I Corinthians 12:7 says. "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
As, we go through Week 5: Depositing Soul Truths, it's all about how to overcome satan's lies.....how to remove his lies and replace them with God's truth. I loved this sign because the way to overcome satan's lies is indeed to "protect our thoughts".....and we protect our thoughts by making sure that we are thinking "God-thoughts".....
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Not too long ago, Dale and I were going to be interviewed in our home for a well-known marriage magazine. The editor had told us that she was also bringing with her a photographer who would take some pictures of us as well. I frantically went through our house getting everything just perfect for them to come. I wanted everything in its perfect place and certainly wanted the photographer able to find a clean, well-decorated area for pictures. I got the house complete except for three loads of laundry I hadn't had time to fold. I shoved the three baskets in my walk-in closet and ran out the door to pick up our kids before the interview team arrived.
If in the
Dale and I have traveled all over the
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Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name.
I just couldn't get past the "applied" part. I began thinking about black Sharpie markers. How when you "apply" a Sharpie marker to anything, it is covered up completely and it is there permanently. The blood of Jesus covered my sin up completely and permanently. If it ever comes to my mind to haunt me, that is not from my Savior, because His blood was "applied" and he sees it no more. Indeed, GLORY TO HIS NAME!
Since then, I have continued dwelling on "applied" and last night, a sweet couple came over to our home to visit. They have been married for quite a long time and shared the struggles and difficulties they have endured as they have learned that marriage is hard work. When asked what helped them make it through, their answer was "the applied Word of God".....there it was again!
The Word of God is nothing more than a bunch of information if it is not applied. Think about this: if Jesus had died, but his blood did NOT cover our sin...was NOT applied to our sin, what a waste! His death with all of its brutality would have been in vain....no it was the "APPLIED" blood that saved us! So it is with us: until we began to APPLY the Word of God to our lives will we see any difference....any change.
When was the last time that you read God's Word and asked, "Lord, show me how to APPLY this truth to my marriage."? And then, asked Him for the grace to help you APPLY it?
Just like a Black Sharpie Marker: when we APPLY truths like forgiveness, mercy, grace, encouragement, affirmation, etc. to our marriages, it covers up all of the difficulties of the past and places us on a permanently new path of freedom and joy in our marriage.
There to my marriage was the Truth applied. Glory to His name!
doesn't eat at the pagan shrines,
doesn't worship the idols so popular in Israel,
doesn't seduce a neighbor's spouse,
doesn't indulge in casual sex,
doesn't bully anyone,
doesn't pile up bad debts,
doesn't steal,
doesn't refuse food to the hungry,
doesn't refuse clothing to the ill-clad,
doesn't exploit the poor,
doesn't live by impulse and greed,
doesn't treat one person better than another,
But lives by my statutes and faithfully
honors and obeys my laws.
This person who lives upright and well
shall live a full and true life.
Decree of God, the Master.
"But if this person has a child who turns violent and murders and goes off and does any of these things, even though the parent has done none of them—
eats at the pagan shrines,
seduces his neighbor's spouse,
bullies the weak,
steals,
piles up bad debts,
admires idols,
commits outrageous obscenities,
exploits the poor
"—do you think this person, the child, will live? Not a chance! Because he's done all these vile things, he'll die. And his death will be his own fault.
"Now look: Suppose that this child has a child who sees all the sins done by his parent. The child sees them, but doesn't follow in the parent's footsteps—
doesn't eat at the pagan shrines,
doesn't worship the popular idols of Israel,
doesn't seduce his neighbor's spouse,
doesn't bully anyone,
doesn't refuse to loan money,
doesn't steal,
doesn't refuse food to the hungry,
doesn't refuse to give clothes to the ill-clad,
doesn't live by impulse and greed,
doesn't exploit the poor.
He does what I say;
he performs my laws and lives by my statutes.
"This person will not die for the sins of the parent; he will live truly and well. But the parent will die for what the parent did, for the sins of—
oppressing the weak,
robbing brothers and sisters,
doing what is dead wrong in the community.
"Do you need to ask, 'So why does the child not share the guilt of the parent?'
"Isn't it plain? It's because the child did what is fair and right. Since the child was careful to do what is lawful and right, the child will live truly and well. The soul that sins is the soul that dies. The child does not share the guilt of the parent, nor the parent the guilt of the child. If you live upright and well, you get the credit; if you live a wicked life, you're guilty as charged.
"But a wicked person who turns his back on that life of sin and keeps all my statutes, living a just and righteous life, he'll live, really live. He won't die. I won't keep a list of all the things he did wrong. He will live. Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn't it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right—really living?
"The same thing goes for a good person who turns his back on an upright life and starts sinning, plunging into the same vile obscenities that the wicked person practices. Will this person live? I don't keep a list of all the things this person did right, like money in the bank he can draw on. Because of his defection, because he accumulates sin, he'll die.
"Do I hear you saying, 'That's not fair! God's not fair!'?
"Listen, Israel. I'm not fair? You're the ones who aren't fair! If a good person turns away from his good life and takes up sinning, he'll die for it. He'll die for his own sin. Likewise, if a bad person turns away from his bad life and starts living a good life, a fair life, he will save his life. Because he faces up to all the wrongs he's committed and puts them behind him, he will live, really live. He won't die.
"And yet Israel keeps on whining, 'That's not fair! God's not fair.'
"I'm not fair, Israel? You're the ones who aren't fair.
