I have my own opinions about why people don't like church anymore. Let me say again, it is my opinion and not facts, so you can take it for what it is worth-agree or disagree.
(1) Most people are convinced today they don't need the church to get to heaven.
The stats say that people between the ages of 19-29 begin to drift away from the church because they feel it really isn't important anyore concerning their spiritual future. My gut feeling is they think more of us (the church) as an institution rather than a movement. If you think about it it makes sense. The early church of Acts 2 was an exciting and unique place to be a part of. They were a group of world-changers that turned the known world upside down for Christ. We say today that we are a model of the New Testament Church, but we really don't act like they did. They cared about each other much more than the church shows today and about ministering to the needs of one another. They also were concerned about affecting the environment around them for better rather than worse. Sometimes it seems the church today is only concerned about itself rather than the needs of the lost, hurting, and needy.
(2) Most churches have gone so far in debt for facilities that they don't have the finances to invest in ministries that really count. What good is building a nice facility if you don't have the money to keep it up or the money to invest in ministries to fill it up? I have inherited three buildings in my forty years of ministry that were either in disrepair when I got there or they were far behind on their upkeep and maintenance. Then I had the task of trying to repair them or update them and usually raise the funds to do so. Not an easy task to do especially now days in this economy and it's getting worse.
(3) Most churches want to stick to traditional ministries that have become outdated to the general public or again don't have the funds or staff to help them function properly.
Four years ago in Union I led the church in building a Family Life Center that I thought was the key to reaching our community for Christ. They've been in the building for 3 years now-1 year under my administration and two years under their new pastor. I felt like that was something we needed to do to kick start our ministry of 11 years there at the time. We were able to construct a nice facility for less than $240,000.00 and with a total payment of around $2200.00 a month, well within our budget and less than what the church was paying when I moved there 11 years prior.
I did this believing God was going to help us use the facility for ministry because nobody else was using theirs in the city to do what we wanted to do. We started community outreach after community outreach using athletics and exercise, but none of the things we did brought people into the church. Even though the church has very nice facilities in Union that we were able to keep up during my tenure there as the pastor, and a beautiful building for fellowship and recreation, the stuff that used to work when I was a kid and teenager just didn't work like I thought it would. In my mind it should have but it didn't.
Softball teams, basketball teams, and athletic ministries work in some areas well, but not like they used to. You usually end up with people just coming the required time to play on the team and then you don't see them until the next season. The traditional ministries we did to get people in church in the past, like youth rallies and VBS, don't work like they once did. I've also discovered that most senior adults like to have the facilites mostly as decoration rather than fellowship and really don't want certain people to use them. Sunday School only seems to appeal to the elderly because a whole generation was kept away from it because their parents thought it was boring. Traditional choirs again appeal mostly to the elderly and most younger people don't participate in them because of the style of music or the required dress codes to be on stage.
Again, it's mostly the seniors (and sadly to say I am one of them at 58-senior that is) that still believe all traditional ministries of the past still work to attract people today. Believe me they don't.
(4) The church is not the main social and gathering place it once was with young adults who have children. Most of them have their schedules so adjusted with school activities and routines that many refuse to sacrifice a night of their family time to come to something miles away at a church facility whether it be a church service or activity. As young people, many of us would come to church just to be with our friends, but that's not the drawing card anymore. The social events of our day have become more important than church to most young people and younger couples with children. Things that are foreign to most people over 50 like Google, Wikapedia, Twitter, Facebook, even My Space are an every minute occurance with the generation of today.
(5) The Millennials are the first non-religious generation in American history. They have not be taught the importance of the church, they have not been grounded in the Word, and haven't been brought on any regular basis to a house of worship. Thusly, they abstain themselves from religious facilites of all denominations. Many say they believe in a higher power, but they are not sure if He is the God of the Bible or some other god. In fact most of them have never read a Bible, sat through a Sunday School class, sang out of a hymnal, or even gave anything in the offering (let alone learn to tithe). They are the most educated, entertained, and worldly enlightened generation in modern history.
When a 3rd grader knows more about sex than his/her parents do it just proves the opinions I'm giving you. The world has changed, yet we still resist to change the methods of the church to appeal to those who really need to hear the gospel.
(Part 3 tomorrow)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Why People Don't Like Church Anymore (Part 1)
-Why is it that some churches just seem to bloom and grow overnight and others struggle just to keep their heads above water?
-Why do some churches attract a younger crowd while others are doomed to die because there are no youth within them?
-Why do some pastors work hard all their lives hoping, praying, and believing they can see the vision come to pass that God has placed in their hearts only to die with that dream unfulfilled?
-Why do some churches want to hold onto their past and what once was only to see their buildings empty because of a lack of vision for today?
If I had the answers to these questions I could retire on easy street or be the guest speaker at every major church convention in the world. The truth of the matter is nobody but God has the answer to these questions and for some reason He doesn't always share them with us. I sure wish He would because it would make my job a whole lot easier.
I have come to this conclusion on this one subject that people really don't want to talk about. Most people really don't like to go to church anymore. Oh yes, we've always had the Christmas/Easter crowd who show up for those services, especially if you're giving something away. But the truth of the matter is it's getting harder and harder to get people to come to church regularly, let alone on a special occasion.
So why don't people like to go to church anymore?
Could it be lack of commitment? Commitment is something we have been lacking for a long time in America. People are not committed to their spouses, their families, their careers, their payments, and much more. The lack thereof has created a huge chasm in our culture that has produced a generation of uncaring, self-centered individuals who want what they want and nothing else.
Could it be a lack of concern? People used to care about one another. They used to love the fact of being around one another for fellowship and fun, but something has changed. Since we don't seem to care about one another as much a loner spirit has developed that has separated us even more than we were before.
Could it be those situations or something else entirely? Stayed tuned to find out.
-Why do some churches attract a younger crowd while others are doomed to die because there are no youth within them?
-Why do some pastors work hard all their lives hoping, praying, and believing they can see the vision come to pass that God has placed in their hearts only to die with that dream unfulfilled?
-Why do some churches want to hold onto their past and what once was only to see their buildings empty because of a lack of vision for today?
If I had the answers to these questions I could retire on easy street or be the guest speaker at every major church convention in the world. The truth of the matter is nobody but God has the answer to these questions and for some reason He doesn't always share them with us. I sure wish He would because it would make my job a whole lot easier.
I have come to this conclusion on this one subject that people really don't want to talk about. Most people really don't like to go to church anymore. Oh yes, we've always had the Christmas/Easter crowd who show up for those services, especially if you're giving something away. But the truth of the matter is it's getting harder and harder to get people to come to church regularly, let alone on a special occasion.
So why don't people like to go to church anymore?
Could it be lack of commitment? Commitment is something we have been lacking for a long time in America. People are not committed to their spouses, their families, their careers, their payments, and much more. The lack thereof has created a huge chasm in our culture that has produced a generation of uncaring, self-centered individuals who want what they want and nothing else.
Could it be a lack of concern? People used to care about one another. They used to love the fact of being around one another for fellowship and fun, but something has changed. Since we don't seem to care about one another as much a loner spirit has developed that has separated us even more than we were before.
Could it be those situations or something else entirely? Stayed tuned to find out.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Greatest Catch of My Life
It's been 16 years since I last played in a Church League softball game. I was never that great at baseball or softball growing up like my younger siblings. Football was then, as it is now, always been my favorite and the sport I was best at. But as you get older church softball seems to be the way to go. I started playing it when I was a Youth Pastor years ago in Wilmington, North Carolina. Kannapolis, Lancaster, Rock Hill, Greenville, Powdersville were cities where I pastored and played and mostly enjoyed every minute of it.
I made some decent plays when I was playing, but I was never the hero of the game. But one night I made a catch that was the greatest that I had ever made playing softball. The only problem was no one seemed to care and it didn't decide the outcome of the game. The only one it really mattered to was me.
