Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Door of Hope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Jan Frank

I first read Jan Frank’s book many years ago when I began to work with women who had suffered sexual abuse. It is an eye opening account of the devastation and pain caused by this all too frequent travesty. It is estimated that one in three women have experienced some form of sexual abuse. Many men (boys) have, too.

Door of Hope was written by a survivor of such abuse who wished to help others find freedom. Its greatest service is exposing the long lasting effects of abuse that can wreck lives and marriages while offering a “door of hope” and a pathway for gaining freedom and healing through Christ.

I almost always encourage victims of abuse and their spouses to read this book because it helps people acknowledge the depth of pain, hurt, and devastation in their lives, which is necessary before moving forward into healing. Too often victims either blame themselves or minimize what was done to them. No true freedom can be experienced until the reality of the sin against the victim has been exposed, acknowledged, and forgiven. When we whitewash the offense, it sabotages forgiveness and keeps us in denial.

Frank gives some concrete steps for gaining victory.

  • Face the problem. This is huge. Most people repress or deny the severity of the damage done to them out of fear, denial, or an unwillingness to “go there.” Until we honesty own up to what happened, no progress can be made.
  • Recount the incident. Many counselors and pastors, unfortunately, do not see the value of going through what happened, telling victims to forget about it and move on. This is the kind of thing well meaning people say, but can be extremely destructive to the victim. Until the incident, which has often been repressed in some way, is remembered and expressed, with the associated emotions, it is doubtful that one can really get to the bottom of the problem. (Here let me interject principles I use in Personal Prayed Ministry that Jan Frank does not specifically mention. When people are abused as young children, they experience traumatic pain and lies are planted in their hearts and minds. In addition, there may be associated demonization. As we allow the Holy Spirit to bring back the memories of what happened, we can ask Him to speak truth and healing to our hearts. This is a very important step in finding freedom. If you wish to read more about this, please click here to go to my series on this subject.) Frank points out: “Recounting the incident allows the victim to begin to release some of the emotions around her experience and brings to light that which has been hidden so long.” (p.35) She uses Nehemiah 2:11-18 to justify this process, pointing out how Nehemiah first surveyed the devastation of the walls of Jerusalem before beginning the restoration process.
  • Experience the Feelings. Many times abuse victims have deep wells of anger bubbling beneath the surface that have never been allowed to erupt. When they begin to more fully grasp the level of destruction that the abuser brought to their lives without any denial or minimization, it many cause a great deal of anger and bitterness to surface. It was always there, but never acknowledged or allowed to vent, causing problems beneath the surface. Emotions of fear, anger, depression, etc. can point to where the pain and lies reside in the heart, like red flags warning us of hidden land mines. We do not build our lives around our emotions, but we do acknowledge their importance in helping to identify the problem. It is important to invite the Holy Spirit into these emotions when they surface and ask him to speak to our hearts about where they came from and what he wants us to know regarding them from God’s perspective. She quotes Dr. Cecil Osbourne’s book, Understanding Your Past – the Key to Your Future.

“Feelings do not age. Feelings about past events are in us now… Time does not diminish childhood hurts… They do not erode or disappear.” (p. 49) Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, is able to liberate us from the bondage of unresolved hurts from our past.

  • Establish Responsibility. Abusers routinely blame their victims, which young children easily accept and often carry into adulthood. The adult aggressor must bear full responsibility, no matter what he or she may tell the victim. Some victims seek to absolve their abusers from having meant any great harm. This is just another form of deception and must be overcome. In this chapter Frank addresses how various family members may share the blame, such as when the mother turns a blind eye to her husband’s abuse of her daughters. The author explains how many victims feel that they are caught in a double bind, feeling guilty and being afraid of tearing apart the family by exposing sin. In this chapter, Frank asserts: “As you are able to establish the responsibility of your offenders, the door that has held you captive for years will begin to crack open ever so slightly.” (p.73)
  • Trace Behavioral Difficulties and Symptoms. In this chapter Frank helps us learn how to identify unwanted behavioral responses, trace how they became established as a pattern in lives, and adopt a disciplined approach to correcting them. My approach for handling such in Personal Prayer Ministry is to approach the Lord in prayer and ask him to speak his truth into the life of the victim. We have found that a “personal” word from the Lord has amazing liberating power. The use of Scriptural truth to reprogram faulty thinking is also very important.
  • Observe Others and Educate Yourself. In this chapter, Frank writes of the “therapeutic factor of universality,” which means that it is liberating to discover that others have gone or are going through what we have experienced. She also points out that observing others helps us better understand our own responses and behavior.
  • Confront the Aggressor. This chapter is will help the victim understand how and when to confront the one who abused him or her, if that is still possible or advisable. It is very important not to do this prematurely, as it can set a recovering victim back, if he or she is not prepared for the attempts of the abuser to deny, deflect, or accuse.
  • Acknowledge Forgiveness. Not every victim can or should be reconciled to his or her abuser, but all of us must forgive. In my opinion this chapter is more about reconciliation. Forgiveness needs to happen at the beginning of the healing process, immediately following coming to terms with what really happened. I have written a lot about this topic. You can read more by clicking her. Just because we forgive or release a person from our own personal demand for vengeance, it does not mean we should trust them. Reconciliation is a two way street built on trust and mutual desire for the process to go forward. Sometimes this is possible between victim and abuser when there is true repentance, but not unless trust is reestablished.

