Monday, March 28, 2016

Mary Winters...

Mary Winters is writing a bible study about the Garden of Eden.  The following paragraph is from her work and it applies well to marriages.  If one person in a marriage relationship is willing to stand with Jesus, it has tremendous influence.

When a believer in Jesus chooses to act out the will of the Father, act out the Word of God, speak out the Word of God, or to remain in love, patience, gentleness, self-control etc… instead of reacting in the flesh with anger etc…., this releases the Holy Spirit into the atmosphere and into others.  It displaces thedarkness and displaces the lies of the darkness.

What do you think?  How is this the "difference maker" in conflict?

Monday, March 14, 2016

Marriage Out of Alignment?

DAVID NOTES: The kinds of problems that bring couples to crisis aren’t always clear in the beginning. Think of an automobile that is out of alignment, having hit a pothole or a speed bump too fast. At first, it may just steer slightly to the right, but over time the right tires will begin to bald, and then unforeseen problems arise. When our marriages are out of alignment, they don’t perform well. Just like an automobile, marriages need consistent tuning, maintenance and care—sometimes you even need to consult with an expert to correct a problem! But it isn’t only the misaligned tires or the belts worn from every day use that benefit from our time and attention; the entire vehicle might be capable of performing in ways we never imagined. Imagine yourself behind the wheel of an exotic sports car. Would you know how to get peak performance and driving pleasure from the car without taking the time to learn and appreciate the performance “sweet spots?” Most likely, it would require training, expertise, and study of the design and operations manual—along with practice—to unleash the performance potential of the machine. Consider this little book an owner’s manual to the awesome potential within your marriage relationship.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

"God is good, and He is good at being God"

Sally Says...

Faith is something that will never stop growing stronger in you as you continue and persevere at “walking” with Him.  Faith is a muscle that strengthens with learning, adversity, sacrifice, and risk as you wisely obey His call and His direction.  “Belief” in something is a heart/head knowledge and acceptance.  Faith is ‘acting' on the promises and directives of the God who you “believe” in, and His Word that you “believe” in.  It’s not just talking about your beliefs, but walking them out.  Faith is active. It is acting like God is telling the truth…adapting your behavior, your decisions, and basically your whole lifestyle to what God has asked you to do.  it often requires risk, but a risk that requires wisdom.  We must know His truth to know how to step out in faith.  The enemy is working overtime to keep you too busy or too fearful to take the risk.  Don’t let him distract you. God is not worried about His reputation; you do not have to protect it; He is BIG enough to show off His glory and pour out His blessings as we walk with Him in faith, trusting He will do what He says He will do.

Faith does not control God.  It doesn’t make God do something or not do something.  It gives us “access" to what God has ALREADY intended to do for us!  Faith does not focus on how strong “our belief" is, but it focuses on how trustworthy, true, and loyal HE is. It’s directed at and rooted in a “good God”. "God is good, and He is good at being God". If you tend to struggle in moving forward in obedience to God and His word, you do not need “bigger" faith….you need a BIGGER God.  Your level of faith will always be tied to your perception of God.  We need an accurate and honest view of the faithfulness of our God.  And we, as women especially, need to move forward in faith despite what our feelings tell us.  Don’t let your feelings overshadow your level of faith.  We must walk BY HIS WORD and not let the enemy confuse, distract, discourage, disappoint, and frighten us, thereby wearing us down and watering down what we know to be true. You can know by the way you ‘act’ whether or not you are walking out and taking up the shield of faith.

A woman who extinguishes the fiery darts of the enemy with her Shield of Faith “chooses" to live with a steadfast confidence in the Lord and His promises.  She “walks" onward in accordance with the truth revealed in His Word, and she “pushes” past her fears and/or doubts which the enemy uses to try to paralyze her in insecurity.  

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deut 7:9)