Tag: God

Hey Girl, You Better Guard Your Heart!

9 Comments

brokenheart There is a disturbing phenomenon circulating on Facebook and Pinterest. It is the “Hey Girl” photos with Ryan Gosling. Have you seen them? The pictures feature Mr. Gosling in a provocative pose, many times shirtless, addressing the very heart of women. The ones I have seen are disturbing in that they are geared toward wives, stay-at-home moms, and homeschoolers.

The photos have captions like:

• Hey girl, I loved your blog post today.
• Hey girl, Go rest those tired eyes and I’ll take care of the explosive diaper.
• Hey girl, You know I’m getting jealous of that body pillow.
• Hey girl, I don’t need fancy dinners, I love the way you cook Kraft dinners.
• Hey girl, sure I’ll take another day off from work to go on a field trip with you and the kids.
• Hey girl, I love how you manage to tie in our morning devotional with algebra.

In a society where marriages are under attack and fewer and fewer actually survive, the whole issue is troublesome. If it were a just a trend of the world I would not worry. But since many of my online associations are professing Christians, I have to conclude that many Christian wives are looking at and promoting these photos.

Faithfulness is key for a Christian marriage to not only thrive, but glorify God. No doubt marital infidelity can destroy a marriage, but what about infidelity of the heart?

Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart,” Matthew 5:27-28.

Is it really prudent to look at a picture of a good-looking man saying things that you wish your husband would say?

Let’s ask like this: Would you want your husband looking at a picture of a good-looking woman saying things that he wished you would say to him?

The lies of the world are clever. They whisper, “It’s no big deal.” But, the enemy is subtle; he desires to destroy your marriage. Guard your heart; God is very concerned with the condition of it. Love your husband for who he is and glorify God through your marriage. The world is watching!

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life,” Proverbs 4:23.

The Importance of Teaching Ephesians 6:1-3

Leave a comment

eph 6Driving home with a friend the other day, we were talking about all the expectations placed on homeschool families. My friend, who is in the beginning stages of homeschooling, stated that she felt as though she had to prove something. This thought is normal. Often the world will look into our home and our choice of education and place lofty standards on us and our children. Sometimes, due to the “pride of life” (1 John 2:16), we raise the expectations ourselves. But if we could just lay the world’s standards and our own pride aside, we would find such freedom.

Homeschooling should be simple. It should be a lifestyle that creates in our children a love for God and learning along with a mindset of always pursuing knowledge. I have never wanted school to take place from 8 to 3 on Monday through Friday. I don’t want their education to just be from Kindergarten to 12th grade. I want my children learning every day of their life. Following the world’s standards will often lead to filling their minds with useless information. I don’t want to fill their minds; I want to shape their hearts and point them to God. I want to create in my children a desire to learn all they can for God’s glory. I want them to excel in reading good literature, to chase after truth in science, to discover the world through God’s eyes (HisStory), and I want them to use their writing and communication skills to change the world.

Simple right?

The concept of lifestyle teaching for God’s glory is certainly simple. It’s just hard at times. But isn’t all of parenting? A parent’s role in teaching their children is crucial. This is true whether or not we are homeschooling. So, with all the teaching we do, there is one imperative lesson that needs to be taught. This one lesson needs to be given first and foremost. It is found in Ephesians 6:1-3.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

This commandment is the foundation upon which successful teaching is built. Ephesians 6 gives two commands for children. They are to obey and honor. Obedience is an action. Honour is an attitude. It is to our children’s detriment if we fail to teach them this fundamental lesson. A child who does not learn to consistently obey their parents will struggle in life. It will not go well with them (Ephesians 6:3). They will also struggle in their academic studies if obedience is a problem. But even more important than that, if we fail to teach our children to honor and obey us, they will not learn how to honor and obey God. A lack of proper respect and obedience for those in authority will transcend into a lack of proper respect and obedience for the Highest Authority – God Almighty.

