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Saturday, June 27, 2015

Scripture's Affirmation of Marriage Ephesians 5: 23-32



click to Read the passage: Ephesians 5  (a new browser window will open)



23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.


 1.   Scripture affirms God’s leadership in marriage- that is in bringing and binding
two together to become one, a man and a woman brought together in Christ.

2. Scripture affirms God’s design has present advantage.
There are wonderful reasons to be married. It is richly rewarding.

3. Scripture affirms God’s commitment. 
Matthew 19: 6   …what God hath joined together let not man put asunder. 

4. Scripture affirms God’s gift of spiritual harmony and success.

5. Scripture affirms the cohesiveness of marriage- its love, surrender and respect.

6. Scripture stands ready in support, defense, and grace extended.

7. Scripture presents the simple issues of trusting, abiding, and confidence 
inspired by the Holy Spirit.












Wednesday, June 24, 2015

God's Perfect Timing Mark 9: 2-13


click to Read the passage: Mark 9  (a new browser window will open)


V 2-8 1) Revelation knowledge comes in God's time. 
(transfiguration ... ) 

v 9 2) God's purpose in revelation is to bring to pass His plan in His time. 
( ... He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till ... ) 

v 9 3) God gives identifiable substance with which to measure and validate His timing. 
(Son of men were risen from the dead) Eccl. 8:5 

v 10 4) Understanding of God's revelation also comes in God's time. 
( ... questioning one another ... ) 

v 11 5) The timing of God's accomplishments is contingent upon the occurrence of specific God prescribed events. 
(Elijah must first come) 

v 12 6) God's accomplishment in His time does not give assurance to a believer that personal suffering will be precluded. 
( ... that he must suffer many things, and be treated with contempt)

v 13 7) All things are in order when God's accomplishment in God's time occurs. 
(But I say unto you, Elijah is indeed come, ... ) 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

A Father and his Family Joshua 24: 15-25


click to Read the passage: Joshua 24  (a new browser window will open)


As a family:

v.15 1. Be willing to be a stand alone family.
(…but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.)

v.15 2. Realize the choice to follow God is a choice for all within the family.
(my house)
Help each other with this choice.
The family representation is a timeless one; includes generations.

v.17 3. Rely upon God to be faithful in deliverance from evil and in preserving strength along all life's pathway.
(For the Lord our God, He it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the
land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in
our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:)

v.23 4. Keep your heart true to God.
(Now therefore put away, said He, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.)
Measure love and obedience.

v.24, 5. Hear and seek to follow God as a family.
(And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.)

v.24 6. Support one another's faith and obedience.

v.25 7. Understand the believer's side of covenant and keep it before God.
(So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statue and an ordinance in Shechem.)

v.27 8. Don't compromise truth.
(And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which He spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.)

v.28 9. Trust in the Lord's working in other believer's lives.
(So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.)


v.31 10. Give the support of a Godly influence for the lives of other families.
(And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that He had done for Israel.)



Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Never Too Late for Jesus Mark 5: 35, 36, 38-42



click to Read the passage: Mark 5  (a new browser window will open)

v.351.Man often gives his report before Christ's work is completed.
(…certain who said, Thy daughter is dead.)

v.352.There are some conditions which man is tempted to conclude the Master cannot change.
(Why troublest thou the Master any further?)

v.353.It is never a bother for the Master to do what He came to do.
(Why troublest the Master)

v.354.Men should allow the Master to choose His work.
(the Master any further?)

v.365.Christ is not troubled by the besetting news of men.
(As soon as Jesus heard…He saith…, Be not afraid, only believe.)

v.386.Christ is not beset by the faithless expressions of men's hearts.
(and seeth the tumult, …)

v.397.Christ is not beset by man's interpretations, rather He reveals the true condition of need.
.(…The child is not dead, but sleepeth.)


v.408.Chist is not beset by men's scorn and ridicule.
(and they laughed Him to scorn …)


v.419.Christ is able to bring change to circumstances bearing defeat.
(…I say unto thee, arise…)


v.4210.A believer with any need should wait on Christ's final report.
(And straightway the child arose, and walked;)

Saturday, June 13, 2015

The Work of Prayer Daniel 6: 7-26


click to Read the passage: Daniel 6  (a new browser window will open)



V 20 1) THE QUESTION (PROBE) OF PRAYER. 
( ... 0 Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?) 
The question people want to know. 