It was in a practice game in Rock Hill on a Thursday night. I don't remember who was batting or what team we were playing, but I was playing center field. The hitter was not a long ball hitter, so our coach called all of us outfielders in just a little. About that time the batter hit a high fly ball that was sure to be a hit. I took off running toward the center field wall looking over my shoulder at the ball. At the very last moment just a few feet from the wall I stretched out my glove hand caught the ball on a full run, did a somersalt due to my momentum, got up, turned and threw out the runner on second base. He had taken off for home thinking the ball was going to fall safely. I jumped up and down like I had won the World Series, got some pats on the back from my outfield mates, but the next batter came up and the play was forgotten.
Nobody cheered, the crowd didn't go wild, and I didn't get a ring. In fact in spite of my greatest catch of all time, I didn't even start the next real game we had. I was a benchwarmer that night because we had so many players on the team that were better than me. Nobody that saw the remarkable catch and throw I made during that practice game the night before even remembered it. Nobody celebrated the greatest catch of my life because it was not a real game and it really didn't count against our record.
How many times has God done something that only you experienced and when you told others about it they weren't phased a bit? Or how many times have you done something for God that was a great accomplishment for you, yet went unnoticed by your peers or spiritual overseers because it didn't match what the guy with the big church had done? Hey, it's happened to all of us in our lives at least one time-maybe more.
That's when we have to remember it's about pleasing God and being content within ourselves that we did the best job possible that really matters. I have found myself pulling away from my peers recently because all they seen to want to talk about are their numbers and statistics. I'm not proud of it, but I can tell you I have the lowest fiscal numbers of my ministry and have worked harder here at my church than any place I have ever pastored. Honestly, it's been about to kill me because I don't have the results I have had at other places. Sometimes I sit and pray, "God, why don't the things work here that have worked in other places I have pastored? What am I doing wrong?"
But then the Lord reminds me about that un-celebrated catch that I made that night that didn't really matter to anyone but me. He reminds me that that night I made my best effort in spite of seeing no great reward or superstar recognition. He reminds me that I was determined to catch that ball and throw out the base runner in spite of not being the greatest or the best player on the field. He reminds me that even though it went unnoticed by even my own coach when we played a real game the next night, on that practice game night I gave it my best effort. I did what I set out to do when I started running after the ball-I caught it and threw out the advancing runner.
No matter what happens in the future, I know that I have given DCOG my best effort. I have done what God called me to do and I'm still trying to rebuild a once great ministry into one even greater. No, I'm not the greatest preacher, but I do the best I can do. Not the greatest singer, but I put everything I have into every note that I sing. Not the greatest pastor, but I sure try to be there when my people need me.
I am saying this on a day when discouragement is at bat and aiming for the fence. But guess what, I'm trying to stop him before he gets on base. If I can do that and nobody knows, who cares-I've already won!
The same can be said for you. Maybe it's time to make the greatest catch of your life. So what if nobody celebrates it or it doesn't make the front page, God is keeping the record and sees every event in your life. Stop discouragement before it stops you. Take the field and start running for the fence because you can stop it every time by just simply making the catch. Believe me, it will be the greatest thing you can do in your life if you get it out before it scores.
I made some decent plays when I was playing, but I was never the hero of the game. But one night I made a catch that was the greatest that I had ever made playing softball. The only problem was no one seemed to care and it didn't decide the outcome of the game. The only one it really mattered to was me.
It was in a practice game in Rock Hill on a Thursday night. I don't remember who was batting or what team we were playing, but I was playing center field. The hitter was not a long ball hitter, so our coach called all of us outfielders in just a little. About that time the batter hit a high fly ball that was sure to be a hit. I took off running toward the center field wall looking over my shoulder at the ball. At the very last moment just a few feet from the wall I stretched out my glove hand caught the ball on a full run, did a somersalt due to my momentum, got up, turned and threw out the runner on second base. He had taken off for home thinking the ball was going to fall safely. I jumped up and down like I had won the World Series, got some pats on the back from my outfield mates, but the next batter came up and the play was forgotten.
Nobody cheered, the crowd didn't go wild, and I didn't get a ring. In fact in spite of my greatest catch of all time, I didn't even start the next real game we had. I was a benchwarmer that night because we had so many players on the team that were better than me. Nobody that saw the remarkable catch and throw I made during that practice game the night before even remembered it. Nobody celebrated the greatest catch of my life because it was not a real game and it really didn't count against our record.
How many times has God done something that only you experienced and when you told others about it they weren't phased a bit? Or how many times have you done something for God that was a great accomplishment for you, yet went unnoticed by your peers or spiritual overseers because it didn't match what the guy with the big church had done? Hey, it's happened to all of us in our lives at least one time-maybe more.
That's when we have to remember it's about pleasing God and being content within ourselves that we did the best job possible that really matters. I have found myself pulling away from my peers recently because all they seen to want to talk about are their numbers and statistics. I'm not proud of it, but I can tell you I have the lowest fiscal numbers of my ministry and have worked harder here at my church than any place I have ever pastored. Honestly, it's been about to kill me because I don't have the results I have had at other places. Sometimes I sit and pray, "God, why don't the things work here that have worked in other places I have pastored? What am I doing wrong?"
But then the Lord reminds me about that un-celebrated catch that I made that night that didn't really matter to anyone but me. He reminds me that that night I made my best effort in spite of seeing no great reward or superstar recognition. He reminds me that I was determined to catch that ball and throw out the base runner in spite of not being the greatest or the best player on the field. He reminds me that even though it went unnoticed by even my own coach when we played a real game the next night, on that practice game night I gave it my best effort. I did what I set out to do when I started running after the ball-I caught it and threw out the advancing runner.
No matter what happens in the future, I know that I have given DCOG my best effort. I have done what God called me to do and I'm still trying to rebuild a once great ministry into one even greater. No, I'm not the greatest preacher, but I do the best I can do. Not the greatest singer, but I put everything I have into every note that I sing. Not the greatest pastor, but I sure try to be there when my people need me.
I am saying this on a day when discouragement is at bat and aiming for the fence. But guess what, I'm trying to stop him before he gets on base. If I can do that and nobody knows, who cares-I've already won!
The same can be said for you. Maybe it's time to make the greatest catch of your life. So what if nobody celebrates it or it doesn't make the front page, God is keeping the record and sees every event in your life. Stop discouragement before it stops you. Take the field and start running for the fence because you can stop it every time by just simply making the catch. Believe me, it will be the greatest thing you can do in your life if you get it out before it scores.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Son Will Come Out Tomorrow
If you're having a bad day today remind yourself that tomorrow is going to be a better day. To help you get in the mood sing that stanza from the old "Annie" broadway show and it might just turn your day around. Just remember when you sing it substitute the word "Son" for "sun" in your mind, heart, and spirit. Here's the words:
"The Son will come out tomorrow , So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow, Come what may; Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! You're always a day a way!"
Sing it as many times as you need to until today's problems fade in the hope of what tomorrow may bring. I do believe it will bring a smile to your face, perhaps even a little laughter, but it will sure help you feel good inside.
Your challenges for today won't necessarily go away, but you will break the bond they have on you for the moment. When things go wrong they feel like they have a grip on you both mentally and physically. Ask God to help you let go of them when you sing that little tune because you know tomorrow will be better when you remember God is in control of every detail of your life.
When you put things in perspective that have gone wrong today you learn to thank God that you are able to face and overcome them. You can also thank Him for the things you learn from all of the challenges you faced today with the knowlege that tomorrow will be a better.
Yes, the Son will come out tomorrow-and the day after that-and the day after that. So don't lose hope today. It's almost tomorrow anyway!
"The Son will come out tomorrow , So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow, Come what may; Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! You're always a day a way!"
