What should a person do in a difficult marriage?
Pray harder, repent more and forgive often.
No marriage is perfect and no marriage is without troubles, anyone who thinks they can achieve a perfect marriage is going into it blindfolded, expecting something out of their spouse they have no right to expect.....and that is perfection.
When we go into marriage knowing and admitting that we will need to learn and change ourselves, that is when we can grow a relationship, while our focus is not what we can get out of marriage, but what we can offer.
It takes self sacrifice and humility to strengthen a marriage. We learn this as we go, no one goes into marriage knowing exactly how to do it, in fact we all go in with pies in our eyes thinking we are so special our spouse should feel blessed to have us. This thinking is the beginning of a disaster waiting to happen.
Choose a person who has the character God describes in His Word and then go into the marriage to serve not just to get. Expect nothing and give all you have.
Friday, November 21, 2014
How to recognize a false believer:
They crab and whine about their life as though there are no solutions. When a solution from the Word is offered, they call us insensitive.
Sin is not a big deal with them, in fact they justify it because of what others have done to them.
They accuse us of using too much Scripture, being fanatically Christian is embarrassing to them.
They take Scripture out of context to convince others their sin is endorsed by God.
They say "don't judge" a lot.
They show their true colors when pushed to the wall to explain their wrong attitude, this is when they explode in anger, attack our character and call us names.
Manipulation is a major tactic used in every conversation to disarm their targets.
They never use terms like "born again" or "holiness", in fact when we mention these things they don't know what we are talking about.
They love church parties and the lime light in "worship teams."
When you award them a "humble pin", they actually wear it.
Resisting every form of instruction or correction, they plod along enjoying their life of superficiality, while negating and bludgeoning those who desire openness and righteousness.
When they cannot win a discussion for lack of Biblical knowledge they run away.
Just a little levity to lighten the load of every day foolishness with phony Christians, those that attend gatherings regularly but never seem to progress past babyhood in their walk.
There are so many of them, that I feel overwhelmed at times, and cry out to God to save them, open their eyes and make them useful.
Sin is not a big deal with them, in fact they justify it because of what others have done to them.
They accuse us of using too much Scripture, being fanatically Christian is embarrassing to them.
They take Scripture out of context to convince others their sin is endorsed by God.
They say "don't judge" a lot.
They show their true colors when pushed to the wall to explain their wrong attitude, this is when they explode in anger, attack our character and call us names.
Manipulation is a major tactic used in every conversation to disarm their targets.
They never use terms like "born again" or "holiness", in fact when we mention these things they don't know what we are talking about.
They love church parties and the lime light in "worship teams."
When you award them a "humble pin", they actually wear it.
Resisting every form of instruction or correction, they plod along enjoying their life of superficiality, while negating and bludgeoning those who desire openness and righteousness.
When they cannot win a discussion for lack of Biblical knowledge they run away.
Just a little levity to lighten the load of every day foolishness with phony Christians, those that attend gatherings regularly but never seem to progress past babyhood in their walk.
There are so many of them, that I feel overwhelmed at times, and cry out to God to save them, open their eyes and make them useful.
Is The Lord Always On Our Mind?
Do we delight ourselves in the Lord, so much so that all that we do is interpreted in light of Him? Do we delight to know the Lord?
Isaiah 58:2
""Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God."
Isaiah 58:2
""Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God."
Endorsement of Divorce and Remarriage is Sin
If you have attended a remarriage after a divorce, given a gift to a couple remarrying, sent a card to those who are remarrying, then you have endorsed that which God has rejected.
God does not bless remarriage, it is sin against Him. Anyone that participates in any way to validate the remarriage has dishonored God and ruined a Christian witness.
All the excuses that have been used to allow it are cultural justifications not Biblical and not Holy.
Please don't come to argue with me, go to prayer and search your Bibles for the answer. I wrote this today not to engage in debate, but rather to challenge those who have been deceived by the cultural acceptance of divorce and remarriage, to seek God on this matter.
I will delete all counter arguments to this status. Those who would like to post Scripture in support of marriage and against divorce and remarriage are welcome.
If someone would like to ask an honest question that also would be welcome.
God does not bless remarriage, it is sin against Him. Anyone that participates in any way to validate the remarriage has dishonored God and ruined a Christian witness.
All the excuses that have been used to allow it are cultural justifications not Biblical and not Holy.
