Ever wonder why our political leaders make some of the stupidest laws; laws that defy common sense? The Bible says, “Common Sense comes from God.” Therefore these political leaders are godless. What makes godless leaders think they have the answer to the problems we face today? How great is that arrogance?
Proverbs 8:14
“Common sense (wisdom) and success belong to Me. Insight and strength are Mine.” Says the Lord.
God has given man His will to do. A wife makes her husband’s responsibility to God much easier when she works with him rather than working against him. A man’s God-given burdens are lightened by his wife’s favorable attention to it; helping her husband using her abilities, spiritual gifts and prayers – in doing God’s will. God’s will for a man requires the man’s wife to be his partner in it. And this is a very beautiful thing to see at work.
The wife who does not glorify her husband can not glorify God. This is so important to understand. Women today do not like to hear that they were made “for the glory of man;” that God “created woman for man.” (Genesis 2:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 11:7-10) Why would a woman feel offended by this? Does this offend you?
Most little girls have not been raised up to think the right way about boys/men and marriage, and is why most Christian marriages don’t last. Most little boys have not been raised to think the right way about girls/women and what “marriage” is for – by God’s design and purpose.
In many places on the earth women are regarded as slaves and treated like animals or objects. This is not what God had in mind for a man’s wife or any woman. It doesn’t matter where you live on this earth, no matter what religion you accept or are forced to accept, no matter what government you live under and no matter whose wife you are; you are God’s beautiful and valuable daughter. Put your trust in your Father above, give your heart to Jesus Christ your only hope and Savior, and then watch how your heavenly Father deals with those who mistreat you.
God deals severely with the men (and boys) who make His daughters (at any age) to live in fear or shame. You belong to God first. It is a dreadful thing to experience the righteous anger of God for how one of His daughters are mistreated. Turn an evil man over to your Savior and Deliverer, and remain faithful in praying for him. Love never fails!
A woman’s success as a godly wife and mother is found in her close relationship with the Lord and how skillful she becomes in using all that she’s been given to benefit her husband and her children. Even as I write those words – there came a thought: “What about me? Why can’t I benefit myself with my own skills?” Even if I never marry and/or never have children – it is never all about me!
God gave women an honor that He did not give men. In the womb of woman God perfectly forms each human life with incredibly unique aspects so that there are no two people alike ever created. (Psalms 139:13-15) Yes, human life starts at conception as far as man can see, or at least he should see this as truth, but as far as God sees – you were His thought and joy before anything came into existence. God planned your existence before your mom got pregnant with you. God planned for YOU to be born and to come to know His love and purpose before He created a thing. To live and thrive and know your heavenly Father through Jesus Christ is everyone’s God-given right and purpose. We all come from God and return to God, and we are held accountable for the life He gave us; both physically and spiritually.
In some cultures women have grown up believing they have the right to abort the child in their womb. I believe in women’s rights, but a woman’s “right to choose” doesn’t apply when she’s on the abortionist’s table; it applies when she is tempted to spread her legs for a man or boy, if you know what I mean. Abortion is not the right choice! It’s not the right choice even when the doctor tells the mother and father that having the baby will put the mother’s life in jeopardy. Calling on God’s power and trusting Him for the outcome of the delivery – is the only right choice. God knows and has a plan for that unborn child no matter what stage of growth he/she is in.
And, it’s not the right choice in the case of rape either! Why should a baby pay (by death) for the sin of someone else. So you don’t want to be reminded of what happened? So you don’t want to take the chance that the child would be like his/her father? So you aren’t ready to have a child? So, so, so! SO! Let’s try trusting God! Let’s give God a chance to make it all work out perfectly.
Condemn the criminal, not the child! Forgiving the offense helps you to heal from any offense taken against you. Forgive the offense and welcome the child; this is how you overcome what has been done to you. You can forgive any offense; it’s a choice and it can be done when we consider how Christ has forgiven each of us. No one is righteous or good according to God. “All have sinned” and need to be forgiven!
You can forgive the offender even though you never see the offender again. But in cases where the offender is someone close to you like a family member, and who has not been arrested, forgiving the offender doesn’t mean you have to be around them, or to pretend to feel what you don’t feel in their presence. Again, call on the Lord and entrust yourself to HIM who deals justly with the wicked. “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord. “I WILL REPAY!”
