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Sunday, January 31, 2010

BEARING FRUIT

Do you ever wonder, as you stretch out to sleep, whether you are as "fruitful" a Christian as you could be? Would you like to become better at "bearing fruit" for your Lord? Anything that bears fruit must receive consistent nourishment and water. This applies to both the natural and spiritual realms. Receiving nourishment in your innermost being is what meditation is all about. Basically, meditation is stretching the "taproot" of your mind deeper into God's resources by digesting a portion of His Word. The deeper you go, the more nourishment you receive, and the more fruitful you'll become. God promises us that, "once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above" (Isaiah 37:31, NIV). The prophet is talking about you! God is about to raise up a powerful remnant, deeply rooted in Him, who will bear supernatural "fruit" for all the world to see! One way to grow more deeply rooted is through nighttime meditation. The Psalmist David proclaimed, "...I remember thee on my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches...Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word..." (Psalms 63:6, 119:148). Decide today that you want God's Word to work for you sleep. All it requires is the discipline to spend your last waking minutes deep in His Word, so that He will have fuel with which to work all through the night.
On my bed I remember you. I think of you through the watches of the night.
Psalm 63:6

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

WEB DIRECTORY

As a blogger who want to earn some bucks while writing some articles, page rank is important. I am very thankful, in almost three months I maintained my page rank . A day ago I found a free business web directory. In this website directory you will learn many things about given today's lifestyles, finding time to locate appropriate information can be time consuming. At Jasminedirectory.com, the legwork has already been done for you - each link is thoroughly researched and must adhere to a strict and demanding criteria of information fluency and currency. They also offer free web directory for the following categories like Arts and Humanities, Business Topics, House Improvements, Technology, Health and fitness, House and Gardens, News and Politics, Sciences, Sport, Internet and Online Marketing and etc. We all know that today's Internet is all about building links and networks, and without submitting your website to business web directories, you're relying on some page-crawling web bot to do all that work for you. Think about how quickly new websites and pages are generated, and you'll realize that to not submit your website to web directories is a foolish decision that will reduce the chances of your page getting linked to and recognized. So if you want to maintain your page rang try this free directory.


INSIGHT INTO PAIN

BROKEN MARRIAGE
DIVORCE
Have you, or someone you love, facing sleepless nights after enduring day upon day of constant pain? If so, you may have noticed how pain can make a difference in outlook... even change a personality. A doctor once told a patient, "You've been in pain so long you've become totally self-centered. Think about someone else for a change and get back to being yourself." Understandably, pain usually enlarges the focus of attention on ourselves. As one man put it, "Most human beings are so turned inward by their own pain that they cannot get out of themselves to love others to any great extent." Blocked from reaching out, fear and all sorts of negative emotions can be trapped inside...making the victim feel ensnared. David must have felt this same way when, in anguish, he cried to God, "Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Oh, bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. Oh, keep my soul and deliver me. Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You" (Psalm 25:16-21, NKJV). It is not the Lord's will for any of us to continue uncomforted. If someone you know is in prolonged pain, don't judge their reactions but reach out instead and send the healing balm of the Spirit through your prayers.

If you yourself are in pain, rest assured God is always see you. . I've been on this situation for so long even until now there are some sleepless nights still but I believe that GOD IS MY COMFORT...
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame,for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Psalm 25:16-21

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

THE NEW WINE

Ever since the book of Exodus was written, God's people have wondered, "Did God really harden Pharaoh's heart, and if so, why and how?" I don't believe God did it through any mysterious, hidden means...but simply by showing him increasing amounts of His miracle-working power! Not about to submit to anyone but himself, the more Pharaoh saw, the more he wanted no part of God or His power. So, what does this mean to those of you who have sleepless nights? It might be very significant if your sleeplessness stems from having attended a service where the power of God was particularly strong and having come away with a negative reaction. Perhaps, instead of rejoicing, a part of you recoiled the same way Pharaoh did. Pulling back, you might have thought, "Leave me alone. I'm not ready for this yet!" Jesus predicted that each one of us would experience an initial, negative reaction to His power when He said, "...no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, The old is better" (Luke 5:37-39, NKJV). But, although you may have initially retreated and said, "The old is better!" the challenge now is not to remain frightened or to harden your heart forever, as Pharaoh did. Instead, be open to growth, pass through this stage, and begin to anticipate the opportunity to go on even further.
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
Luke 5:37-39

