has been unfaithful that God is allowing them to divorce. Jesus meant by “marital unfaithfulness” a man who has not and will not repent of his infidelity and wants out of the marriage. If a husband or wife wants to leave the marriage and insists on a divorce because they are too selfish to reconcile their differences, here is the scripture for that. (1 Corinthians 7:15, 16 NIV) Do not misread this scripture to mean it is okay to get a divorce.
Jesus focused on marriage rather than divorce. God intends marriage to be permanent and gives four good reasons why. (Matthew 19:4-6 NIV)
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment she is happier if she stays as she is – and I think I too have the Sprit of God.
(1 Corinthians 7:39,40 NIV)
…And a husband must not divorce his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:11 NIV)
Thursday, May 17, 2007
How Do We Forgive Ourselves?
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NIV)
You have heard the saying that to be able to truly forgive others we must first forgive ourselves. What are we forgiving ourselves for? Some of us, I’m sure don’t even realize that we need to forgive ourselves for anything. Forgiving others is only found through our faith in Christ, so then it would go without saying that to forgive oneself, we need to also seek out the living Christ for our life.
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. (John 20:23 NIV)
So then the first thing we must do to forgive ourselves is to repent to Christ for our sins, and to not continue living in that particular sin any longer. If we are not ready to come out from sin, then we should not even ask for repentance. What’s that? It surely doesn’t make too much sense to think that we are forgiven if we continue to do a particular sin. Although, if we truly believe that Christ can help us to discontinue a sin, then we should ask for repentance and believe with all of our heart and mind that He will help us in our temptation – because that is what faith is.
Faith is not about our own will power. Faith does not mean that if I say “move mountain” that it is going to move, it means that we have faith enough in God that if He truly wanted to move a mountain He would move it. So then to be able to forgive ourselves we must look outside of ourselves and into the loving forgiveness of our Redeemer, which is the Holy Spirit within us. We do not have the power to forgive ourselves anymore than we have the power to forgive others.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7 NIV)
We forgive by letting go and giving our life over to God. This involves letting go of the old self and becoming a new person in Jesus Christ. We need to quit holding so tightly to our own faith and trying to live our life under our own understanding.
Forgiveness involves Faith In God - not in our own understanding. How will I know if my paths are straight if I don’t follow the path that Christ has already walked? If Jesus, my Savoir has already shown me what it is like to walk on that path, then I know that is the path I should be on. When I veer off that path, I know that I am once again, relying on my own wisdom. Wisdom from self is worthless.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
You have heard the saying that to be able to truly forgive others we must first forgive ourselves. What are we forgiving ourselves for? Some of us, I’m sure don’t even realize that we need to forgive ourselves for anything. Forgiving others is only found through our faith in Christ, so then it would go without saying that to forgive oneself, we need to also seek out the living Christ for our life.
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. (John 20:23 NIV)
So then the first thing we must do to forgive ourselves is to repent to Christ for our sins, and to not continue living in that particular sin any longer. If we are not ready to come out from sin, then we should not even ask for repentance. What’s that? It surely doesn’t make too much sense to think that we are forgiven if we continue to do a particular sin. Although, if we truly believe that Christ can help us to discontinue a sin, then we should ask for repentance and believe with all of our heart and mind that He will help us in our temptation – because that is what faith is.
Faith is not about our own will power. Faith does not mean that if I say “move mountain” that it is going to move, it means that we have faith enough in God that if He truly wanted to move a mountain He would move it. So then to be able to forgive ourselves we must look outside of ourselves and into the loving forgiveness of our Redeemer, which is the Holy Spirit within us. We do not have the power to forgive ourselves anymore than we have the power to forgive others.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7 NIV)
We forgive by letting go and giving our life over to God. This involves letting go of the old self and becoming a new person in Jesus Christ. We need to quit holding so tightly to our own faith and trying to live our life under our own understanding.
Forgiveness involves Faith In God - not in our own understanding. How will I know if my paths are straight if I don’t follow the path that Christ has already walked? If Jesus, my Savoir has already shown me what it is like to walk on that path, then I know that is the path I should be on. When I veer off that path, I know that I am once again, relying on my own wisdom. Wisdom from self is worthless.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
Taking Up Our Cross
What does being a follower of Jesus Christ mean? I believe it means a lot more than what many of us are doing. Am I judging? No. I am rebuking – there is a difference.
