Nicholas Kristoff's Op-Ed piece in yesterday's NY Times was the heart-breaking story of M. Her plight elicited a deep rage in me. She's a smart 10 year old girl in Kolkata, India who is about to be sold into prostitution by her impoverished family.
He writes, "Her mother is a prostitute here in Kolkata, the city better known to the world as Calcutta. ... 90 percent of the daughters of Indian prostitutes end up in the sex trade as well. And M. has the extra burden that she belongs to a subcaste whose girls are often expected to become prostitutes. M. seemed poised to escape this fate with the help of one of my heroes, Urmi Basu, a social worker who in 2000 started the New Light shelter program for prostitutes and their children. M., with her winning personality and keen mind, began to bloom with the help of New Light. Both her parents are illiterate, but she learned English and earned excellent grades in an English-language school for middle-class children outside the red-light district."
Now she is being sent back to her village where her fate is some dinghy brothel in a city, where she'll be alone, a candidate for HIV, a sex slave in a life without hope!
(read more http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1&hp)
Sex slavery is one of those things you just don't think ought to still exist in the 21st century, do you? But, we're a sex-crazed world it seems. Right after reading about M.'s plight, I saw promotion on Facebook of a new "ha, ha, laugh out loud because we're so sophisticated" movie that is entitled "A Good, Old-Fashioned Orgy." The movie's website says that it's a comedy (?) about a rich kid (read delayed adolescent, irresponsible 30 year-old man, living on Daddy's money) in the Hampton's who decides to close out his summer by convincing his friends to join a drunken orgy. Critics say it's a riot.
So our kids (they will see it in spite of the "R" rating) will learn that having an orgy is real funny. If it happens on the movie screen it must be normal, they think. Of course, the missing part is the regret that the participants feel when they sober up the next day. Do we get to see the the humiliation of the girls who get pushed into sex they don't want? And, nobody's talking about herpes. Those things would be real downers, taking away from the hilarity.
I watched American Idol (a family program right?) a couple of times this season. One featured Lady Gaga in leather underwear. While she played the piano she stood up on the bench, backside in the air! Another night during a rendition of "Fat Bottom Girls" a bevy of shapely women shook their barely concealed behinds at the crowd. That was followed by J. Lo joining her husband on stage. She wore very little clothing and shook it all (use your imagination) to titillate the crowd.
Some of you are smiling at the preacher who's old, offended, and out of touch. "Poor Jerry," you're thinking, "Such a prude." Perhaps I am. But, I do not really think so. I believe human sexuality is a wonderful gift from God that makes our lives rich, that provides immense pleasure, and creates strong bonds with our love. Beauty is nothing to hide!
However, when we make sex a free for all, when we celebrate lewd behavior in movies and feature near-nakedness on family TV, we ought not be surprised when our 12 year daughter comes down in the morning looking like she's going out to turn a trick or that our son thinks that treating all women like sex objects made to be used for his pleasure is normal male behavior.
Stories about men out of control in hotels (just been in the news), about teachers having sex with students (becoming so common it's not even making the front page), about sex assaults happening in our small towns, are the fruit of the sexual revolution. A half-century ago we decided to throw away the guidelines, discard modesty, and worship blatant sensuality. Now, we have record rates of infidelity, broken marriages, and pedophilia. Is there a connection? Internet porn is one of the richest businesses online. And ... yes, most tragically - in this filthy, broken world pretty little girls are sold into sex slavery.
Kristoff concluded his article with this provocative call to action: "What I do know is that it is surreal that these scenes are unfolding in the 21st century. The peak of the trans-Atlantic slave trade was the 1780s, when just under 80,000 slaves a year were transported from Africa to the New World. These days, UNICEF estimates that 1.8 million children a year enter the commercial sex trade. Multiply M. by 1.8 million, and you understand the need for a new abolitionist movement."
The word from the Word -
"When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too-the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.
It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better.
But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk. Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete." (Colossians 3:4-10, The Message)
Are you cleaned up in Christ or filthy still in your sin?
Are you part of the solution (building the Kingdom of Christ) or part of the problem, feeding the market for sin?