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Monday, January 25, 2010

WHERE DO UNANSWERED PRAYERS GO

While I am reading my daily devotion this morning I was stumble to this one and It's really touch me and maybe like me some of you have prayers that until now you are waiting for God's answer. God Bless you my brother and sister.... It happens. The longer you walk in Christ, the more you realize that life isn’t as cut-and-dry as they made it out to be in Sunday School. In fact, things can get downright messy. Who among us doesn’t have a personal story of how we prayed earnestly for something that we thought God wanted too, only to see the clock strike midnight without an answer? In some cases, you really stuck your neck out for God. You planned your life around His approval of your request. You told everyone your son would be healed this time, you’d get the job, or you’d get married in 2007, 2008, or 2009. When things didn’t work out as you hoped, the initial flash of embarrassment can take a dangerous turn into bitterness or heartache. Let me level with you. The mere concept of God is beyond our comprehension, and His thoughts and plans for our lives are very rarely understood. That’s Scriptural. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9. Some days, you won’t get what He’s doing. It’s a reality of having a relationship with an infinite being who orchestrates the universe. You’re not allowed to be privy to the step-by-step details of the master plan. Luckily, you’re not alone in this. The greatest men and women of God throughout history can attest to missing the mark on occasion. They all sent a prayer request into the “God Hotline” and got a busy signal. As close as they walked with the Lord, they understood that it’s simply impossible to know His every thought. There will be moments when you get ahead of God and wait for Him at a spot where He never intended to go. So, do prayer requests sometimes go unanswered? The attentiveness of God’s nature (Luke 12:7), particularly towards His children (Prov. 15:29), would imply no. He answers every prayer, probably very similarly to how you answer your children: yes, no and not yet. When you find yourself in a situation where it feels like your prayers are hitting the ceiling, it’s a good time to stop and ask God, “In what way are You answering me that I’m not seeing?” Ask Him. He’ll show you. Getting a “yes” is naturally wonderful. It’s exactly what you wished for at the right time. We can all celebrate the yeses in our lives. However, as the Rolling Stones once said, you can’t always get what you want. “No” is tougher to take and even harder to hear. What’s good about “no,” though, is that we have the promise of grace to deal with the situation. Remember Paul praying earnestly for the thorn in his flesh to be removed in 2 Corinthians 12? That’s where we get the verse: “My grace is sufficient” (verse 9). In other words, it will make up the difference. It’s the promise of His presence in loneliness, His strength when we’re weak, and His peace when anxiety gets the best of us. It fills the gap. On the plus side, I wouldn’t be surprised if “not yet” is a more recurring answer than we suspect, especially when you know your prayer lines up with the Word of God. The kicker with this option is that it requires patience and trust. We have to believe that God hasn’t forgotten us (Isaiah 49:14-16) and that – like Habakkuk’s vision – it will surely come (Habakkuk 2:2-3). Easier said than done, I know, but we still have to try. The walk with God is one more of endurance than it is speed or achievement. He asks, “Who will say, ‘Come what may, even when our wills clash, I’m sticking with You’?” I think if God prayed, that would be His prayer. So the real question is, will you respond to the call? I hope the answer is yes.

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Isaiah 49:14-16 (NIV)

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

HUMILITY AND HELP

Satan tried to destroy the faith of one of God's child the very night she was born again, when, unfamiliar with the Bible, she opened it at random to Matthew, Chapter 15. There, when the Syrophoenican woman pleaded with Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter, Jesus replied, referring to the "bread" of healing, "It doesn't seem right to take bread from the children and throw it to the dogs" (Matthew 15:26, TLB). "What a cruel thing to say!" this new child thought. "How could the Son of God turn down a woman with a sick child?" Maybe, you, too, may feel that your petitions have been cruelly turned down. But, let's take a closer look at the story. Jesus didn't turn her down; He simply stripped her of her hypocrisy! To win His favor, she had presented herself as someone she was not, calling Him "Thou son of David" (Matthew 15:22), thus giving the impression of an Israelite. But no form of deceit or pretense of being someone we're not will get us anywhere with God...Jesus called her bluff. Immediately the woman changed her approach...instead of putting up a false religious front, she humbled herself, and made an honest plea based on her own inadequacy. "...she said...'Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour" (Matthew 15:27-28, NKJV). Whatever your need or petition ? Whatever it is, don't be afraid to humble yourself before Him. I promise you, when you take that approach, you will never be turned down
28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:28

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

SNAPSHOTS

If you were to take a "snapshot" of your relationship with the Lord , what would the picture look like? I met an unusual lady today who's compiled an album of notes, Scriptures, and snapshots of the various "stages" of her Christian walk, including activities she has enjoyed, people who have influenced her, and outreaches she's participated in. When she first accepted the Lord, her "stage one" "snapshots" were of the church activities and fellowships so new to her. As she grew, the second section of her album included notes about who she wanted to be in Christ. The third section showed self-discovery...a time of uncovering the special talents God had given her. Part four showed her learning to use these talents to reach out to others. But as she describes it, the best stage of all was stage five. "Until now everything focused on me. Now I've learned to focus on Him. I've finally realized that loving Him doesn't revolve around what I am or what I do, but Who He is and what He has done. I've discovered that to love Him is to focus on Him and to celebrate Him every day!" To you who want to experience "stage five," the Lord is encouraging you tonight, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again...I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me..." (Jeremiah 31:3-4; 30:21, NIV). No matter what your spiritual "photo album" looks like tonight, know that He is working to bring you to "stage five" where, as you learn to focus on Him, He will draw you with never-ending love.
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again...I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me..."
(Jeremiah 31:3-4; 30:21, NIV).