Sing it as many times as you need to until today's problems fade in the hope of what tomorrow may bring. I do believe it will bring a smile to your face, perhaps even a little laughter, but it will sure help you feel good inside.
Your challenges for today won't necessarily go away, but you will break the bond they have on you for the moment. When things go wrong they feel like they have a grip on you both mentally and physically. Ask God to help you let go of them when you sing that little tune because you know tomorrow will be better when you remember God is in control of every detail of your life.
When you put things in perspective that have gone wrong today you learn to thank God that you are able to face and overcome them. You can also thank Him for the things you learn from all of the challenges you faced today with the knowlege that tomorrow will be a better.
Yes, the Son will come out tomorrow-and the day after that-and the day after that. So don't lose hope today. It's almost tomorrow anyway!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Never
Mark 9:14-27 “When they came back down the mountain to the other disciples, they saw a huge crowd around them, and the religion scholars cross-examining them. As soon as the people in the crowd saw Jesus, admiring excitement stirred them. They ran and greeted him. He asked, "What's going on? What's all the commotion?" A man out of the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought my mute son, made speechless by a demon, to you. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff as a board. I told your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they couldn't." Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth. He asked the boy's father, "How long has this been going on?" "Ever since he was a little boy. Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!" Jesus said, "If? There are no "ifs' among believers. Anything can happen." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!" Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you--Out of him, and stay out!" Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, "He's dead." But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up.”
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
“The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.” (Amplified)
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (NIV)
“If your heart is broken, you'll find GOD right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath.” (The Message)
(1) Never ignore the spiritual risk that your child and family face-Acknowledge It!
1 Corinthians 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
The Force a Parent Fights Continually-Satan!
John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (NIV)
“You're from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn't stand the truth because there wasn't a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies.” (The Message)
(2) Never neglect the spiritual responsibility God has given you as a parent-Embrace It!
2 Corinthians 12:14, 15 “Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.”
(3) Never succumb to the unbelief of others around you-Call upon the Lord!
Matthew 17:20, 21 “So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
Lamentations 2:19 “Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street."
“As each night watch begins, get up and cry out in prayer. Pour your heart out face to face with the Master. Lift high your hands. Beg for the lives of your children who are starving to death out on the streets.” (The Message)
(4) Never assume that the “problem” you bring to God is the only problem he needs to deal with-Own up to It!
Mark 19:23, 24 “Jesus said, "If? There are no "ifs” among believers. Anything can happen." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!" (The Message)
(5) Never doubt the power of Christ to change your child’s life and your own-Believe It!
Mark 9:23 “And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!”
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Politics Easily Explained
- DEMOCRAT: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. You vote people into office that put a tax on your cows, forcing you to sell one to raise money to pay the tax. The people you voted for then take the tax money, buy a cow and give it to your neighbor. You feel righteous. Barbara Streisand sings for you.
- SOCIALIST: You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor. You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.
- REPUBLICAN: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. So?
- COMMUNIST: You have two cows. The government seizes both and provides you with milk. You wait in line for hours to get it. It is expensive and sour.
- CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.
- DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point you have to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow, which was a gift from your government.
- BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours the milk down the drain.
- AMERICAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one. You force the 2 cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses. Your stock goes up.
- FRENCH CORPORATION: You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows. You go to lunch. Life is good.
- JAPANESE CORPORATION: You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains. Most are at the top of their class at cow school.
- GERMAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour. Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.
- RUSSIAN CORPORATION: You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You have some more vodka. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 12 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka. You produce your 10th, 5-year plan in the last 3 months. The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.
- FLORIDA CORPORATION: You have a black cow and a brown cow. Everyone votes for the best looking one. Some of the people who like the brown one best, vote for the black one. Some people vote for both. Some people vote for neither. Some people can't figure out how to vote at all. Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which is the best-looking one.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Good Advice For Those Who Want The Best Out Of Life (Part 2)
-When sharpening your career skills, focus more on less.
Remember that society elevates experts high onto a pedestal. Hard work matters, but not if it’s scattered in diverse directions. So narrow your focus on learning fewer career related skills and master them all.
-People are not mind readers. Tell them what you’re thinking.
People will never know how you feel unless you tell them. In life, you have to communicate with others. And often, you have to open your vocal cords and speak the first words. You have to tell people what you’re thinking. It’s as simple as that.
-Make swift decisions and take immediate action.
Either you’re going to take action and seize new opportunities, or someone else will first. You can’t change anything or make any sort of progress by sitting back and thinking about it. Remember, there’s a huge difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. Knowledge is basically useless without action.
-Accept and embrace change.
However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change, and realize that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.
Remember that society elevates experts high onto a pedestal. Hard work matters, but not if it’s scattered in diverse directions. So narrow your focus on learning fewer career related skills and master them all.
-People are not mind readers. Tell them what you’re thinking.
People will never know how you feel unless you tell them. In life, you have to communicate with others. And often, you have to open your vocal cords and speak the first words. You have to tell people what you’re thinking. It’s as simple as that.
-Make swift decisions and take immediate action.
Either you’re going to take action and seize new opportunities, or someone else will first. You can’t change anything or make any sort of progress by sitting back and thinking about it. Remember, there’s a huge difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. Knowledge is basically useless without action.
-Accept and embrace change.
However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change, and realize that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Good Advice For Those Who Want The Best Out Of Life (Part 1)
(1) Commit yourself to making lots of mistakes.
Mistakes in living teach you important lessons. The biggest mistake you can make is doing nothing because you’re too scared to make a mistake. Don’t hesitate and don’t doubt yourself when you try something you're unsure of. In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you win or you learn something. Win-Win. Remember, if you never act, you will never know for sure, and you will be left standing in the same spot forever wondering what could have been different.
If I could offer my 18-year-old self some real career advice, I’d tell myself not to base my career choice on other people’s ideas, goals and recommendations. I’d tell myself not to pick a major because it’s popular, or statistically creates graduates who make the most money. I’d tell myself that the right career choice is based on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing. As long as you remain true to yourself, and follow your own interests and values, you can find success through passion. Perhaps more importantly, you won’t wake up several years later working in a career field you despise, wondering “How in the world am I going to do this for the next 30 years?” So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop. You’re on to something big. Because hard work ain’t hard when you concentrate on your passions.
Mistakes in living teach you important lessons. The biggest mistake you can make is doing nothing because you’re too scared to make a mistake. Don’t hesitate and don’t doubt yourself when you try something you're unsure of. In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you win or you learn something. Win-Win. Remember, if you never act, you will never know for sure, and you will be left standing in the same spot forever wondering what could have been different.
(2) Find work you love doing and do it.
(3) Invest time, energy and money in yourself every day.
When you invest in yourself, you can never lose, and over time you will change the trajectory of your life. You are simply the product of what you know. The more time, energy and money you spend acquiring knowledge, the more control you have over your life.
(4) Explore new ideas and opportunities often.
Your natural human fears of failure and embarrassment will sometimes stop you from trying new things. But you must rise above these fears, because your life’s story is simply the culmination many small, unique experiences. And the more unique experiences you have, the more interesting your story gets. So seek as many new life experiences as possible and be sure to share them with the people you care about. Not doing so is not living.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Growing Up
Growing old is not the same as growing up. Few things are more tragic than Christian people who have added only years to their dossier and derriere, rather than maturing as believers in Christ Jesus.
As long as we are able, we are to keep maturing in all the ways we can. Twice, Luke (in his gospel of Jesus) tells us about Jesus growing up. After His birth, circumcision and presentation at the temple in Luke 2:39, 40 he writes:
"And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
Matthew tells us His toddler years included a trip to Africa fleeing madman Herod's sword (Matthew 2:13-23). When Jesus' family repatriated to Roman-occupied Israel, they lived in Nazareth.