Friday, June 03, 2011
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Dead and Buried
Many pundits point to the rapid disappearance of living Christianity in much of Europe in the last 50 years as a trend that is continuing in the United States. The Church, at least in the West, is soon to be dead and buried they opine. (Christianity is growing quickly in Latin America, Africa, and China!) Barna Research published these findings about Christianity in America last year.
1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.
What used to be basic, universally-known truths about Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans--especially young adults.
2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.
3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.
When asked what matters most, teenagers prioritize education, career development, friendships, and travel. Faith is significant to them, but it takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams. Among adults the areas of growing importance are lifestyle comfort, success, and personal achievements. Those dimensions have risen at the expense of investment in both faith and family.
4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.
5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church.
Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies.
6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible.
Christianity has arguably added more value to American culture than any other religion, philosophy, ideology or community. Yet, contemporary Americans are hard pressed to identify any specific value added. -
http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010
My own experience with the church, as a pastor for 35 years, confirms these trends. So, must we heave a sign of resignation, sing a verse of “Que Sera Sera,” and wait for the ‘inevitable?’ No!
Ancient Judah was ‘dead and buried,’ the bones of her culture and religion bleached in the sun. The Temple lay in ruins, the royal family was in captivity, the priesthood obliterated, and the best of the young enslaved in Babylon. An ancient hymn captures the gloom felt by those who remembered what once was. "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?" (Psalm 137:1-4, NIV)
Among those who mourned was Ezekiel. As he prayed, the Spirit of the Lord stirred a vision in his heart. "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:1-3, NIV) The Lord told him to preach to those bones! A fool’s errand was what it seemed, but he obeyed.
There was a rattling as bones connected and flesh appeared on them. Then the Lord told Zeke to “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” (Ezekiel 37:9, NIV) A mighty army marched off the field of dry bones that day!
The Church may be dried up, dead to all appearances. But, like Zeke, I believe that there is a new wind of the Spirit ready to blow across the land. It won’t be a little puff. It will not come from a few songs sung in sanctuaries or some tears shed in a sentimental moment. It will come like a hurricane, blowing down religious structures, tearing up our lives, and creating a place for the work of God to be built anew.
It’s a personal prophecy, too. Perhaps your spiritual experience has become ‘dry bones’ of religion. There is no power, no sharing of the Gospel, no victories over sin, no joy, no fruit. If you’re thirsty, look to the Lord earnestly. Repent and pray the promise.
Here it is: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. … Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." (Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7, NIV)
_______________
Sweet Wind
There's a wind a-blowin'
All across the land
A fragrant breeze of heaven
Blowin' once again
Don't know where it comes from
Don't know where it goes
But let it blow over me
Oh sweet wind
Come and blow over me
There's a rain a-pourin'
Showers from above
Mercy drops are comin'
Mercy drops of love
Turn your face to heaven
Let the water pour
Well let it pour over me
Oh sweet rain
Come and pour over me
There's a fire burnin'
Fallin' from the sky
Awesome tongues of fire
Consuming you and I
Can you feel it burnin'
Burn the sacrifice
Well let it burn over me
Oh sweet fire
Come and burn over me
© 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
Vineyard Songs Canada
ION Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) David Ruis
CCLI License No. 810055
1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.
What used to be basic, universally-known truths about Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans--especially young adults.
2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.
3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.
When asked what matters most, teenagers prioritize education, career development, friendships, and travel. Faith is significant to them, but it takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams. Among adults the areas of growing importance are lifestyle comfort, success, and personal achievements. Those dimensions have risen at the expense of investment in both faith and family.
4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.
5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church.
Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies.
6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible.
Christianity has arguably added more value to American culture than any other religion, philosophy, ideology or community. Yet, contemporary Americans are hard pressed to identify any specific value added. -
http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010
My own experience with the church, as a pastor for 35 years, confirms these trends. So, must we heave a sign of resignation, sing a verse of “Que Sera Sera,” and wait for the ‘inevitable?’ No!
