Tag: Security

‘Til Wedding Day Do Us Part! |Marriage Series

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Isncript.com

—Imagine being so enthralled in the action that you forget the commitment?

—We have many young people committing to a marriage & not ready for it.

I remember when I was younger, a few of my friends were getting married. Their future wives were so hypnotized by the whole ‘getting married process’.

—Now before I go on, I want to make sure that I don’t come across as anti-ceremony; this is by far the opposite of what I am.

—Marriage is to be celebrated. It is to be shared and witnessed by friends and family and made a priority before the LORD.

 

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BUT.…yes there is a ‘but’…

—But, what I have noticed even in some young Christian couples, I will say this again, some have turned the thrill of the action of getting married, to the all-encompassing reason why they are getting married. They have subconsciously turn their Wedding Day into an idol.

When young engaged couples have asked, I tell young couples getting married this:

  1. Please be careful not to get caught up making the Wedding Day planning the main thing and forget about the life-long commitment of marriage.
  2. Many churches have great marriage classes and counseling but it is not enough.
  3. Brides plan their wedding day in more detail than finding out about how the other person is doing spiritually, mentally and financially.
  4. Again, the latter should not play a huge part in committing to the marriage but it should be looked over from both sides.

—Parents, please do not forget this most important part:

  1. You have done a great job praying, studying for your kids’ school and Devotion time.
  2. You have taken them to soccer or baseball or swimming through their time with you.
  3. You then hear that your son or daughter is engaged, and you’re happy for them.
  4. But this is just the beginning.
  5. As parents, you are responsible, not the church, for the spiritual well-being of your kid.
  6. Now also, your future son or daughter-in-law.
  7. This is where you jump in and make sure both of them have a firm foothold on The Rock. Because the foundation in faith is the most important part of starting a life together.

—It is not how much money the wedding is going to cost or how many family and friends you’re going to be able to invite.

—The real thing everyone in the family needs to be thinking of is:

— Have we done enough to have these two engaged people stand firmly in their faith so they do not get divorced in the future?

—Dads and moms, you are the most important person in the wedding. So goes your leadership in this, so goes the rest of the wedding.

—Your son or daughter will be enamored with the process and date of ceremony that you’ll need to be their compass.

—You’ll need to bring them back to reality. Specially if it’s a daughter. Trust me, I know!

—This pre-wedding day process is for you to remind them of all the things you have taught them about God and about marriage.

—Let them know that the Ceremony Day is just that, a day in their lives that some will remember vividly, but a flash in time for most invited guests.

AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL:

—Let them know that they need to go and speak to as many people whom they admire, from your Christian circles. Those who:

  1. Have been married for a short time.
  2. Those who have been married for a long time.
  3. Those who are divorced.
  4. Those who are in ministry.
  5. Specifically those who are pastors.
  6. Ask them this:

            a. How is your marriage doing?

            b. What would you do differently for your marriage and the wedding day?

            c. Any advice for us?

—If they are willing to answer all the questions, keep them as mentors. Most of them will automatically tell your kids how a strong faith in God & constant prayers helped them through the many obstacles of marriage and family…

More on this on next post….

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Blessed are the broken — They will be Transformed & Renewed! |Blessed Are The…. Series

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There are storms in life that grind us down to the point of wearing us down to find dust and floating away with the hurricane’s forces.

Sometimes as Christians, some of us are ready to throw in the towel. You’ve heard it said, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken…” I love this saying . It is an excellent saying. But it’s not entirely accurate; God wants the broken vessels. God wants broken people.

How do I know? Because He had to break me for me to submit to His will fully. Don’t get me wrong; I have never doubted that God exists. Faith is not only knowing who God is and trusting Jesus on a personal and intimate level but also listening to Him and having Him rule your life.

It is in the act of submission, not like other faiths, but in the complete submission that brings a renewed faith, spirit and change in your life which transcend all your human understanding.  One that lifts, penetrates and oozes out of your every being.

Faith that doesn’t fear what men will do to you. A faith which emboldens encourages and enthralls your whole spirit, mind, and body.

This kind of faith is what God wants from us. This kind of faith moves mountains, breaks empires, restores marriages, gives life to others, sees good in the storms of life, and when you break in its power, brings you closer to the Creator of the universe.

