A Godly marriage

A Godly marriage is one built on faith, faith in God’s promises and help. It is not God changing your spouse it is God changing you.

We have to put Christ first in our marriage, serve Him above all else.

Submit to His authority over us, our spouse our children, our homes , our finances, our careers, there is nothing we should hold back.

The desires of our heart should be to walk with Christ everyday, and for our families to follow, if you want a Godly marriage it starts with you surrendering all your heart, mind, body and soul to Christ, if you’re not willing to start here then ask God to change you and help you, if you don’t then things will never change.

Ask God to make you more Christ like, to give grace freely as you have received it, to guide you with wisdom to forgive as you have been forgiven, to love as He loves you, then watch as Christ manifest Himself in your character.

God’s word is clear, it is our flesh that kicks against the things God says, we put ourselves first, this is why marriages are in trouble today, everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

You and I cannot change the hearts of another, we cannot change our own hearts, but Christ can. If you have been married 50 years or newly married learn this secret, surrender yourself , your family, your household to Christ everyday and watch what He will do.

Christ sacrificially loves us, we should do the same in our marriages, this means putting Christ first, our spouse then ourselves, love and respect are given by grace through Christ to each other.

God’s word says this;

“Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.” Psalms 37:3-6 CSB

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.”

Ephesians 5:22-33 CSB

The National day of repentence

America is a Nation founded upon laws and principles, not just man made laws but the laws God had spoken to His people when He led them out of captivity. These laws are morally and spiritually divine, simple enough for us to follow, and written for God’s people in every generation, and yet we drift so easily away because we do not write them on our hearts, teach them to our children or practice them in our halls of government.

We have drifted away slowly and followed our own ways, adding to the laws of God,believing we are wiser, more capable of ruling over ourselves and self sufficient in all of our ways.

We are the land of plenty, we are a blessed people, we have followed God before and seen times of great prosperity, power and providence, but we have fallen away from the one who has provided all these things, the LORD GOD, creator of all things the giver of life and sustainer of mankind.

It is time we throw away the things of man, fall on our faces, repent of our ways, and turn our hearts and minds back over to Him. Let us look in the mirror and see that we are the problem and plead for Gods mercy and grace, ask for His forgiveness, ask for Him to heal our homes, our families, our nation and restore us to His glory.

It is not to late for our Nation, we should have a National day of repentance, for this is where it starts. Even if we don’t have a National day of repentance, you and I can come before God and repent for our Nation, our leaders, ourselves and ask for God to restore us and help us teach others His ways.

God’s word says this:

“Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands. Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name. Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work — you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the resident alien who lives within your city gates, so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do...Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and so that you may prosper in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give dishonest testimony against your neighbor. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife or desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”Deuteronomy 5:7-14, 16-21 CSB

““This is the command — the statutes and ordinances — the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all his statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life.”Deuteronomy 6:1-2 CSB

“Look, I have taught you statutes and ordinances as the Lord my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to possess.”Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation has righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today? “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”Deuteronomy 4:5-9 CSB

We have higher calling

God made men watchmen, a watchman’s job is to be the lookout to warn the city when the enemy is coming, if the enemy can take out the watchman he can take the rest of the city with ease. 

Men we need to be watchful at all times, knowing we are in a war, knowing our enemy is always on the prowl waiting to attack. We have laid down this mantel, and have surrendered in many cases, just as Adam did in the garden of Eden.

Christ took back this authority when He came and conquered sin and death, He gave that authority to you and I. 

God’s word says this;

Be Alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous act like a man your every action must be done in love.1st Corinthians 16:13-14 HCSB

This is a heavy task laid upon us by the Holy Spirit, but it is not an impossible task, it is only possible with the Holy Spirit’s help.

When we fail, it is because we have walked in our flesh and not in the Spirit.

We must take responsibility for our actions, repent and ask God for His help and restoration.

We must realize the war we are in, and know God has warned us about our enemy, we must learn to walk in the Holy Spirit and not our flesh.

When we walk in our flesh we are ruled by pride, laziness and worry. These affect not only our life but the lives of those around us, they influence our behavior, our relationships and what God has called us to do.

God has warned us, we have a real enemy, he wants to devour us ,kill us, destroy us. 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:6-11 CSB

Either we are not taking God seriously or not taking the devil seriously, ignoring the devils existence, goals and power is a serious mistake, ignoring God and His word is even a bigger mistake.

If you’re warned that there is someone waiting to attack you when you walk around the corner, do you just keep walking like no one is there? Or do you take precautions and call for help?

I would call for help, that is the wise thing to do, why don’t we do that in the spiritual realm? Clearly God has warned us, clearly He says He will help us, clearly He waits for us to call on Him.

We cannot protect our families, our communities, our Nation on our own, we need God’s help, provision, and protection. 

We need to surrender each day to Him, humbly in prayer. 

We need to acknowledge God and His providence over our lives,

We need to walk in obedience to His word.

We need God in every part of our lives.

“Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.””

John 10:7-18 CSB

Who do you listen to?

Our past does not define us, 

Our present does not confine us, 

It is Christ alone that reminds us, 

who we are in Him.

Who will you listen to?