Please don't come to argue with me, go to prayer and search your Bibles for the answer. I wrote this today not to engage in debate, but rather to challenge those who have been deceived by the cultural acceptance of divorce and remarriage, to seek God on this matter.
I will delete all counter arguments to this status. Those who would like to post Scripture in support of marriage and against divorce and remarriage are welcome.
If someone would like to ask an honest question that also would be welcome.
Have You Endorsed What God Rejects?
Sin has grown out of control in the churches because people refuse to expose and deal with it. Our churches are now apostate as a whole, they have bought into pragmatism, "if you had a good reason it must be alright" and, "if it works it is alright." These things have destroyed the victory over sin that believers should have.
Lives have been ruined because sin was allowed to run rampant. Families have been broken because church members and leaders would not approach broken people, to come along side to restore marriages.
The Lord rebuke you, all those who have remarried divorced people, all those who would not speak to and get involved in the counseling of those considering divorce.
I wonder how many marriages could have been restored if others in the body had shown love and prayed and worked to encourage truth to prevail.
When we neglect prayer in favor of psychology and other foolish entertainment, we end up with what we have today, social clubs that have no power over sin.
Shame, shame on all those who knew of a family about to be broken, who refused to involve themselves in the matter of restoration.
And shame on all those who congratulated believers who have remarried or attended their weddings!
You endorsed what God rejects.
Lives have been ruined because sin was allowed to run rampant. Families have been broken because church members and leaders would not approach broken people, to come along side to restore marriages.
The Lord rebuke you, all those who have remarried divorced people, all those who would not speak to and get involved in the counseling of those considering divorce.
I wonder how many marriages could have been restored if others in the body had shown love and prayed and worked to encourage truth to prevail.
When we neglect prayer in favor of psychology and other foolish entertainment, we end up with what we have today, social clubs that have no power over sin.
Shame, shame on all those who knew of a family about to be broken, who refused to involve themselves in the matter of restoration.
And shame on all those who congratulated believers who have remarried or attended their weddings!
You endorsed what God rejects.
Judging Righteous Judgment
We will be held responsible if we do not warn the wicked of their lost condition and warn those in the body of Christ concerning their sin.
Matthew 18:15-17 "“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."
1 Timothy 5:20 "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear."
There are times when it is prudent to keep discussions between only those involved, however, if a sin is a public sin then it is to be publicly handled.
Titus 3:10-11 "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned."
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away"
In order to turn away from unrepentant people we have to have the discernment and judgement of the Lord. If we do not know our Bibles we will be confused and unlearned in this matter and probably much more likely to refuse to judge because of the overwhelming influence of the world.
So you see, we are not only to judge all things but we are accountable to our brothers and sisters in terms of correction and even rejection if they refuse to turn from their sin.
1 Corinthians 2:15 "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."
Our goal and responses ought to be God's glory much more than sparing a brother or sister temporary hurt feelings. If the brother or sister responds properly in repentance, then their relationship with God and with their church family will be far better than if the matter is swept under the rug.
Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
Openness and honesty is the order of the day for believer, not pretense. We are to be interested in restoration and healing. To place a bandaide on a gaping wound, only causes gangrene, and total loss of a limb eventually, nothing remains stagnant. Unrepentant sin grows calluses on us that leads to more bitterness and sin.
Matthew 18:15-17 "“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."
1 Timothy 5:20 "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear."
There are times when it is prudent to keep discussions between only those involved, however, if a sin is a public sin then it is to be publicly handled.
Titus 3:10-11 "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned."
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away"
In order to turn away from unrepentant people we have to have the discernment and judgement of the Lord. If we do not know our Bibles we will be confused and unlearned in this matter and probably much more likely to refuse to judge because of the overwhelming influence of the world.
So you see, we are not only to judge all things but we are accountable to our brothers and sisters in terms of correction and even rejection if they refuse to turn from their sin.
1 Corinthians 2:15 "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."
Our goal and responses ought to be God's glory much more than sparing a brother or sister temporary hurt feelings. If the brother or sister responds properly in repentance, then their relationship with God and with their church family will be far better than if the matter is swept under the rug.
Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
Openness and honesty is the order of the day for believer, not pretense. We are to be interested in restoration and healing. To place a bandaide on a gaping wound, only causes gangrene, and total loss of a limb eventually, nothing remains stagnant. Unrepentant sin grows calluses on us that leads to more bitterness and sin.
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