Wednesday, January 20, 2010

IF GOD IS LOVING, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH PAIN IN THIS LIFE?

No answer seems to completely satisfy when it comes to why God allows pain. Since the dawn of history, mankind has wrestled with this question, only to come up with answers that scarcely fill the soul’s void. While God grows our faith through pain, it is not His foremost reason for allowing us to hurt. Paradoxically, love is the greater reason, and God will allow His creation to go through anything in the name of love. Anything at all. For God, love is a higher priority than comfort, enjoyment, and even happiness. Pain was not part of God’s original design. Love, on the other hand, was, and God knew that in order for love to exist, free will would also have to exist. In a world where He gave humans the choice to love or hate, He knew some would choose the latter and pain would inevitably be the price. But, God apparently thought that this was preferable to taking away His creation’s humanity, even though He knew rape, murder, disease, and tragedy would plague our world. Yet pain breaks God’s heart, and so God has taken man’s misuse and abuse of free will and redeemed it. God isn’t about righting all the wrongs on Earth. But, He is big on taking the wrongs and making something beautiful of them. And so He constantly offers opportunities for His children to exercise that free will in love towards one another, so that some of what has been broken can be remade. Pain offers opportunity for growth in love. Also, pain is a unique opportunity for humanity to choose whether it will love God for who He is, rather than for the gifts that He bestows upon His creation. Granted, God loves to give to His children. But in a life void of suffering, there would also be little need to love God for any reason beyond his role as Santa Claus. God wants to be loved for who He is -- for His mercy, grace, kindness, compassion, and other attributes -- and not because He makes life easy for us. Finally, God allows pain to remind us that our home is not in this world, that our real life begins in the afterlife, in Heaven. He wishes for us to long for that place. And pain has a way of keeping our hope there, rather than on Earth. This is a good thing, for Heaven promises more wonderful, beautiful things than those which are found here. Earth is for deciding whether we will love one another as well as our Creator; Heaven is where our experience of life will find its fruition.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:20

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Monday, January 18, 2010

WALKED ALL OVER

One day I saw a young woman whom I remembered as being one of the most glowing, fervent Christians I had ever seen. Now, perhaps the best word to describe her was "downtrodden." She confessed to me that, yes, she had lost her zeal for the Lord and hadn't been sleeping well. "I used to be so on fire for Him, she said. "Now I feel so oppressed. People walk all over me, and I lie awake wondering why." Several days later I read an amazing thing in the book of Matthew. There, Jesus predicted that those who lose their "saltiness" would be "trodden underfoot by men!" In other words, they'd feel "walked all over" just as she did. Jesus offered hope in the situation as He said, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV). If you are distressed tonight because you, too, have lost your "saltiness" and feel "walked all over," know that the Lord wants to restore you once again to be His light. It's never too late, with His help, to shine again..
Whatever our situation in this moment we should never loose HOPE because our God say
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven

" (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV).

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

WHOSE COUNSEL

Some of you may be confused tonight because, just as you embarked on some terrific work for the Lord, someone came along to "help" and now everything's a disaster. If this happened to you, you might pray about the possibility of Satan having sent in a "helper" or "counselor" dressed up as an "angel of light.: One of the enemy's major tactics to throw the Lord's work off course can be sending you a "helpmate" who isn't guided by God. This strategy was dramatically illustrated in the book of Ezra. There the enemy actually had the nerve to come to the supervisors of God's temple-building project and say, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God..." (Ezra 4:5, NIV). When that tactic didn't work they "hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans..." (Ezra 4:5, NIV). If you think this has happened to you, ask your Father for a double anointing of His gift of discernment to flush out who was and who wasn't sent by Him! As King Solomon prayed, "Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?" (1 Kings 3:9. RSV). God wants you to be a good manager of people. But a large part of this job is learning to discern good counsel from bad...