But society in general rebels against authority, doesn’t it? But like it or not, authority is a large part of life. We are always under some type of authority. Children must learn to submit to the authority of their parents. Christian wives must learn to submit to the authority of their own husbands. Husbands must learn to submit to the authority in the workplace. We all should submit to church and governmental authority. All believers must submit to God’s authority. Even unbelievers will one day submit. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God,” Romans 14:11. (Sadly, by the time an unbeliever learns to submit to God’s absolute authority it will be too late for them.) Submission to authority is a reality of life. And it is one that has been under attack since the beginning of time.

Today we see unnecessary heartache because of the lack of understanding biblical authority. There are miserable parents who have failed to teach this truth to their children and who are reaping the consequences. “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame,” Proverbs 29:15. There are husbands and wives who are struggling in their marriage because they have never been taught proper authority or have simply chosen to ignore it. “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it,” Ephesians 5:24-25. There are churches that are spiritually dying due to sin in the camp and a refusal to lovingly establish the authority of church discipline. “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened,” 1 Corinthians 5:6-7a. Untold numbers of boys and girls live in daily turmoil at home and with society because no one taught them the truth of authority. Thousands of men and women are in prison today because they did not submit to proper authority. Do you see the importance of authority?

The first four commandments given to Moses in Exodus 20 were between man and God, the next six between man and mankind. “Honour thy father and mother” was the first commandment that relates to our relationship with others. It was also the first commandment with promise – “thou mayest live long on the earth.” God saw this commandment as important. Don’t let your children disobey or dishonor you. It fabricates a weakness in their life that will be hard to overcome. Love them enough to teach them the importance of authority, honor, and obedience. In doing so, you will be pointing them to the Highest Authority – God Almighty.

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

3 Comments

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite times of the year.  It evokes images such as the pilgrim’s first feast, children playing games, churches singing praises, and families gathered up together to pray.  While the first Thanksgiving feast was held in 1621 by the Plymouth colonists, it was over 200 years later in 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.   Since that time, the premise behind the holiday has been pure – acknowledge God for all He has done and give Him great thanks.  One of the reasons I love this holiday so much is because traditionally it has not been cheapened by commercialism like the Christmas and Easter seasons.

However, the black cloud known as Black Friday has descended and it hovers over Thanksgiving Day.  I remember a few years ago setting the alarm for 3 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving so that I could get the best deals of the year.  Then stores opted to open at midnight.  You could stay up late and shop til you drop and I was among the thousands last year that did just that.  But this year stores are announcing that they will begin their Black Friday sales even earlier.  Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Sears, and Kmart will open their doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.  Why?  So people can go from gobbling up their turkey to gobbling up savings.

We’ve come a long way.  Thanksgiving was once a spiritual time of thanking God for His bountiful blessings, but the focus has shifted to the physical and commercial aspects.  The thanksgiving attitude of contentment has seemingly been replaced with a discontented attitude of wanting more and more stuff.  Instead of spending time with our family, we spend money they don’t have for things we don’t need. 

An even sadder annotation is the people who don’t choose to spend their Thanksgiving holiday in the stores.  Rather they are the ones who want to be at home with their family, but are forced to work the stores in order to keep a job.

Is it really all about the money, retail sales, and commercialism?  Or perhaps there is an unseen force that has always attempted to stomp out gratefulness in the hearts of people who would give the Almighty the thanks He deserves.  My prayer this year is that in the midst of all that activities, parades, cooking, football games, traveling, family gatherings, and Black Friday deals that God’s children will stop, slow down, and acknowledge Him with a thankful heart.   And my prayer is that it will start with me.

“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms,” Psalm 95:2.

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him,” Colossians 3:17.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” I Thessalonians 5:18.

Looking At The Invisible

Leave a comment

“We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen…”

It’s been an exhausting week!  Every day last week kept me running, and I do not function well when I’m that busy.  I like calm days, an organized and clean home, a pleased husband, happy children, obedient dogs, gentle music, and pleasant weather.  And I do not care for the antithesis of any of that.  In addition to being too busy, little things keep happening that have left me mentally, physically, and spiritually drained.  The starter on my suburban is going out, a minor inconvenience.   My husband had $2,000 worth of dental work done on Tuesday, another slight more than slight inconvenience.  A blood vessel in my eye burst, leaving me red eyed for several days.  My sleep waned last night as I prayed for a family dealing with domestic violence. Then to top it off I turned on the news early this morning.  Thirty minutes was all I could stand.  Let me ask; after watching this stuff has anyone ever walked away feeling good?  It’s depressing and if allowed, all of this can serve as a catalyst for discouragement, despair, and defeat.

