Ask…
by admin on August 19th, 2011
filed under faith, matthew, prayer, testimony
Matthew 7:7Matthew 7:7
English: World English Bible - WEB
7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
WP-Bible plugin – (paraphrased) keep asking and it will be given to you.
Matthew 7:11-12Matthew 7:11-12
English: World English Bible - WEB
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12 Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
WP-Bible plugin (paraphrased) if we being evil know how to give good things to our children, won’t God give us even better things?
I started today with an extremely heavy heart. You see, I’ve been jobless for six months and that created a major financial bind. My ex-husband has helped out in every way that he could, but still I was drowning. Today I found out that in September the local utility company was going to start disconnection again. It’s been so hot in our area they suspended disconnection. The account is in my ex’s name and more than $600 is owed. He called to make payment arrangements and they refused. Next I found out he couldn’t help me with groceries. I couldn’t and can’t make 5 pounds of hamburger last for two weeks and feed a teenager and a pre-teen AND myself. So I started to cry….and after I had a good cry I went to God.
My ex called the electric company again and they agreed to a payment arrangement. My pastor’s wife showed up with a gallon of milk, some soup, some hot dogs, and some chicken. Not enough for two weeks but that’s not all. I know it sounds strange to be thankful, but my ex’s refrigerator went out. He didn’t want the food to spoil so he gave all of it to me.
God is an on time God. There’s no way I should have made it through today unscathed. By the world’s logic, I should still be crying. I chose a different route (after my good cry) and went to God. He is faithful and I praise Him! He is good and His mercy endureth forever!
The Makings of a Godly Wife
by admin on August 19th, 2011
filed under 1 Corinthians, ephesians, gentleness, husband, marriage, wife
The Makings of a Godly Wife
1 Peter 3:1-61 Peter 3:1-6
English: World English Bible - WEB
3
1 In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word;
2 seeing your pure behavior in fear.
3 Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;
4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.
5 For this is how the holy women before, who hoped in God, also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.
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Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
Stop for a second and think about what you believe a godly wife should be like. Done? Okay. Let me tell you a little about a godly wife. First, no matter what spiritual condition your husband is in he deserves a wife that shows God-pleasing behavior. That shouldn’t be a problem if you are truly following Christ. Do not hold back any good thing from your husband just because he may not share your belief and love of Christ. In fact, the way you treat him just might help him change his mind! I am not saying that a woman can save her husband’s soul; only God can.
We can be a good example of the wonderful, faithful things God has in store. You can influence him without words. You can influence him with your actions! Show him the love of Christ through what you do.
The next thing to consider is what are you doing? Are you nagging or loving? Are you bitter or kind? Are you his wife or are you trying to mother him? Make a list of things you do now that are a blessing to him. Then make a list of things that you need to change. I know that some of you are thinking, “Well what about him? He needs to change to!” Someone has to make the first move, sister. Why can’t it be you? Women are the heart of the home.
Maybe you don’t know quite how to do that. Well, here’s a mini-how to section to get you started. Print it out and keep it where ever you will see it often.
• Do NOT preach. Remember? Without words! Use your actions instead! God showed His love for us with the greatest action of sending Jesus to die on the
cross for our sins.
• Don’t ever use the Bible to back up what ever you open your mouth to criticize your husband about. The wisdom of the Bible is foolishness to
unspiritual people. (1 Cor. 1:181 Cor. 1:18
English: World English Bible - WEB
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.
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• Praise and encourage him when he does something that is God-pleasing. We praise and encourage our children all the time. We enjoy hearing nice words. We need to share those nice things with our husband too. Even if he doesn’t show it, he appreciates it.
• God loves your husband more than you and wants him saved. I know that sometimes grasping the magnitude of God’s love can be overwhelming but
think of it this way: if you have children you will, once they are grown, still think you love them more than their spouse. Your husband is your husband. Your husband is God’s child.