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

LONELY PLACE

Loneliness is no fun...but there are times when the Lord takes you out of the hustle and bustle of "normal" life and woos you into a "desert" experience so lonely that you wonder if anyone will ever find you. Isolated, you feel "put on the shelf," as though you will never again be a part of the things that are happening around you. Don't despair. God knows what He is doing. Even if you're in a very lonely place, God can still use you just as He used Jesus. One day, Jesus didn't want to be mobbed by the huge crowd, so he asked a leper whom He had just healed not to tell anyone but the priest what had happened. Instead, the man told the whole town. Do you feel that your life right now is being spent "outside in lonely places?" Perhaps it is, but remember that these lonely places, too, are part of God's training. For although He wants us to know how to be surrounded by people, He also, at times, protects us from the influence of people and keeps us alone with Him. Then, at the proper time, He will bring the sick and needy to you for ministry, even if you're in the loneliest place in the world.
"As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere"
(Mark 1:45, NIV).
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Monday, January 11, 2010

SAPPHIRES GEM STONE

A while ago me and my girlfriend talking about the gift she received last Christmas from her loving hubby. She mentioned that she really wanted to have this jewelries made of Sapphires. Sapphires have been recognized for their beauty for centuries. It was the ancient Persians who came up with the belief that the sky around us was actually the reflection from a huge sapphire which contained our planet suspended in its middle. Not only that it is a sparkling, starry depths in all shades of blue are what best characterize the beauty of sapphire jewelry. She received another color and she told her hubby that how she wish the red color. But her hubby told her that although it comes in a wide variety of colors, there are no red sapphires because this would mean it was actually a ruby. The only difference between these two gemstones is the presence of iron in alluvial deposits, which lends its color to a sapphire. One of the more unique varieties of sapphires is the Padparadscha, which is a combination of orange and pink colors, considered a “fancy” stone. After we talk I start to browse online and check some facts about this Sapphires Gems stone and plan to buy it for myself LOL…How I wish I can afford to buy anything right now. Probably in proper time LOL..So guys if you are interested about this stone you can visit http://www.shopdi.com.


Saturday, January 9, 2010

MARRIAGE MENDING

(MCWE dailydevotion) God is referred to many times as the Master Potter...the molder and shaper of our lives. Few of us have trouble with the idea of Him shaping and remolding us as individuals, but how often do we think of Him remolding us as a couple? After all, if man and wife are "one flesh," wouldn't it stand to reason that God shapes marriage relationships too? Perhaps this is what God is doing in your life, but you haven't realized it. The changes that occur in a process like this can make you very uncomfortable, therefore, sleep may have eluded you as you've searched for answers to your pain. Great emotional upheavals can take place when children are born or leave home, when finances are altered or jobs lost. A husband can become upset when his wife starts a career, and a wife can be beside herself during her husband's "mid-life crisis." But, as painful as these things are, they're all part of God shaping and molding us...not only as individuals, but as man and wife!As Jeremiah described, "I went down to the potter's house and I saw him working at the wheel. But, the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him" (Jeremiah 18:3-4, NIV). There's the key: "shaping it as seemed best to him." Know that whatever is happening in your marriage – whatever attack of the enemy or even the results of your own mistakes you may be facing – God can reshape and remold both of you into a relationship that will be a true glory to Him...shaping it as He sees best!
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Thursday, January 7, 2010

UNDER HIS WINGS

(from daily devotionMCWE) How many nights have you been unable to sleep because of the "traffic" in your head? As one girl put it, "The minute I lie down, the craziest thoughts start spinning around. Some don't even make sense. Like at two this morning, I was awake worrying about who to invite to my birthday party three months from now! How can I stop this mind traffic and get a good night's sleep? I desire that all the distracting traffic in your head be stopped, not just tonight, but every night. Have you ever seen a chicken sleep with its head tucked serenely under its wing? Imagine sleeping in a position like that...with your mind at peace, tucked safely under the protection of Christ's wings! God wants you to have that same unruffled serenity every time you lie down. The Psalmist David had this in mind when he said, "the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings...You have been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings" (Psalms 36:7, 61:3-4, NKJV). Know tonight that this peace and shelter that David talks about is available to you... mentally, emotionally and spiritually as you rest securely in the shelter of Christ's arms and release all cares, concerns and anxieties to Him. He will carry them for you, while you rest in peace...
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Every generation has its "untouchables." In Jesus' day it included the lepers, the prostitutes and the tax collectors. These were people to be avoided at all costs: they were spiritual outcasts. Tonight, sleep may be evading you because you are unsure how to react to our society's list of "untouchables"...a neighbor's son with AIDS...a girl suffering side-effects from an abortion...a co-worker who admits his homosexuality...a friend's father on death row. Your first reaction may be extreme aversion: You many tend to avoid these troubled people and walk on. They are, after all, the "untouchables"...yet, deep within you, God's Word is stirring. Jesus mingled often with "untouchables" in order to demonstrate God's mercy and love. He supped with "undesirables": "And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples" (Matthew 9:10, RSV). It was in the home of a leper, Simon, that He was anointed with oil. Offering to let the sinless in the crowd cast the first stones at the adulteress and finding none willing to condemn her, Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more" (John 8:11, TLB). He admonished His disciples then, as He is admonishing us today, to ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers and cast out demons" (Matthew 10:8, TLB). Look tonight on society's "hopeless cases" as opportunities to prove God's love, authority and power...follow His lead and reach out in love tomorrow...
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Sunday, January 3, 2010