But then I remembered the words spoken to my heart yesterday through the various teaching and preaching ministries at my church.  Words were spoken to encourage, exhort, admonish, uplift, and even inspire me to press toward the mark of the high calling.  We all have troubles.  They are just another example of truth spoken in John 16:33.  I know to expect them.  It’s called life.  So, why do I fix my eyes upon them?  My flesh cries “me, me, me,” but the spirit within cries, “Look up, look up!  Be renewed day by day!”  Paul, (who understood troubles quite a bit more than I) said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:16-18) Perspective sure changes everything!  I’ll be looking up today and it won’t be at things before me.  I’ll be looking at the invisible.

“Jesus loved him”

1 Comment

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, ‘One thing thou lackest…’”

It only takes a few minutes online to see enough pride, arrogance, and debauchery flowing through Facebook, Pinterest, and other sites to make my blood boil.  There is a sense of indignation that springs up in my heart, especially when the things of God are debased.  The longer I live, the clearer I can see the depravity of man.  Of course, times are no different today than when Jesus walked upon this earth.  Sin still reigns in the hearts of men.  Men still love darkness rather than light. Men’s eyes are still blinded by the god of this world.  Man is man – nothing more.   But lest we forget, God is God and nothing less.

In 2 Corinthians 5:18 we are told, “all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” Have you ever thought about the ministry of reconciliation that the child of God has been given?  Our ministry is to help reconcile sinful man to a holy, perfect, and just God.  Sometimes this ministry is frustrating.  We know “the terror of the Lord” and therefore we persuade men (2 Corinthians 5:11), but “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God,” 1 Corinthians 1:18.

Sometimes I struggle with how I am to communicate this with those who are blind.  This is why I love the Way of the Master evangelism course.  I’ve been through it several times and my husband is currently teaching it in our home each Monday night.  The point of the course is to evangelize the way Christ did.  His method was law to the proud and grace to the humble.   When the rich young ruler came to Christ seeking how to inherit eternal life, the Lord did not give him the “plan of salvation”.  Nor did He lead him in a “sinner’s prayer”.  Nor did Christ tell this man that he had a “God shaped hole in his heart” and if he would just believe that he would receive.  Instead, Christ pointed him to the law of God.

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.” (Mar 10:18-19)

When this man insisted that he had kept all of these from his youth (obviously bearing false witness) then Jesus, “beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Mark 10:21

Because of this man’s pride, Jesus kept pointing him to the law.  Giving away everything to the poor will not save anyone.  Jesus was showing him the essence of the 1st Commandment.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” Exodus 20:3.

But what happens?  The man walks away sad.  He refuses to follow Christ, because he had another god.  “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions,” Mark 10:22.

Other times in Scripture, like the woman at the well in John 4, we see Christ giving the gospel to those who are humble.  Law to the proud and grace to the humble.   

 But what really caught my attention while reading this passage yesterday during our small group study was one simple phrase in Mark 10:21.  “Then Jesus beholding him loved him…”  Here was an unsaved man who came to Christ, was pointed to the law, and still walked away unregenerate.  Yet, Jesus loved him.  I’ve missed it in the past.  Jesus loved him!  Of course He did.  He desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  And in His love for the man, the most loving thing that Christ could do for him was to point him to the law of God.

Christian, Do you love the sinner?  Do you love them like Christ loved them?

Do I love the sinner like Christ loves them?  If I did I would tell them that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27.  If I loved them I would tell them about their sins and how “sin is the transgression of the law,” 1 John 3:4.  I would tell them that “the wages of sin is death,” Romans 6:23a.  And I would point them to the law of God so that they would see their need for a Savior.  This is the most loving thing we can do.

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,” Romans 3:19.