Ancient Judah was ‘dead and buried,’ the bones of her culture and religion bleached in the sun. The Temple lay in ruins, the royal family was in captivity, the priesthood obliterated, and the best of the young enslaved in Babylon. An ancient hymn captures the gloom felt by those who remembered what once was. "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?" (Psalm 137:1-4, NIV)
Among those who mourned was Ezekiel. As he prayed, the Spirit of the Lord stirred a vision in his heart. "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:1-3, NIV) The Lord told him to preach to those bones! A fool’s errand was what it seemed, but he obeyed.
There was a rattling as bones connected and flesh appeared on them. Then the Lord told Zeke to “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” (Ezekiel 37:9, NIV) A mighty army marched off the field of dry bones that day!
The Church may be dried up, dead to all appearances. But, like Zeke, I believe that there is a new wind of the Spirit ready to blow across the land. It won’t be a little puff. It will not come from a few songs sung in sanctuaries or some tears shed in a sentimental moment. It will come like a hurricane, blowing down religious structures, tearing up our lives, and creating a place for the work of God to be built anew.
It’s a personal prophecy, too. Perhaps your spiritual experience has become ‘dry bones’ of religion. There is no power, no sharing of the Gospel, no victories over sin, no joy, no fruit. If you’re thirsty, look to the Lord earnestly. Repent and pray the promise.
Here it is: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. … Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." (Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7, NIV)
_______________
Sweet Wind
There's a wind a-blowin'
All across the land
A fragrant breeze of heaven
Blowin' once again
Don't know where it comes from
Don't know where it goes
But let it blow over me
Oh sweet wind
Come and blow over me
There's a rain a-pourin'
Showers from above
Mercy drops are comin'
Mercy drops of love
Turn your face to heaven
Let the water pour
Well let it pour over me
Oh sweet rain
Come and pour over me
There's a fire burnin'
Fallin' from the sky
Awesome tongues of fire
Consuming you and I
Can you feel it burnin'
Burn the sacrifice
Well let it burn over me
Oh sweet fire
Come and burn over me
© 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
Vineyard Songs Canada
ION Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) David Ruis
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Can you handle the truth?
In the movie, A Few Good Men (1992), Jack Nicholson is Colonel Jessup, an older Marine, full of self-confidence, a man of the Corps. Lt. Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, is a young Naval lawyer, who uses Jessup’s pride against him in that famous scene where he has him on the witness stand. As Kaffee badgers the colonel, you can see his anger rising, his contempt for the younger man obvious. Kaffee presses Jessup for the truth and finally the older man shouts, “You can’t handle the truth!” In fact, Kaffee has seen the truth more clearly than the old colonel!
Disciple, can you handle the truth? Jesus said that knowing the Truth sets us free! If we are willing to see life as it is, not just as we want it to be, if we are willing to know ourselves as we are, not as we idealize ourselves, if we are willing to receive the full Gospel, not just the watered down version – we can become mature, holy, and fruitful servants of God. Can you handle the truth?
Can you face the fact of depravity and admit that God’s wrath is both real and imminent? Many cannot. Judgment is seldom a topic among Christians anymore. The rich doctrine of God’s justice has been hijacked by whackos who turn it into a club to beat on those they hate ‘in the Name of God.’ The truth is that we are ‘by nature, objects of wrath!’ (Eph. 2:3) That’s a fearful statement. When I read the thundering words of the OT prophets, I realize anew that God is holy and does not overlook human disobedience. Ignoring Him always brings a consequence! The sins we commit are not hidden from Him. He asks, “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:23-24, NIV)
Can you handle the Truth that you cannot hope to earn His favor by any amount of penance or goodness? Many cannot! Religion feeds our pride. We like to think we’re measuring up a little better than ‘those people.’ There is a false comfort to be found in doing good things, but the Truth is that only the intervention of His grace, only the gift of the Spirit can turn us from depraved sinners to saints. The truth is that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV)
Can you handle the truth that true discipleship includes the Way of the Cross before we get to wear a crown? Jesus told us to ‘take up our cross and follow Him.’ It’s not a pleasant thought. Crosses kill! Yes, Self must die. Our desires give way to His will. But, there is a promise. "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:11-13, NIV)
Grow up and live in the truth. Leave the shallow religion of motivational quotes, happy thoughts, and sentimental sayings behind and engage with the robust life of being Christ’s disciple.
The word from the Word is this today. Receive it with joy and faith.