• PUSH – Pray (for him) Until Something Happens
Overcoming the Battle of the Sexes – What God Says About Divorce
by admin on July 15th, 2011
filed under bible study, christian life, divorce, ephesians, genesis, household, husband, malachi, marriage, men, new testament, old testament, wife, women
I am not your “run of the mill” Christian woman. I don’t save my faith just for Sundays but I don’t preach on a street corner either. I’ve been a stay at home mom and I am now a working mom. I am a married and submitted wife but I’ve also been a divorced single mom, and a “liberated” re-married working mom. During my years as a single mom and a “liberated” re-married working mom, the employment I held was anything but menial. I worked anywhere between 40-80 hours per week because I loved that money and the “comfort” it could provide for myself and my family.
In 2001 I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and He certainly took the blinders off. I quit working to stay at home with my two children before they started school and let me tell you, we endured trial after trial after trial. People say that when it rains it pours and that certainly is the case. Now that the rain is subsiding I want to explain one thing about that comment: it goes the same way with God’s blessings. When He rains them down upon us, He doesn’t just sprinkle a shower of them – He pours them down and floods our lives. To receive His flood of blessings we have to learn how to swim in His Word and hold on. Sure, we may be as water logged as Noah when the rain ceases but what happens to the earth after a good rain? The soil becomes fertile and the flowers begin to bloom.
We know that over 50% of marriages end in divorce. Matter of fact, one of the latest statistics I came across listed it as almost two thirds! Seventy five percent of divorcees will remarry and 70% of those marriages end in divorce. God hates divorce. He doesn’t hate the people that are divorced but He hates the act of divorce. After all, divorce is something you do not who you are.
Malachi 2:16 16Malachi 2:16 16
English: World English Bible - WEB
16 For I hate divorce,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence!’ says Yahweh of Armies. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you don’t deal treacherously.
WP-Bible plugin For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
Let’s look at this verse for a second. There are two words that really stick out to me.
The first one is violence. It says that divorce (putting away) covers our garment with violence. Violence is a strong word. We all know, in some way, what violence is. We know it when we see it. Do you want the Lord of Lord’s to see you covered in violence? Divorce is not pretty. Sure, it might not always be physically violent but there is always emotional violence. Those that have gone through a divorce or that thought they might end up divorced will understand what I am talking about. Read the last word of the sentence: treacherously. Dictionary.com defines it as:
1. Marked by betrayal of fidelity, confidence, or trust; perfidious. See Synonyms at faithless.
2. Not to be relied on; not dependable or trustworthy.
3. Marked by unforeseen hazards; dangerous or deceptive: treacherous waters.
To be treacherous means that we cannot be relied upon and we are not trustworthy.
A treacherous person is not worthy of trust. When we throw away wedding vows that we made before God, we are acting treacherously! Having an attitude of indifference toward our vows and marital duties by just deciding that we can’t get along and we might as well just get divorced is dealing treacherously with the Lord! So many people getting married have that attitude – if it doesn’t work, I can always just get a divorce. We need to understand that it’s not that simple for people that love God! Why would anyone following Him want to be a traitor of God’s Word? Why would a child of God want to be seen as undependable? We made oaths before God. Till death do us part should be just that (provided that there is no physical abuse or infidelity).
Matthew 5:31-32 31Matthew 5:31-32 31
English: World English Bible - WEB
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’
32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
WP-Bible plugin It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Let me tell you something. I am in my second marriage. My first husband was not a godly man (but when we were married, I did not follow God myself). He battered me and cheated on me. It took a couple of years after he left, but I was finally able to get a divorce. I felt guilty for a long time after I came to know the Lord because I wasn’t sure that I did everything I could have to save the marriage. Then God showed me two things: we were “unequally yoked” (maybe not in a biblical sense but I was more family oriented and he was not. I also wish to say that not all marriages that have uncommon interests should end in divorce). When he left, I prayed and prayed that if only God would save my marriage that I would worship Him. But that was not God’s plan for my life. Had I remained with that person, I probably would have ended up strung out, in jail, or maybe even dead. He certainly was not showing me the love of Christ. God removed me from the situation. Now I am happily married and although my husband is not involved in church, he does not hit me or our children, he takes care of us, he loves us. Sure, we may be unequally yoked in a biblical sense but he still shows me the love of Christ. God can use even those who do not worship Him for His own good Will.