God is eager to do what looks impossible to us when we acknowledge who HE IS and surrender our understanding to His perfect wisdom and love. The doctor that considers abortion as an option is NOT to be trusted. Trust God instead, because God is the creator of your womb and of the child in you. Trust God and then give Him the glory for the outcome!
Jesus is the only One that can heal us because when Jesus suffered at the hands of evil men, even by his own family members, He forgave them all. His love covered a multitude of sins; the sin of the whole world! Imagine that. That same Holy Spirit in Jesus can do the same in us, if we allow Him to. Call on Jesus Christ for His forgiving you of all your sins – and then ask Him for His Holy Spirit power for you to forgive others.
For a little girl who has been violated – she will need a wise godly woman (mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, etc.) to help her come through it so it does not ruin her potential and good future. God will help any girl or woman who asks Him for the power to forgive and see her situation as an opportunity. What happens to each of us can be used for good in some way if we allow the Lord to heal us and impart His wisdom. His healing us makes us responsible with “that healing” from Him. It’s not all about you. Every miracle from God requires us to follow through with what His miracle was intended to do for others.
God is love. God is eternal. God is Creator of all life. God’s will and instruction for mankind to increase – has never changed. The womb of the woman belongs to God; He created our womb. The sperm of a man connecting with the egg of his wife is to produce offspring. This is the primacy of sexual intercourse within marriage. God added ‘a feeling’ to pro-creation between husband and wife, but sadly this “feeling” has become the priority so that we now have sexual perversions esteemed and taught as normal and good. What a surprise they have coming.
Through the ages the devil used his vessels to train women and little girls to think of themselves wrongly; to think of their bodies (and their wombs) in an evil way instead of God’s holy way. Women have it down to an art how to use their bodies and sex appeal to get what they want. They actually see it as a talent or skill that should be developed. Hollywood is filled with such women and young aspiring actresses. Books are published about them. Songs are written to esteem them. Children are sacrificed for them. That which is evil has become noble! That which is honorable has become shameful!
“A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a shameful wife is like decay in his bones.” Proverbs 12:4
The third thing that we need to ask ourselves in regards to our culture: Is the church making an impact in our culture today? Who is in control in our culture? Is it God or is it Satan? When we turn on TV what do we see: programs that honor God or Satan? When we listen to modern music what do we hear: music that honors God or Satan? When we look at art, films, etc. what are we confronted with: something that honors God or Satan?
Chuck Colson was speaking to a group of pastors about engaging our current culture. He said that one of the pastors came up and asked a question: “But won’t engaging the culture this way interfere with fulfilling the Great Commission? Isn’t our job to win people to Christ?”
Chuck’s response to this was: “Of course we’re called to fulfill the Great Commission, but we are also called to fulfill the cultural commission.” Christians are agents of God’s saving grace – bringing others to Christ, but we are also agents of His common grace: We are to sustain and renew His creation, defend the created institutions of family and society, and critique false worldviews.”
I was reading a book on the Nazi conscience. I was wondering how could a nation that had such a Christian heritage turn in such a way that millions would be killed.
We all have a conscience, but the question is: What is the conscience set on? For example, I think of some of the different religions in the world, Hinduism for example. They have what is known as Sati (wife burning). When the husband dies they throw the wife (alive) on the burning pyre so that she might be with him in the next life in reincarnation. Their conscience does not seem to bother them. My conscience would. What makes the difference? It depends on what their conscience is set on.
For me it is set on the Bible – I have a biblical worldview. This makes a difference. The Hindu has a Hindu worldview. It is a difference of belief. So it would seem that what we believe is very important. What is remarkable to me is how a nation that supposedly is a Christian nation (nominally) can have a Christian belief and still do what they did during the war? How was a nation’s conscience cauterized to allow something like that to happen? Also where was the church in the midst of it all?
Then I think of the USA with over fifty million of our babies that have been aborted. Where is the church? What happened to bring us to this point? Where is the church in the midst of it all?
