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Showing posts from October, 2013

You need a lot of grace in marriage

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I liked the article  ''Grace at Home (1)'' written by Bob & Debby Gass. '...But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.' Romans 5:20 NIV You need a lot of grace in marriage. Even in the best of relationships, things happen that cause misunderstanding and hurt. Speaking about his marriage, therapist Michael Sytsma says: 'Before I was married, God said, "Mike, you have some rough edges. To help you become more Christ-like, I'm giving you Karen. That should do the trick." So he brought Karen...into my life to identify all my shortcomings. My first response when she points out my flaws? Not gratitude! Instead, I strike back: "How dare you point out those things? What's your problem?" Then I have the opportunity of either denying my feelings, or owning them and maturing. And Karen can either harbour anger and resentment, or offer grace and forgiveness. Imagine a marriage filled with grace: a spouse wh

Faith, wisdom, and opportunities

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A college student walked into a photography studio with a picture of his girlfriend... He wanted the picture duplicated... The owner of the store noticed the inscription on the back of the picture, it said, "My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart… I love you more & more each day... I will love you forever & ever… I am yours for all eternity..." It was signed "Diane," and it contained a P.S.: "If we ever break up, I want this picture back..." Friends, when Christ calls us and we follow Him, there’s no “PS” with Christ… You’re His and He’s yours... It’s a serious commitment. There’s no turning back. As you and I come into contact with the world, we are going to become defiled. We don’t need a bath all over. We are already saved. But each day we must ask God to search our hearts and cleanse us from our sins.  On the surface, it is pretty difficult to explain why you believe in God. No one has seen Him face-to

Who Lives in Unapproachable Light

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How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? (See 2 Corinthians 6:15) Many people today, in the name of interfaith and multiculturalism, misinterpret the “Love thy neighbor” command of the Bible (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39). Instead of helping unbelievers embrace salvation through Jesus (thus obeying the Great Commission Jesus gave us to make disciples, teaching them to obey him – Matthew 28:18-20), they embrace whatever non-Christians believe. They adopt a policy of “live and let live.” They think that there are many ways to reach God and that perhaps Jesus is also among other paths. This deliberately devalues the uniqueness of what Jesus said: “No one can come to the Father but through me” (John 14:6).  Such an attitude or interpretation is an obvious indication of breaking the Covenant with God. In fact, it amounts to spiritual treason on the part of those who call themselves followers of Christ. Such views and behavior desecrate the Divine Truth and actively

Walking requires effort

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Benjamin Franklin once decided to become morally perfect. He chose 13 qualities he felt embodied moral perfection and tried to perfect one a week - at the end of 13 weeks he would be morally perfect. He failed, yet later wrote he had become a much better man for trying and failing than if he had never tried at all. Our situation with the Lord is similar. We will never become morally perfect, as Paul writes, but we can experience maturation as we grow into the image of Christ. Many people find no satisfaction in the work they do. Their lives lack purpose and meaning. Christians have an alternative source of meaning in their lives. If a Christian does a job, no matter how large or small, to God's glory, then that person will find satisfaction. God doesn't much care what we do, but He is always interested in how we do our jobs. If we do our work without grumbling and with a joyful heart, then we are witnessing to His power in our lives and we are pleasing to Him. D

Selfish Christianity

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Selfishness is the source of most interpersonal conflict. Someone is taking something from us (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.) that we don't want to give, and we fight to keep or gain our desires. Unselfishness is the source of most interpersonal harmony. Think about the people you really like - even famous people you don't know personally. Usually the reason you like them is because they are gracious and kind, and give of themselves. If you want to be a harmonious, likable person, you must be unselfish. Charles Stanley in his article ''Selfish Christianity'' says: Think honestly about this question: Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you? I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what the Lord can give us than we are about getting to know who He is. But this is nothing new—Jesus had the same problem when He walked on earth. The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though th