The Bully

Leave a comment

In 1890 Amy Lefeuvre captured her readers with a story about a little boy named Teddy.  My husband read Teddy’s Button to our children several years ago and it has since been one of my favorites.    Teddy wants nothing more than to be a soldier, like his heroic father who fell in battle.  But through a turn of events his eyes are opened to the understanding of the greatest battle of all – the spiritual battle warring for his soul.  One of my favorite parts in the book is when Teddy commits his life to “the Lord’s Army”.  He tells the preacher that he now wants to know who his enemy is so that he can fight.  After all, a soldier must fight!  The wise old man turns him to a full length mirror and explains that he will be his own worst enemy.  So in childlike candor Teddy declares that he will name his new enemy “Bully.”  Throughout the book, as Teddy struggles with the epic battle between his flesh and the spirit, he will observe at times that Bully almost won that fight but with God’s help he was able to overcome him.

A few days ago I was reading in the Psalms and was again reminded of this dear story. David wrote Psalm 18 after the Lord delivered him from the hand of Saul. “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.”(Psa 18:17-18)

All I could think about was my own “strong enemy” that is “too strong for me.”  Maybe you know that feeling as well.  There are days in my life that sin abounds.  There are days that my flesh is weak and my faith is feeble.  These are the days that I am truly my worst enemy.  Satan does not need to come after me to tempt or discourage; I’m doing a fine job on my own. There are days that the war between the flesh and spirit rages mightily.  Paul understood this as well.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit he wrote, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:18-24)

It almost seems hopeless, doesn’t it?  But Paul goes on to say, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom 7:25-8:1)                                                                                                    

So, on those days when sin abounds, I cling to God’s Word.  “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,” (Rom 5:20)

 And on those days that my flesh is weak and my faith is feeble, I trust in Christ and His imputed righteousness in me.  “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom 8:3-4)

And when “Bully” rears his ugly head in my life I remember the Words of the Psalmist.   “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.”(Psa 18:17-18)

Bad things…good people?

3 Comments

When a tragedy happens, like the recent one at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie, people start asking questions.  How can a 24 year old man walk into a theater, open fire, and brutally kill 12 innocent people and injure 58 more?  What led him to do such a horrendous act?  Where was God when this happened and why did He allow it?

I have no doubt that this was an atrocious, evil attack that was probably influenced by demonic activity.  And our hearts break for the family and friends of the victims.  Like the rest of the country, these things are on our mind.  We question.  We wonder.  We seek an answer for the calamity.  Yesterday after church we were talking about the shooting.  A friend was sharing that when something like this happens, without fail people ask the age old question.  “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  It was then my 9 year old son replies, “Why do good things happen at all?”

Did you catch that?  Why do good things happen at all?  He’s right.  You see, we ask the wrong question.   The question shouldn’t be why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? The truth is that as a whole there are no “good people”.  “There is none that doeth good, no, not one,” Romans 3:12.  We truly have a misconception that mankind is “good” and deserves God’s blessings.  But Jesus clearly set the standard for goodness.  “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God,” Luke 18:18-19.

Not only that, but bad things happen because we live in a sinful, wicked, depraved world.  To blame God for the world’s evil condition would be equivalent to blaming a car manufacturer for a wrecked vehicle due to reckless driving.  If we will be honest and look deep into the truth of God’s Word we would ask a different question all together.  Why does any good thing happen to us at all?  And the answer to that question is simply because of God’s great mercy.

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” Deuteronomy 7:9. 

“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee,” Psalm 86:5.

God is merciful and this is why any good thing happens.  Like the Psalmist in Psalm 136, I declare “his mercy endureth for ever.”  Can you say the same thing?  Has God extended His mercy toward you?  He is merciful to those that love Him and keep His commandments.  He is merciful and good and ready to forgive those that call upon His name.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16.