The remainder of the book has plenty of useful information. If this is a subject you wish to pursue, please read my own writings on the subject. I also highly recommend Biblical Healing and Deliverance by the Kylstras.

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Abortion: Let’s Stop Empowering Lucifer

 

 

 

 

 

Our founding fathers believed that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Great Britain disregarded its own laws in its attempt to force the colonies to pay harsh taxes in order to rebuild its treasury following what is known as the French and Indian War, whereby Great Britain expanded its power in North America and worldwide. The colonies believed they were being denied the rights of ordinary Englishmen because they had no representation in Parliament and no voice in what taxes they had to pay. Great Britain resorted to what had always worked before, demanding obedience to the authority of the Crown. When the colonies refused, things gradually escalated into war, one that launched a nation and a great experiment in representative government. The US Constitution set up a republic in which people could vote into office those who would represent them in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. From a biblical perspective, did God mean for government to derive its just powers from the consent of the governed, or is that a purely humanistic concept?

We can start with a well-known passage from Romans.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3  For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4  The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5  So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Romans 13:1-5 (NLT)

On the surface, it appears that government is not derived from the consent of the governed but from God. This has always been my position and that of many Christians. We clearly see from the above passage an important first principle. All authority originates and emanates from God. The reason is simple. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who by virtue of being those two things has all authority. We have ownership over what we create, especially if the continued existence of that created thing depends on our continually upholding it through our choice and power.

Any governmental authority that exists among created beings is derived from the Creator, since none existed before he created us nor does any exist outside of what he created.

The Creator delegated great responsibility and commensurate authority over his creation to his first humans, Adam and Eve.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) 

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. Genesis 2:15 (NLT)

Adam was made the governor of the earth to care for it and guard it. This is the purpose of government from the beginning, which Paul reiterates in the passage quoted from Romans above.

When government properly represents God, it will care for and protect its people against all who would bring harm. Anything that deviates from this purpose might be considered illegitimate. Certainly any government that violates its own laws must be so.

Our founding fathers certainly believed this about the government of Great Britain, when it failed to uphold its own laws or protect the rights of its people.

Satan, who is a created being, has no inherent authority, only that which has been usurped from others.

Passivity or foolishness on the part of the one having authority can allow others to manipulate, usurp, or otherwise use that authority for their own evil purposes.

We see this clearly in the case when Queen Jezebel used King Ahab’s authority to orchestrate the murder of Naboth and the theft of his vineyard. (1 Kings 21) We also see this in Genesis when Satan conspired to steal Adam’s authority by inciting him to rebel against the Creator. By deceiving him and Eve into disobedience against God, the first couple chose allegiance to Satan over God, ceding their authority to the devil.

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 (ESV)

He has used that authority over us malevolently.

It is vital that we understand that this transfer of authority came with the consent of the governed. In other words, due to their naivety and lack of fidelity, Adam and Eve chose to serve Satan and relinquish authority to him by becoming his slave.

Satan uses authority in a completely different way from God. Whereas the Creator imparts life and blessings, the devil only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)

God operates through truth, but the devil must always resort to lies, since no one would ever choose to serve him otherwise. God wants his people to consent to come and remain under his governance by telling us the truth and offering life. Unfortunately humans seem to be wired to naturally believe a lie and resist the truth. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit overcomes this in those who God has chosen to be his own. (John 6:44)

Satan lies to manipulate people to gain their consent to be governed malevolently by him. No one would agree to be robbed, murdered, and generally destroyed; yet, through skillful deception, Satan actually gets people to choose those things.