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, REBUKE and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV)
As followers of Jesus, we are to take up our cross each and every day, sometimes ten times a day! Being a true follower of Christ is a total transformation of our life from “what was” to “what is”!
The most popular sins are the most prevalent of them all. Each time we think bad thoughts, or say bad thoughts to someone we are sinning. Each time we gossip about people or disrespect others, or become intolerant just because someone is different, we are NOT doing the will of God, and I think that is a sin. It is a sin to carry around a bad attitude about your brothers and sisters in the Lord.
A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35 NIV)
Being a disciple of Christ is a whole different way of life than what you see going on in the world of Christianity today. We are to love our neighbor. This certainly does not mean we are to love their sin! We do not have to give our “seal of approval” to love our fellow man, but we are taught all throughout the bible to be kind and considerate to others. That would mean no scoffing, judging, accusing, or behaving in a self-righteous manner. Instead be an example of Christ through your good life. You live a godly life, don’t you? Be the light on the mountaintop - the salt of the earth - the red rose in full bloom. Be kind!
Are you a disciple of Jesus?
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will fine it. (Matthew 10:37-39 NIV)
Being committed to Christ may separate you from your loved ones. In saying this Jesus did not mean disobedience to parents or loved ones. It means that only some in your household may be committed to him and you will have to make a decision them or Him.
When a Christ One takes up his or her cross to follow Jesus, different values, principles, and purpose will set them apart from others. We are to love others but not their sin(s). If a Christ One is truly committed to following Christ then that should be a Christian’s FIRST PRIORITY. In other words “to take up our cross” means we will most certainly meet with opposition from those who are only halfheartedly following Christ.
As a disciple of Christ, it is never without some conflict, especially with other Christian’s. For instance, some believers don’t understand why your beliefs may take you on a different path then the one they are on. Your convictions may even offend them because they do not hold those same convictions in their own life.
Each time a Christian shuns another Christian for their faith it is a form of persecution. Worse than that, it is trespassing on their Spirit. So what can a Christian do? We should never feel that we need to defend our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ does not need defending. But…we do not want to offend anyone else either, and so we should accept, tolerate and love all people in Christ, no matter what the level of faith they are at. (Galatians 3:28 NIV)
We are to live in peace with all men. This is why we are to forgive those people who trespass against us. If we didn’t forgive we would not be behaving very peaceful with our neighbor and other believers.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15: 7 NIV)
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, REBUKE and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV)
As followers of Jesus, we are to take up our cross each and every day, sometimes ten times a day! Being a true follower of Christ is a total transformation of our life from “what was” to “what is”!
The most popular sins are the most prevalent of them all. Each time we think bad thoughts, or say bad thoughts to someone we are sinning. Each time we gossip about people or disrespect others, or become intolerant just because someone is different, we are NOT doing the will of God, and I think that is a sin. It is a sin to carry around a bad attitude about your brothers and sisters in the Lord.
A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35 NIV)
Being a disciple of Christ is a whole different way of life than what you see going on in the world of Christianity today. We are to love our neighbor. This certainly does not mean we are to love their sin! We do not have to give our “seal of approval” to love our fellow man, but we are taught all throughout the bible to be kind and considerate to others. That would mean no scoffing, judging, accusing, or behaving in a self-righteous manner. Instead be an example of Christ through your good life. You live a godly life, don’t you? Be the light on the mountaintop - the salt of the earth - the red rose in full bloom. Be kind!
Are you a disciple of Jesus?
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will fine it. (Matthew 10:37-39 NIV)
Being committed to Christ may separate you from your loved ones. In saying this Jesus did not mean disobedience to parents or loved ones. It means that only some in your household may be committed to him and you will have to make a decision them or Him.
When a Christ One takes up his or her cross to follow Jesus, different values, principles, and purpose will set them apart from others. We are to love others but not their sin(s). If a Christ One is truly committed to following Christ then that should be a Christian’s FIRST PRIORITY. In other words “to take up our cross” means we will most certainly meet with opposition from those who are only halfheartedly following Christ.
As a disciple of Christ, it is never without some conflict, especially with other Christian’s. For instance, some believers don’t understand why your beliefs may take you on a different path then the one they are on. Your convictions may even offend them because they do not hold those same convictions in their own life.