If you are in a physically abusive relationship, please, please, please get out now!!
That is not what you were made for. You were made as a helpmeet and not a punching bag.
Sexual immorality is a general term that includes premarital sex, extramarital infidelity, homosexuality, and even bestiality. Pretty clear isn’t it? We should try to work through the rest of it with guidance from God.
Matthew 19:3-6 3Matthew 19:3-6 3
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
4 He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,
5 and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’
6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”
WP-Bible plugin The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave tohis wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
These verses are some of the most interesting ones in the Bible, I believe. You see the Old Testament deals mainly with the laws that the Jewish were supposed to live by in order to maintain salvation. The New Testament while pointing out that the laws are good for us gives us salvation through the grace of God. The book of Genesis tells us the same thing that the book of Matthew tells us: that men should leave their parents and cling to his wife and they will become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24Genesis 2:24
English: World English Bible - WEB
24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
WP-Bible plugin) Yet, Jesus tells us a little more: “…What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Unlike today, divorce was controversy during the time of Jesus. Jesus avoided the controversy by giving three reasons for why married folk should stay just that.
1. God made one male and one female. If God had intended more than one wife for Adam He would have made more women. The same would be true for husbands for Eve. He who made them is literally, “the One who created” or “the Creator”. The implication is that the Creator is Lord and is the One who determines what should be an ideal marriage.
2. God ordained marriage as the strongest bond of all human relationships. A man is to leave his parents and start his own family with his wife. The language is very strong here. Leave means, “to abandon”; cleave to means “to be glued to”. The most permanent relationship in society is not between parent and child but between husband and wife. If that can be broken, than anything can.
3. The two become one flesh. The basic element in marriage is a contract – part of that contract is physical intimacy. When we marry, we enter into a covenant relationship not just with our spouse, but with God. We make vows to God and He joins us together. Should we, as people, try to undo what God has done?
I could keep quoting scripture about divorce but guess what? They all basically say the same thing. Again, we have an example of the Old Testament and the New Testament touching on the same subject: TWO BECOME ONE. THEY JOIN FLESH. Do you want to cut your arm off? No, not willingly – big problems if we lost an arm. What about a finger? Want to cut your finger off? No! Your husband is your flesh now. Do not cut him off either (no pun intended).
Overcoming the Battle of the Sexes – Before we begin
by admin on July 14th, 2011
filed under bible study, christian life, ephesians, genesis, husband, ladies, living for Jesus, love, marriage, men, new testament, old testament, wife, women
Submission: the dreaded “s” word. In a circle of women, it could almost be considered a dirty word. I get asked a lot of questions about it. On occasion I am even “told” about it. I just wanted to take a moment and expound on the most frequent statement I hear from other women on submission before we begin the lessons. I want you to keep one thing in mind with this statement. I hear this statement from Christian women and unbelievers a like. Granted, this will only seem like a valid answer for believers by a believer (and someone who practices submission). But I present it to you, nonetheless.
“I cannot be submissive. I am too hard headed, stubborn, opinionated, and independent. I will not be a slave (or servant) to anyone.”
It’s funny how some women think that what the Bible says about any subject seems to apply to anyone but herself. First, I want to start off with what the Bible says about submission using a well quoted passage and then I want to break down the whole statement above and look at it piece by piece and show you that you can do it if you are ready to show God active obedience to His word.
Ephesians 5:22-32Ephesians 5:22-32
English: World English Bible - WEB
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.
24 But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;
30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
31 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly.