The devil promises to be our benefactor and friend, while actually destroying his subjects. He must laugh at us continually.

Lying or, to use the modern term, misinformation, is the key to Satan’s ongoing scheme.

Jesus told his disciples that knowing and practicing truth will set us free. (John 8:31-32) Satan uses bold lies to deny and hide truth. The bolder the lie the better, it seems.

God told Adam and Eve in the garden that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they would die. The serpent categorically denied God’s truth, telling Eve that she would not die, but instead be like God. Eve fell for the lie hook, line, and sinker. The rest is a sad history of mankind’s lack of ability to discern or resist Satan’s continuing deceptions, even when we know that they always lead to death and destruction. Fool me once…

Let us now skip forward to our own time to see how this continues to work. If Satan only derives his authority and power from the consent of those he deceives into following him, then he must continually convince us to chose him over God, lies over truth, and death over life. A case in point is the abortion issue. Now that the Supreme Court is apparently on the verge of nullifying the unconstitutional Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973, the Left, which is largely an arm of the devil, is ramping up their resistance. Why is there such vehement insistence that women be granted the right to kill their unborn babies? Is it merely a staunch defense of women’s rights or something more?

Child sacrifice has long been enshrined in the worship of Chemosh and Molech in the Old Testament. We know from Scripture that idols represent demonic beings that empower them. Paul wrote this enlightening passage.

What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20  No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 21  You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too. 1 Corinthians 10:19-21 (NLT)

All demons serve Satan, including those connected to Chemosh and Molech. These pagan deities demanded the blood of infants. People willingly sacrificed their children in order to gain some sort of occult spiritual advantage from them. There is one particularly intriguing passage at which we should look.

When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led 700 of his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines near the king of Edom, but they failed. 27  Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land. 2 Kings 3:26-27 (NLT)

In this instance, evil power was released against Israel when the king of Moab sacrificed his son to the devil. This man willingly killed his son to enlist Satan’s power to defeat God’s people, which was granted. This was an extreme case which we may consider barbaric, but was it any less gruesome and horrific than modern day mothers choosing to execute over 60 million of their own unborn babies in the United States alone since 1973? The king of Moab wanted victory over his enemies. What do modern Americans want? Most of the time mothers kill their unborn babies to avoid embarrassment, inconvenience, career interruptions, or economic hardship. Some have more humanitarian reasons, such as protecting their own health in the case of extremely hazardous pregnancies. Most of these women probably have been deceived, as was Eve, into thinking that these babies are not really human beings at all, just blobs of tissue. They do not understand God says he knew them before the creation of the world and personally formed them in the womb. Those unborn infants may be just tissue to these mothers, but to God they are beloved children. Some have said they rejoice in their abortions, many others rue having aborted their child or children. Thankfully, God offers forgiveness, if we turn to him with a repentant heart.

Let us remember that, even though sometimes we must fight in physical wars, our ultimate battle is a spiritual one. (Ephesians 6:12) We are engaged in a spiritual battle between the kingdom of God and the realm of darkness and evil ruled by Satan. We understand that even though Christ dealt a death blow to Satan and his kingdom when he rose from the dead, God in his wisdom has permitted us, his people, to be part of the “clean up operation” here on planet earth. It is our Lord’s intention that his people have the privilege of crushing Satan under our feet. (Romans 16:20)

This verse references the promise made to the serpent in the garden way back in Genesis that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the serpent’s head. (Genesis 3:15) Many consider this to be the very first messianic promise in the Bible. Jesus fulfilled this already, but we his people will be part of the final act in this great cosmic drama unfolding over the centuries.

All will be over when Jesus appears in the clouds with great glory, just as he promised. Until then, we are living through an intense contest between two opposing kingdoms for the hearts of people. Each kingdom is enlisting the consent of people to be governed by their respective kings.

Each kingdom has a different leader, goals, sources of power, and ways of doing business.

Our Lord Jesus the Messiah is the captain of God’s forces in heaven and on earth. Satan commands his evil minions. God’s goal is to redeem and restore his fallen creation. Jesus is the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Judge. Satan’s goal is to usurp God’s place, dishonor him, and destroy as many people as possible. He is a liar, murderer, thief, and destroyer. The source of power in God’s kingdom is the Holy Spirit. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, but the Holy Spirit carries out and enforces his commands. God’s authority and power is expanded, so to speak, as more and more people acknowledge Jesus as Lord and come into agreement with his purposes and plans. Under the Spirit are legions of angels ready to do God’s will.