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By Oscar Roca

You see, when you think that you can’t handle life’s storms, when you feel you have been broken to the point of being powder starting to float into the atmospheric heavens, God snatches you and makes you whole again. It is the action of calling out to Him with all your spiritual might that He then can perform miracles for His glory. The state of being in His clutches. Not those of a tyrannical God whose claws are piercing through your body like a predator trying to keep its prey from escaping; but as a mother’s touch to her babies, making sure that she is covering them with her body and wings, to keep the storm from hurting them.

Right now, one of my daughters has felt this storm come like the apocalypse. I will not give details, but I know that she is now looking up to God and asking Him to see her through this of many challenges in her young life.

If you are going through something that has steamrolled you and you are not able to get up, call on The One who can lift you up and miraculously bring you into His strong tower. Whatever you are going through, know that people have gone through something similar, and they are battling a storm too. Some people try to survive on their own. Others call out to the One that can calm the storm and bring you peace through it. Sometimes, if not all, God will not take the storm away, but like Jesus’ disciples when they cried out to Him found out, God is always there for you.

Even if you think He’s sleeping while you’re drowning, He is there, and He is aware. Jesus will calm the storm and see you through it if you let Him…

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He is Not Here…! |Passion Week-Resurrection Sunday

This is a very special Blog Post for a very special Holy Week. Culminating today when our LORD and Savior Jesus the Christ, played a joke on Death’s sting (1 Corinthians 15:55 )! I usually don;t do a post on Sunday’s but for this, I will make an exception…

00F188C9-EFA2-44C2-973A-7A5ED806B59E.pngPlease click on links to get the full text:

The Death of Jesus
“45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”…..50 When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. 51 At that moment the veil of the temple was  torn in two from top to bottom. 

The earth quaked and the rocks were split.52 The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.…”- Matthew 27:51

E04FA4FA-DAEB-4C53-9283-B9F92A12A58F 2.png…5 As the women bowed their faces to the ground in terror, the two men asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. 8 Then they remembered His words. 9 And when they returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven and to all the others. .. 11 But their words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.’”… Luke 24:5-11

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  • Jesus had completed the once for all sacrifice. His body had been tortured and killed.
  • As Jesus gave up His spirit, His body dying., the Curtains of the Temple  ripped from the top to the bottom. It is said in Jewish writings, that the veil or huge curtain was as thick as a man’s hand. So roughly 4-6 inches thick.
  • In order for the veil or curtain to rip, it would take a supernatural event to make it happen.
  • This incredible statement found in Matthew’s Gospel gives us the finished work of Jesus the Messiah or Christ or Savior of the world.
  • Once He obediently became the blood sacrifice for the world, there was no need to have a Temple here on earth since His death on the cross was sufficient enough for taking (Hebrews 9:26) our sins away forever.
  • After they had buried Jesus, they sealed the tomb with a Roman Seal. No one was to break the seal, If they did, whoever was responsible would have the full might of the Roman forces against him.
  • Yet, with the most powerful army known to man, Jesus showed them who was more powerful. The tomb was rolled away by The LORD Himself!
  • The Roman soldiers saw everything but knew what their punishment would be for letting a dead person escape from the tomb they were guarding (Matthew 28:12)….yes, my attempt at humor….so the Chief Council in Jerusalem helped them out.
  • Why because the death and resurrection of Jesus put them in a fantastic bind. This non-graduate from their Rabbinic prestigious schools had, for three years or so, made fools of the wisest of learned men in Judea.
  • Jesus knew the scriptures, and spoke them with authority ( Mark 1:22). The authority of being the Messiah of Israel.
  • John called him The Word who became flesh ( John 1:-5 ).
  • Jesus had to die in order for humanity to once again come into a holy communion or relationship with God.
  • This is why Jesus came to be born of a virgin ( Isaiah 7:14 ).
  • Preach His Good News of salvation through Him and just Him (Isaiah 61:1 , Luke 4:18 , John 14:6 )
  • Be arrested, tortured and die ( Matthew 16:21 ) at the hands of the Council of Judea.
  • He also told His followers that he would die and come back to life ( see above link Matthew 16:21).
  • So today, Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday), we celebrate our freedom. Just as Jesus beat Death’ sting and rose to life, we one day when our bodies give up, will also rise up from Death’s door and live again ( Romans 6:5 , 2 Corinthians 4:14 )!
  • May you have a blessed Sunday and may you get to know Jesus in a personal and saving way.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

 

If you want to get to know God:

Know God

Steps to Peace With God

How Can I know God

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Marriage—Kids—Divorce—Marriage—Kids—Left Behind |Mariage & Divorce Series

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Deuteronomy 21:15 KJV

I recently had a conversation with a couple who are older and their kids have not visited them for a while.