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22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own 0usbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
I am only going to cover one thing about what it says here to the men. I cover a lot of ground in the following pages. If you take a good look at the above passage, it focuses more on what is required from the authority than what is required from the submitted. It tells the wives to submit and respect. It tells the husbands to lead, love and care for us as Christ does for the Church. But one thing it does not say is that we only have to submit to husbands that are godly.
Let’s talk about the passage. Just as Christ is not inferior to the Father, wives are not inferior to husbands. We just have different roles. Just as we choose Christ, we choose submission. Christianity is not forced and neither is submission. The Authority is not emphasized but rather self-sacrificial love. You married your husband because you love him. Sometimes we do without something so our children or even our husbands can have something. We make meals the people in our family like. We don’t do any of this because we are forced to do it. We do it (even if it means a sacrifice on our part – because believe me, I can’t stand scrambled eggs with mayonnaise for breakfast, but I fix it in the mornings because my youngest son and my husband loves it) out of love.
Another example: a woman is married and has one child. She finds out she is expecting another child on the way. Daycare is very expensive but she loves her job. She loves her kids too. She decides to quit her job and stay home for a while.
She could be sacrificing extra money, new clothes, going out to eat more often, and other little extras but she decides to stay home out of love.
So let’s go back to our statement. I am now going to break it down into smaller segments so I can answer each part.
“I cannot be submissive. I am too hard headed, stubborn, opinionated, and independent. I will not be a slave (or servant) to anyone.”
1. I cannot be submissive.
2. I am too hard headed, stubborn, opinionated, and independent.
3. I will not be a slave (or a servant) to anyone.
First let me say that this is meant for the believing ladies out there that try to live a godly life. Why? Because the Bible is foolishness to those that don’t believe.
1. I am going to tell you something my grandmother always told me when I said, “I can’t….” She told me that can’t never could. You can do anything through Christ, as He is your strength. The Bible says that in our weakness, His strength is perfect. (2 Cor. 12:92 Cor. 12:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
WP-Bible plugin) What type of spot would we be in if Christ said, “I cannot die on the cross. It’s much too painful and I can’t do it.” We’d be going to hell, that’s where we’d be. What a lot of people don’t understand about submission is that it’s not an act of obedience in reference to the husband. It’s an act of obedience in reference to God. Christ says that anything we do for any man, we do for Him. We are not submitting to a man. We are submitting to our God. Makes it a bit easier to follow on, doesn’t it?
2. There is nothing wrong with being a little hard headed, stubborn, opinionated, and independent. If I weren’t so hard headed, I wouldn’t be writing this. I hear lots of people tell me not to waste my time or my God given talent on a subject that no one wants to read about or follow through with. If I wasn’t stubborn, I wouldn’t have kept taking my youngest son to the doctor when I knew he was sick even though his pediatrician at the time said nothing was wrong with him…and the he quit breathing and was rushed to the ER. Praise the Lord he fully recovered. If I weren’t opinionated, I wouldn’t be out preaching the Gospel or teaching on how to be a godly wife.
Let’s face it, even admist fact we all tend to add some opinion. If I weren’t independent, I couldn’t have been a military wife. If I weren’t all three, I wouldn’t have survived growing up with drug addicts and alcoholics for parents. A little dab of those traits will do ya! You don’t throw those things down when you are submitted. You do learn how to measure it all out. The Bible has a lot to say on the power of a spoken word. If being stubborn, hard headed, opinionated, and independent is hindering your walk with Christ, you got yourself a problem. Maybe you’ve tried to shake those habits and it didn’t work. If that is the case, I implore you to rebuke those things every day in Jesus’ Name. Have you ever read about the Proverbs 31 woman? If not, you ought to. Did you know a woman wrote it about the characteristics of a godly wife? She was teaching her son (a young prince) what to look for when it came time for him to pick a wife. Let me tell you, that woman did more in a day than most did in a week. She is portrayed as a godly wife. She held a job, cared for her family, took care of business affairs, and was a blessing to not only her family but the poor as well. You have to have character to do that. You don’t have to be mean or have a sharp tongue. Use the back of your Bible and see what the Bible has to say about our tongues.
