Divorce

Divorce

 

     If you became a Christian after you were married then do some Bible study on the subject of marriage, but I can assure you that you are not supposed to just get a divorce. Divorce is ugly and it is “legally” easy to do, but God’s rules aren’t as flippant as our governments’ laws; instead, His rules are for our protection and betterment and they’re perfect.

And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

1 Corinthians 7:10-24 (KJV)

 

The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. Matthew 19:3-9 (KJV)

Driving them out Slowly, Part 4

Driving them out Slowly, Part 4

And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

 

       The Lord will drive them out. It is not our strength or willpower that breaks down our strongholds or saves a nation, it is the LORD! Make no covenant, don’t enter into peace treaties and contracts with those who serve the kingdom of darkness. For Israel, this was any Gentile nation, for us it is the unbeliever, the culture, the world, the flesh, and the other evil and sinful forces of our day. Don’t make a covenant with their gods! Stay free from entanglements with the World. Live as a stranger here, a citizen of a heavenly kingdom. Live and walk in a manner worthy of the calling that you have received in the Lord Jesus Christ. They (the evils and wickedness of the day) shall not dwell in thy land. What land do you have? Is it physical land? Don’t rent it out to a billboard company promoting gambling or “adult entertainment.” I believe that the Holy Spirit has shown me that your land can be your home, your household (your family), your possessions (books, movies, music), your car (do you have any inappropriate bumper stickers?), and your mind and heart. Keep it all free from the pollution of your enemies! We are called to love our enemies, pray for them, and share the Gospel, but we are to have no part in their sin! There isn’t supposed to be even one hint of sexual immorality (or name your others sin) among us! Don’t let them dwell in your land, for they will work their way into your heart just like they did in the ancient people of Israel and cause you to stop serving your Lord, make your children pagans, and hinder your communication with the Lord. Don’t compromise! Don’t push the envelope! Their gods are your snare!

Driving them out Slowly, Part 3

Driving them out Slowly, Part 3

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. 28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. 31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

 

     The Lord will send His Fear before us as we serve Him. There are missionaries who literally have tribes afraid of them because they know that the Christian God is real and powerful. Read stories about faithful missionaries; you will find that pagan, cannibalistic tribes have turned their backs to some of them and literally ran away afraid of our Almighty God.

28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

       God will send the hornets—some small, annoying thing—before use to drive out the demonic forces of evil that are holding people in bondage examples are witchdoctors, psychics, new age spiritualists, and oculists (this is largely seen on the mission field) as well as false worldviews and mindsets, strongholds, and satanic intimidation in our own lives.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

         The Lord will drive them out little, by little. Not 1 year—not fast, because we can’t handle that much conquered territory yet. But as we are able to take care of more and more, the Lord will add it to us. Think of this in regard to your sanctification (lifelong transformation) as you follow the Lord. Little by little, the Lord breaks down stronghold and teaches us how to maintain personal freedom on that conquered spiritual land; otherwise, we would give the devil a foothold and he would just begin to build his fortress right back up again.

Driving them out Slowly, Part 2

Driving them out Slowly, Part 2

Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

       Do not serve the gods of this world: TV, music, pop culture, violence, video games, selfishness. But serve the Lord! It is He who blesses your Bread! It is He who gives you the mind and ability to earn wealth! It is He who provides your water! It is He who protects you, not all your insurance policies (I’m not saying don’t have insurance, just that we need to reevaluate where Source of trust lies). And this passage also gives some incredible blessings for the Jewish people in this passage. While God still heals, I believe that this passage is referring to a nation seeking after God. If we once again are that nation, I believe these blessings will be given to us again: The Lord will take away our sickness, there will be no more barrenness in our crops or our cattle or our people!

          Look back up at verse 24 and note the second half of the verse. We are to overthrow—we are to stand against—the sinful, pagan culture around us. We are to proclaim the truth in love, yet stand for the perfect law of God; uncompromisingly denouncing homosexuality, entitlement, debt, feminism, effeminate manhood, evolution, secular humanism, etc…. We are to tear down the idols of our age (sex, greed, pride, selfishness, tyranny) with the message of God’s Word—the true and living Gospel of Jesus Christ which will transform people’s lives.

“….For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

 

“….For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

  Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines forsake as:

1.      To quit or leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart from.

    Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. He is always there, waiting for us to come to Him and find rest and peace. Whenever a person backslides or completely falls away from the faith it is not the Lord’s fault, God does not forsake us: it is the person who forsakes the Lord. We have a free will, we have to surrender to the Lord to be used by Him; therefore, we can choose to take our will and walk away from Him in our own strength.

    The choice is yours, dear friend, Christ will never leave you or forsake you, but you can. Will you surrender to Him today? Will you consecrate yourself unto Him?