Each time a Christian shuns another Christian for their faith it is a form of persecution. Worse than that, it is trespassing on their Spirit. So what can a Christian do? We should never feel that we need to defend our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ does not need defending. But…we do not want to offend anyone else either, and so we should accept, tolerate and love all people in Christ, no matter what the level of faith they are at. (Galatians 3:28 NIV)
We are to live in peace with all men. This is why we are to forgive those people who trespass against us. If we didn’t forgive we would not be behaving very peaceful with our neighbor and other believers.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15: 7 NIV)
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Heal Marriage After Adultery
Do you want your marriage nursed back to health? If you want your marriage restored it will take some effort on your part. Stop peering over the fence at your neighbor, and put your eyes back in your own yard where they belong.
First, the offended spouse needs to forgive completely (see my article, forgive a cheating spouse), and secondly the offender has to understand why he strayed from the marriage bed in the first place. Infidelity is only a symptom of a greater problem within the framework of the marriage.
If you have been unfaithful or have anything else pulling you away from your spouse, ask yourself why? What am I doing that would cause me to be disloyal? Don’t blame your spouse for your weakness. Grow up and take responsibility.
I marvel at how often I hear couples blame each other for their own unhappiness. Couples should be looking for ways they can please each other instead of bringing each other down.
Don’t you want to give of your self freely to your spouse? Then step harder on satan’s back, and get off your spouses back! Why are you giving away your body and mind to strangers and those who are probably only using you?
It takes willingness and effort to seek out all that God wants for you and your marriage. It is God's WILL that you continue working on establishing for your marriage a foundation based on trust, respect, commitment and honor. Without these traits imbedded into your belief system, you will become weak again and again. What kind of marriage is that?
If you are willing to give up your weakness and truly want to do what is right for your marriage, God will forgive you. Through His death, Jesus Christ has paid the price to release you from the bondage of sinful immorality.
Can you accept that?
You are forgiven on the basis of the suffering and physical death of Jesus Christ. Acceptance of this great truth and the willingness to give up your unfaithfulness, and rely on Jesus Christ for your new way of living is God's will for you.
Can you accept that? If not, this article is not for you.
The woman caught in adultery is a prime example of Christ’s love for you.
It says in John 8:3:11 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?”
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Support your marriage on the Devine Truth of the realization that your sins are forgiven. Start over anew and embrace all that you have been blessed with in your present situation and hold on to what you have. Be willing to reestablish the bonds of trust and respect for each other.
Base your love and actions upon the spirit of Jesus Christ. Center your communication with one another around Gods word by taking the time to study and search scripture.
Marriage is tough! There is no disagreement there. The ability to accept, forgive and love must be honored and cherished everyday. You need to honor your spouse. You need to respect their position in the marriage, and you desperately need to stop analyzing, reviewing, and basing your marriage upon your spouse’s faults and weakness.
Did you know that with God's guidance you can learn to humble your proud and selfish ego? You will see beyond the weakness of your spouse and learn to forgive them with the loving kindness, that if they are remorseful for their actions, they deserve from you as their spouse.
A marriage is only as strong as its foundation. The groundwork for our lives is adopting the Spirit of Jesus Christ; He is the support, which holds up the marriage when under pressure.
1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Seven ways to rebuild trust in your marriage after adultery.
1.) Forgiveness needs to be attained in its entirety to re-establish the bond couples once had for each other, and bring the relationship to its full potential.
2.) The erring spouse needs to cease in the act of adultery.
3.) Communicate effectively through the use of expressing the positive attributes of one another, and talking out your thoughts and feelings with care.
4.) Acceptance of each other’s faults must be established. We all have faults; quit looking at your spouse’s faults, and start looking at your own.
5.) Study scripture for the knowledge of truth, and wisdom of God’s words. This gives your spouse the notice of your commitment in the marriage and boosts their willingness to try harder also.
6.) Time will tell. Experiencing the rightful actions of each other will eventually bring back the trust that was tampered with. The offended spouse needs to see that it isn’t going to happen again.
7.) Roles, positions and responsibilities of each spouse need to be honored and respected. Couples need to place more value and importance on their responsibilities by reassuring one another from time to time.
You can see from the seven attributes above, you only need to put forth some effort on your part. What’s wrong with that?