V 7 2) THE REASON (PURPOSE) FOR PRAYER. 
(… make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of thee, 0 king, … ) 
One of the reasons--to refute man's refutation of God. 

V 11,16 3) THE SINGLEMINDEDNESS (PREMISE) OF PRAYER. 
(found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God) 
(Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.) 
This was not a crisis for Daniel. (vs.10--he prayed … as he did previously).
 Daniel was prepared. 

V 7-10 4) THE LIBERTY (PROMISE) OF PRAYER. 
( ... Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, ... and prayed … ) 
Prayer overrides man' s imposed bounds. 
Prayer accepts and believes God’s report, not man’s.

V 22 5) THE POWER IN PRAYER. 
(My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths.)
God hath appointed the bounds of the sea.
Here we must be so convinced. 
God has to do it. God wil give a report.

V 22 6) THE PROTECTION IN PRAYER. 
(that they have not hurt me, forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, 0 king, have I done no hurt.) 
Daniel went through it, not from it.

v 26 7) THE POTENTIAL OF PRAYER. 
(I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God, and steadfast forever, … ) 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The Majesty of God's Time Genesis 21: 1, 2


click to Read the passage: Genesis 21  (a new browser window will open)


1. God has a time in mind for the occurrences of His choosing.
( And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said,....)
Why not sooner?

v.1,2 2. God knows the prerequisites for the revealing of His plan.
( And the Lord visited Sarah.... For Sarah conceived, and bare...)
It still took nine months for this miracle of God.

v.2 3. God is free to rule at any time over circumstances, but He does so in His
time.
( For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in His old age,)

v.2 4. God sees all of life, from the beginning.
( at the set time of which God had spoken to him.)

v.2 5. A time set of God is forthcoming.
( at the set time of which God had spoken to him.)

v.1 6. Time presents man's opportunity but it precludes man's control.
( And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said,.... )

v.1 7. Time is a witness to God's faithful hand.
( And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said,.... )










Saturday, June 6, 2015

Guarding Your Mate Genesis 12:10-20

click to Read the passage: Genesis 12 (a new browser window will open) 


v. 10 1. The husband’s view of God will impact his marital relationships.
(And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to
  sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.)

v.11- 2. The promises of God are held together in covenant in marriage.
(And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said
  unto Saria his wife, behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look
  upon.)
see Gen. 12: 2  for the strategic place Saria occupied.

v.12- 3. The trials will be shared in the marriage as well as the victories.
(Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they
  shall say, This is his wife: and they will)
Not every experience will be glamorous and delightful.

v.12 4. Fear is an ineffective protector.
(This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.)


v.13 5. The respect for one’s wife is to equal one’s respect for himself.
(Say, I pray thee, thou  art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy
  sake;  and my soul shall live because of thee.)
Eph. 5: 25, 28, 29 33
Deception is an enemy to  the marital relationship.

v.13 6. The marital relationship is spiritual, God established, and not to be denied
nor disrespected.


v.14, 7. The husband is to protect his wife from worldly encroachment.
  15 (And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the 
  Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.)
(The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh:
  and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.)

v.17 8. God upholds his blessing upon the spiritual union.
(And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because
  of Sarai Abram’s wife.)

v.18, 9. The wife to the husband is God’s gift indeed.
   19 (And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto
  me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?)
(Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife:
 now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.)

v.20 10. Love, God’s love is God’s preservative.
(And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away,
  and his wife, and all that he had.)





Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Redeeming the Time Ephesians 4: 16


click to Read the passage: Ephesians 4  (a new browser window will open)


(Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.)

1. Time is a valued resource.

2. Time is an expendable resource.
It can be abused.

3. Time is critical.

4. Time is irreplaceable.

5. Time is impatient. It will not wait.

6. Time requires a response.

7. Time provides opportunity for faith.



8. Time is a battleground with evil.



9. Time is to be filled with God's purpose.    
(redeemed)


10. Time is one of God's accountings upon man.




Fill your mind with truth. From that will come Godly gain.
If one fills time with idleness, from that will come forth many fleshly sins.