While reading this book several things stood out for me. First, we see that it was a time of lax moral codes in the country. It seems that everything was okay to do. No morals, no truth. It was a time when the moral people (probably the churched people) felt that something needed to be done. But what and by whom? It seemed that there was a sense of impotence. It was at this time that a man – Hitler – rose who seemed at first to be a man of morals giving voice to what many felt. He was a good speaker and a charismatic character. He was sharing what many people felt and through his charisma many fell for his propaganda.
Next we find that Hitler had a tremendous propaganda mill and through this he began to pour out the poison. In one sense what he was doing through his propaganda mill was to engage the major issues of the day and give an answer. What the preachers should have been doing we find Hitler doing. We now know the rest of the story. Biblical preaching is engaging the major issues of the day and giving a Biblical response.
Through the constant barrage of propaganda, people’s thinking and belief began to change – which in turn affected their conscience and setting the barriers for their conscience. Once that happened it was easy to lead them to other things as well. This is what we see today in our own culture.
Later when Hitler took more and more power then it was even more difficult for any opposition to be raised. It seemed that he also used thugs to help bring about his message by fomenting fear in the hearts of anyone who did not agree with the propaganda.
What do we encounter today when we speak out against a homosexual lifestyle? So where was the church when they were “coming out” as they say? Did the church see? Did they understand the dynamics that were taking place? Perhaps some did and they did speak out to their own detriment. I think of Bonhoeffer who was eventually put into prison and later hanged.
Looking at our culture in the West today makes me want to CRY OUT for reformation!
Background of Isaiah the Prophet
It was said that Isaiah’s ministry lasted for about sixty years and that he supposedly died under the terrible reign of Manasseh. Jewish tradition says that he was brutally martyred by being placed in a hollowed trunk of a tree and then “sawed in two.”
Reading through the book of Isaiah one is impressed with his vivid sense of the majesty of God. When we look into Isaiah chapter 40 we will see that he compares God to how we think in terms of greatness, and then he says that there is no comparison.
One of the main things that Isaiah is speaking against is the outward forms of religion with no inward reality. Reading through Isaiah one is impressed with qualities like “boldness, patriotism, tenderness, broad sympathy, stormy indignation at hypocrisy, with deep spirituality and a profound sense of the Divine majesty.” Isn’t this something missing today in our churches and meetings together? Are not these the things of character that should be more in our preaching today?
When Isaiah began his preaching career several things were happening in Israel. The ten tribes (Israel) were nearing destruction by Assyria whose capital was Nineveh. They were desperate times.
Israel joined with Syria under the leadership of Damascus. Judah would not join so Israel and Syria invaded Judah to coerce Ahaz, the king of Judah, to join the confederacy. So we find Ahaz making a treaty with Assyria and marching forth to overthrow Syria and Israel. So Judah then became dependent on Assyria.
Later Hezekiah rebelled against the King of Assyria. Isaiah was always advocating that Judah’s dependence should be upon Jehovah and not some earthly monarch. However, the king of Assyria came to lay low Judah and since Egypt failed to respond to help, Judah had to buy off the King of Assyria with gold, etc. and so again became dependent upon Assyria.
Later when Assyria was coming to attack Judah and Jerusalem Hezekiah heeded Isaiah’s advice and trusted in the Lord to deliver them from this ‘present danger’ coming upon them in the form of Assyrian army. The result was that God sent His angel and a great disaster fell upon the army, and from which King Sennacherib never recovered.
Judah was freed from the threat of invasion and enjoyed a season of peace.
When we come to Isaiah 40 we see that there is turn in God’s approach to His people. They have repented and now are turning back to God and so we read in Isaiah 40:1-2: “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God. ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.’”
Later we have the words: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3
The same words are repeated in Matthew 3:3 “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him,’” referring to John Baptist prior to the first coming of the Lord.
In reading through Isaiah 40 one sees what ‘reformation’ will do and what is needed today.
These points come from Linda Harvey’s column in January’s Whistleblower magazine. She is president of Mission America and a weekly columnist for WND (World Net Daily – Whistleblower). Prayer and comments at end are mine.
“New York Times published a story: “His eye make-up is better than yours.” About a 10 year old boy and his Instagram make-up following. There’s a flooding from the media featuring stories that highlight gender-confused kids, with a chorus of support for this delusional behavior.”