The source of malevolent power behind Satan is derived from what he stole from humans.

The devil only has power when humans have given it to him and continue to do so.

Satan is an enslaver. Everything he does has that as part of his plan. Despite how obvious is Satan’s hatred for mankind, we seem to be rather stupid in that we repeatedly fall for the same lies. In fact, many think of him as a benefactor. People under his thumb choose to serve and honor him, ensuring that the stolen authority he has remains intact. This is part of what is behind idol worship and the cult of Lucifer or Satan worship.

Cultures where the gospel does not have the ascendancy often have certain rites in place to appease the demon “gods” and keep them on “our side.” Some villages in Africa and Asia annually make sacrifices to these demonic beings, thereby memorializing the ceding of God-given human authority to the devil.

When people accept Christ as Lord, Satan’s power over them is over.

When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” 18  “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19  Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20  But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20 (NLT)

Those of us who have have put our faith and allegiance in Jesus the risen Lord and King have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God. (Colossians 1:13)

When Jesus rose from the dead, he triumphed over Satan and his evil authority and power; however, just as God left enemies in the Promised Land for Israel to overcome in battle by faith, our Lord did not immediately remove Satan and his demons from the earth. Multitudes of human beings still willingly serve the devil.

God’s kingdom also operates through people’s willingness to declare allegiance to the true King, Jesus the Messiah. The gospel is a proclamation that God will forgive the rebelliousness of his people and restore them to his glorious kingdom, if they will accept his offer to be reconciled to him through Christ.

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13 (NASB)

The acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord, therefore, is the keystone of the gospel and the undoing of our alliance with Satan.

As more and more people consent to be governed by the Lord Jesus, Satan’s power and authority on earth is further weakened. Therefore, the proclamation of the gospel is our greatest spiritual weapon.

The door is still open for people to change sides and come back to God.

The enemy uses people to infiltrate and use the power and authority connected with human governments to further his kingdom’s objectives. There is a push across the globe to move us into a one world government that will be tyrannical, enslaving, and anti-God.

God’s government always produces freedom. Satan’s always enslaves.

The only way for Satan’s plan to work is for masses of compliant people to willingly surrender to it. Of course, this requires a massive amount of deception, since no one in his or her right mind would choose to follow the lord of death.

Just as some cultures repeatedly offer animal sacrifices to demonstrate their allegiance to the devil, we also have such a blood sacrifice in our country.

I believe that the power source used by the demonic realm has been child sacrifice through legalized abortion.

The Supreme Court’s decision to nullify Roe v. Wade is an answer to prayer and a direct threat to Satan’s power grid, so to speak. We should expect all hell to break lose as Satan’s minions try to stop this from happening.

How odd it seems to watch the Left violently protest for the right to kill babies. You would think this would be sufficient to “wake up” vast numbers of people to the horrors of child sacrifice. But just as Eve looked upon the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and thought it was beautiful, delicious, and able to make her wise, modern “man” looks at abortion as a “right” and an avenue to greater freedom and fulfillment, not for a moment understanding Satan’s horrific plan.

The tragedy of mothers choosing to destroy their own unborn children has to be one of Satan’s greatest deceptions and triumphs.

Our nation has been given a golden opportunity to rid ourselves of one of our most egregious affronts to God, the shedding of innocent blood. This great sin of the state sanctioned murder of infants keeps the threat of God’s judgment hanging over the nation like a sword of Damocles. Since Roe v. Wade was passed, which used the courts to bypass the legislative process and opened the door to legalized murder in this country, some sixty million unborn babies have been put to death. Most of this slaughter has been hidden from public view within the confines of abortion clinics and hospitals, but God has seen every last drop of innocent blood that has been shed. This blood cries out to God for vengeance. Thank God that Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy!

The Bible teaches that life is in the blood (Genesis 9:5). God holds people, cities, and nations accountable for the shedding of innocent blood (Numbers 35:33). The guilt for all the innocent blood shed by the abortion industry is shared by those who promote it to gain spiritual power, the politicians who champion it to gain and maintain political power, the providers – doctors, clinics, hospitals, and other medical personnel, who have tapped into the wealth this industry supplies, and those who procure their services for whatever selfish reasons. Our entire nation will be held accountable for what we allowed to happen under our watch. When judgment falls, even those who were not directly involved usually are affected. Sometimes the Lord’s judgment falls immediately, but often God delays judgment, allowing it to accumulate (Matthew 23:35-36). But we can be sure that God will not be mocked: we will ultimately reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).