As much as we would like to speculate about Jesus as a boy, all we are left to mull over is that he was obedient to his parents and that He grew up. Mind you, these are no small matters. Even in childhood, Jesus is THE example for us.
"He grew" we read. This is an umbrella description that seems bland unless you consider its opposite. New parents watch to make sure their child is growing. If they stop progressing in any realm, they head to the Doctor.
Our Heavenly Father is monitoring our growth as well. In fact, the letters to the churches in the New Testament are properly obsessed with matters of maturity. Are you growing up? Have you changed much in the past years for the good?
Getting more specific, we read that Jesus "became strong and grew in stature." Our love for God is to include our heart soul, mind and strength. Learning carpentry, which included woodwork and masonry, Jesus was a man's man. Forget those pictures of a pansy in your old children's Bible. Our bodies are even called His temple in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 9:27. We are to glorify God with our body.
Jesus grew, as we also must, in wisdom. He was not a divine data depository, yet He was "filled with wisdom." We see this when He stayed at the Temple at age 12, a pivotal year when Jewish boys transition into manhood.
He sat listening to the teachers, asking them questions - ones that astonished all who heard Him. His questions revealed such insight that they were motivated to ask His take on Scripture. What passes for Bible teaching on much of Christian radio and TV and even in pulpits today is amazing. Where is the discernment and sane, Biblical discretion once shown by those in the faith? Spiritual counterfeits will continue to freely fleece the flock with their folly as long as believers stay ignorant and immature.
As long as we are able, we are to keep maturing in all the ways we can. Twice, Luke (in his gospel of Jesus) tells us about Jesus growing up. After His birth, circumcision and presentation at the temple in Luke 2:39, 40 he writes:
"And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
After Jesus' parents got lost and left Him in the Temple when He was twelve, we read in Verses 51, 52:
“And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Matthew tells us His toddler years included a trip to Africa fleeing madman Herod's sword (Matthew 2:13-23). When Jesus' family repatriated to Roman-occupied Israel, they lived in Nazareth.
As much as we would like to speculate about Jesus as a boy, all we are left to mull over is that he was obedient to his parents and that He grew up. Mind you, these are no small matters. Even in childhood, Jesus is THE example for us.
"He grew" we read. This is an umbrella description that seems bland unless you consider its opposite. New parents watch to make sure their child is growing. If they stop progressing in any realm, they head to the Doctor.
Our Heavenly Father is monitoring our growth as well. In fact, the letters to the churches in the New Testament are properly obsessed with matters of maturity. Are you growing up? Have you changed much in the past years for the good?
Getting more specific, we read that Jesus "became strong and grew in stature." Our love for God is to include our heart soul, mind and strength. Learning carpentry, which included woodwork and masonry, Jesus was a man's man. Forget those pictures of a pansy in your old children's Bible. Our bodies are even called His temple in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 9:27. We are to glorify God with our body.
Jesus grew, as we also must, in wisdom. He was not a divine data depository, yet He was "filled with wisdom." We see this when He stayed at the Temple at age 12, a pivotal year when Jewish boys transition into manhood.
He sat listening to the teachers, asking them questions - ones that astonished all who heard Him. His questions revealed such insight that they were motivated to ask His take on Scripture. What passes for Bible teaching on much of Christian radio and TV and even in pulpits today is amazing. Where is the discernment and sane, Biblical discretion once shown by those in the faith? Spiritual counterfeits will continue to freely fleece the flock with their folly as long as believers stay ignorant and immature.
Luke said next that "God's grace was upon Him”. He grew "in favor with God." Jesus, as a human, spiritually matured. Here is a phrase for you: "He learned obedience through the things that He suffered" according to Hebrews 5:8. Yes, even Jesus learned obedience.
We learn to obey through disobedience, God's discipline, forgiveness and restoration. Christ learned it through life's trials, being tempted by the Devil and rejected by His own people. In the Garden, He honestly states His preference to not be crucified. Yet, in the face of torture and humiliation, we hear Jesus say, "Father, not My will but Thine be done."
As we live in the realm of obedience, we are in the place where God can favor rather than discipline us. He cannot love us more than He already has or does. However, we can live in such a way that He can bless us beyond our own comprehension.
Finally, we discover that Jesus grew in favor with man. Having favor with man does not mean you are compromising truth or snuggling up to the world. Common ones received Jesus gladly. Sometimes the crowds around Jesus swelled as they hoped for another free lunch or a miracle show like in John 6. Yet, we also know social outcasts and serious sinners felt at home in His presence. Children loved Him and they are often still today a great test of character.
We learn to obey through disobedience, God's discipline, forgiveness and restoration. Christ learned it through life's trials, being tempted by the Devil and rejected by His own people. In the Garden, He honestly states His preference to not be crucified. Yet, in the face of torture and humiliation, we hear Jesus say, "Father, not My will but Thine be done."
As we live in the realm of obedience, we are in the place where God can favor rather than discipline us. He cannot love us more than He already has or does. However, we can live in such a way that He can bless us beyond our own comprehension.
Finally, we discover that Jesus grew in favor with man. Having favor with man does not mean you are compromising truth or snuggling up to the world. Common ones received Jesus gladly. Sometimes the crowds around Jesus swelled as they hoped for another free lunch or a miracle show like in John 6. Yet, we also know social outcasts and serious sinners felt at home in His presence. Children loved Him and they are often still today a great test of character.
So, it is time to grow up and to keep pressing on according to Philippians 3. As we face a still young year and in these last 3 days of our 21 Days of prayer, let’s repent of any spiritual stagnation in our lives. With God's help, let’s commit to further growth in Him through prayer during the remaining 10 months of 2012.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
“Boundary Markers-Part 3-Drawing God’s Line!”
Mark 1:29-39 “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else-to the nearby villages-so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." So he traveled throughout Galilee , preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”
When it comes to marking our boundaries what's appropriate and what's not? What's selfish and what's Godly? When is it okay to say no to things that are asked of us? When do we need to say yes to things that are asked of us? These are questions that people face everyday. These are questions that each of us faces as we live our lives.
Webster's gives only one definition, one line and this is it. A boundary is something that indicates a limit or extent. That's it-Something that indicates a limit or extent.
(1) Marking boundaries elicits all sorts of reactions.
-For some, the idea of boundaries is a fad concept that has gotten way too much press and they are not really interested that much.
-For others it is a welcomed concept, a very welcome concept as it allows for some sanity in the midst of life's busyness and in the midst of life's craziness.
-For many Christians setting boundaries and limits in our lives goes against what they believe God has called us to do-that is to go the extra mile, to love with an extra measure of grace, to give to others even when it somehow intrudes on our lives, or until we are completely given out.
(2) Christians must try to balance our desire to serve with other statements that we hear in our culture all the time.
-If you are going to have a healthy, emotional life, you need to set healthy boundaries.
-If you want to have successful relationships, you need to set healthy boundaries at the beginning.
-If you want to be happy in life, you need to be clear with your boundaries with others about what you will and you won't do.
Boundaries are essential to a healthy lifestyle. I know that for a fact and when I forget what those are that my life can kind of get a little bit out of whack at times. But I am really concerned that modern cultures definitions and ideas about boundaries are too inwardly focused. And I find myself wrestling with questions about a healthy perspective for us as believers.
(3) Knowing how to set boundaries that allow us to stay focused on God's will, rather than on our will and the will of those around us is essential. These questions always arise:
-How do we stay focused on God's will in the midst of a pull from our will and the will of those around us?
-How do we balance that call to serve with the need for self-preservation and limits?
I believe that the purpose of boundaries from a Christian perspective is not simply knowing our limits and saying yes or no to things that might or might not be healthy for us, but also and perhaps more importantly being able to say yes to those things in our lives that God is inviting us to be a part of. It's about recognizing our spiritual gifts and allowing them to influence our decisions about how we spend our time and our energy. It's about saying no to some things that may be good in order to make room in our lives to say yes to what is best. Ultimately, I think it’s about realizing that healthy boundaries in our lives as Christians are really not about us; rather they are about Jesus and his call on our lives.