"This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life! I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing, no less! You don’t need any of their so-called teaching. Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught. And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives." (1 John 2:25-28, The Message)
__________________
Your Great Name
Lost are saved find their way
At the sound of Your great name
All condemned feel no shame
At the sound of Your great name
Ev'ry fear has no place
At the sound of Your great name
The enemy he has to leave
At the sound of Your great name
Jesus- worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us
The Son of God and man
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise
Your great name
Oh Your great name
Redeemer my Healer Lord Almighty
My Savior Defender You are my King
Jesus the name of Jesus
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise Your great name
(Jesus) worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us
The Son of God and man
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise Your great name
Your great name
Your great name
© 2008 Integrity's Praise! Music Two Nords Music
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)Krissy Nordhoff Michael Neale
CCLI License No. 810055
Natalie Grant sings “Your Great Name” -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuuLBPOYcI8
Disciple, can you handle the truth? Jesus said that knowing the Truth sets us free! If we are willing to see life as it is, not just as we want it to be, if we are willing to know ourselves as we are, not as we idealize ourselves, if we are willing to receive the full Gospel, not just the watered down version – we can become mature, holy, and fruitful servants of God. Can you handle the truth?
Can you face the fact of depravity and admit that God’s wrath is both real and imminent? Many cannot. Judgment is seldom a topic among Christians anymore. The rich doctrine of God’s justice has been hijacked by whackos who turn it into a club to beat on those they hate ‘in the Name of God.’ The truth is that we are ‘by nature, objects of wrath!’ (Eph. 2:3) That’s a fearful statement. When I read the thundering words of the OT prophets, I realize anew that God is holy and does not overlook human disobedience. Ignoring Him always brings a consequence! The sins we commit are not hidden from Him. He asks, “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:23-24, NIV)
Can you handle the Truth that you cannot hope to earn His favor by any amount of penance or goodness? Many cannot! Religion feeds our pride. We like to think we’re measuring up a little better than ‘those people.’ There is a false comfort to be found in doing good things, but the Truth is that only the intervention of His grace, only the gift of the Spirit can turn us from depraved sinners to saints. The truth is that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV)
Can you handle the truth that true discipleship includes the Way of the Cross before we get to wear a crown? Jesus told us to ‘take up our cross and follow Him.’ It’s not a pleasant thought. Crosses kill! Yes, Self must die. Our desires give way to His will. But, there is a promise. "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:11-13, NIV)
Grow up and live in the truth. Leave the shallow religion of motivational quotes, happy thoughts, and sentimental sayings behind and engage with the robust life of being Christ’s disciple.
The word from the Word is this today. Receive it with joy and faith.
"This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life! I’ve written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they’re no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ’s anointing, no less! You don’t need any of their so-called teaching. Christ’s anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught. And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives." (1 John 2:25-28, The Message)
__________________
Your Great Name
Lost are saved find their way
At the sound of Your great name
All condemned feel no shame
At the sound of Your great name
Ev'ry fear has no place
At the sound of Your great name
The enemy he has to leave
At the sound of Your great name
Jesus- worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us
The Son of God and man
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise
Your great name
Oh Your great name
Redeemer my Healer Lord Almighty
My Savior Defender You are my King
Jesus the name of Jesus
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise Your great name
(Jesus) worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us
The Son of God and man
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise Your great name
Your great name
Your great name
© 2008 Integrity's Praise! Music Two Nords Music
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)Krissy Nordhoff Michael Neale
CCLI License No. 810055
Natalie Grant sings “Your Great Name” -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuuLBPOYcI8
Monday, May 30, 2011
Two Become One!
Eric and Sarah were radiant, all aglow with the excitement of their wedding day. Eric is our assistant pastor, Sarah his beautiful bride. More than once I found myself with a lump in my throat as I sat by my bride of 36 years. Part of me felt a sense of caution for our young friends.
Do they have any inkling of the difficulties of forming a good marriage? No, and that’s a good thing or they might not have even started the journey!
Will they find the courage and the depth of faith to build a marriage that honors the Lord and brings them real joy? That question I believe is can be answered in the affirmative because this couple, from the first, has committed themselves to Christ, as Lord.