Believe it or not, it’s in our sinful nature to want control:
Genesis 3:16Genesis 3:16
English: World English Bible - WEB
16 To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
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and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Like I said in the introduction, the word “desire” can mean a lot of things. Generally it means, “want”. It can also means an attempt to usurp or control.
So we can paraphrase this part of the Scripture to say, “Eve (woman) will have a tendency to try to control her husband and he will possess the tendency to act as a tyrant over you.” I bet you didn’t know the battle of the sexes was that old.
Both sides strive for control and neither lives in the best interest of the other.
We always just try to, “look out for number one”. What if Jesus only looked out for number one? What if He only looked for what was best for Him instead of what was best for the ones He loved (you and me)? It’s a sickness. But there is an antidote. The antidote for this sickness is the restoration of mutual love and (most importantly) mutual respect and dignity through Christ. Re-read the Ephesians passage again now and think about what it really says.
3. We’ve already established that submission is about self-sacrificial love and not slavery. We cook for our children, we wash their clothes, and we drive them places and sometimes we even clean up after them. Does that make us their slaves? No? What does it makes us then? Moms who love them.
We might not enjoy cleaning up after them or driving them around a lot but we do it because we love them. Submission is the same. We don’t do it because we are slaves. We do it because we love our husbands. In Ephesians 5:26-27Ephesians 5:26-27
English: World English Bible - WEB
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
WP-Bible plugin, Paul outlines what Christ did for the church. Just as He loved and died for the Church, so should a husband for his wife. Christ’s death gave the church a choice to be saved (or protected from hell – provided they accept Him and serve Him). A husband should care and protect his wife (provided that she accepts it). Being a servant is a big part of Christianity. We serve Christ. We serve our church. We serve people we don’t know by giving money to different kinds of missions. It’s a servant’s heart. If someone wants to call me a slave, that’s fine. I am a slave of Christ. In Him, I have more freedom than I had when I live in and of the world. I do anything my Lord asks of me and that includes being submissive to my husband. The Bible asks me to do it. It doesn’t say to only do it if your marriage is perfect and your husband is a saint. The Bible does specifically address believing and unbelieving marriages and I cover more soon. It simply says, “Wives, be submissive to your husbands”
I hope this has been a help and a blessing for you. I am thankful to God and praise Him for blessing me with a talent and an undying need to teach on submission.
Overcoming the Battle of the Sexes – Bible Study: Introduction
by admin on July 13th, 2011
filed under bible study, christian life, ephesians, genesis, husband, love, marriage, men, new testament, old testament, wife, women
This is from my published Bible study that can be purchased here in paperback.
Introduction
Did you know that the battle of the sexes began in the Garden of Eden? It’s true!
Let’s look at some examples:
In Genesis 2:21Genesis 2:21
English: World English Bible - WEB
21 Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
WP-Bible plugin God made Adam a helper *comparable* to him. She was taken from his rib which could be meant as being equal to man versus being taken from say, a toe bone, then seeing man over her. She could have been taken from his skull for her own superiority. God deliberately chose the rib. Thus making her a comparable helper.
In Genesis 2:23Genesis 2:23
English: World English Bible - WEB
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
WP-Bible plugin, Adam referred to Eve as “bone of my bones” and “flesh of my flesh”. They were a perfect match, complementary – two ninety degree angles.
Then came the fall of woman kind and then man kind.
In Genesis 3:16Genesis 3:16
English: World English Bible - WEB
16 To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
WP-Bible plugin it says, “..and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
The word desire can mean a couple of things. In our society, we use it to let it be known that we want something. It can also mean an attempt to usurp or control.