Thankfully there is hope for those who come to realize the horrendous nature of abortion and ask God for forgiveness.

The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). This is why Jesus had to shed his blood on the cross on our behalf. It was the only way to atone for our sins.  He offers to forgive anyone who comes to him in humility and faith, but unless a person or nation turns to God in repentance and finds forgiveness in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, he, she, or they eventually will encounter God’s wrath. I am understandably troubled, as I hope you are, when I contemplate how much wrath has been accumulating due to the travesty of abortion which has piled up such an enormous death count over almost fifty years.

If I am correct, the overturning of Roe v. Wade is an existential threat to the Left, because it will likely cause them to lose their “sacrament” of abortion and their source of evil power. If I am wrong about abortion being the Left’s link to evil power, I am not in error concerning its being part of a demonic plot to bring down God’s righteous judgment for the shedding of innocent blood upon our nation.

May God lift this horrendous weight of judgment from us as we repent and mend our ways at a national level. May God protect us from the violence and ugliness that the Left is sure to unleash upon the nation as we attempt to unplug them from their evil source of power and remove ourselves from God’s looming judgment. We cannot afford to be passive onlookers in this battle between light and darkness. The least we can do is pray and declare the truth to others.

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Christ the Healer

by F. F. Bosworth

Fred Francis Bosworth (January 17, 1877 – January 23, 1958) was an American evangelist, an early religious broadcaster, and a 1920s and Depression-era Pentecostal faith healer who was later a bridge to the mid-20th century healing revival. He was born on a farm near Utica, Nebraska and was raised in a Methodist home. His Methodist experiences also included salvation at the age of 16 or 17, and a spontaneous healing from major lung problems a couple years later. Bosworth’s life after that was one that followed Christian principles, though his church affiliation changed several times over the years. Several years after his healing he attended Alexander Dowie’s church in Zion City, Illinois, then came into Pentecost and attended Pentecostal services. Most of his later ministry was associated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance church.

When Bosworth came into a Pentecostal experience in 1906, he had an intense desire to preach the gospel, leaving his business pursuits and stepping out in faith for his subsistence. Approximately 1909 he moved to Texas, and in 1910 he started a church in Dallas which was loosely affiliated with the Alliance church. He was one of the founders of the Assemblies of God in 1914 and was with them until 1918 when he had a disagreement on the initial evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and withdrew. He then started another church in Dallas, affiliating with the Alliance church again, and his revival meetings in the 1920s were sponsored by the Christian and Missionary Alliance church. During the 1920s he was known for his “big tent revival” and large auditorium meetings and his advocacy of faith healing, with people from all denominations attending. He was with the Alliance church until around 1934, then affiliated with them again in 1944. Starting around 1930 he began one of the early successful gospel radio ministries. Today he is best known for his book Christ the Healer which went through seven editions in his lifetime and now has over 500,000 copies in print.

Christ the Healer is an easy to read and inspirational book that comprehensively covers what the Bible teaches about physical healing. In his opening paragraph, the author states what motivated him to write.

Appropriating faith cannot go beyond one’s knowledge of the revealed will of God. (p.5) …Until the person seeking healing is sure from God’s Word that it is God’s will to heal him, he is trying to reap a harvest where there is no seed planted. (p.6)

In Chapter Two Bosworth shows convincingly that physical healing is included in the benefits earned by Christ through his suffering on our behalf. He also makes a case for believing that God’s compound name, Jehovah-Rapha, indicates that God is committed to being our healer. The author’s exposition of Isaiah 53 is worth the price of the book. This important chapter of Isaiah is the foundation of the doctrine of healing.

Chapter Four shows how being convinced of Christ’s compassion helps us to expect him to heal us. Our Lord not only provided the basis of our healing and is able to heal, he also is more than willing, even earnestly desires, to heal us.

Physical healing is an expression of Christ’s love and mercy. This is one reason why it is so important for believers to pray for unbelievers who are sick. Doing so provides our Lord with the opportunity to display his kindness to those who do not yet know him.

Chapter Five shows how we can appropriate the healing Christ died to provide for us. Here are the steps Bosworth gives us.

