Dr. Tom McGuiness, a counseling psychologist in New Jersey, gives this explanation of why many affairs take place: Married people seek out or succumb to affairs when they feel devalued or less than fully alive. They are bored. Overburdened. People who have affairs have a child’s deep longing to be touched, caressed, held, hugged and kissed, whether they admit it or not. They want happy surprises. That might mean a sentimental unexpected gift every once in a while. More important, it is the dependable gift of time and caring. The present of shared ideas, experiences, stories, nonsense and games, including sexual games. They want the world to butt out. They want a loving friend, a pal who isn’t judgmental. They want someone to convince them they’re still loved, lovable and very special. For a little while, now and then, they want out from under the grown-up responsibilities that have become predictable, dreary and difficult. . These are some of the preventable feelings that couples have. As the old saying goes to be forewarned is to be forearmed. What are some things that married couples can focus to help affair proof their marriage?
There have always been two age groups that have brought a great amount of joy and cheer to my life, children and the elderly. The post today is about the latter. There is something about growing older in Jesus that absolutely gets me excited. There is something about getting closer to heaven that just thrills my heart. Aging in Him is a good God thing. It sure beats the alternative.
Listen to the Audio
Everyone in the world today is looking for happiness. We all want to be glad and pleased with our current circumstances. It is amazing that we seem to think that we have to work for it so diligently. Consider that children, on average laugh 400x per day while the average adult laughs only 15x per day . Maybe we need to become more childlike in our outlook? Jesus mentioned this when He said in Matt. 18:3 that we are to receive the Kingdom of God as little children. Believers in Jesus are supposed to receive the things of God, the Word of God with childlike faith and wonder. As Jeremiah the prophet stated, “Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by your name, O Lord God of hosts (Jer. 15:16).” Today, we are going to look briefly at two Bible words that, when embraced and ‘eaten’ will cause your heart to be full of joy and rejoicing.
Listen to the Audio
There are reasons why sometimes Christians struggle to receive from the Lord. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. If you are unknowledgeable about what the Word of God says in an area of struggle, you can’t have faith in God to help you in that area. Help from on High is received by faith. A second handicap to receiving from God is engaging in the sin of worry. Along this line there are two verses you should become familiar with.
Listen to the Audio
Receiving Your Certification in Christ
James 1:12 (ESV)
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
The word ‘tried’ suggests authentication and approval. Let us address the typical ‘other side of the coin’. Some believers have fallen away when facing trials and tests. This is not new news under the sun. Why did they return to the world? They blamed the negative happening for their scurrying back to old ways. What did they miss? For one, standing against tests and trials affords you an opportunity at certification. You can show God, the world, and your relatives you are the genuine article. You can receive authentication as a real deal twenty first century believer by staring down the mud of difficulties. Get your certification. It builds aggressive confidence to know mud, guts, and the world’s puke can’t pull you down. What if you failed the test? The war is not over just because you spilled your coffee. Opportunities to right the course, for the fallen, exist through God’s mercy. Through repentance and restoration, renewal occurs. The lame can experience healing. The crooked can know a straight path again. With blood washed determination prodigals can still realize the life of a ‘blessed man’ and receive the ‘crown of life’.
For more information on the ‘Crown of Life’ see Enduring Tests and Trials: The Crown of Life; James 1:12
Marriage is a precious God ordained institution. The marriage bond mirrors the bond between Jesus and the church. We use the phrase ‘a marriage made in heaven’. The marriage institution does come from heaven. In each individual marriage, however, God gives the couple a “Do It Yourself Kit.” We are to work out marriages on earth. This “kit” consists of the teachings of the Bible about marriage . Follow these teachings and your marriage will flourish. Here are some rear view mirror musings on the subject. They come from thirty three years of walking the walk.
Communion is the most solemn and holy of the ordinances of the church. It is the sacred of the sacred. The holy of the holiest. But what does it mean? What do all the elements convey? A.W. Tozer had his opinion. He said “The communion table will not have ultimate meaning for us if we do not believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is literally present in the Body of Christ on earth.” . Today we are going to look at some of the Bible words surrounding this most revered ceremony. We are going to look at Communion in simplest terms.
Guilt has been defined as an unpleasant knowledge that something wrong has been done and it involves fear of punishment, shame, regret, remorse; it involves a feeling of low self-esteem or inferiority, depression and anxiety. Many of God’s people are being led by guilt in their lives. Many of God’s people are saying ‘Yes’ to things when they should be saying ‘No’ and the reason why is guilt.
Listen to the Audio
Most people are busy, very busy. There is enough in life to carry you along. But if you allow the currents of your life to just bear you along, if you don’t intentionally set yourself to grow beyond yourself, you will become nothing more than a rocking chair believer. You know what a rocking chair believer is? It is one who sits in the same chair, the same place every day. If you are not growing, if you are stuck in a chair whose only activity is back and forth, all you will do for your constant going is wear out the carpet. In order to become more than that, in order to move forward with significant progress, you have to do so with intention. You have to do growth on purpose.
Years ago when the western U.S. was being settled, roads were often just wagon tracks. (The wagon wheels would just carve out a rut in the road.) These rough trails or ruts posed serious problems for those who journeyed on them. On one of these winding paths was posted a sign which read: “Avoid this rut or you’ll be in it for the next 25 miles!” You can go to sleep in the wagon and not worry about getting off course because the only place you are going is wherever the ‘rut’ is. This picture is what a habit is like. A habit is something you can do without thinking. But habits always takes you someplace. As a believer in Jesus, there are good God habits that we can acquire.
Believers in Jesus are people of multiple realms and multiple dimensions. We walk in the dimensions of faith, hope and love. We live in the seen realm of today; we look at the unseen realm of tomorrow. We are people of the spiritual realm. And, we are people of the natural realm. With our spirits we contact God, the Creator of the Universe. With our bodies, we take out the trash! How does one live a balanced two dimensional life?
Listen to the Audio
There have always been two age groups that have brought a great amount of joy and cheer to my life, children and the elderly. The post today is about the latter. There is something about growing older in Jesus that absolutely gets me excited. There is something about getting closer to heaven that just thrills my heart. Aging in Him is a good God thing. It sure beats the alternative.