“Teen Vogue magazine featured an article about how to safely engage in anal sex.”
“In public libraries children with their on-looking parents listen to men dressed in female attire and hideous make-up (drag-queens) read books to innocent children.”
“In Austin Texas, an International Drag Festival, an all-ages event, featured an 11-year-old boy dressed a girl dancing before other children and cheering transvestites, some of whom also took the stage for obscene performances, occurring at a Holiday Inn.”
“Disney topped the list of offending producers with their remake of Beauty and the Beast where they cast one of the males as a homosexual character, (subtle but sure).”
“TV shows more and more introducing obscenity and/or homosexuality themes to children. Netflix’s Big Mouth. Disney’s Doc McStuffins, Andi Mack and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. Disney is also a major donor to the Gay/Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Disney has not been the same since Walt Disney left.”
“A New Jersey bill PASSED that guaranteed confidentiality for kids engaging in transgender-behavior, because, as we all know, parents are the enemy, right? Similar school policies exist in Maine, Maryland, Hawaii and elsewhere.”
“Hollywood rushed to give awards to a movie featuring the “romance” of a teen boy being seduced by an adult man. Movie is called: Call Me by Your Name. Accusations keep piling up of alleged abuse of boy actors by powerful Tinseltown males. Former child actor Corey Feldman’s long-time allegations are finally getting a hearing.”
“Schools continue to promote homosexual and transgender behavior.” (Against parent’s rights and input.)
“GLSEN’s propaganda events like the April – Day of Silence and fall – Ally Week can hardly be taken seriously anymore. There is no silence with this obnoxiously LOUD agenda. They have financial allies like Target, Wells Fargo, Walt Disney Co. and JP Morgan Chase.”
“Radical pro-abortion forces have teamed up with homosexual activist groups to push for more-explicit-than-ever comprehensive sex education curricula in schools, where 7th graders are told that vaginal, anal and oral sex are equally valid sex practices, all normal for teens and manageable with condoms (which are demonstrated on plastic models). The sound (truthful) alternative teaching of abstinence is dismissed and mocked.
“Rights, Respect, Responsibility” “Get Real” “Making Proud Choices” “Be Proud! Be Responsible” “F.L.A.S.H.” “Reducing the Risk” “Teen Talk” – While these may look professional on the outside, they are some of the most objectionable curricula in schools, and parents need to revolt, as many are.”
“Too many vulnerable children are being violated and videotaped for the voyeuristic pleasure of evil adults. There’s big money in the child rape trade, and organized crime is making this product a priority. More and more ‘influential’ educators, professors, police, federal officials, judges and lawyers are being arrested and charged for these crimes.”
“Those who have charge over children are sometimes ‘deliberately’ directing them away from Christian faith. Brave Christian voices are bullied into silence. Too often, Christian students and teachers cannot stand up against homosexual propaganda without being persecuted at school in clear violation of our First Amendment freedom. Few will resist educators, administrators and school-board members firmly entrenched in their anti-morality, anti-Christian positions.”
God WILL help us when we start understanding, praying and organizing ourselves to get with “obstructing and resisting” these evils.
“While the chance to believe in Jesus Christ is the most important opportunity we can offer a child, those who are not allowed to be born in the first place never have that chance. Abortion continues to be the biggest preventable threat to children in the U.S., yet is still supported up until birth by many PROGRESSIVES and DEMOCRATIC PARTY POLITICIANS.”
We must do everything possible to stop abortion and save babies in the womb; through all sorts of means, especially to see pro-life policies enacted.
“When abortion ends, child corruption in America might end as well.”
Father God, turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the hearts of children to their godly fathers – that they grow up in the truth and love of Jesus Christ. Father God, transform our thinking by the renewing of our minds with Your Truth, Your Word is Truth. Purify our hearts as we repent and turn from our own wicked ways. For nothing is hidden from You. Hear our requests and cries for help in this wicked society. We want to make ready a people prepared for You and Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name.
In reaching the hearts of our children from their earliest ages, we must first practice morality and self-governing as parents, turn from our own wicked ways. Then start teaching our children morality as defined by our Creator God; we must teach them respect for life, that abortion is a great evil; we must teach them first before they are taught by others. We protect our children by removing our children from schools where they are being taught that evil is good and good is evil, and find ways to organize (with God’s help) the proper environment for our children to be taught basic education and right values.