  1. Be convinced of what the Bible teaches about physical healing.
  2. Be right with God. Here I digress from Bosworth. I do not believe we earn anything from God; although, I agree that walking in harmony with God’s Spirit and will is absolutely the best way to live and surest way to have faith if his faithfulness. If we are struggling with a sense of guilt or conviction, it can be quite difficult to have simple childlike faith until we first repent.
  3. Be sure to take steps of faith and not remain passive. God wants us to act out our faith. In other words, act as if you believe you are healed before you see any evidence. Offering thanks and praise before we see any evidence of our healing is strong evidence that we believe.
  4. Hold fast to God’s promises without wavering.
  5. Expect to receive our healing.
  6. Maintain a confession of faith. This is not magical talk. We simply say aloud what we believe God will do (has done) in agreement with God’s promises.
  7. Rely on the Holy Spirit to make it happen.

In Chapter 13, the author begins a list of twenty-two reasons people are not able to receive healing. Although most of the points are valid, if we are not careful, focusing on what’s wrong can morph into legalism. Too often people come away from teachings on faith with the belief that failing to experience healing is somehow their own fault. They somehow are falling short or not measuring up. I believe this is harmful. Sometimes people do not experience physical healing for reasons known only to God. Our job is to believe in God’s promises and leave the results to him.

In conclusion, the first twelve chapters are phenomenal. I highly recommended reading, studying, and believing what Bosworth has shared in this amazing book.

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Prayer for God to Turn the Tables on His Enemies

But they do not know the LORD’s thoughts or understand his plan. These nations don’t know that he is gathering them together to be beaten and trampled like sheaves of grain on a threshing floor. Micah 4:12 (NLT)

Satan and his followers are never able to anticipate God’s creative responses to their strategies. Evil may be clever and cunning, but it always lacks wisdom. This is its undoing.

Satan did not anticipate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus and his complete smashing triumph over sin and death. Haman did not foresee how God would turn the tables on him as he plotted the death of all the Jews in Persia.

Haman is a picture of what happens to those who go after God’s beloved people. Persecuting and murdering believers will always bring down God’s judgment and wrath upon the perpetrators. Haman, a top man in the kingdom of Persia, hated all Jews on account of one seemingly obnoxious citizen – Mordecai. Mordecai, a Jew, was not intimidated by Haman and refused to show obeisance to him, which infuriated the Persian noble. In his rage, he had a very large gallows constructed to either hang or impale Mordecai as a public example. He also convinced the king to issue a decree authorizing the killing of all Jews and the confiscation of their property.

What Haman did not foresee was that God had placed Queen Esther in her prominent place of favor with the king for such a time as that. Haman was unaware that Mordecai had previously saved the king’s life by exposing a plot to kill him. Haman could not know ahead of time that the king would be unable to sleep and have the historical annals of the kingdom read to him, bringing to his remembrance what Mordecai had done, with the effect that King Ahasuerus determined to greatly honor him. Haman did not realize that Queen Esther and Mordecai were related and that she would petition the king to eradicate the man who set in action the plan to kill her, Mordecai, and all the Jews. Haman could never have imagined that he would be put to death on the very gallows he constructed for Mordecai and that the Jews would be gloriously saved and elevated in status. God turned the tables completely. We can ask him to do it again.

If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. Proverbs 26:27 (NLT)

God justly promises that he will judge evildoers and reverse the plans of those who lay traps for others. We can pray in accordance with this promised justice. We can come before the King of Kings and ask him to work on our behalf.

But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman’s evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole.  Esther 9:25 (NLT)

And let’s remember to pray for mercy on our enemies as they encounter God’s justice.

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  Matthew 5:43-44 (NLT)

But just because we ask God to be merciful to our enemies does not mean we passively allow evil to dominate us. We are to pray for justice as well as mercy. God is merciful and just.

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. 10  They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Revelation 6:9-10 (NLT)

Prayer

Father in heaven who judges justly and shows mercy, you have been merciful to me, even when I was your enemy. I ask you to extend that same mercy to those who are working against your people and your kingdom by bringing them to repentance. Nothing is too difficult for you. I also ask that you bring to nothing their strategies and plans for evil and harm. Let every evil plot backfire. Let those who seek to ensnare and harm your people and our nation fall into the trap they set. Let them come to their senses when they realize that you are fighting against them. Let them surrender to Jesus the Lord before it is too late for them. I ask you to sovereignly protect your people and our nation. Amen.