We can paraphrase this part of the scripture as, “You will have a tendency to try to control your husband and he will possess a tendency to act as a tyrant over you.”
Thus began the battle of the sexes…and to think most people believe it started during the era of bra burning and “feminist” women coming out of the wood work to be treated equally.
Both sexes strive for control and neither necessarily lives in the best interest of the other in the secular and, sadly, sometimes even the Christian world. The antidote to this sickness is the restoration of mutual love and respect and dignity through Jesus.
Ephesians 5:21-31Ephesians 5:21-31
English: World English Bible - WEB
21 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.
24 But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;
30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
31 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.”
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21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
In the midst of trial
by admin on July 12th, 2011
filed under abraham, christian life, faith, household, lot, moral character
So you feel like you’re giving your very best to God and yet you are still going through some fierce trials. You know that God will never leave you or forsake you and, just like in the New Testament, you should count the trial as a good thing. Yet you still feel alone or that you won’t make it through.
Abraham and Lot traveled together to get to the Promised Land. After some time their possessions grew to the point that they knew they had to separate. Lot chose a lush and wonderful land. Eventually, he ended up in Sodom….one of the most wicked cities on Earth.
Abraham sat under a tree and two visitors came and after the eating the men (who were angels for those who don’t know much about the Old Testament….Genesis 18) set off to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked, “Well what if you find 50 righteous people?” God replied that He would spare the city. The bargaining continued all the way down to ten people.
In Sodom, Lot was sitting at the gates of the city when the angels of the Lord appeared there as men. Lot took them into his home and even tried to give his virgin daughters to the men of the city who wanted to have their way with the men. The angels told Lot what was to happen and saved him, his wife, and his daughters (Genesis 19).
God didn’t save the city on account of one righteous person, but He did save that person and the family of the person. Maybe God has no intention on stopping the trial, but you can be assured that just as He took Lot and gave him a way out of destruction because of his righteousness you will find a way out made by God for you. Have faith!
A Modern Take on Proverbs 31
by admin on September 26th, 2010
filed under bible, bible study, children, comfort, compassionate, confidence, empathy, faith, finance, friendliness, gentleness, hard work, hospitality, household, husband, idle, kindness, love, modesty, moral character, pure, virtue, wife, wise
A Modern Take on Proverbs 31 by Pastor’s Wife and Guest Blogger Amy Tackett
She is of good moral character. Pure in heart, body and mind.
She is a true treasure to those that love her.
Her husband’s love and confidence is completely upon her, so that he needs to seek only her comfort.
She is a good wife and seeks only to do the best for her husband and children.
She is hard working and knowledgeable on how a household should be run.
She puts the needs of her family before her own.
She is intelligent, thrifty and wise in financial matters.
She is a gardener, seamstress, cook, merchant, and is creative and hardworking with her hands.
She is readily available, without complaint, to those that need her.
She takes care of herself, her appearance, and her body. She is always presentable, even in her manner of dress.
She is modest in both behavior and appearance.
She is generous and unselfish.
She has compassion for the poor and the needy.
She takes care of every need of her household so that she may never worry that they are lacking.
Her husband is known for his own works, and he has no reason to be ashamed for the sake of his wife.
She is wise and knows the right time to speak – speaking only words of kindness and never words that are evil, gossiping or of complaint.
She is never idle or lazy and she has her household under control.
Her husband and children are proud of her and call her blessed. They praise her for being a good wife and mother.
She excels in virtue and she goes above and beyond what is expected of her.
She has her priorities in order. She is not worried about beauty, vanity, or favor, but rather the work and calling of the Lord.
She is not worried about receiving praise or honor for her work on earth, because she knows her ultimate reward will be waiting in heaven.