Self-governing using God’s definition of morality – is POWERFUL in overcoming our enemies.
“I will say further that the rules that we learn from Scripture provide the framework for a society based on love, respect and creativity, as opposed to power and control….Sexuality OUTSIDE the framework of mutual love, commitment and respect between husband and wife is transformed from a physical expression of intimacy and beauty to the gross and crass behavior of brutes.
“Government was not designed to ‘mend men’s souls.’ It was designed to allow citizens to live free” (and self-governed under God’s laws of life and love).
Our first president: George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be managed without religion.”
“Washington’s point is crucial. In a free society, one in which we want to minimize government and political control, we must maximize SELF-GOVERNANCE. The proper morality that emerges from true religion provides the rules by which free men and women govern their own behavior.”
“The only viable path to a healthy, free nation: Choose to heed the wisdom of our first president (founding father).”
This morning I was very encouraged by what the Lord said to me. I see lots of people who are my age but retired. Then this morning the Lord said, “I have things for old men to do.” While most retired men have quit working like they used to – I have started a construction company with my son, I bought a big piece of land that needs to be developed and homes built there, and I’m to prepare a people for the Lord’s coming.
So to all you ‘old’ men: GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A NEW MINISTRY in your old age. Just like Caleb (in the Bible) who still saw so much work to be done in his old age. His age wasn’t an issue at all to him.
Each of us (old guys) in the world’s view are too old to do anything, and too old to even listen to what we have to say, but the words the Lords says to us is, “I still have work for you old men with faith in Me – to do, SO FINISH STRONG.”
Godly wisdom costs what you don’t ever want back again. Once you start experiencing the advantages of true wisdom and beauty you will see that what you had before and were holding on to so tightly wasn’t at all beneficial or trustworthy.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30
To fear the Lord means that you value God’s thoughts, and go after His ways for your life, and trust Him for the outcome of your life. Ultimately it’s the praise of our heavenly Father that we really want, and should live for.
God describes the twelve gates of His kingdom as twelve single pearls. (Revelation 21:21) Why does He describe the entrances to His kingdom as pearls?
For centuries the pearl has been highly valued as an object of incomparable beauty. God’s Kingdom has to be beautiful beyond our imagination. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
The word “pearl” has become a symbol for something very rare, fine, admirable and valuable. The pearl represents purity, innocence, chastity and is why it is often seen on bridal gowns, or worn as jewelry by brides. The pearl is the oldest known gem, and for many centuries it was considered the most valuable. The pearl is unlike other gems which are treated before they are ready to be sold.
The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild and so they are extremely rare. Pearls develop in their shell from the constant irritation of ‘grit,’ and the result over time produces the most valuable and beautiful pearls.
Cultured (hand-treated) pearls make up the majority of those that are currently sold, but their quality of iridescence is poor, unlike natural pearls. Artificial pearls are easily distinguishable from genuine pearls. So it is the same with us: pure or cultured; genuine or artificial.
Jesus said that the “pure in heart” will see God (Matthew 5:8) and that nothing impure or artificial will enter His kingdom. (Revelation 21:27) He referred to the kingdom of God as a merchant looking for costly pearls. (Matthew 13:45-46)
Religion makes you into a cultured pearl. A personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ makes you into a pure pearl, which is a rarity today.
Like a pearl, our luster comes from daily irritations (trials and temptations) as we grow in our most holy faith – staying right where He wants us; overcoming.
Although the woman of God is mocked for her purity, she pities mockers (cultured/artificial) for how foolish they are and for how they will suffer great loss. (Proverbs 9:12) She pities them and so she prays for them; she does not mock them or criticize them. Her perspective is higher than that of worldly women. The pure woman of God has nothing to fear; her Father God has her covered and protected for her worth to come forth. In His hands she is like a pearl in its shell.
The pure in heart know the line that should not be crossed. If we are foolish enough to use the grace and gifts of God in the wrong way it’s just a matter of time before we must live with the trouble and disgrace of having crossed that line. Like a pearl growing in its shell, God keeps His illustrious daughters safe and secure.