  • At first, I was disappointed in their kids because no one should go through life lonely & not visited.
  • I did not say anything to this couple, and they kept telling me how the kids were ingrates and unloving towards this person and the spouse.
  • Then as they kept talking, I picked up that both of these people were married a few times each.

  • This is where my mouth didn’t let my Christian sense catch up.

  • I went into my subconscious sales mode of probing for more information that had been dormant a few years since leaving all sales jobs behind.
  • The more questions I asked, the more they explained their true ordeal.
  • Both had left their kids behind from their previous marriages each time they had met the “one” they would live happily ever after. The combined total of kids was five kids left behind.
  • Then I asked (what most people who leave a trail of mental and spiritual blood and pain behind) the question that very few kids from such marriages ask their     parents, or should I say the parent that leaves —
  • “Did you see your kids when they were young?
  • “Did you go and see them regularly?”
  • “Or talk to them during the week by phone or in person regularly?”
  • “Did you make it a point to communicate with them always no matter what?”

  • Their response— “No, blah, blah, blah, poor excuses, woes me, nobody cares about me!”….was the usual answer to me.

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  • Now, here comes the shocking part, both professed to have a relationship with Christ as their Personal Lord and Savior. They both are physical and verbal decision to follow Jesus and ask Him to forgive them of all the things they had ever done.
  • I then asked them, yes I know, my mouth was faster than my Christian sense again, “How’s your walk with Christ?”
  • Now for those that don’t know what this walking with Christ is, it means that you communicate with God in a way that you would with your spouse, kids, grandkids, good friends, but with an incredibly more profound fashion.

  • Walking with God takes your whole being! You just don’t sit and pray and say, ”Thank you, how do You do and goodbye.”

  • This walk with Christ is a thing that happens with constant and consistent communication and obedience to what God has in your life.
  • It is where you sit long enough not to literally throw up all your spiritual and physical needs. It is not a one-way conversation.

  • Believe me, I have had many of these types of conversations with God. But the ones that give me a more genuine sense of grace, mercy, peace, and joy no matter the situations, are the ones when I just sit, being tired of the way things have been going when I don’t listen to God’s guiding Spirit.

  • I explained this to the couple, and both were highly surprised at all my questions. They closed up and said that no one could judge them but God. I told them they were 100% correct. But I did not stop there…I know…I know…but again, the words were screaming to come out of my mouth, “You are 100% correct. God is the only One that will judge all of us. I see that you love each other and that love needs to be taken to your kids that were least behind.
  • Some people take a few decades to get things right with their kids after such a terrible ordeal of breaking up as a family. I understand that.
  • But what God says in his word is that for me as a man, Deuteronomy 21:15 tells me to love my kids and also my first wife.
  • Had I been remarried, I would make sure that my unloved or as the King James puts it: “The beloved, and another hated, and they(wives) have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated, then it shall be…that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn(second, third, fourth marriages) before the son of the hated(first marriage), which is indeed the same of the firstborn….giving him(first marriage) double portions.”— Deuteronomy 21:15 KJV
  • I explained what that meant. That all kids in their order were to have their parents’ full attention, money and time. I thought they were going to explode, but the husband looked at me, tears welling up. Realizing that he had not invested time into his kids or even thought of giving alimony cheerfully.

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  • The wife had a hardened heart. She looked at me and said, “See what you did! You are judging us!”

  • I ignored her… looked at him and said, there’s still time left to mend your kids. —””They need an apology. They need their dad to say, “I’m sorry for everything I caused you. It wasn’t your fault what happened between mom and I. Please forgive me for not being there and for leaving you. I want to be in your life and want to make so much better effort to hear you out on everything.””

  • The wife started leaving, walking to her car. He stayed, and I heard the best thing he could have said…”Will you pray with me to give me the strength to face my kids?”

  • And there it was! It was his shame that had kept him away from his kids. Guilt and fear are horrible burdens to carry around for so long.

  • I smiled and told him that the Lord had heard his tears and petitions already and started praying with him, in public, not caring who saw us.

  • That day, this man’s walk became real. He had listened to what God had been nudging him to do.

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  • I saw him a few months later, he was alone.
  • The wife was not able to handle sharing him with others. Specifically, his own children, who are adults now and with their own kids.

  • She never apologized to her kids nor did she ever ask God for forgiveness. How do I know? The man told me he pleaded with her to no avail.