It begins of Mark telling us of point early in Jesus' ministry when he was faced with many demands. Many, many demands on his time and his energy. Numerous expectations about what he should and shouldn't do and many people who misunderstood him, especially early on in his ministry. If we look at Verse 29 it says that as soon as they left the synagogue they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her and took her hand and helped her up and the fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon possessed. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. To say that Jesus was busy is an understatement, isn't it? Jesus right at the end of Sabbath or during the Sabbath, healed Simon's mother-in-law and just after sunset, remember Sabbath ends at sunset for the Jewish tradition, when the Sabbath was over people started to come to Jesus in droves.
One commentator suggests that this had to be an absolutely exhausting experience for Jesus. He points out that the scripture doesn't say this he is just hypothesizing about this. But what we know from scripture is that on some occasions at least, miracles were accompanied by a direct flow of energy from Jesus or whoever was doing the healing directly to the person being healed. Exhausting, right? Remember that Jesus was human, while being fully God, he was fully human and he had those moments when he needed to pull away, break away from the crowds and rest to rekindle his energy for the next day.
Verse 35 says very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed. Some suggest that this is actually we say very early in the morning, literally very early in the morning like the middle of the night. The end of a busy day before the start of another busy day, Jesus withdraws to a quiet place and in that quiet place he prays. Mark doesn't tell us what he prayed about. It's not really crucial. But the fact that he tells us about Jesus praying is crucial because of what it teaches us about how we approach life's demands and how we set up appropriate boundaries. Even Jesus who was God, in human flesh took the time to remove himself from those around him and pray.
Jesus knew how important it was to center Himself on what his father wanted for him and he knew that the only way to do that was to spend time with the Father. And so he prayed.
What a great model for our own lives at a time when Jesus was likely feeling a bit overwhelmed by the tasks before him and the people making demands on his time, he withdraws to seek God's will, to maintain such a close relationship, to stay so connected that he would have no doubt about what it was he was called to do. And it was that time in prayer, when he pulled away, that led him to respond the way he did when Simon and the others come looking for him to tell him probably what he already knew.
“Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’”
I love the disciples for that because they come thinking they are bring this revolutionary revelation kind of news. Jesus clearly knew that everybody was looking for him. I mean he had pulled away from these crowds who had been lining up at the door the night before. But look at Jesus' response this time.
Remember yesterday he responded by healing many, many people. However, in verse 38, Jesus says,
“Let us go somewhere else-- to the nearby villages-- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
So he traveled throughoutGalilee preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. It's kind of surprising isn't it to think that Jesus would respond that way? Imagine the disciple's reactions. They must have been puzzled by his direction or his call to move on when they didn't think the business at hand was done. But Jesus had spent that time in prayer and he knew what his Father's will was and he knew what was best, not just what was good at that moment. So he moved on and he continued doing what he had been doing and that's the other intriguing part about this. He just moved on to do it in a different place. Saying no to what's good, making room for what's best.
-Are we so connected to the will of the Father that we know when to respond at what seems to be the right thing to do and to move on to what God is calling us to do?
-Are we so in touch with God's will and our gifts that we are willing to do as Jesus did and follow God's leading towards what’s best even if our motives are misunderstood?
-Are we so connected to the Father that we can't help but always turn around and check to make sure that he sets the boundary markers for us, and to make sure that we do what we should with them?
In closing, three things are desperately needed if are to know how to draw God’s line and stay within His boundary markers.
-We need His guidance and direction in every territory of our lives.
-We need to be able to discern what is best in God's eyes in every situation and not just what seems good or right to us.
-We must also learn how to say an emphatic “No” to anything that pulls us away from the grace of God and causes us to form our own boundary markers.
When it comes to marking our boundaries what's appropriate and what's not? What's selfish and what's Godly? When is it okay to say no to things that are asked of us? When do we need to say yes to things that are asked of us? These are questions that people face everyday. These are questions that each of us faces as we live our lives.
Webster's gives only one definition, one line and this is it. A boundary is something that indicates a limit or extent. That's it-Something that indicates a limit or extent.
(1) Marking boundaries elicits all sorts of reactions.
-For some, the idea of boundaries is a fad concept that has gotten way too much press and they are not really interested that much.
-For others it is a welcomed concept, a very welcome concept as it allows for some sanity in the midst of life's busyness and in the midst of life's craziness.
-For many Christians setting boundaries and limits in our lives goes against what they believe God has called us to do-that is to go the extra mile, to love with an extra measure of grace, to give to others even when it somehow intrudes on our lives, or until we are completely given out.
(2) Christians must try to balance our desire to serve with other statements that we hear in our culture all the time.
-If you are going to have a healthy, emotional life, you need to set healthy boundaries.
-If you want to have successful relationships, you need to set healthy boundaries at the beginning.
-If you want to be happy in life, you need to be clear with your boundaries with others about what you will and you won't do.
Boundaries are essential to a healthy lifestyle. I know that for a fact and when I forget what those are that my life can kind of get a little bit out of whack at times. But I am really concerned that modern cultures definitions and ideas about boundaries are too inwardly focused. And I find myself wrestling with questions about a healthy perspective for us as believers.
(3) Knowing how to set boundaries that allow us to stay focused on God's will, rather than on our will and the will of those around us is essential. These questions always arise:
-How do we stay focused on God's will in the midst of a pull from our will and the will of those around us?
-How do we balance that call to serve with the need for self-preservation and limits?
I believe that the purpose of boundaries from a Christian perspective is not simply knowing our limits and saying yes or no to things that might or might not be healthy for us, but also and perhaps more importantly being able to say yes to those things in our lives that God is inviting us to be a part of. It's about recognizing our spiritual gifts and allowing them to influence our decisions about how we spend our time and our energy. It's about saying no to some things that may be good in order to make room in our lives to say yes to what is best. Ultimately, I think it’s about realizing that healthy boundaries in our lives as Christians are really not about us; rather they are about Jesus and his call on our lives.
It begins of Mark telling us of point early in Jesus' ministry when he was faced with many demands. Many, many demands on his time and his energy. Numerous expectations about what he should and shouldn't do and many people who misunderstood him, especially early on in his ministry. If we look at Verse 29 it says that as soon as they left the synagogue they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her and took her hand and helped her up and the fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon possessed. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. To say that Jesus was busy is an understatement, isn't it? Jesus right at the end of Sabbath or during the Sabbath, healed Simon's mother-in-law and just after sunset, remember Sabbath ends at sunset for the Jewish tradition, when the Sabbath was over people started to come to Jesus in droves.
One commentator suggests that this had to be an absolutely exhausting experience for Jesus. He points out that the scripture doesn't say this he is just hypothesizing about this. But what we know from scripture is that on some occasions at least, miracles were accompanied by a direct flow of energy from Jesus or whoever was doing the healing directly to the person being healed. Exhausting, right? Remember that Jesus was human, while being fully God, he was fully human and he had those moments when he needed to pull away, break away from the crowds and rest to rekindle his energy for the next day.
Verse 35 says very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed. Some suggest that this is actually we say very early in the morning, literally very early in the morning like the middle of the night. The end of a busy day before the start of another busy day, Jesus withdraws to a quiet place and in that quiet place he prays. Mark doesn't tell us what he prayed about. It's not really crucial. But the fact that he tells us about Jesus praying is crucial because of what it teaches us about how we approach life's demands and how we set up appropriate boundaries. Even Jesus who was God, in human flesh took the time to remove himself from those around him and pray.
Jesus knew how important it was to center Himself on what his father wanted for him and he knew that the only way to do that was to spend time with the Father. And so he prayed.