Your marriage won’t be nursed back to health overnight, but by showing each other the willingness to trust God and to put Him first in your own life shows your spouse what your true intentions are for the marriage.
Angie Lewis write numerous articles on saving and healing marriage. visit her website to read more great articles like this. http://www.heavenministries.com/
First, the offended spouse needs to forgive completely (see my article, forgive a cheating spouse), and secondly the offender has to understand why he strayed from the marriage bed in the first place. Infidelity is only a symptom of a greater problem within the framework of the marriage.
If you have been unfaithful or have anything else pulling you away from your spouse, ask yourself why? What am I doing that would cause me to be disloyal? Don’t blame your spouse for your weakness. Grow up and take responsibility.
I marvel at how often I hear couples blame each other for their own unhappiness. Couples should be looking for ways they can please each other instead of bringing each other down.
Don’t you want to give of your self freely to your spouse? Then step harder on satan’s back, and get off your spouses back! Why are you giving away your body and mind to strangers and those who are probably only using you?
It takes willingness and effort to seek out all that God wants for you and your marriage. It is God's WILL that you continue working on establishing for your marriage a foundation based on trust, respect, commitment and honor. Without these traits imbedded into your belief system, you will become weak again and again. What kind of marriage is that?
If you are willing to give up your weakness and truly want to do what is right for your marriage, God will forgive you. Through His death, Jesus Christ has paid the price to release you from the bondage of sinful immorality.
Can you accept that?
You are forgiven on the basis of the suffering and physical death of Jesus Christ. Acceptance of this great truth and the willingness to give up your unfaithfulness, and rely on Jesus Christ for your new way of living is God's will for you.
Can you accept that? If not, this article is not for you.
The woman caught in adultery is a prime example of Christ’s love for you.
It says in John 8:3:11 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?”
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Support your marriage on the Devine Truth of the realization that your sins are forgiven. Start over anew and embrace all that you have been blessed with in your present situation and hold on to what you have. Be willing to reestablish the bonds of trust and respect for each other.
Base your love and actions upon the spirit of Jesus Christ. Center your communication with one another around Gods word by taking the time to study and search scripture.
Marriage is tough! There is no disagreement there. The ability to accept, forgive and love must be honored and cherished everyday. You need to honor your spouse. You need to respect their position in the marriage, and you desperately need to stop analyzing, reviewing, and basing your marriage upon your spouse’s faults and weakness.
Did you know that with God's guidance you can learn to humble your proud and selfish ego? You will see beyond the weakness of your spouse and learn to forgive them with the loving kindness, that if they are remorseful for their actions, they deserve from you as their spouse.
A marriage is only as strong as its foundation. The groundwork for our lives is adopting the Spirit of Jesus Christ; He is the support, which holds up the marriage when under pressure.
1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Seven ways to rebuild trust in your marriage after adultery.
1.) Forgiveness needs to be attained in its entirety to re-establish the bond couples once had for each other, and bring the relationship to its full potential.
2.) The erring spouse needs to cease in the act of adultery.
3.) Communicate effectively through the use of expressing the positive attributes of one another, and talking out your thoughts and feelings with care.
4.) Acceptance of each other’s faults must be established. We all have faults; quit looking at your spouse’s faults, and start looking at your own.
5.) Study scripture for the knowledge of truth, and wisdom of God’s words. This gives your spouse the notice of your commitment in the marriage and boosts their willingness to try harder also.
6.) Time will tell. Experiencing the rightful actions of each other will eventually bring back the trust that was tampered with. The offended spouse needs to see that it isn’t going to happen again.
7.) Roles, positions and responsibilities of each spouse need to be honored and respected. Couples need to place more value and importance on their responsibilities by reassuring one another from time to time.
You can see from the seven attributes above, you only need to put forth some effort on your part. What’s wrong with that?
Your marriage won’t be nursed back to health overnight, but by showing each other the willingness to trust God and to put Him first in your own life shows your spouse what your true intentions are for the marriage.
Angie Lewis write numerous articles on saving and healing marriage. visit her website to read more great articles like this. http://www.heavenministries.com/
Dad - Are You Protecting Your Daughter?
Does your daughter believe that to get attention from boys she needs to walk around with no clothes on? Why do young women think that to be liked by boys they have to have sex? Why are young girls experimenting with sex and drugs at such an early age?