  • All this to say, may your walk be filed with the grace, mercy, and peace that Christ can give you daily, hourly, and by the minute. May you be humble to ask Him to help you by cleansing your wrongs and guiding your rights. May He fill you with the strength to withstand a little humble pie (humiliation) when asking for forgiveness from all those you have left behind who call you dad, mom, uncle, aunt, poppa, nana…

  • Go and make things right for those firstborn, second born, third born kids and the unloved spouses left behind.

 

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The Name That Shall not Be Named |JESUS IS LORD!

“saying, “By a charge we commanded you not to teach in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring upon us the blood of this man.”But Peter and the apostles answering said, “It is necessary to obey God rather than men.” — Peter in Acts chapter 5:28-29

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I was talking to One of the guys in our family who is in full-time ministry along with his wife. He was telling me that the city Council of that city that the church is in, sent a letter telling all Christian churches that they were not to use the name of Jesus anymore in city council prayer meetings..

  • That they would have to generalize the name of God in their prayer. So he said that the senior pastor decided not to go.

  • I disagree 100% with that. As Christians we do not cower because we have the power. As Christians we do not run from fire we run into the fire because like the three young men and the story of Daniel Jesus will hold us and keep us and protect us. We won’t do as the world says — for all to bow down to satanic images and culture; we do not, we cannot.

  • We stand with the name the name that is no longer popular. The name that People want to get rid of. The name that infuriates those that don’t know him personally.
  • What I would’ve done as I would’ve gone in there and said in the name of the Lord of lords, king of kings, the name above all names. In the name that I cannot mention.
  • And his mighty name that I cannot say but one day all will bow down to that Name and that is why I pray in His name.

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—It would behoof all of you not to try to hide His Name that is systematically being deleted. It will be in vain! The Roman Empire tried, they failed. All kingdoms have tried but failed. Don’t make the same mistake as they did. Instead embrace and welcome His name into your lives and into society. Jesus has changed societies for the better.

  • I for one will never stop exclaiming Jesus Name. I don’t care what authorities do or say. They are but a small vapor in existence. Jesus is the Creator of this universe and exists outside of time and space. He is forever.
  • Who do you think I will listen to?!

Need God?

How Can I know God

Steps to Peace With God

Know God

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My House, My Job, They’re My Life |Priorities

“”47 So the high priests and the Pharisees assembled the Council n and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our Temple o and our nation.””— John’s Gospel chapter 11 ISV

This is the conversation which took place after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. These were members of the Highest Court of Israel. They would be like our Supreme Court mixed in with the best Theologians in the land.

Yet all this wisdom and only a few of the leaders were believers of Jesus from Nazareth. Most of them were so empty spiritually, that they had missed out on the over 300 prophecies concerning their Messiah. So much so, that they were willing to keep their beautiful Temple which Herod had rebuilt, and hold on to it and their homeland no matter the consequences. They would have to get rid of the guy that was performing extraordinary miracles not seen since the days of Moses and Joshua.

  • But before we get all ‘holy” on them, ask yourself this question.
  • What thins or things are you holding on for dear life to?

You see, this is the same daily conversation that people all over the world have about Jesus the Carpenter from Nazareth.

  • Do I want to follow Jesus?
  • What of He wants me to leave all these things I have accumulated behind?
  • What if I have to give up my party life?
  • What if I have to stop cheating people out of money at work?
  • What will people think about me if I become a Christian?
  • How will I look to my family if I leave their religion?A

The questions you will be asking yourself are valid. But also ask yourself these:

  • How am I able to handle that high stress job?
  • Will the stress finally land me in the hospital?
  • Will I be able to keep the house I could barely pay the monthly mortgage on?
  • Do I really need the expensive cars and unnecessary extravagant  lifestyle choices I have?
  • Have all the material things and my long hours at work have me slowly drifting away from a relationship with God?
  • Whatever it is, nothing  and I mean nothing is better than having Jesus the Lord, Savior and Redeemer of this world come into your life.

If you choose to have a personal relationship with Christ, watch the everyday miracles that He will do for you in your life. Jesus loves you and asks that you trust Him to lead and guide you. And unlike those temporary luxury things, or high stress job you’re in, He will never leave you nor forsake you.  

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Gustave Doré – Crucifixion of Jesus.
  • Stop trying to kill Jesus off from your life for the sake of keeping your ‘temple and country’.

Instead of killing Him out of your life, ask Jesus to come into your life and bring you back from the dead. If you commit yourself to him, your life will never be lost again…

Resources:

How can I know God?

Know God

Steps to Peace with God

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