What a great model for our own lives at a time when Jesus was likely feeling a bit overwhelmed by the tasks before him and the people making demands on his time, he withdraws to seek God's will, to maintain such a close relationship, to stay so connected that he would have no doubt about what it was he was called to do. And it was that time in prayer, when he pulled away, that led him to respond the way he did when Simon and the others come looking for him to tell him probably what he already knew.
“Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’”
I love the disciples for that because they come thinking they are bring this revolutionary revelation kind of news. Jesus clearly knew that everybody was looking for him. I mean he had pulled away from these crowds who had been lining up at the door the night before. But look at Jesus' response this time.
Remember yesterday he responded by healing many, many people. However, in verse 38, Jesus says,
“Let us go somewhere else-- to the nearby villages-- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
So he traveled throughout
-Are we so connected to the will of the Father that we know when to respond at what seems to be the right thing to do and to move on to what God is calling us to do?
-Are we so in touch with God's will and our gifts that we are willing to do as Jesus did and follow God's leading towards what’s best even if our motives are misunderstood?
-Are we so connected to the Father that we can't help but always turn around and check to make sure that he sets the boundary markers for us, and to make sure that we do what we should with them?
In closing, three things are desperately needed if are to know how to draw God’s line and stay within His boundary markers.
-We need His guidance and direction in every territory of our lives.
-We need to be able to discern what is best in God's eyes in every situation and not just what seems good or right to us.
-We must also learn how to say an emphatic “No” to anything that pulls us away from the grace of God and causes us to form our own boundary markers.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
“Boundary Markers-Part 2"
I Peter 1:17-21 “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Have you ever had a sinner accuse you of being a hypocrite because you would not give them their way? Or have you heard claims that our beliefs discourage people from asking questions, or that your faith is based upon mere traditional superstitions?
Christians should know what they believe based upon the Bible, not what lost people claim they believe. The facts are that true Christians do not always see everything the same way, but we stand up for certain non-negotiable truths. These are boundary markers that set us apart from the false religions of this world and mark us our believers of Divine truth.
(1) We believe in a God who is both compassionate and righteous at the same time! Peter said, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear…”
Christians should know what they believe based upon the Bible, not what lost people claim they believe. The facts are that true Christians do not always see everything the same way, but we stand up for certain non-negotiable truths. These are boundary markers that set us apart from the false religions of this world and mark us our believers of Divine truth.
(1) We believe in a God who is both compassionate and righteous at the same time! Peter said, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear…”
-As our Father we call on him as His children.
-As our Judge we reverence Him with awe. The most important quality of a judge is that he be impartial. He must be fair in all his decisions.
-As our Judge we reverence Him with awe. The most important quality of a judge is that he be impartial. He must be fair in all his decisions.
-As our Redeemer we live as strangers passing through this world. Some of the early American colonists were called Pilgrims, but strangers are different. Strangers do not become settlers because we are on a temporary visa. We are not to become naturalized citizens of this ungodly society, but separated unto God’s service in this world.
(2) We also believe that redemption is provided by an incorruptible one!
“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers…” We know that the things of this world are corruptible.
(2) We also believe that redemption is provided by an incorruptible one!
“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers…” We know that the things of this world are corruptible.
-Inheritance can not provide redemption.
At the time of Christ, many Jews believed they would be saved just because they were in the covenant nation of Israel, but John the Baptist
refuted that view in Matthew 3:7-10:
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ’We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
-Religion can also be corrupted.
Romans 10:1-3 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”
-What was the price of redemption? Peter said it was “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Mark 10:45 declares, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
We were delivered from an empty way of life and purchased by Christ. We have now become a servant for God
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ’We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
-Religion can also be corrupted.
Romans 10:1-3 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”
-What was the price of redemption? Peter said it was “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Mark 10:45 declares, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
We were delivered from an empty way of life and purchased by Christ. We have now become a servant for God
1 Corinthians 6: 20 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
(3) We also believe that Jesus is the passageway to God.
Many lost people believe in God, but we believe the way to God is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again, Peter said this, “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God…”
(3) We also believe that Jesus is the passageway to God.
Many lost people believe in God, but we believe the way to God is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again, Peter said this, “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God…”
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
-He Died in Our Place!
Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
-He Rose From the Dead!
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
-He Is the Only Way to God!
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’.”
I Timothy 2:5, 6 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
These are boundary markers that cannot be removed or replaced. They are what make us what we are today-blood bought, redeemed, believers through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
“Boundary Markers-Part 1”
Proverbs 22:28 “Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.”
There many Biblical phrases that are common in our society and there are times when people quote certain phrases, mistakenly believing that they actually are in Scripture. Now that may seem innocent, but I’ve found that when people replace God’s thinking with human reasoning they often end up some pretty warped theology and lives.
I’ve known people who not only believed the Bible said “God helps those who help themselves” but they used it to justify some very un-Christian thinking and behavior
-They would avoid giving to the poor, because – “God helps those…”
-They would explain why they didn’t pray very often because – “God helps those…”
-They would even engage in dishonest and abusive business practices because – “God helps those…” and they were quite comfortable with helping God in way they could.
David recognized the danger of this tendency. In Psalm 119 he wrote:
Verses 5, 6 “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying YOUR decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands…”
Verses 10, 11 “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you…”
There many Biblical phrases that are common in our society and there are times when people quote certain phrases, mistakenly believing that they actually are in Scripture. Now that may seem innocent, but I’ve found that when people replace God’s thinking with human reasoning they often end up some pretty warped theology and lives.
I’ve known people who not only believed the Bible said “God helps those who help themselves” but they used it to justify some very un-Christian thinking and behavior
-They would avoid giving to the poor, because – “God helps those…”
-They would explain why they didn’t pray very often because – “God helps those…”
-They would even engage in dishonest and abusive business practices because – “God helps those…” and they were quite comfortable with helping God in way they could.
David recognized the danger of this tendency. In Psalm 119 he wrote:
Verses 5, 6 “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying YOUR decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands…”
Verses 10, 11 “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you…”
Verse 24 “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.”
What David was telling us was that if we want to live the right kind of life we need to hide His word in our hearts because wrong thinking is based on wrong information, while good thinking/good living is based on good information. And God’s Word is the best information you can get.
Jesus prayed to the Father for us in John 17:17 when He said, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”
What David was telling us was that if we want to live the right kind of life we need to hide His word in our hearts because wrong thinking is based on wrong information, while good thinking/good living is based on good information. And God’s Word is the best information you can get.
Jesus prayed to the Father for us in John 17:17 when He said, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”
Essentially, Jesus is telling us that the Bible you hold in your hands is truth. The Bible is like an ancient boundary marker because it marks the beginning and the ending of all truth.
(1) Now what is a boundary marker? A boundary marker or a landmark is something that establishes the boundaries of your property.
Back in the days of ancient Israel
The Word of God is our “boundary marker”. It’s our landmark of truth. It marks the beginning and the ending of truth. And that boundary marker of God’s Word protects us.
As long as we stay within the boundaries of God’s Word we’ll avoid many of the harmful things in life.
-We’ll avoid shame, guilt and personal loss
-We’ll protect our reputations and our families
-We’ll guard our relationships and our business ventures.
God has set those boundaries to protect us from all kinds of difficulties in life.
But those boundaries can be “encroached” upon. I mean just because God put those boundary markers there doesn’t mean that something or someone else can’t move them. God’s wisdom can be “pushed back” and something else can be built on the property that doesn’t belong there. The Bible is very clear that it’s up to us make sure that this doesn’t happen.
(2) How can those markers be moved? How can they be pushed back?
-We can do it ourselves, out of our willful disobedience
I’ve heard people say “I know that’s what the Bible says… I just don’t want to do it that way.” And they say that because God’s word can be uncomfortable to obey once in a while.
a. It happens in churches. I’ve seen members and preachers look the other way when a relative or a friend was engaged in flagrant sin
The Word of God is our “boundary marker”. It’s our landmark of truth. It marks the beginning and the ending of truth. And that boundary marker of God’s Word protects us.
