Here's my philosophy when it comes to marriage: "One and done!" I refuse to be one who has multiple marriages under his belt due to uncertainties, impatience, poor judgement, and simply not hearing from God. Now this is not to condemn anyone who has married multiple times, but I've been advised by individuals, who have married multiple times, to wait on God and I'd be a fool to not heed their warnings.
Not only am I waiting on the perfect spouse, I'm waiting to BECOME the perfect spouse. I believe that marriage is 50/50. It's foolishness to expect my future wife to be the total packet, yet I'm lacking in so many areas. So my waiting period is also my preparation period; allowing God's Word to guide me into holiness, purity and integrity. The people of Israel were 'cut' and made 'whole' BEFORE entering Canaan (Joshua 5-6). BEFORE entering marriage, we should allow God to 'cut' some excess stuff out of our lives, such as: anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, greed, lust, etc. And then we should allow time to be made 'whole'; being healed from any past relationship hurts, scars, broken promises, etc. The only way to ensure longevity, happiness and stability in marriage is to choose to enter in BAGGAGE FREE! So, as aforementioned, my marriage philosophy is "One and done!" If you also ascribe to this philosophy, type "ONE AND DONE" below..... God bless. For those who don't understand my previous post: satan used to be an angel. In Ezekiel 28:12-19, God speaks of satan, saying "...You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering.... You were an anointed guardian cherub [angel]. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.
The 'unrighteousness' found in satan was that HE WAS TRYING TO DETHRONE GOD! Isaiah 14:12-17 speaks of satan, saying "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High [God].’ But you are brought down to Sheol [Hell], to the far reaches of the pit. Because satan was full of beauty and wisdom, he began to think more highly of himself than he ought. He allowed his 'gifts' to cause him to get the big-head, and felt HE deserved the praise that belonged to God. There's a lesson to be learned from satan's mistake. "Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) Whether we're gifted to sing, rap, dance, preach, prophesy, paint, sculpt, write, play sports, sew, style hair, etc., we must remember that the gift came from GOD, and not ourselves! 2 Corinthians 10:17 says, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." Stay humble folks! God bless... 2 of the greatest lies satan tells us is that... [1] We're the only one facing a certain problem. No one sees, understands or cares... And [2] We cannot be free from our current situation, bondage, pain, hurt or guilt.
The truth is that the very reason Jesus was even born was to set us free! Isaiah 61:1-3 declares that His very purpose is to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to comfort all who mourn, to trade us beauty for our ashes, to trade us joy for our sorrow, and trade us the garment of praise for our heaviness. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost!!!! (Luke 19:10) If we can admit that we need His help, we qualify as perfect candidates to experience His unfailing love. Hebrews 4:15-16 says... "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one [Jesus] who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus knows exactly what we're going through, which is why we're urged to lean on Him for help and strength. Another lie satan tells us is that God is out to 'get us'; ready to punish us for our mistakes. But John 3:16-17 says... "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." So we indeed have Someone who understands us enough and loves us enough, and all we have to do is cast our cares upon Him, because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) ..... Are you ready to be free? While visiting my Pastor's house recently, he took me on a tour through his garden. In this garden, there was a tree that was flourishing with fruit. He then informed me that this tree had been barren for the past FIVE YEARS; producing zero fruit until now. While many gardeners would have uprooted this tree for being valueless, my Pastor was patient. Then God began to give me revelation on this... We must remember to not count anyone out!
Far too often, we (including Christians) assess people and the mistakes they've made and we write them off as a lost cause, hopeless, irreparable and irredeemable. But the LORD is patient toward us, "not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) While others may have written you off, given up on you, etc. "the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you." (Isaiah 30:18) Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." There is a destiny awaiting you so extraordinary that no one has seen, heard nor imagined! (1 Corinth. 2:9) God desires to make something great out of your life, and if you want to 'bear fruit', all you have to do is give your life to Him. Sincerely, A Lost Cause "21 Jump Street" was the movie that brought me to the reality that I was Saved and there was no turning back. I remember going to see the movie with my family, and it was literally thee FUNNIEST movie I had ever seen. But the conviction, the condemnation, the curse words and sexual jokes I knew were wrong but laughed at, compromising in my walk with God, the missed opportunity to be a Good Christian Witness to my family.. All of these emotions just made me want to crawl into a hole or just evaporate into thin air.
I couldn't even enjoy the movie. Before Christ (B.C.), I used to LOVE those kind of movies, but an undeniable transformation had taken place within me. God had chosen me before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:4). Not saying that my family is not also chosen, but God draws us all individually and it was my time to come to Him (read John 6:44). I knew right then that I could no longer do what others are doing. "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17) I share this testimony for those who are still undecided in their Christian journey. You know that God has called you to stand out, you have a love for God, you know right from wrong, etc.. yet you still wrestle with the decision of living a totally surrendered life unto Him. I say this to you.. 1. Don't get caught straddling the fence. Eternity has only 2 options, Heaven or Hell... 2. This is the good life. The seemingly unattainable things we wholeheartedly pursue such as love, joy, peace, comfort and security are FREELY given to us in God (Galatians 5:22-23). In His presence there is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Jesus states in Mark 10:29-30 how everything we've given up to follow Him will be returned a hundredfold in THIS life AND in the one to come. We have nothing to lose when we follow the LORD.... And finally, 3. You were chosen to bring hope to a dying world (Matt. 5:16, Philip. 2:14). We are called "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in [Jesus]." (Acts 26:16-18) There are people in this world who will not to hear the Gospel from any pastor, street preacher, some person on TV, or some guy on Facebook ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ... They will only hear the Gospel from YOU! And while you're wrestling with your decision to live for Christ, people are dying and going to Hell by the numbers (approximately 155,000 people die each day). If we can ensure that at least ONE of these people know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, then it's a job well done. You were born with an assignment (reader), will you receive the call?? **COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE** Ladies, NEVER feel the need to chase after a man.... Psalm 37:4 says to "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." .... God knows what characteristics you desire in a man, what you find a attractive, etc... But as you (continue to) live a life that's pleasing to God, in HIS timing, he will bless you with a mate... So just love God and wait, NEVER CHASE!