The Five Marks of a True Believer or Good Church
by admin on August 28th, 2010
filed under bible, bible study, christian life, end times, faith, friendliness, gentleness, gospel, hospitality, kindness, thessalonians
The last few weeks have been…interesting to put it in a mild mannered way. It’s been more like World War Six. Take two World Wars, some nuclear fall out, condemning an entire group of people that another person really knows nothing about (though that’s a post for another time), and mix in a few innocent children and you get a lot of heartache and a lot of time spent on your knees in prayer. Oh, and buy some stock in the Kleenex Corporation.
Last Sunday our new pastor preached on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-101 Thessalonians 1:1-10
English: World English Bible - WEB
Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians
1
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,
3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
4 We know, brothers The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” loved by God, that you are chosen,
5 and that our Gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.
6 You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
7 so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8 For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say anything.
9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead— Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
WP-Bible plugin. By new I mean because my children and I changed churches with the blessing of our former pastor so that they could be with children closer to their own age and participate in more group activities and stay involved. In short – they could start looking forward to church. My 12 year old could stop dreading going to a class where he was the oldest and the youngest was six or seven…and he’d been in the class since he was six. My nine year old hated sitting in the sanctuary. He was just plain bored. I prayed and prayed and prayed and felt the leading of the Lord to move on. I spoke with the pastor and he gave his blessing. So back to the lesson.
The lesson was over 1 Thess. 1:8-101 Thess. 1:8-10
English: World English Bible - WEB
8 For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say anything.
9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead— Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
WP-Bible plugin and it shows us five marks we should find in a true follower of Christ or in a good church. This is essentially important for those of us that are labeled now as outcasts, exiles, Jezebels, hell bound, prodigals simply because we chose to follow the Lord’s calling and one or two people do not believe it because the Lord did not speak directly to them for us.
Now with that said…and before I go further…let it also be said that none of us like to be corrected, criticized, or otherwise chastised. Neither is there a single perfect person so in any individual we might not have all five traits at any given moment because it might be Monday every day of the week during a certain week. We should look at the totality because making a complete judgment would make me preach to you what my next lesson will be on and I’d have to slap your hands.
Let’s look at the five marks, shall we? By the way, the marks are what the pastor brought up. The notes are TOTALLY my own and I’m sure that he nor the church would back up my opinion. They are not responsible for them OR my attitude anymore than Fox is responsible for Matt Groening.
1 Thes. 1:81 Thes. 1:8
English: World English Bible - WEB
8 For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say anything.
WP-Bible plugin – For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only from Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place….
The first mark of a true believer or good church is that there is a constant preaching of the Gospel. Now that is NOT to say that hell is NOT to be preached. It most certainly should as it is a very FEARFUL thing for the unsaved to fall into the hands of the living God. However – the Gospel is what we are told in the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to go and preach until ALL creatures. Does the person who is criticizing or chastising you have a history of living a life that preaches the Gospel by action or by word? Do they study their Bible daily that you know of? Now of course, that is something you may or may not have knowledge of because you may or may not live with the individual.
1 Thes. 1:81 Thes. 1:8
English: World English Bible - WEB
8 For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say anything.
WP-Bible plugin – …Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.
The second mark of a true believer or a good church is a consistent walk of faith. Is this someone who constantly shows their faith in God regardless of circumstance or is this someone whose faith waivers depending on their “blessings”?
1 Thes. 1:91 Thes. 1:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
WP-Bible plugin – For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you…
The third mark of a true believer or a good church is a consistent gesture of hospitality, friendliness, kindness, and gentleness no matter how long a person has attended a church or how much someone might grate your last nerve. Are they only nice to new people that they are trying to convert? What about the lonely widow who has attended the church for 12 years who sits alone and can’t pay her light bill? Has anyone asked after her lately? Too busy trying too look good for section leaders instead of out getting your hands dirty by volunteering to help at a soup kitchen or organize a clothing drive even with other denominations?