My Unbelief

1 Comment

I had to call a friend a few days ago.  This particular friend is one I call when I need to hear the truth.  You know the type.  She doesn’t tell me what I want to hear; she tells me what I need to hear.  Perhaps you have a friend like this and can relate.   I am very thankful for our friendship.  It is one that could be summed up by Proverbs 27:5-6, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend…”  I wanted to have a pity party.  She told me to get my eyes off self.  I wanted to whine.  She told me to rejoice.  I wanted to focus on the negative.  She told me to look at the positive.  I wanted to sit.   She told me to get up and serve.  We’ve had this conversation many times over the years.  Sometimes, like last week, I’m the one who needs the exhortation and sometimes she is.  Either way we have an understanding.  Regardless of our feelings or emotions, the best thing we can do is point each other to the Lord and His Word.

The circumstances are always different, but the outcome is always the same.  It usually goes something like this.  One of us has a problem or small trial in our life.  This should be no surprise.  Jesus said in this world we would have tribulations (John 16:33).  But we still act “as though some strange thing happened…” During the trial we prove that we’re human by worrying and fretting.  After a day or two of self pity one of us will finally get around to calling the other – already knowing exactly what we’re going to hear.

“Why are you worried?”

“It’s just that I don’t see how this could possibly work out.”

“So, this just gives God a chance to prove Himself strong.”

“I know….but there is no human solution.”

“Hasn’t God always provided for you?”

“Yes, but…”

“Hasn’t He always been faithful?”

“Yes, but this time….”

“Has He ever let you down?”

“No, never.”

“Then don’t you know what the Scriptures say?”

“I do.  Just yesterday I was sharing God’s Word with a lady who was having trials of her own.”

“Then it boils down to whether or not you’re going to believe.  The bottom line is this.  Are you going to have confidence in the trustworthiness of God?”

And so, this was just what I needed to hear.  I knew the truth.  I still do.  I have never had a reason to doubt God’s Word.  It says that God will provide for His children (Matthew 6:33).  We are told that He will meet all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).  It says that He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6).  And we are promised peace if we will trust in God (Isaiah 26:3).  Not only are these things so, but time and time again – without fail – God has proven it true.

I do believe…..

But Lord, help my unbelief…….

Sometimes I feel like the father in Mark Chapter 9.  Do you know the story?  This man had a demon possessed son.  If you want to talk about trials and troubles, this man had them.  Look at how the father describes his son with this evil spirit, “And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away… ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us,” Mark 9:18a, 22.   The mother in me wants to weep for this man.  I cannot image the pain from seeing his child like this.  So in desperation, the father takes his son to Jesus’ disciples for help.  Yet, they cannot help him.

How many times do I go to everyone but the One who can and will help me?

When Jesus arrives He offers perhaps the first glimpse of hope this poor father has ever had. He says, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth,” Mark 9:23.

How many times has the Lord whispered these same words to me?  “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed…nothing shall be impossible unto you,” Matthew 17:20.  “For with God nothing shall be impossible,” Luke 1:37.  “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God,” Luke 18:27.

So this father, as honest and transparent as he can be, with tears in his eyes cries out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief,” Mark 9:24.

I think I understand what he was saying because I have been there many times.  In fact, I’m still there.  I have faith.  I believe.  But I know that my faith is not as strong as it should be.  My faith is weak.  It is imperfect.  It is flawed in its exercise.  So, like this father who does believe, I too add a prayer for grace, mercy, and strength.  Lord, Please help the weakness of my faith.   Help me to confidently rely upon You.  Show Yourself strong on my behalf and be glorified through my weak flesh and failures.  I believe Lord, just help me in my unbelief.

The Church Hurt Me!

7 Comments

Lately I have come across several online comments regarding the church in general.  Below are a few that I have recently read.

  • “I love Jesus; I just don’t like the church!”
  • “The church hurt me.”
  • “Church people are some of the cruelest people out there.”
  • “I turned my back on God because I was hurt by the church.”

I have been in church my entire life and I understand why people say these things.  I too have experienced mean, vicious, evil spirited people within the church.  I too have been hurt.   But not once did it make me want to cast off the church.  It fact, it has drawn me closer to Christ and His Word and it has given me a deeper love for the true church of God.  You see, we have a mistaken view that those that do such things are a part of the true church.  Most of the time, this is not the case.  They are simply pretenders, charlatans, and wolves in sheep clothing.  They are either unknowingly or in some cases intently seeking to destroy the reputation of the church.  And by the looks of things, they are doing a good job.