The virtuous woman has a good understanding of what her purity with God will result in. She is kept from the trouble and disgrace that her hostile opponents live with. She’s confident of who she is to God, and she guards her heart for His kingdom where she and her family are proud citizens.
1 Timothy 3:15 “If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
We guard the gospel in the way we live. This to me is very important. I read that those inside the churches and outside the churches have 65 common values. So what is it that should define the Body of Christ so that it is seen, known and even feared as the Body of Christ? For this is the power of the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. As it is, there is NO bold difference today between those who are in the churches and those who are outside.
When I think of this there are two things that come to my mind. First, the local fellowship should be autonomously controlled and not centrally control. Baxter said: “It is a significant fact that although the New Testament gives counsels and directions as to the organizing of local Christian assemblies or ‘churches’ (1 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus), it nowhere even hints at any central board of administration such as those which have since developed and which exist with such wide powers today.”
This is one of the main problems with denominations today. Often it is more centrally controlled than we might like to admit. If we are honest, one of the reasons for this is finance. It is amazing how finance moves the work of God rather than the Holy Spirit moving the work of God. Yes, finances are important, but I think what Hudson Taylor said is the key: “God’s work God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” This is how God’s work spread in his days when he was penetrating China with the gospel through the “China Inland Mission.”
Secondly, our conduct as Christians is very important. Titus 2:10 says, “So that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” Paul, was laying out how the Body of Christ should conduct themselves so that our teaching about Christ will be attractive, or influential and convincing. This is the bottom line. Our lives should be a sweet fragrance wherever we go and in whatever we do whether in our work, at school, in play, and most important – in our homes. Jesus tells us:
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) The first place mentioned is the home, how we live with each other there because this is where we are really ourselves.
Another aspect of reformation will be seen in preaching. Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus started His ministry the first thing that He preached was ‘repentance.’ When He sent out His 12 disciples, and later the 72 – He told them to go and preach ‘repentance.’ When I read the letters that John wrote to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, to all but two, to the majority of His people – His message to them was to repent. Often the preaching that we have today is how to feel better about ourselves, how to build successful relationships, how to enjoy a marriage, etc. I am not against all this, but all the problems we have is simply rooted in our sinful nature and the need we have is to acknowledge when we sin, and then to repent of our sin; turn away from it with God’s help.
Paul said to Titus: “At his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.” (Titus 1:3) I thought that this was interesting because it was through preaching that the Word of God comes to light. So often the preaching today is to read a Scripture verse and then carry on with our own ideas and philosophies.
We need ‘practical’ preaching that takes us back to the realism and expediency of the Word of God. Reformation will bring our preaching under the scope of God’s Word for all the issues of today.
True beauty is not about how you look but how you see others and treat others, how you see yourself and treat yourself as a daughter of God’s.
Patience and understanding are part of true beauty. When your husband is going through some kind of tribulation (trial) he needs you to stand on the side of truth and holiness, and not necessarily on his side. Just pray for him and love him through what he’s going through whether he caused his own problems or not. We don’t need to lookout for our husband. God looks out for His men. We simply need to understand how to pray for our husband, and encourage him. This is a beautiful thing to God. This gets all of God’s attention when you humbly pray and boldly ask Him for something!
Mostly what we see with Christian wives today is downright ugly when it comes to how they talk about their husbands and how they treat their husbands. Many wives suffer needlessly (along with their husbands) because they do not look to the Lord and what He has to say about what they are going through. We are to be women with the power of a gentle quiet spirit; one that takes her every concern and fear to God. This is the inner beauty of a woman which is far more attractive than what she tries to display on the outside of herself.
God will honor a wife or dishonor a wife for her view and treatment of the man she married, no matter if the man she married turns out to be all she hoped for or not. Why would we be so arrogantly deceived in thinking that our husband should be all that WE hoped for? That which WE hope for takes faithful work on OURSELVES. My husband is to measure up to what God wants, not what I want. THEN he will be what I need my husband to be for me and our children.
Holy women today have many contenders to face and stand against. But, one thing is for certain and that is when a proud worldly woman is in the presence of a confident godly woman – the worldly woman inwardly feels judged, even condemned by the godly woman without even one word haven been spoken by the godly woman. It’s the strong presence of genuine beauty in a godly woman that is convicting and therefore offensive to worldly women.