1 Thess 1:91 Thess 1:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
WP-Bible plugin – …and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
The fourth mark of a true believer or good church is a noticeable change of lifestyle. This is not just an outward appearance. I can say from personal experience that I am happier right now in church and more at peace despite my outside circumstances than I have been in a long, long time. My children are happy. They look forward to church. One of my son’s is now behaving better and starting to calm down. He wasn’t a troubled child by far. He was just a bit of a handful. Now he just thinks a little more before he acts. I look forward to church and prayer meeting. I look forward to reading the Word. We read more of the Bible than just certain books. I am seeing more in the Bible than I realized was there. Is the person who is questioning you someone who is generally someone who acts in a good, Christian nature?
1 Thes. 1:101 Thes. 1:10
English: World English Bible - WEB
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead— Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
WP-Bible plugin – and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
The fifth mark of a true believer or good church is a conscious anticipation of Christ’s return. We all know the story of the virgins who await the bridegroom. Some have enough oil and some do not. We are to be about our Father’s business. Is the person or church going about the Father’s business regularly?
These are wonderful measurements not just for others and for church, but most importantly for ourself. Jesus was very clear when He said that first we must take the beam from our own eye before becoming concerned about the plank in the eye of our brother.
The Road Called Peace
by admin on August 8th, 2010
filed under anxiety, depression, faith, mental illness, new testament, peace, worry
Peace is almost as narrow of a street as the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13Matthew 7:13
English: World English Bible - WEB
13 “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.
WP-Bible plugin). Peace is also an active choice. We can have peace or we can have war. We can have peace or we can have fighting. I recently heard a song by Thousand Foot Krutch with lyrics that state, “The trouble with peace is that it never fights…” It doesn’t fight because peace is an active choice that some of us (okay all of us irrespective of where we are with our walk with Jesus) have to make daily and (at least for me) moment by moment. It’s like when those of us who are parents here the philosophy of choosing our battles. Why don’t we do that in the spiritual realm?
That isn’t to say that we shouldn’t fight our spiritual battles. Paul said that he dies daily to his flesh (1 Cor. 15:311 Cor. 15:31
English: World English Bible - WEB
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
WP-Bible plugin). It’s not easy and it’s a down right struggle to give up worldly thoughts and ways. It’s not a peaceful process on the inside. For some of us (including me) it looks and feels harder than when I see other Christians with such brave, strong outward appearances. Are they really that strong or have they chosen to walk the road of peace despite the circumstances? I liken it to finding out something you cannot change. We are called to build up our treasures in heaven and not on earth. That’s Scripture and it’s not going to change. Just like we ahve peace when we think about our eternal salvation we have peace knowing the Scripture won’t change. We must choose peace.
There is a physiological response to fear that is known as the fight or flight response. We become afraid of something and we either fight or we run. It’s the way we are wired because of the fall of man and the introduction of sin. Jesus is the Prince of Peace; God is Jehovah Shalom. Isaiah 41:10Isaiah 41:10
English: World English Bible - WEB
10 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you; don’t be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
WP-Bible plugin (NKJV) – Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Don’t be afraid. You can have peace knowing that God is with you. He is your God. He is ever faithful and has never broken a promise. He will give you strength. He will give youf or help in every situation. Remember Solomon? He asked God for one thing: wisdom. God will give you the strength you need to maintain your stance and your peace in your trial. He will hold on to you and He will not let you go. I heard it said today in church that we shouldn’t ask God for a trial only the size of our faith. Instead we should ask God for faith the size of our trial.
The winds were mighty and strong in the New Testament. They were at peace when Jesus called them to do so. It was an active command: PEACE…be still. Do you not think that if He can calm the wind that He cannot calm your anxiety and your soul if only you call out to Him? In Him we have peace. That’s a promise from the Bible found in John 16:33John 16:33
English: World English Bible - WEB
33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
WP-Bible plugin…however we have to choose to stand upon that promise. We must choose to have peace with ourselves and with our past and with our future.
Prayer request
by admin on July 15th, 2010
filed under children, prayer, prayer request
Please pray for Scarlett, 14 years old, as she suffered a heart attack. She is undergoing tests.