Peer pressure is always a tough issue to deal with for teenagers. But when parents aren’t talking to their teens about important issues that are affecting them, a teen is more likely to submit to peer pressure. I encourage parents to help their teenagers cope with this overly self-indulgent society and learn to adjust by being the person they truly are. Help them to understand what the true meaning of love is through God.
I highly encourage dads, to make more of an effort in helping their daughter make the right decisions and choices for her life. A father’s influence is so very important in helping his daughter to feel worthy of who she is as a woman. Get involved with the disciplining of your daughter and get involved with her life. She needs this from you.
The agenda’s and programs of society are everywhere; some of them good, most of them unethical. You cannot run from these agenda’s no matter where you go. As a matter of fact, they will chase you! They are on TV, advertisements, magazines, videos, music, games, Internet, theatre, schools, etc. You can’t run from them. But what you can do is protect your children from them by teaching about right from wrong.
The problem is many things in society seem like they are ok on the outside but they actually lead to what only seems right down a road to what is unethical. Discernment is the key here. Parents need to definitely be aware of these factors when deciding what would be appropriate and what would be inappropriate for their teenagers.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11
The sad truth is the immoral and corrupt conditioning process of society is not going to change. It is the parent’s responsibility to do whatever it takes to bring on the values and principles their children need in life to be honest and upright individuals. If we don’t talk to them about the trash going on in the world, they won’t know anything else other than what they see and have been taught by society. This damages everyone in the long run, not just your children.
What happens when a daughter is not protected by her father? Many things can and do happen. Children are getting raped, beaten, molested, and murdered all over the country. And every single time this happens they are by themselves. A cell phone isn’t going to save your child from getting molested! What will is not allowing them to walk around all by themselves.
How smart is it for a young girl to be walking around alone with barely any clothes on? Have you been to “my space” lately? I have been told that many of the young teenage girls on there are exposing a lot more than their names and addresses. Dad, where are you?
I urge you to take more time to love your children. Take the time to teach them to love and respect themselves! It is a real tragedy of society to not discipline and love our children properly. Have you talked to your teenager today?
Dad, are you watching over your daughter? Are you instilling godly values and wisdom in her? Are you building up her spirit or are you killing her spirit? Are you devaluing your daughter by not protecting her the way she needs to be protected from the world? God gave you the job of protecting your daughter from the ravages of society. Don’t let her get eaten up!
Dads, please stand up for your God-given authority and spiritual leadership in the home and protect your children. God gave you this position for a very good purpose. Don’t destroy it? Protect your daughter! She will love and respect you for it in the long run.
Peer pressure is always a tough issue to deal with for teenagers. But when parents aren’t talking to their teens about important issues that are affecting them, a teen is more likely to submit to peer pressure. I encourage parents to help their teenagers cope with this overly self-indulgent society and learn to adjust by being the person they truly are. Help them to understand what the true meaning of love is through God.
I highly encourage dads, to make more of an effort in helping their daughter make the right decisions and choices for her life. A father’s influence is so very important in helping his daughter to feel worthy of who she is as a woman. Get involved with the disciplining of your daughter and get involved with her life. She needs this from you.
The agenda’s and programs of society are everywhere; some of them good, most of them unethical. You cannot run from these agenda’s no matter where you go. As a matter of fact, they will chase you! They are on TV, advertisements, magazines, videos, music, games, Internet, theatre, schools, etc. You can’t run from them. But what you can do is protect your children from them by teaching about right from wrong.
The problem is many things in society seem like they are ok on the outside but they actually lead to what only seems right down a road to what is unethical. Discernment is the key here. Parents need to definitely be aware of these factors when deciding what would be appropriate and what would be inappropriate for their teenagers.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11
The sad truth is the immoral and corrupt conditioning process of society is not going to change. It is the parent’s responsibility to do whatever it takes to bring on the values and principles their children need in life to be honest and upright individuals. If we don’t talk to them about the trash going on in the world, they won’t know anything else other than what they see and have been taught by society. This damages everyone in the long run, not just your children.
What happens when a daughter is not protected by her father? Many things can and do happen. Children are getting raped, beaten, molested, and murdered all over the country. And every single time this happens they are by themselves. A cell phone isn’t going to save your child from getting molested! What will is not allowing them to walk around all by themselves.