"The upshot is this, Israel: I'll judge each of you according to the way you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won't drag you down. Clean house. No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel? I take no pleasure in anyone's death. Decree of God, the Master.
"Make a clean break! Live!"
The truth is that your walk with Christ is your walk. You choose to walk with God as a "sold-out" follower and disciple of Jesus Christ or not. You can choose life (fellowship with God) or death (separation in fellowship with God due to sin).You cannot ride on the coattails of your grandparents' nor parents' faith, any more than you will be condemned for lack of your grandparents' or parents' faith. Your walk is your walk. You are and will be held responsible for your walk....not anybody else.
And for those of you who like me, have tried desperately to encourage those around you to walk the walk only to get royally frustrated when they choose not to, be encouraged and be set free!
Wives, you are free from having to try to make your husbands see.
Mothers, you are free from having to try to make your children choose Jesus.
The Bible is clear: everyone reaps what they sow...and maybe the best thing for your spouse and your children is for you to "hand them over" as did God in Romans 1 and let them suffer the repercussions of their choices rather than trying your darnedest to protect them from them.
You can encourage, challenge, and seek to help them by sharing your heart with them. But after that, pray. And then, pray. And then, pray some more.
At the end of the day, God says, "I'll judge each of you according to the way you live." It is your walk....no one else's....own it! And don't own what is not your's....free yourself up and get out of God's way so He can move in your spouse's or children's hearts.
Hard words and hard teaching.....but so so true....may this speak deeply into your hearts this day.
Philippians 3:7-14, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Do I really want to know Jesus? Know His love? Know His heart? Above ALL things? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to really pursue Him?
God, give us Paul's heart to want to know You above all else.
Love Is Unselfish
The selfish heart is at the core of all marital struggles. If it were not for selfishness, the divorce rate in this country would be basically non-existent. Selfishness drives all of us, at some time.
Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”
Think about sheep. They are just nt that smart. They are constantly going their own way, only to find themselves lost and needing to be led to green pastures or beside the still waters, or they are being stalked and devoured by wolves! Sounds like our lives, huh? That's why Isaiah said we are like a bunch of dumb sheep! Let’s face it, we are self-centered in our flesh, wanting what we want, when we want it! Yet God has so much to say about that!
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
And what does this new life look like?
Luke 9:23 says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
We are to be transformed into His image, becoming more like Him, and less like us.
God commands us to love our neighbors, even our spouses first, as ourselves.
Matthew 22:39 says, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Herein lies the problem. Because we are selfish, we tend to love ourselves more than we do our spouses. We choose to disobey God and not serve our spouse because we’d rather have our own needs met. We want our way, on our timetable. Unselfish love, however, commands that we constantly ask, “How can I serve my spouse today?” This does not mean that you become a doormat, that everything is one-sided, or you get taken advantage of, but rather you become “givers” more than “takers.” If both spouses operate from a “giver” perspective rather than a “taker” perspective, love can truly transform their home.
So, we dare you! See who can "out-serve" the other this week!!!!
On your mark......
Love Is Not Arrogant
Ever wondered what the difference is between arrogance and pride? While pride is a high or inordinate opinion of one's self, arrogance is making claims or pretensions to being superior; overbearingly assuming that it is your job to tell those less superior how they are not measuring up. Arrogant people think that they “know it all.” They think they are right all the time and often shame their spouses into feelings of worthlessness. They think too much of themselves to apologize when they know they have done wrong. So they stonewall, pout, and give the cold-shoulder instead of loving.
Arrogance also depicts an attitude that they know the minds, actions, and motives of their spouses. They make statements such as, “They’ve always been that way, and they always will be, there’s no changing them.” When statements are made like this, you hold your spouse hostage to never being given the grace to change as the Spirit does its work. Husbands and wives should strive not to be “puffed up” but modest, allowing change to occur by the Spirit of God working in their spouse, understanding this is God’s job to change their spouse, and not theirs. A loving husband or wife prays for their spouse and demonstrates godly characteristics in their own life that will demonstrate to their mate the very qualities of Christ. It means, allowing God to do His job of molding us all into Christlikeness while we stay out the way as He works in our spouse's lives.
Growing up, my mother used to say, "if you'd just take care of yourself, you'd have your hands full". Jesus said it like this,
"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" Matthew 7:2-4
Love Is Humble
Love does not brag or vaunt itself; rather it honors and prefers one another.
Romans
Loving through humility requires that you take the position described in Philippians chapter 2, where we are to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:1-8
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Yet many times we, as couples, in the heat of an argument, begin stacking our decks. In the midst of conflict, we operate out of the principle that “he who has the most cards in his deck, wins!” So we stack our decks by such statements as, “I always do this and this and this . . . and you don’t do anything.” The stacking language of absolutes like, “I always,” and “you never,” builds us up to a higher position, somehow gaining what we perceive to be leverage in the battle. The reality is that this is all about you bragging on you, and not you humbly loving your mate.
Jesus told us on the Sermon on the Mount that our first and primary attitude was this, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven". What Jesus was saying is that if we want to live on this earth with His mindset and live in it as if we were already living in eternity ("thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"), then we will have to embrace humility. To be "poor in spirit" means that we realize that we are imperfect creatures and are absolutely nothing without Christ. It means that we are in a place with everybody else: in desperate need of Jesus....His forgiveness, His guidance, His help.
When we understand what James says in James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