DIVORCE-UNACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVES

By Pastor DAN ROTEN

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."
— Genesis 2:18
From the beginning God saw that companionship was necessary. He accordingly instituted marriage to be a source of blessing to man. And it has been just that for countless multitudes. But many others, whose number is rapidly growing, have seen their marriage turn disaster. Sadly for all, they have turned to divorce for relief. This trend is both heart-breaking and frightening. Everyone realizes that divorce is common today, but perhaps few realize just how common. In 1890, one out of every 1,000 people participated in a divorce. But in 1978, a shocking one out of every 97 people in the U.S. participated in a divorce! In the 12 month period ending in June 1979, the ratio of marriages to divorces was not even 2 to 1. Dare we ask why this could be? Certainly no thinking person would try to give a simple answer to that question, for the problem is obviously very complex. But I think we must confess that one of the reasons for the sky-rocketing rate of divorce is that the preachers of God’s Word are no longer preaching God’s hatred of this sin. Their silence has given tacit approval. And now many preachers, who have studied more psychology and counseling techniques than they have Bible, are "re-evaluating traditional prejudices" (old Bible convictions) and are seeking to "develop a spiritually healthy attitude toward divorce" (high sounding words to disguise their own compromise and situation ethics). Thus, they cover up their won participation in the tragedy and piously declare, "Let’s not impose a rigid set of legalistic standards, but rather minister grace." All the while they are ministering Antinomianism (an ancient heresy of lawlessness), rather than Biblical grace, in absolute disobedience to Romans 6:1-2,15. Citing Romans 6:14 they cry, "We’re under grace, not law!" Yet they ignore the first half of the same verse which declares, "For sin shall not have dominion over you." Grace does not destroy or annul the moral law and absolute divine standards of God. Rather, it gives a new motivation (love to Christ) and ability (by regeneration and the indwelling Holy Spirit) so that we might walk "being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ" 1st Corinthians 9:21. Jesus preached grace and truth in contrast to the Mosaic law (John 1:17), but He never sought to set aside the moral law of God. To the contrary, He often expounded upon it. In doing so He was not preaching some new "kingdom law," but was clarifying the divine standard of God’s law against which men transgress when they sin (1st John 3:4). That standard is absolute and unchanging, regardless of the dispensation of time, since it is determined by the unchanging holiness of God. My purpose in writing this article is to lead anyone who reads it to the conviction that divorce is not an acceptable alternative. To resolve any problem, a person must weigh the alternatives, then discard the unacceptable and pursue the acceptable. Likewise, couples with serious marital problems are finally faced with only two alternatives–resolution of the problems, or else divorce. If Christians will come to unanimous agreement that divorce is not an acceptable alternative, then they can give themselves wholeheartedly to resolving the problems that they are faced with. My earnest prayer and desire is that broken homes might be rebuilt and strengthened, rather than divided and destroyed by divorce. That must begin with the firm conviction that divorce is not an acceptable alternative, especially for Christians. To begin our Scripture study of this subject, let us go to the Sermon on the Mount which our Lord preached early in His ministry. In Matthew 5:17-20, the Lord begins speaking of the law. In verses 21-32, He takes two examples from the moral law of God, as found in the Ten Commandments, and comments upon them. In verses 21-26, He is speaking of the practical applications of the prohibition against murder, and in verses 27-32 He is giving practical applications of the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Our Lord’s first words concerning divorce are found in that last division that I mentioned, where His subject is adultery. In verse 28, He shows that adultery is a sin of the heart. In verses 29-30 he gives a physical illustration to emphasize man’s need of a changed heart. Then, still dealing with adultery, the Lord brings up divorce in verses 31-32. "It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 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." Here the Lord lays great guilt upon the shoulders of the man who divorces his wife. Such a man causes his wife to commit adultery. He bears a large part of the responsibility for her sin of adultery that she will be committing when she remarries, as she most likely will. Also, the man who marries her is committing adultery. Thus, two very important truths come out of this verse. (1) The man who divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery. (2) The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. I am sure that you notice above that our Lord included an exception, "saving for the cause of fornication." That exception will be reviewed in detail later on in this study. For the moment, please notice that He did not make an exception for adultery. Fornication and adultery are two different things. The next recorded words of Christ dealing with divorce appear in Luke 16:18. This is more toward the end of Christ’s earthly ministry, and He is continually forced to confront the hypocritical Pharisees and Saducees. In the entire chapter 16 of Luke, the Lord is showing them that they themselves are sinners. Divorce and remarriage were common and acceptable among the majority of them. So after stating, "and it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail," He shows how that man who thought they were righteous were breaking the law. They were committing or condoning