How smart is it for a young girl to be walking around alone with barely any clothes on? Have you been to “my space” lately? I have been told that many of the young teenage girls on there are exposing a lot more than their names and addresses. Dad, where are you?
I urge you to take more time to love your children. Take the time to teach them to love and respect themselves! It is a real tragedy of society to not discipline and love our children properly. Have you talked to your teenager today?
Dad, are you watching over your daughter? Are you instilling godly values and wisdom in her? Are you building up her spirit or are you killing her spirit? Are you devaluing your daughter by not protecting her the way she needs to be protected from the world? God gave you the job of protecting your daughter from the ravages of society. Don’t let her get eaten up!
Dads, please stand up for your God-given authority and spiritual leadership in the home and protect your children. God gave you this position for a very good purpose. Don’t destroy it? Protect your daughter! She will love and respect you for it in the long run.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Parents and Teenagers: Dressing for a Classy and Sophisticated Look.
Parents and Teenagers: Dressing for a Classy and Sophisticated Look.
When you look around in the world what do you see that you would like to modify or transform? I see a messed up pop culture filled up with teenage girls and women, walking around on the streets, in the stores, and even in church, half naked! I am, a mother of three home-schooled teenage sons, which makes me kind of embarrassed by these tense moments together when half dressed teenage girls and women walk by and smile flirtatiously at my sons, while their bellies and breasts hang out of their shirts.
Below are some summer wear guidelines for dressing for a casual classy and sophisticated look when going out in public.
1. Shorts and pants should not hang off your hips so when you bend over your butt crack shows.
2. Shorts should not be any higher than two inches above the knee. If shorts are too short they tend to inch up, exposing too much thigh. It is classier to only show a little bit rather than bare all.
3. Shorts should not be so tight that it looks like they were painted on where you can see the outline of a girl’s pubic bone and panty lines. Ouch! That has got to be uncomfortable.
4. Best summer attire for wearing out for the classy lady is kaki shorts one inch above the knee with a tailored short sleeved blouse.
5. Summer dresses and skirts should never be so short that when you bend down, your backside is exposed, or when you sit down, the dress inches up to the top of your thigh. This is your cue that the dress is way too short.
Shirts should fit the wearer properly.
1. Shirts should come completely down to the waist over the shorts or tucked into the shorts so your belly is not hanging out.
2. If you have bigger breasts than a size A, you should wear a bra. There is nothing more sloppy looking than breasts that are left to sag in tight fitting shirts.
3. Bra straps should not show if you are wearing a sleeveless blouse.
4. Blouse or shirt should not be so big that when you bend down, your cleavage droops down in front of peoples view.
Dressing in this fashion will not stop the stares, and it most likely will get you a few extra from a different breed of men.
I often wonder what my sons are thinking when they see a cute teenage girl, maybe your daughter, wearing only a pair of short-shorts and a skimpy little shirt. Do I dare ask? I don’t really think they will tell me what they are thinking. I look at them and see embarrassed looks on their face, red faced and ashamed that they even smiled back. My teenage sons have been home schooled since the first grade. So you can see how they would not be used to seeing half naked girls too much. The problem is this teenage skin baring is getting worse.
You know what I’m thinking? I'm thinking, where are these girl’s father? I'm thinking why aren’t the fathers protecting their daughters from this sort of exploitation? Does that sound too harsh? I don't think so. When I see half naked, thirteen, fifteen and sixteen years old, I know what they are doing. They are exhibiting their sexual identities through the only means they know how. This is what they are taught and conditioned to believe because this is all they see going on in the world around them. But they have so much more to offer than this!
Just the other day, I saw people coming out of a Church with shorts and t-shirts on! It’s too late to draw the line, precedents have already been established. At this point, and what I keep saying, is, it is up to the individual to prepare themselves physically and mentally against the temptations of society and for those parents who care about their children to instill the values and principles they will need to equip themselves properly for whatever in the world decides to eat them up from this diseased culture.
Who teaches young girls and women to think they need to go around with their private parts hanging out? Is it the parents fault? I don’t think parents are talking to their children. I think that many Christian homes have become too lax in their values to realize that the culture is becoming more and more corrupt. Parents don’t realize, or don’t care that they are becoming one with this new liberal, “so called Christian” view. Society is literally crazy about nakedness and sex! The blind are leading the blind.