I want to take 1 Peter 3:3-6 and state it a little differently, so that it relates in our day:
Your beauty does not come from what you put on your body or do to your body – such as face lifts, breast enlargements, tummy-tucks, tattoos, short skirts, low-cut and see through blouses, body piercings, fake and fancy nails, and all the rest. Designer clothes and make-up might make you feel pretty on the outside, but what about the inside; the true you? Your beauty treatments should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a tender and trustworthy spirit, which is of great value to your husband and of great worth to God. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. Their sparkle and happiness came from their peaceful submissive attitudes towards their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and even called him her master. You are her wise and noble daughters if you do what is right in God’s eyes, and do not fear the foolish choices and ways of your husband. Fear will turn very ugly on you, so trust God instead. This will affect everything in a good way.
Women of old understood how to clothe themselves with strength and dignity. How a woman thinks, talks, works, dresses and behaves – reflects her true nature.
Dignity: Worthiness; nobility; loftiness of appearance or manner; stateliness; calm self-possession and self-respect; an exalted idea of one’s own importance to God.
Do you know how important you are to your husband and children, and to God? If you believe you are important to your husband, children and to God, then how should you think, talk, act, dress, work and plan ahead?
“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.” Proverbs 31:23-25
Acts 13:1 “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.”
Is the church an organism or an organization? I think most of you who are reading this would say that it is an organism. And you would be right. An organism has life in itself. An organization has no life in itself.
There is one church, but many fellowships because of geography, but we are still one organism with one Head: the Lord Jesus Christ. What we see today is many organizations called churches and with their many heads.
We have seen in the Scripture that the church is a family, a building, a temple, but now it is time to see the church working as an army called to battle. We are in a spiritual battle that is being raged more and more as the Day of the Lord approaches, and we are involved whether we know it or not. There is no such thing as surrender, retreat or home-leave. We are in this battle until the trumpet sounds and the Lord Jesus Christ calls His Body home. This is how we need to think, train and prepare the next generation.
Like in any army we are to be united and connected to the Head for our instructions, our encouragement and our empowerment for the spiritual battle. The enemy will try and destroy this line of communication that we have with our Chief in Command. If the communication lines are broken then it will result in confusion, fear and ultimate defeat. Isn’t this what has been happening with God’s people?
The last temptation that Satan threw at Christ in the wilderness was to take Him to a high mountain and show Him all of the kingdoms of the world. He said to our Lord: “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:9) Jesus knew something that Satan did not know. The kingdom of God was about to invade the kingdoms of the world. After the temptation of Satan and Jesus returned full of the Holy Spirit – He started to preach saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” and at hand. (Matthew 4:17) Jesus Christ is the Kingdom of God. And, He is the only way in. No one comes into the Kingdom of God, but by Him.
We see that Satan has locked the entire human race into separate little kingdoms that are always conflicting with one another. People are kept in these prisons through Satan’s lies of acceptance and rejection. Fear is far greater and stronger than bars of steel. A human need that we all have is to be accepted. A human fear we all have is that of being rejected. This strategy of the devil has been very successful in the world throughout time.
When Jesus came into our world the kingdom of heaven invaded these worldly kingdoms and has been calling for prisoners to be set free in Him. Isaiah 61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” We read in Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” This need we all have for acceptance is fully met in Christ Jesus who accepts us when we come to believe in Him, according to His own Word.
Satan separated the human race by appealing to the fleshly desires of man, and so we see the continual conflicting kingdoms of this world. And so it also seems to be the same in how Satan has been successful in separating the Body of Christ through conflicting denominations of religions. Our denomination becomes our identity. This should not be. When we talk to people we talk about the church we go to. This is not what Jesus taught or expects from us.
When this happens the world will see a power unleashed that has not been seen since the first generation of Christianity. We read and see that the first generation of Christians were all of one mind and purpose. Jesus prayed: “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23) When this happens (complete unity) the result will be this prayer from our Savior being fulfilled.
I believe that real reformation will break down the denominational barriers that are separating God’s people and gloriously set the Body of Christ free to be one as God is one, as our Lord prayed and taught.