As long as we stay within the boundaries of God’s Word we’ll avoid many of the harmful things in life.
-We’ll avoid shame, guilt and personal loss
-We’ll protect our reputations and our families
-We’ll guard our relationships and our business ventures.
God has set those boundaries to protect us from all kinds of difficulties in life.
But those boundaries can be “encroached” upon. I mean just because God put those boundary markers there doesn’t mean that something or someone else can’t move them. God’s wisdom can be “pushed back” and something else can be built on the property that doesn’t belong there. The Bible is very clear that it’s up to us make sure that this doesn’t happen.
(2) How can those markers be moved? How can they be pushed back?
-We can do it ourselves, out of our willful disobedience
I’ve heard people say “I know that’s what the Bible says… I just don’t want to do it that way.” And they say that because God’s word can be uncomfortable to obey once in a while.
a. It happens in churches. I’ve seen members and preachers look the other way when a relative or a friend was engaged in flagrant sin
b. It happens in homes where husbands and wives break up their families because they’re not happy.
c. It happens to parents who are afraid of hurting their children’s feelings and so they allow their kids to do whatever they want to do with whoever they want even when they know that such behavior is contrary to Scripture.
A good leader/husband/spouse/parent/ pastor/ teacher knows where the markers are and they make sure they lead their people inside those boundaries.
-We can allow the markers to be moved by negligence
A good leader/husband/spouse/parent/ pastor/ teacher knows where the markers are and they make sure they lead their people inside those boundaries.
-We can allow the markers to be moved by negligence
We just didn’t pay attention when the markers were moved. It wasn’t our fault. We didn’t move the landmarks-somebody else did it.
When this happens, it’s like the neighbor that “encroached” on his friend’s property. He put up a fence, but in doing so moved the boundary stone. The man that owned the property never bothered to have a survey done or to check where the boundary marker should have been. By the time he realized what had happened and complained, the damage had been done. He lost that piece of his property to a grandfather clause in that community because he did nothing to insure what was his was protected when he had the chance.
All kinds of things try to encroach on the boundary markers God has set in our lives.
Let’s be honest with ourselves-the people we work with, even our relatives and friends, when they find out what you believe, they’ll be incredulous.
-They’ll mock you.
-They’ll make fun of what you stand for.
-They’ll try to shame you into abandoning the landmarks God has set in place.
You’ll be tempted to back off to let them change the standards because you don’t like the ridicule. And that’s not uncommon. The tendency is to allow someone or something else to encroach on God’s landmarks in situations like that. I mean, it’s not that we deliberately are intending to disobey God. It’s just that someone else has set the boundaries for us, and we let them be set that way because we’re afraid of being mocked.
When that happens, it helps to remember that God’s people have often been mocked. Jesus Himself was mocked, and ridiculed, and made fun of while He hung on the cross for your salvation. So, don’t negligently allow someone else to encroach on God’s landmarks because you fear being made fun of.
It’s important to make sure you know where God’s boundary stones are and to make sure they’re not moved.
When this happens, it’s like the neighbor that “encroached” on his friend’s property. He put up a fence, but in doing so moved the boundary stone. The man that owned the property never bothered to have a survey done or to check where the boundary marker should have been. By the time he realized what had happened and complained, the damage had been done. He lost that piece of his property to a grandfather clause in that community because he did nothing to insure what was his was protected when he had the chance.
All kinds of things try to encroach on the boundary markers God has set in our lives.
Let’s be honest with ourselves-the people we work with, even our relatives and friends, when they find out what you believe, they’ll be incredulous.
-They’ll mock you.
-They’ll make fun of what you stand for.
-They’ll try to shame you into abandoning the landmarks God has set in place.
You’ll be tempted to back off to let them change the standards because you don’t like the ridicule. And that’s not uncommon. The tendency is to allow someone or something else to encroach on God’s landmarks in situations like that. I mean, it’s not that we deliberately are intending to disobey God. It’s just that someone else has set the boundaries for us, and we let them be set that way because we’re afraid of being mocked.
When that happens, it helps to remember that God’s people have often been mocked. Jesus Himself was mocked, and ridiculed, and made fun of while He hung on the cross for your salvation. So, don’t negligently allow someone else to encroach on God’s landmarks because you fear being made fun of.
It’s important to make sure you know where God’s boundary stones are and to make sure they’re not moved.
(3) How do I make sure I know where the boundary stones are at?
Psalm 119:12-16 “Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”
-He says that he is filled with rejoicing and delight because of God’s Word that he will not neglect it. It’s kind of like having a garden out in your backyard that you really enjoy working in. If you neglected it, it would be filled with weeds and crabgrass. But because you “delight” in that garden, you don’t neglect it. You’re constantly working so that you can have the crop you desire.
Psalm 119:12-16 “Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”
-He says that he is filled with rejoicing and delight because of God’s Word that he will not neglect it. It’s kind of like having a garden out in your backyard that you really enjoy working in. If you neglected it, it would be filled with weeds and crabgrass. But because you “delight” in that garden, you don’t neglect it. You’re constantly working so that you can have the crop you desire.
-David says that he wants God to “teach” him. He realizes there are going to be things that only God can help him understand, so he is pleading with God to work with him and instruct him in what he needs to know.
-He says he “recounts” all God’s law. He goes over them and over them. He’s not satisfied to just read them once and move on he wants to visit them again and again.
-David says he “meditates” on God’s Word. He reads it and then he thinks about what he’s read for awhile and asks himself what these words mean to him.
-And he says he “considers” or thinks about God’s ways (vs. 15). He thinks about how God interacted with some of the great men and women in the past. He thinks about the stories of Moses, and Abraham and Esther. He asks himself why God dealt with these people as He did and why He didn’t do other things that He might have with them.
Essentially, David takes the Word of God and he turned it inside out trying to find out what pleased God and what would make him a better servant for his Lord. David did this because he knew that God had set up His Word as a boundary marker - a landmark - to help His people know what was right and true.
David wanted to know where the landmarks were so that he could stay inside God’s will. And that’s what we need to do with our lives as well because those boundary markers are there to protect us, and to protect the ones we love.
Essentially, David takes the Word of God and he turned it inside out trying to find out what pleased God and what would make him a better servant for his Lord. David did this because he knew that God had set up His Word as a boundary marker - a landmark - to help His people know what was right and true.
David wanted to know where the landmarks were so that he could stay inside God’s will. And that’s what we need to do with our lives as well because those boundary markers are there to protect us, and to protect the ones we love.
Those boundary markers are important for us and our loved ones. But they’re even important for the sake of people you don’t even think about people who watch you because they know you’re a Christian and that you believe in God. They sense that if they watch you, they’ll know where the markers are at themselves.
Monday, February 13, 2012
40 Years Is A Long Time
40 years ago I married the girl of my dreams. We have been married most of our lives. Some of my friends have been married two, three, even four times during that span of time. But I was blessed with the lady of my life from the time we met at Pee Dee Camp Meeting until this very day.
It's very unusual how God puts people together for a lifetime because:
-We don't have a lot of things in common. Our diets are different, our likes and dislikes are not the same, and as we get older together we get more stubborn about changing our routines.
-We do still have disagreements in this journey. Just because we've been married for so long doesn't mean we always agree on everything. We still have our arguments from time to time just like everybody else does.
-There are times we feel disappointment for each other. Not that we don't care or show that we care enough, but there are times when we each feel that maybe we have not done all we needed to do to support one another in ventures and activities that we've explored during our marriage. That feeling that maybe if one of us had of done something different things might have changed does nag at us both from time to tome.