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Is God Willing to Involve Himself in Our Everyday Problems?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2  and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3  The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” John 2:1-3 (NLT)

Jesus’ first miracle is extremely intriguing on several levels. First of all, of all the things he could have done that day, he went to a wedding. We might think that Jesus was totally consumed with heavenly things, walking about with a halo over his head and hands clasped in prayer continually, but that would be inaccurate. Jesus was very down to earth. We are not provided with many snapshots of his personality, but I would be greatly surprised if he were not thoroughly enjoying himself and feeling very comfortable at the party. By the way, people were drinking wine, and apparently quite a lot of it because they ran out, a big “no-no”

Secondly, even though he had already begun his public ministry and had followers, he still hung out with his mother. Perhaps she was a disciple, but based on other passages, I think not at this point. Jesus was most likely fulfilling a family obligation to honor a friend’s family by attending the wedding feast.

Even though Jesus was fully committed to the kingdom of God, he never lost sight of taking care of his family and being with friends.

Even as he hung dying on the cross, he asked John to take his mother into his family after his death. He loved his Mom.

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5  But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:4-5 (NLT)

Thirdly, his mother felt free to pull on him to do a miracle to help out someone who faced embarrassment. When we know someone loves us deeply, it gives us boldness to ask him or her for favors and blessings, not out of a desire to abuse the relationship, but because we are confident. Mary presented Jesus with the need, without ever making a specific request. Sometimes I resent this being done to me. It almost seems a little passive aggressive. But Jesus did not mind. Mary simply expected him to do something about the problem. She probably felt the embarrassment of the hosts.

Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7  Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8  he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. 9  When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10  “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” 11  This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. John 2:6-11 (NLT)

Fourthly, Jesus did what his mother asked, even though apparently he otherwise would not have. Jesus’ first response was simply, “Sorry, Mom, that’s not my problem.” She was undaunted and very bold. She told the servants to do whatever her son told them to do and probably dropped the mike and walked away. Jesus was free to do nothing, but for some reason, probably love and a desire to honor her, he conceded to his mother’s request and met the need. This was remarkable in that it tells us that God responds to our requests even when it might not be what he apparently had in mind. I hope this does not sound like heresy.

God is sovereign over all things, but within his lordship he leaves himself room to work with us in a dynamic partnership. He ordains the means as well as the ends. This should give us great confidence as we pray.

Lastly, this miracle tells us a whole lot about God’s heart for people. God cares about our everyday problems. He is not watching impassively from heaven. He is right in our midst. We also learn that Jesus (God) is not nearly as bent out of shape about some things as we tend to be. These people were probably a little tipsy. They had drunk up all the wine, and we have to think the host thought he had enough on hand for the entire feast. Nevertheless, instead of piously telling the crowd that running out of wine was probably God’s will because they had been drinking too much, which was sinful, he made between 120 and 180 gallons of the best wine ever! Obviously God is willing for people to have a good time. Even though he commands us to avoid becoming drunk with wine (Ephesians 5:18), he provided those party goers with enough to get thoroughly drunk, if they so desired. Is this the God with whom you are familiar?

Application

What do we learn from this passage that we can apply to everyday life?

  • God cares about the everyday aspect of our lives.
  • God cares about social gatherings and what is needed to make them successful.
  • God will respond to our prayers, even if it seems our request may not be exactly what he was planning to do. Sometimes God tests our resolve and our faith in his loving faithfulness.

God is not as tense about things as we might imagine. Those who approach life rigidly and legalistically do not understand his heart and misrepresent him to the world.

  • God is willing to demonstrate his love and power in everyday life as a testimony to his goodness, love, and power to save us.

This is the Jesus we preach. This is the Jesus of the Gospels. It’s no wonder people love and follow him.

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Heart of an Apostle

by Pete Beck Jr.

My father has served the body of Christ for many years as an apostle. Many churches and individuals look to him as a spiritual father. He did not start out with this in mind, but over time others began to see something in him that God had put there. Eventually he accepted his call to be a “sent one” to help plant, build, and strengthen churches and leaders around the world. With the recent resurgence of interest in the calling and work of apostles, he felt the need to write this book in order to correct some perceived errors in understanding. This book focuses on what he considers to be the main issue, a father’s heart for the church.

I have placed some salient quotes from the book below to whet your appetite for more. The book is available on Amazon.

The only remedy for avoiding the mistakes of the past and present is to recapture the true essence of the apostle and god’s pattern for leadership. In this book the emphasis is not on what the apostle does, but on who the apostle is in Christ. When this is properly modeled, individuals and churches should have no problem receiving and working with such individuals. It is only when this relational aspect is ignored that apostles become corporate executives or at worse, tyrants. When this happens, churches will inevitably pull away from that which God intended as a channel for blessing. (pp.11-12.)