Far too many of us settle for less because we don't feel we 'deserve' better. Well if you're one of those individuals, I have good news for you from God: You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). You are the apple of God's eye (Psalm 17:8, Zech. 2:8). You are unconditionally loved (Rom. 5:8, Jerem. 31:3, Rom. 8:38-39). You are Not worthless nor overlooked (Jerem. 29:11, Eph. 1:4-5). YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD!!!! (John 3:16)
And if we have accepted Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour, that officially makes us a Child of God! (John 1:12, Rom. 8:14-16, Galat. 3:26)... And because we are a child of the KING, we are entitled to the BEST! No more settling for being just someone's baby mama or baby daddy when we can be someone's husband or wife. No more settling for being desired just for our body, but also because of our heart, soul, mind and intellect. No more settling for abusive relationships (physically and/or verbally) when we can have a mate who genuinely loves us. No more settling for a broken family when we can have a loving, stable, unified home. Our time for settling for less is OVER. God has greater in store for us, but until we find out what His Word (the Bible) says concerning us, we will always experience non-fulfillment. So let's attend Church, find out what the Bible says about our current situation, pray to God about it and have faith that He will work it out. NEVER SETTLE! The Bible specifically prohibits sex before marriage (1 Corinth. 7:2, 1 Corinth. 6:18, 1 Thess. 4:3, Eph. 5:3). Many are appalled at this commandment, but when we begin to understand WHY God said this, we know that it is for our good.
50% of marriages end in divorce. Why?? Because they've already done everything a married couple does (had sex, have children, live together, etc.). There's nothing else to look forward to. The only thing 'new' about their honeymoon was the location. Some people find it so hard to leave a relationship that they know they shouldn't be in, simply because the 'sex is good' to them. (Could you imagine how much easier the breakup could've been if sex was not involved?) Now to the defense of many, they say "If I'm gonna marry this person and spend the rest of my life with them, I need to know that the sex is gonna be good to me". So if the sex is NOT good, you're NOT gonna marry them?? If you're shallow enough to leave somebody because of sex, then I think it's the OTHER person dodging a bullet, not you. NEWS FLASH: Marriage is not all about sex! If you truly love your significant other unconditionally, knowing before hand that the sex is good or bad, really has no purpose. Now let's discuss the terms 'good sex' and 'bad sex'. These are comparative terms. The way we know if the sex is good or bad, is because we're comparing it to our past experiences! There's no such thing as 'bad' sex. God created sex and everything He created, He said, "Behold, it is good" (Genesis 1). Sex is seen as better or worse when it is compared to somebody else, and that's not the way God intended sexuality to be. God wants men and women to enjoy sexual activity within the confines of marriage. If the Bible's message on sex before marriage were obeyed, there would be far fewer sexually transmitted diseases, far fewer abortions, far fewer unwed mothers and unwanted pregnancies, and far fewer children growing up without both parents in their lives. Abstinence is God’s only policy when it comes to sex before marriage. Abstinence saves lives, protects babies, gives sexual relations the proper value, and, most importantly, honors God. Wait until marriage, (reader)! God bless. {Post inspired by Joe of ChaseGodTV} Bible Study was extremely good last night! One of the interesting things that we discussed, was that how we (including Christians) often use Social Networks as emotional outlets; voicing our frustrations, our hatred, loneliness, bitterness, confusion, etc. for the entire world to see. But the negative emotions that we spew out on Social Media, should be taken to the LORD in prayer. 1 Peter 5:7 says to cast ALL your cares on HIM, for He cares for you. Someone commenting on our statuses may bring us temporary comfort, but that's not enough. WE WANT A RESOLVE!
Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." ..... John 15:7 says "If you abide in me [Jesus Christ], and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." ..... And Mark 11:24 says "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." PRAYER WORKS! So the next time we feel the urge to vent, let's Sincerely pray instead. The Seasoned Saints often say, "A little talk with Jesus makes it right." Amen?? God bless. Last Monday morning, I prayed and asked God to place someone in my path to minister/witness to that day. Later that same evening, an old friend (who I used to make secular music with before I got Saved) called, asking if I still did photography (little do he know, God had him to reach out to me about photography so he can be witnessed to). I told him, "No", and I went on to explain how I'm Saved now, I'm in ministry and currently working on Christian Rap music. My friend was so shocked/amazed/excited about my transformation, he said "WOW" and "THAT'S CRAZY" at least 20 times before our convo ended. The joy that came over HIM, gave ME joy. Then I let him know that if God did it for ME, He can do it for him.
We also discussed music for a bit. I was able to open up to him about me doing Christian music now, and how I no longer have to feel bad afterwards about doing what I love. Music is my deepest passion. I turned my back on God for music many times in the past. But God revealed to me that I don't have to choose between Him or music, I can just use my gift for HIS glory! After we got off the phone, I just felt like I was ontop of the world (lol). I understand what Jesus meant when He said, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me" (John 4:34). The satisfaction that comes from being used by God is parallel to none other. I share this praise report with you (reader) to encourage you to seek to be used by God. I prayed that God would open a door for me to witness to someone, and He did just that (God is that practical when it comes to prayer). Let's build the Kingdom, one soul at a time. #FishersOfMen |
About MeAs a writer, my objective is to provoke thought. As a minister, my objective is to encourage you to Christ. As a disciple, my objective is to do these things in love. Archives
July 2017
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