But, let us not forget that for every one negative account there are hundreds of positive ones.  For all the groups of non-believers who selfishly try to run the church, there are groups of true believers who have a heart’s desire to come together with their brothers and sisters in Christ to carry out the work of Kingdom.  For every one pastor who is foolish, ignorant, or just plain mean, there are thousands who are true servants of God, working tirelessly day and night, loving, serving, and ministering to people.  For every one hurtful word said, there are thousands of words spoken that have ministered grace unto the hearers.  For every false doctrine proclaimed by false teachers, there are still more who boldly proclaim the unequivocal truth from God’s Word.

Christ loves the church. (The true church, that is.) Christ established the church.  Christ died for the church. It is His Bride.  When we talk about the church in general, we are talking about the Bride of Christ.  We better be careful!  Quit being used by the enemy to destroy the reputation of the church.  Quit looking at self.  I know you’ve probably been hurt, but grow from it, move on, and lift your eyes and take notice of all the good that is in Christ’s true church.  And by all means, if you are in a church where Christ is not preeminent, that is not preaching the truth, not loving the brethren, not doing the work of the Kingdom, not edifying the believers, and does not look like the church should look like then find a true church where you can worship and serve.  True churches are out there.  I know, my husband is the pastor of one.  Sometimes it just takes a while to find one. But remember the words of Christ, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Matthew 16:18.

The Submissive Husband

2 Comments

Is your husband submissive? Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? I believe that every wife wants a submissive husband. I know that I do and I’m thankful for mine. While society likes to think of it as such, submission is not an ugly term. However, before the feminist get too excited, let me clarify that I am not talking about some distorted view of manhood and marriage. As a woman, let me say that there is nothing more appalling than a weak and fragile, “Yes Dear, whatever you say” type of husband. Men are designed to be men. They are created to be leaders. Simplistic, I know, but so true. So, what I am talking about is a husband who is submissive to biblical authority.

Authority is a large part of everyone’s life. We are always under some type of authority. Children must learn to submit to the authority of their parents. Wives must learn to submit to the authority of their own husbands. Husbands must learn to submit to the authority in the workplace, church authority, and governmental authority. All believers must submit to God’s authority. Even unbelievers will one day submit. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God,” Romans 14:11. (Sadly, by the time an unbeliever learns to submit to God’s absolute authority it will be too late for them.)

Submission is a reality of life. It is one that has been under attack since the beginning of time. Today we see unnecessary heartache because of the lack of understanding of biblical authority. There are miserable parents who have failed to teach this truth to their children and who are reaping the consequences. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. (Pro 29:15) There are husbands and wives who are struggling in their marriage because they have never been taught proper authority or have simply chosen to ignore it. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Eph 5:24-25) There are churches that are spiritually dying due to sin in the camp and a refusal to lovingly establish the authority of church discipline. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened… (1Co 5:6-7a) There are pastors who struggle in leadership because they have not taught their flock to “obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you,” Hebrews 13:17. Untold numbers of boys and girls live in daily turmoil at home, in school, and with society because no one taught them the truth. Thousands of men and women are in prison today because they did not submit to proper authority. Do you see the importance of biblical authority?

For the believer in Christ, submission is essential. James 4:7 says to, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” It is through submission to Christ, as Lord and Master, that we are saved. As a Christian wife, Ephesians 5:24 states that your submission to your husband beautifully illustrates the submission of the church to Christ. When we as believers fail to submit to our husband we demonstrate to the world a distorted and pathetic portrait of Christ and His holy bride. This is one of the reasons that having a husband that is submissive to Christ is so important. Christian wives must submit to their husband in order to be obedient to the Lord. The command to submit is not circumstantial. As stated in I Peter 3:1, “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.” However, it is a lot easier to submit to a husband who is submitting to Christ and following Him.

Is your husband submissive? I hope so. It makes for a glorious marriage. If not, Christian wife, keep praying for your husband. Love him and still submit to him. Win him over with your lifestyle. Have a quiet and meek spirit. Let him see your loving heart and good works. And watch and see what the Lord will do in your marriage!

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”(2Ch 16:9)