Yet, in spite of everything and every place we have been on this journey, we still love each other after 40 years. I will admit that I am a challenge to live with sometimes due to the stress and strain of the pastorate. I also will admit that sometimes I feel guilty for submitting Becky to all of those pressures as well. But all I can say is that when God made Becky, He did two things: Said, " It is good," and then threw away the mold.
So let me say it this way:
To the most beautiful lady in my life who gifted me with a talented, intelligent son, Shane, that carries on our heritage. I am a blessed man today with a beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and two beautiful granddaughters that remind me of both of their grandmother and their mom.
Oh yes, lest I forget, my youngest, my grandson, who at an event yesterday reminded me so much of his dad at that age. I am truly a blessed man.
Thanks Becky for 40 years-Happy Anniversary!
It's very unusual how God puts people together for a lifetime because:
-We don't have a lot of things in common. Our diets are different, our likes and dislikes are not the same, and as we get older together we get more stubborn about changing our routines.
-We do still have disagreements in this journey. Just because we've been married for so long doesn't mean we always agree on everything. We still have our arguments from time to time just like everybody else does.
-There are times we feel disappointment for each other. Not that we don't care or show that we care enough, but there are times when we each feel that maybe we have not done all we needed to do to support one another in ventures and activities that we've explored during our marriage. That feeling that maybe if one of us had of done something different things might have changed does nag at us both from time to tome.
Yet, in spite of everything and every place we have been on this journey, we still love each other after 40 years. I will admit that I am a challenge to live with sometimes due to the stress and strain of the pastorate. I also will admit that sometimes I feel guilty for submitting Becky to all of those pressures as well. But all I can say is that when God made Becky, He did two things: Said, " It is good," and then threw away the mold.
So let me say it this way:
To the most beautiful lady in my life who gifted me with a talented, intelligent son, Shane, that carries on our heritage. I am a blessed man today with a beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and two beautiful granddaughters that remind me of both of their grandmother and their mom.
Oh yes, lest I forget, my youngest, my grandson, who at an event yesterday reminded me so much of his dad at that age. I am truly a blessed man.
Thanks Becky for 40 years-Happy Anniversary!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Valentine's Day Funnies
Four-year-old Sam loved candy almost as much as his mom Sally did. He and Daddy had given her a beautiful heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day. A few days later Sam was eyeing it, wishing to have a piece of it. As he reached out to touch one of the big pieces, Sally said to him, "If you touch it, then you have to eat it. Do you understand?"
"Oh, yes," he said, nodding his head. Suddenly his little hand patted the tops of all the pieces of candy. "Now I can eat them all."
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A young woman was taking an afternoon nap. After she woke up, she told her husband, "I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine's day. What do you think it means?"
"You'll know tonight," he said.
That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it--only to find a book entitled "The meaning of dreams".
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A guy walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them.
His curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says, "I'm sending out one thousand Valentine cards signed, 'Guess who?'"
"But why?" asks the man.
"I'm a divorce lawyer," the man replies.
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A smart, handsome and sexy young man dressed in the most sophisticated manner walked into the bar. He noticed a woman staring at him without blinking her eyes with an open mouth. Flattered, he approached the woman and said in his sexiest deep voice - "I'll do anything you wish, beautiful lady, for just $20 but on one condition." The woman was trapped in a moment and asked as if in a trance - "What's your condition?" The young man replied, "Tell me your wish in just three words." After a long pause, woman opened her purse, counted the money and handed it to the man along with her address. She then looked deeply into his eyes and whispered, "Clean my house."
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A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."
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A very shy guy goes into a pub on Valentine's Day night and sees a beautiful woman at the bar. After a long struggle with his shyness, he finally managed to walk over to her and asked her politely, "Um, would you mind if I give you company?" She made a furious face and yelled at the top of her lungs, "How dare you asked me to sleep with you tonight?" Everyone in the pub started staring at the man who was completely embarrassed. After a few minutes, woman walked over to him and apologized - "You see I am a student of psychology and studying how people respond to embarrassing situations. I am sorry but I was just doing my experiment!" The young man suddenly gave a loud yell, "What do you mean $200?"
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After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, "You know, I was a fool when I married you." And the husband replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice it."
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A couple came upon a wishing well. The wife leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny. The husband decided to make a wish, too but he leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned. The wife was stunned for a moment but then smiled, "It really works!"
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If you want your wife to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.
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When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or the wife.
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Enjoying Your Wife and Loving Your Husband (Part 4)
Many wives will not like what I've said. In theory, they agree with me, but they’ll respond and say, "You don't know my husband!”
Most complaints fall into one of two categories:
-"He's so cold and withdrawn, I hardly know him any more". This is very common among believing men. If it's true of you, I pray you'll repent of your sin and return to your "first love". But ladies, if your husband is this way, the Lord Jesus has something to say to you: "Love your neighbor as yourself". A neighbor is someone you know, but not someone who's especially close to you. If your husband is no more than your neighbor, then love him--"love him as yourself".
-"He's mean and cruel, treats me like garbage". This is also common in Christian families. Brothers, if you're this way, I pray God will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh". But ladies, if your husband is like this, the Lord has something for you, too: "Love your enemies.” Who are your enemies? The Bible says it’s “people who curse you, hate you, spitefully use and persecute you.” What do you do with these scoundrels? You "bless them, pray for them, and do them good".
Our Lord is very sympathetic toward your plight. And He understands it, for He too was "hated without a cause". Yet the ugliness others show does not permit us to do the same. "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay-says the LORD". Not you! If your rotten husband "hungers, feed him"; it that no good cretin "thirsts, give him a drink". "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good".
How, dear ladies, can you hear your Savior praying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" and then retaliate against your husband? This is not love.
For the third time, now: Do you love your husband just as he is? Not as you wish he'd be or thought he was, but your husband-the real man?
Why should the wife love her husband especially if he has disappointed her and is not the man she hoped he would be?
-Loving him is good for you-No one ever lost out by obeying God. It is only as we "love one another" that our "joy becomes full". This is true--but not the reason attached to our verse.
-Loving him will do him good-Some men don't believe the Gospel and cannot be changed by preaching! But they can be changed as by their wives' "chaste conduct, coupled with fear". The wife who lives a holy life and respects her husband can justly hope for his spiritual improvement. That too is true--but not the reason Paul gives here.
-Loving him will do others good-It will set a good example for other wives. It will qualify you to help other ladies. It will earn the respect of other believers.
What is Paul's reason for loving your husband? We needn't guess because verse 5 tells us “that the Word of God may not be looked down on.”
If your neighbors hear you screaming at your husband, they won't blame you, they'll blame God! You provoked them to do it. And so you're guilty of blasphemy! You dragged the Sacred Name in the mud! Because you didn't love your husband!
By his adultery, David "gave the enemies of the LORD cause to blaspheme and to laugh at and scorn the One blessed forever.” The wife can do the same by not loving her husband. If the wife loves her husband, the word of God will be praised.
Unbelievers want happy marriages too. But because they're so selfish, they can't always have them. But you can. If you love your husband, the unsaved will "sit up and take notice". And, who knows? Maybe they'll ask "a reason for the hope that is in you". Maybe they'll see Christ in you. And want Him for themselves.
A loving marriage is a powerful witness. Tracts can be tossed in the garbage; radio sermons can be tuned-out; churches can be avoided. But no one can miss a loving marriage. In today's dark world, it's "a city that is set on a hill". By loving your husband, you "Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven".
Loving your husband honors God; not loving him blasphemes Him. And so, once again: Do you love your husband?
5 Biblical thoughts to help a husband enjoy his wife and a wife to love her husband:
-You both have faults-just realize it.
-Remember that God is the author of love.
-Pray for love.
-Meditate on God's love.
-Practice love. Maybe you're not very good at it because you don't practice enough! Start working on it today with the Lord's blessing.
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