adultery. "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." In these words, the Lord has brought out a third point to add to our list. (3) The man who divorces his wife and remarries is committing adultery. The next words of Christ on our subject appear to have been spoken just a few days later, but in a different location. Our verses are found in the parallel passages of Matthew 19:1-12 and Mark 10:1-12. Here, the Pharisee bring up the issue, although their purpose is to tempt our Lord. they ask, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" (Matthew 19:3). They appeal to the civil temporal law that the Lord permitted through Moses. But Christ appeals to the higher, moral law that was established on eternal principles back in the Garden of Eden. The Lord points out that the divine order, from creation until today is that one man should take one woman to be his wife, and cleave to her, for they are one flesh. Then He states very clearly, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Observe that this is the first time that the Lord is not speaking of remarriage or adultery. He is speaking only of divorce, and He expressly forbids it. In public discussions and studies such as this, I am generally reluctant to discuss technicalities from the Greek text. But in this passage I find an extremely important note which should be pointed out. When the Lord spoke the words, "let not man put asunder," He used a present imperative prohibition. But there are two types of prohibitions found in the Greek language. The aorist subjunctive prohibition would be used to forbid a thing beforehand. The present imperative prohibition forbids the continuance of an act already in progress. Since it is this second class of prohibition found in our verse, we can see that the Lord was not merely stating beforehand to some individual, "Don’t you ever get a divorce." He was saying that man, the human race, should stop getting divorces! Let the progress cease from this time on! Our Lord at that point was terminating a temporal, civil precept that had existed under the Old Testament dispensation (Deuteronomy 24:1), but was not to continue in the New . Here is our fourth main point. (4) Man must discontinue putting asunder by divorce that which God has joined by marriage. As we compare Mark 10, in verse 12 our Lord adds our fifth main point. "And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery." This is stated from the woman’s standpoint, and shows that all of these truths apply to both the man and the woman. (5) The woman who divorces her husband and remarries is committing adultery. Next, we come to Paul’s first epistle to the church at Corinth. They wrote to him asking specific questions concerning our subject, which he answers in chapter 7. In verses 10-11, Paul says "Let not the wife depart from her husband" and "let not the husband put away his wife." These words just reinforce the sense of our fourth point listed above, and add nothing new. But he also states, "But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband." Here we find the first and only guidelines expressed in the Bible for someone who has been married and then divorced. (6) If divorce should occur, the divorcees should remain unmarried or be reconciled to one another. These steps are essential to prevent adding sin to sin. We should here insert that verses 8-9 in no way imply that divorcees may remarry. The "unmarried" of verse 8 is contrasted to "widows" and is simply referring to widowers. In the same sense, verse 28 does not imply that divorcees may remarry, for he is speaking of virgins, both men and women, in verses 25-28. Also, according to verse 15, if an unbeliever divorces a believer, the believer would have no way to stop the divorce, and should not feel guilty in such a case. But this does not imply permission for remarriage, since the guidelines of verse 11 would immediately come into effect. But if possible, the believer should remain with the unbelieving spouse, with the hopes of winning such a one to Christ, verse 16. One last verse in this chapter stands out as being very important to our subject. Verse 39 reads, "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord." The same truths are taught in Romans 7:1-3. (7) Husband and wife are joined together for life, and only when God puts them asunder by the death of one, is the other at liberty to remarry. This is the only Biblical condition wherein remarriage is permitted, and even then it should be "only in the Lord." Now let us deal with that perplexing exception that our Lord mentioned twice in the book of Matthew, "except for the cause of fornication." Many say that "fornication" is a synonym for "adultery" and that the two are used interchangeably. Hence, they say Christ meant to say in Matthew 19:9, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for adultery, and shall marry another, does not commit adultery." or restated, "Whosoever shall put away his wife for adultery, and shall marry another, does not commit adultery." Therefore based on this interpretation, they permit divorce and remarriage in those cases where one’s spouse has committed adultery. Permit me to show three reasons why that interpretation is erroneous. First, this interpretation means that the real marriage was put asunder, even in God’s eyes, by the act of adultery. Therefore, God accepts the divorce as a visible declaration of the non-visible reality, and so the remarriage is not adultery. But does our Lord imply such a thing to be true? To the contrary, He specifically states that he who remarries after a divorce "committeth adultery" (present indicative, linear action). Such a person is continuously committing adultery. That remarriage is a state of adultery. The first marriage continues on unbroken in God’s eyes, in spite of perpetual adultery. Clearly then we see that adultery does not put asunder a marriage. To further establish this truth we might point out that the initiation of a marriage, or the joining by God comes before the one flesh