People who want to enjoy a life-long, growing, emotionally satisfying marriage will surrender large chunks of autonomy. Simply put, for those who are married, "me" exists less and less and "we" becomes foremost! The Word urges all disciples to a life of unselfish service including those who are married. Some spouses mistakenly think the marriage license includes permission for rudeness or selfishness. Here's what God says. "Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!" (Philippians 2:4-7, The Message)
Ephesians teaches Husbands that they are ‘love their wives as their own bodies.’ (6:28) Wives are directed to let their husbands be their servant leader in that same passage. The commands are inter-connected, one demanding the other. The husband cannot love his wife as Christ loves the Church if she keeps herself independent from him. Nor, can she trust a self-centered, foolish man to lead her to an emotionally satisfying, spiritually healthy life. But as both turn often to Jesus Christ, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation in their lives, a new unit called a ‘godly marriage’ starts to develop that makes each person in the marriage healthier, stronger, and more effective in life than they could be without their spouse! Two really do become a new one!
How many marriages do you see that enjoy that kind of love, playfulness, shared devotion, and spiritual depth?
A Christ-centered marriage that is radiant with love is one of the strongest testimonies to the reality of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Such a relationship does not just ‘happen’ because two people are well-adjusted psychologically, or highly compatible emotionally, or similar in world view or education. It is created by two disciples of Christ who pursue Him whole-heartedly, dying to Self, and seeking His love. That love in turn allows them to become a great lover. (Yes, think more than sex!) From the Spirit and His Church come the resources and tools to deal with effects of sin, old hurts and resentments, temptation to serve self over the family, and even the mistakes that will inevitably be made.
Eric and Sarah- we love you and pray for you! May Jesus Christ be always at the center of your lives and allow the two of you to become one wholly new thing as your lives are blended interdependently in covenant marriage.
Here is the word from the Word. Let it comfort and challenge you this day.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NKJV)
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. … This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:11, 16, NIV)
Do they have any inkling of the difficulties of forming a good marriage? No, and that’s a good thing or they might not have even started the journey!
Will they find the courage and the depth of faith to build a marriage that honors the Lord and brings them real joy? That question I believe is can be answered in the affirmative because this couple, from the first, has committed themselves to Christ, as Lord.
People who want to enjoy a life-long, growing, emotionally satisfying marriage will surrender large chunks of autonomy. Simply put, for those who are married, "me" exists less and less and "we" becomes foremost! The Word urges all disciples to a life of unselfish service including those who are married. Some spouses mistakenly think the marriage license includes permission for rudeness or selfishness. Here's what God says. "Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!" (Philippians 2:4-7, The Message)
Ephesians teaches Husbands that they are ‘love their wives as their own bodies.’ (6:28) Wives are directed to let their husbands be their servant leader in that same passage. The commands are inter-connected, one demanding the other. The husband cannot love his wife as Christ loves the Church if she keeps herself independent from him. Nor, can she trust a self-centered, foolish man to lead her to an emotionally satisfying, spiritually healthy life. But as both turn often to Jesus Christ, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring about transformation in their lives, a new unit called a ‘godly marriage’ starts to develop that makes each person in the marriage healthier, stronger, and more effective in life than they could be without their spouse! Two really do become a new one!
How many marriages do you see that enjoy that kind of love, playfulness, shared devotion, and spiritual depth?
A Christ-centered marriage that is radiant with love is one of the strongest testimonies to the reality of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Such a relationship does not just ‘happen’ because two people are well-adjusted psychologically, or highly compatible emotionally, or similar in world view or education. It is created by two disciples of Christ who pursue Him whole-heartedly, dying to Self, and seeking His love. That love in turn allows them to become a great lover. (Yes, think more than sex!) From the Spirit and His Church come the resources and tools to deal with effects of sin, old hurts and resentments, temptation to serve self over the family, and even the mistakes that will inevitably be made.
Eric and Sarah- we love you and pray for you! May Jesus Christ be always at the center of your lives and allow the two of you to become one wholly new thing as your lives are blended interdependently in covenant marriage.
Here is the word from the Word. Let it comfort and challenge you this day.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NKJV)
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. … This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:11, 16, NIV)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)