  Lord, O how often I have walked in my own strength; forsaking You and asking why You left me. Lord, You never left me….but I walked in my own strength. Lord, help me today to walk and live following You. I don’t want me, but You. Empower me by Your Spirit to live a life wholly consecrated to You. In Jesus Name, amen.

 

Thought 285: Faithfulness and Obedience are a Choice from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 285

Faithfulness and Obedience are a Choice

  You can choose to be faithful and obedient. You are never just “naturally” obedient; your human nature is naturally disobedient (Gen 3:6). Obedience is contrary to our nature, and thus we must exercise our will—make a choice—to obey.

But I have a great reminder for you! We serve a God that is always faithful and always keeps His Word! In other words, He obeys (keeps) His promises. And the greatest thing of all is that He loves you and me and ‘keeps after’ us with the message of His Son and the conviction of the Holy Spirit—He desires that none perish; yet they must make a choice: accept the final debt payment of Christ’s redemption from the power of sin or reject signing the debt over to Him and carry it themselves.

How’s your faith and obedience right now?

Thought 279: Psalm 78 from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 279

Psalm 78

This chapter is amazing! Read Psalm 78.

§  The basis for homeschooling or any education is to be parent guided based on verses 4-6, the verses are not just referring to so called ‘Biblical education’ like Sunday school.

§  Verse 8 describes what state our country is in now. Without hearts loyal to God, we just run around with heads full of facts and figures and have no purpose to unleash them in a meaningful way for the kingdom.

§  Verses 10 &11 depict what so many of God’s children have done—forgotten the Lord and gotten caught up in themselves.

§  Verse 32 is relevant today as well: God’s wonders are all around us! . . . yet few  believe.

§  Verses 38-39 are amazing! God was merciful, yes!—even in the Old Testament.

§  Verse 52 implies that God has always been a shepherd because He was for Israel and HE is for us.

§  Verses 70-72 speak of the amazing leadership capabilities that God gave to David. Yes, God chose David as the leader of HIS people.

Thought 273: Wages from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 273

Wages

The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

Proverbs 11:18-21 KJV

 

   What are your wages? A wicked man gets his wages; that is, his reputation, his life, his status, his “wealth,” his stuff—anything he wants!—through deception. . . . but the righteous, they reap a sure, long-lasting, permanent, guaranteed reward!

    Only the truly righteous attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. What are you pursuing? Is it life: the righteous and blameless life with Jesus . . . or are you pursuing evil things: yourself (pride), money (mammon), health (self-preservation), or fun (personal happiness and peace)?

     The Lord detests—detests!—men of a perverse heart, but He delights in the righteous heart. David was a man “after God’s own heart.” He was a man of a righteous heart.

     The last verse of are text reveals the sobering truth: God will punish the wicked one day, but the righteous He will bless. Friend, where are you? What is your spiritual condition? Are you righteous and heading toward Heaven and its rewards or are you wicked and heading toward Hell?

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

–Matthew 7:13-14 KJV

Thought 233: God Orchastrates in the Affairs of Men from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 233

God Orchestrates in the Affairs of Men

      I don’t want to steal any phrases when I say this, because many have said similar things, but how does a man or woman know that their spouse is the “One”? Is it some subconscious evolutionary drive? Is it some animal like instinct and desire that is simply there for the furtherance of the human race? Is just because that person is ‘pleasing to our eye’? NO! God is the one who told them that who was the one. How do some men grow up always having a “crush” on their future bride and no one else? The answer is, God. God, brought Eve to Adam—God “set it up.”  Waiting on the Lord is the best option, and Isaiah 30:19-26 promises that HE will direct us.

Just because God is sovereign does not mean that we don’t have a free will. Our choices can be against God’s will.

        Now, people take different approaches to pre-marriage relationships. Some will foolishly flaunt themselves around and just date anyone that there heart desires. Others, which I believe choose the better way, decide to save even their first kiss and moments alone together till their wedding day. Only God can give a couple the power to do such things; on the other hand, anybody can ask someone out and follow-their-heart. I purpose that you choose the Biblical way. God has been teaching me what His Word says about romance and He has a lot to say! As God has been lining up conversations for me to share some of His Word on this topic, few appear to have a change of heart. Only two of the many young men I’ve shared with on this issue have appeared to change their view.

      Take heart! You were born at the exact moment that God had ordained and predestined you to enter into this world of wonder! God loves you; and if you haven’t ever received your letter of admittance into heaven because of Jesus Sacrifice (and no work of your own), I pray that you fall on your knees right now, tossing aside this wretched book and cry out to God to save your soul from the encompassing flames of Hell.

⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ¹²For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. ¹³For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.    Romans 10:9-13 KJV

 

GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND ORCHASTRATES THE

LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN.

…

FOR HIS GLORY