relationship. Joseph "took unto him his wife" (Matthew 1:24-25) long before he "knew her." Husband and wife are neither "joined together" in the bed of marriage, nor "put asunder" in the bed of adultery. Second, such and interpretation contradicts the clear teaching of Romans 7:1-3 and 1s Corinthians 7:39, that a husband and wife are bound by the law until death. Third, such an interpretation misses the fact that the Lord forbids putting asunder, but permits putting away for fornication. Does that sound illogical? Just as all roses are flowers, but not all flowers are roses, even so all putting asunder is putting away, but not all putting away is putting asunder. This brings us to the correct teaching of these verses. Under what circumstances could a man put away a wife, without putting asunder a marriage that was consummated before God? This was only possible in the Jewish custom of betrothal. When it was arranged for a Jewish couple to become husband and wife, partial vows were said. They were only betrothed or espoused, but they were officially referred to as husband and wife. This was the relationship between Joseph and Mary when she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. They were only espoused (Matthew 1:18), but Joseph is specifically called, "her husband" (Matthew 1:19) and Mary is called, "thy wife," (verse 20). Joseph thought he had discovered fornication on Mary’s part, and was minded to put her away privily. That would have required literally a putting away, or a type of divorce, because partial vows had already been said. But it would not have been a putting asunder, for they had not spoken the marriage covenant. We are grateful that the Lord intervened to show Joseph his misunderstanding. But the situation that Joseph thought existed is the type of situation that the Lord described when He said, "except it be for the cause of fornication." Such a putting away could only take place during betrothal. Those who participated in such a putting away would be free to marry another, without fear of causing or committing adultery, for they were as yet unmarried. Fornication should not be confused with adultery in this passage. Adultery is a sin of married people. Fornication is a sin of unmarried people. Such a marked distinction between fornication and adultery is not foreign to Scripture. The only other time that the Lord used those words is found in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:21, and there He is obviously thinking of them as two distinctly different sins. The same holds true in 1st Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 5:19, and Hebrews 13:4 where the sins, fornication and adultery, are shown to be different from one another. And perhaps clearest of all is 1st Corinthians 7:2 where Paul declares that a man should marry to avoid fornication. Try substituting the word "adultery" in the place of "fornication" in that verse, and you’ll see that it makes no sense. Why is the exception of fornication found only in Matthew? Matthew wrote his gospel account primarily for Jews who practiced the betrothal custom, and so the Holy Spirit led him to include those words. But it is generally accepted that Mark wrote for the Romans and Luke for the Greeks. If that be the case, then one can easily see why the Holy Spirit did not see fit to include that exception in those books, since those Gentiles did not commonly practice the betrothal custom. Therefore those words would not pertain to them at all. Just as in the United States, they could simply cancel the wedding plans, and "putting away" would never be involved at all. It is also notable that Paul failed to mention the fornication exception to the Corinthians. Corinth was a city of the lowest moral standards imaginable. It was a large port city, the Mediterranean center of trade and vice. The slum areas were full of professional prostitutes. Also Gnosticism was prominent there. The adherents to this doctrine were given to rash libertinism, knowing no bounds in this world, since truth and reality were found only in the spirit world. And even worse was the traditional religion of Corinth which was temple prostitution. There were over 1,000 temple prostitutes who served in the temple to Venus. Demosthenes said, "The professional prostitutes we have for our pleasure, the concubines for the daily care of our bodies, and our wives so that we can have legitimate children and a true guardian of the house." You can see that all forms of sexual immorality, both fornication and adultery would be commonly accepted in Corinthian life. This was a battle for Paul in the Corinthian church. This word group (fornication, porneo and derivatives) is used only 55 times in the entire New Testament, yet 14 of those are in 1st Corinthians alone. At the end of 2nd Corinthians, you can see that it was still a problem (2nd Corinthians 12:21). If anyone would need clear instructions in regard to these problems, it would be the Corinthian Christians. They wrote Paul specifically asking about marriage, divorce, and fornication. But nowhere does Paul mention that adultery would be grounds for divorce, even when he spoke about Christian women whose husbands were lost. And nowhere did he mention the exception of fornication, since betrothal would not be a common practice among the Corinthians. Apparently Paul and the Holy Spirit knew that Christ’s exception of fornication did not pertain to the Corinthian situation. Study Malachi 2:10-16. There you will find several sins that Judah and Israel committed. Among them were the sins of divorce and remarriage. There the Word declares in verse 16, "For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away." If He hates putting away, then divorce will never be acceptable to God. In verse 14 the Lord even went so far as to say "Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant." Even though men may divorce and remarry, God says that the first wife yet is their companion. Some men have strangely sought to use Mat. 19:6 to prove that not all married