If you are not blind to all of this, then the most important thing you can do for your teenager is to talk to them about the importance of having morals and values within their character. It is the parent’s job to erect values in their children, not someone else. Build up your teenager’s self esteem up everyday and direct them down the right paths that lead to happiness and love.
Make it a point to get involved with what they are involved in. Let them know you care. A teen will be less likely to be pressured by their peers when they know who they are, what they believe in, and what they want for themselves.
It is the parent’s job to instill these things within the framework of their child when he or she is young, so when they are older, they will not depart from their teaching.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
When you look around in the world what do you see that you would like to modify or transform? I see a messed up pop culture filled up with teenage girls and women, walking around on the streets, in the stores, and even in church, half naked! I am, a mother of three home-schooled teenage sons, which makes me kind of embarrassed by these tense moments together when half dressed teenage girls and women walk by and smile flirtatiously at my sons, while their bellies and breasts hang out of their shirts.
Below are some summer wear guidelines for dressing for a casual classy and sophisticated look when going out in public.
1. Shorts and pants should not hang off your hips so when you bend over your butt crack shows.
2. Shorts should not be any higher than two inches above the knee. If shorts are too short they tend to inch up, exposing too much thigh. It is classier to only show a little bit rather than bare all.
3. Shorts should not be so tight that it looks like they were painted on where you can see the outline of a girl’s pubic bone and panty lines. Ouch! That has got to be uncomfortable.
4. Best summer attire for wearing out for the classy lady is kaki shorts one inch above the knee with a tailored short sleeved blouse.
5. Summer dresses and skirts should never be so short that when you bend down, your backside is exposed, or when you sit down, the dress inches up to the top of your thigh. This is your cue that the dress is way too short.
Shirts should fit the wearer properly.
1. Shirts should come completely down to the waist over the shorts or tucked into the shorts so your belly is not hanging out.
2. If you have bigger breasts than a size A, you should wear a bra. There is nothing more sloppy looking than breasts that are left to sag in tight fitting shirts.
3. Bra straps should not show if you are wearing a sleeveless blouse.
4. Blouse or shirt should not be so big that when you bend down, your cleavage droops down in front of peoples view.
Dressing in this fashion will not stop the stares, and it most likely will get you a few extra from a different breed of men.
I often wonder what my sons are thinking when they see a cute teenage girl, maybe your daughter, wearing only a pair of short-shorts and a skimpy little shirt. Do I dare ask? I don’t really think they will tell me what they are thinking. I look at them and see embarrassed looks on their face, red faced and ashamed that they even smiled back. My teenage sons have been home schooled since the first grade. So you can see how they would not be used to seeing half naked girls too much. The problem is this teenage skin baring is getting worse.
You know what I’m thinking? I'm thinking, where are these girl’s father? I'm thinking why aren’t the fathers protecting their daughters from this sort of exploitation? Does that sound too harsh? I don't think so. When I see half naked, thirteen, fifteen and sixteen years old, I know what they are doing. They are exhibiting their sexual identities through the only means they know how. This is what they are taught and conditioned to believe because this is all they see going on in the world around them. But they have so much more to offer than this!
Just the other day, I saw people coming out of a Church with shorts and t-shirts on! It’s too late to draw the line, precedents have already been established. At this point, and what I keep saying, is, it is up to the individual to prepare themselves physically and mentally against the temptations of society and for those parents who care about their children to instill the values and principles they will need to equip themselves properly for whatever in the world decides to eat them up from this diseased culture.
Who teaches young girls and women to think they need to go around with their private parts hanging out? Is it the parents fault? I don’t think parents are talking to their children. I think that many Christian homes have become too lax in their values to realize that the culture is becoming more and more corrupt. Parents don’t realize, or don’t care that they are becoming one with this new liberal, “so called Christian” view. Society is literally crazy about nakedness and sex! The blind are leading the blind.
If you are not blind to all of this, then the most important thing you can do for your teenager is to talk to them about the importance of having morals and values within their character. It is the parent’s job to erect values in their children, not someone else. Build up your teenager’s self esteem up everyday and direct them down the right paths that lead to happiness and love.
Make it a point to get involved with what they are involved in. Let them know you care. A teen will be less likely to be pressured by their peers when they know who they are, what they believe in, and what they want for themselves.
It is the parent’s job to instill these things within the framework of their child when he or she is young, so when they are older, they will not depart from their teaching.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)