God calls His children sons and daughters,

The devil calls us sinners

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:15-17 CSB

God calls His children victors

The devil calls us failures

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him. This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.” 1 John 5:1-4 CSB

God says His children are new creations, old things have passed away.

The devil wants you to hold onto the past and will remind us of who we were.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 CSB

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

Legislating morality

If mankind/society cannot find a way too simply obey two laws, how can we rationalize adding more laws to the books?

If two can’t or won’t be followed, then will the third or fourth or the millionth be followed? 

When federal laws were first volumized in 1927, they fit into a single volume. By the 1980s, there were 50 volumes of more than 23,000 pages. There have been more added since then.

We will never legislate morality, we will never stop what is in mankind’s heart, until we deal with the problem.

We are sinners, we are rebellious we believe we are right, but yet we are so wrong in how we think, how we live, how we blindly follow the lust of our hearts.

Government, University’s, Religious institutions and us as individuals do not want to deal with the reality that until we admit we are sinners, repent and turn our lives over too Christ Jesus, we are hell bound and lost, we have no hope, no self control, no peace, no way out, without Him.

If these entities acknowledged the truth, then it would cost them power, money and control and none of us want too give up any of these.

This is why each of us must choose to either submit to God as Lord and Savior, or condemn ourselves, it is not the responsibility of others for our choices, it is ours.

Today you can choose to make a difference by simply submitting too the complete authority of Christ Jesus in your life, you and only you can make that choice.

There is hope for mankind/society and He is the only hope for us all, His name is Christ Jesus, I wonder do you know Him?

God’s word says this:

“When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” Matthew 22:34-40 CSB

“What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.”

James 4:1-4 CSB

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus — he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh ) — and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:19-25 CSB

Radical obedience!

God has called us to obedience, complete, radical obedience. He wants us too be obedient in what we say and how we live.

When Jacob had finally come to the end of running and had no where else to go, he had too surrender too God everything he had been holding onto, God demanded that Jacob make the change he had been wrestling with Him over for years.

God’s word says this:

“God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone.” Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem. When they set out, a terror from God came over the cities around them, and they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. So Jacob and all who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel ) in the land of Canaan. Jacob built an altar there and called the place El-bethel because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.”

Genesis 35:1-7 CSB

God told Jacob, get up , go! Jacob had been doing things his way for 90 years, he knew he could no longer do so, he removed the idols his family held onto, he told them to purify themselves and change their garments, (in scripture this means too change your character) God says we are a new creation, He changes our character, but we must let Him work in us!

Notice also that scripture tells us they got rid of their foreign gods and earrings. Earrings? I have thought about this, why put that in there? I believe that God is saying don’t hold onto even the smallest part of our past, get rid of everything that can cause you to stumble, let go of it and follow me.

He calls us too be radically obedient no matter what, and holding onto things that we value more than obedience to Him, is disobedience.

Has God called you too go? Has God told you too purify yourself and change your garments? Are you holding onto something small that God has said it is time too let go of?

Jacobs fear of others finally turned to faith in God when he ran out of options, he says that “ God has been with me everywhere I have gone”. Jacob let go of his past, his fear and submitted to God and God changed his name to Israel.

God has been with you and I everywhere we have been, it is time we lay aside our fears, and walk in faith, it is time we bury our idols and walk with God , wholeheartedly, it is time we walk in the newness of life God has given us as He is changing our character.

God’s word says;

“But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires,

and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” Ephesians 4:20-22, 24 CSB

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 CSB

Spring is coming!

Here in the heartland spring is around the corner, farmers and gardeners are thinking about what to plant, where to start and how much seed they will need. Although they won’t see results for months they are preparing now so when it comes time to harvest, they will receive the rewards of their labors.

A farmer or gardner does not plant seed and then ignore it until harvest time, a farmer/gardener weeds, a farmer/gardener waters, a farmer/gardener tends too their fields and protects it from predators, who want to steal the seed or the fruit of the seed.

A farmer does this on a large scale, a gardener does this on a smaller scale, but both understand the principle of working the land, planting the seed and harvesting.

why we would be any different?

As the Church, that is the body of Christ: us as individuals so there is no misunderstanding, we are too work the soil, plant the seed ,we are too water, we are too tend too the fields watch over and protect from varmints what God gave us.

And like the farmer/ gardener we are to have faith that God will take care of the seed we sow in His name, the results are up to the Lord of the Harvest, and He will take care of the results.

The Church has to have faith like this, sometimes I wonder if we do. We get discouraged when we don’t see direct results, but I can tell you from my life many poured into me and planted and watered, but God took His time to harvest what was planted, in my case it was 33 years.

Others have planted, watered and prayed for 40, 50 or more years to see someone come to the Lord.

Never give up on what God is doing, we do not toil in vain, if you are planting gospel seeds, cover them in prayer and trust God to grow them, remember a seed must die to bear fruit, and a lot of seed is in un-fertile ground that must be worked, but rest assured God is at work, trust Him, don’t get discouraged you might not see the harvest, but God will harvest what is sown in His name,keep doing what God has asked you to do and He will take care of the rest.

God’s word says this;

“The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”....”The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.” Mark 4:14-20, 26-32 CSB

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 CSB

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”James 5:7-8 CSB