couples are indeed joined by God. They say that a legal union is meaningless if there is no "true spiritual union." for such couples divorce is acceptable, even good. Paul definitely had in mind that sort of error when he wrote 1st Corinthians 7:12-14. There he assured some brethren in Christ that they were legitimately married before God, although no spiritual union existed in their marriage. Who then is joined together by God? Observe again the last five words of Malachi 2:14. God Himself spoke saying that they were yet joined to "the wife of they covenant." It is through the marriage vows that God joins together a man and wife. It is with this in view that the preacher in a wedding ceremony, shortly after the repeating of the vows will state, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." We dare not belittle the marriage covenant, for God certainly does not do so. It is interesting to study Jeremiah 3 and Ezekiel 16 and see how that when Israel, the wife of Jehovah committed adultery, He did not leave her for another. He remembered His covenant with her, Ezekiel 16:8,60. Either God’s judgment or His chastening is bound to come upon those covenant breakers who rebelliously follow the route of divorce (Romans 1:31-32). At this time let us summarize the main points that we established by Scripture. 1) The man who divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery. 2) The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 3) The man who divorces his wife and remarries is committing adultery. 4) Man must discontinue putting asunder by divorce, that which God has joined by marriage. 5) The woman who divorces her husband and remarries is committing adultery. 6) If divorce should occur, the divorcees should remain unmarried or be reconciled to one another. 7) Husband and wife are joined together for life, and only when God puts them asunder by the death of one is the other at liberty to remarry. These truths should lead us to the firm conviction that divorce is not an acceptable alternative. Especially is it not a Christian alternative. You may be thinking, "That’s too cold, hard, and narrow. Why, if that’s true, it would be better not to marry at all!" That’s what the 12 disciples first said when they finally understood the Lord’s teaching (Matthew 19:10). But the Lord had to tell them, "No, that’s not true. Few men could remain single." The words that our God spoke in the garden of Eden are still true today, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Some who read this may in anger or despair now be thinking, "Then there’s no hope for me. I’m already divorced and remarried." Let me assure you that there is hope, for "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20). Your sins of divorce and remarriage is like every other sin. Honestly confess it to God, and you will be forgiven, and the relationship will be cleansed of all unrighteousness. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1st John 1:9) Through God’s forgiving grace you may be restored to full fellowship with Him. Then that second marriage can no longer be considered adulterous, for it is forgiven and cleansed. Although marriage is a blessed institution, problems are sure to come. To you that have not yet experienced the heartbreak and bitterness of divorce and remarriage let me say, every problem can be resolved. If divorce is resorted to, that is evidence of hardness of heart (Matthew 19:8). Such a condition need never be found in a child of God, for his stony heart has been changed to a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). God’s grace is sufficient through the greatest trial or problem imaginable (2nd Corinthians 12:9; Luke 18:27). Be not deceived by the humanistic psychologists that stand in many pulpits today. They may try many different tactics to deny the true Bible doctrine of divorce. But they do so in direct conflict with Jesus Christ, who dealt with divorce and remarriage on the basis of God’s moral law which is eternal, and applicable to believer and unbeliever alike. Woe to the unfaithful shepherds who would lead their flocks into sin. The main purpose of this study has been to proclaim Bible truth so that the break-up of another home might be averted. Is your home facing failure and disaster? If so, look up unto God and you will find that recovery lies ahead. Begin with personal confession (1st John 1:9), prayer (John 16:23), and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32), and determine absolutely that divorce is not an acceptable alternative.

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Friday, January 1, 2010

DON'T WAIT...ANTICIPATE

There are times of waiting on God in every Christian's life – waiting that can sorely try the soul. A battle ensues between your desire for God's best and your natural impatience. The urge arises from within to cry out, "Now, God, now!"The circumstances may overwhelm you. You may think you need to see the solution to your problems now...the answers to your questions now...the manifestation of your prayer requests now. There is a time when God allows the immediate...when He moves quickly on your behalf in miraculous ways. But, there is also that season of waiting – that time when the heavens seem as brass, and your prayers seem unanswered. That's the season when the comfort of God must be to Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land (Psalm 37:34a). When you earnestly seek God's will over your own, a season of waiting can be transformed into an experience of exaltation. You can be lifted above your situation to a place of peace free of anxiety and impatience where you glimpse God's everlasting faithfulness. He has not forgotten you. He is there right by your side. Only then will you realize that your Heavenly Father sees what's ahead. He knows the successful end results of His careful planning on your behalf. Best of all, you will find that you are not really "waiting" at all – you are instead, anticipating!
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