Christ endows his apostles with a large world vision. They gather, set in order, and establish… apostles are always looking over the horizon. They are pioneers… They are given a general’s view of the battlefield… [their] mandate is to push forward the Kingdom.  (p.19)

The five-fold gifts are important and greatly complement each other. Yet the true apostle’s vision is broader than the others. It includes an anointing to bring things together… not only to place the foundation himself, but also to see that others are doing it properly. (p.23)

The apostle represents Christ and is an extension of Christ’s ministry on earth. Christ loves the church and died to give Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25). The true apostle feels no less inclined to live and die in the same manner. (p.49)

To be a true apostle there must be quiet confidence in the One who said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) The primary characteristic of a mature and godly leader is that he really believes that Christ is in charge. What is more, he acts like it… (p.58)

While trying to give a benchmark for young churches and leaders to measure against when sizing up men who call themselves apostles, at the same it was the aim of this book to suggest that apostles ought to use the same benchmark to size themselves up. (p.137)

Heart of an Apostle covers key topics such as the apostle’s heart, lifestyle, authority, attitude toward churches, honoring sons, and character qualities needed. It is an important addition to your library, whether you are an apostle, relate to one, or simply want to know more about this important ministry gift to the church.

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Can We Really Know God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was in high school, it was fashionable among my peers to be an agnostic. We believed that there was a God, but that he was unknowable. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church and knew all about God, but did not know God. In my immaturity, I reasoned that my experience must be the norm. God was unknowable. Nevertheless, I continued my search to find out the truth about God. I wanted to know him, but I did not know how to get there. The Bible calls this being “lost.” Little did I know that my experience is common to man and is the reason Jesus came to our planet.

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10 (NLT)

Jesus taught his followers that knowing God is eternal life.

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:3 (NLT)

Eternal life does not come from being part of a church organization or believing a set of doctrines. It comes from knowing God.

I had been taught by the church that Jesus came to earth to die for my sins, but no one ever told me that part of the deal was being able to know God. I had been robbed by the church that only taught a partial and corrupted form of the gospel, that is, until my girlfriend (now, wife) told me she had come to know Jesus.

When I first read her letter describing what happened to her (That was before email and texts, folks.), I thought she was crazy. As a Roman Catholic, I had no way to adequately understand her experience of coming to know that Jesus is real and having complete faith in him. How could that happen to a person? But she and God had my attention, not just because Jesus had gotten between me and my girl, but because I wanted to know God like she did, if that were possible.

After talking a lot with her and others and doing a lot of thinking, I decided to take a huge step. I prayed to a God that I was not even sure existed. I asked Jesus, if he were really out there,to reveal himself to me. After all, if God is real, he ought to be able to do that, right? I asked him to come into my life, because that is what I was told was the right prayer by an student evangelist, who just happened to come by my room one day. Hmmm, coincidence? I prayed that prayer in all sincerity, but with absolutely no attempt to make something happen. I prayed and “let it go.” I did not give it a second thought. I did not try to believe because I thought that would be totally false. It was going to be real or nothing. In fact, I forgot that I even prayed. Nevertheless, God heard that prayer. I had cracked open the door of my heart, and God came in.

I did not know about the following Bible verse, but Jesus did.

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

What I found out is that God pursues people, is well able to communicate with us, and is looking for some kind of response from us.

He had been after me. He was pulling on my heart through other people and the Holy Spirit, and finally I responded.

Looking back, I realize now that after praying I changed immediately. I remember thinking how much happier I was and how much more other-focused. I found joy in doing things for people. I had no idea it was because Jesus had responded to my prayer and come into my life. I thought it was because my Zen meditations were especially effective. Oh, brother! The things the Lord has to put up with!

A couple of weeks later, Martha and I got together again and discussed Jesus, since he was center of her life now. It got me thinking about things again. Late one night, on my way home from being with her, I found myself alone in a room full of vending machines. How romantic! The perfect place for God to show up, right?

As I pondered how my life was changing, I suddenly remembered praying that prayer to Jesus. In a flash, it seemed as if God filled the room. I had never been in a room with God before, but somehow I knew he was with me. I was no longer an agnostic. I was a knower.

I knew for the first time that Jesus really rose from the dead and everything the Bible says about him is true. I have no idea how the Holy Spirit accomplished that transformation in me, but I am so glad he did. A few days later I read the following Bible verse, which seemed to describe what happened that night.

The wind (Greek: pneuma - wind, spirit) blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 (NLT)

The first thing I did was tell all my dorm mates about what just happened. I remember seeing tears in my roommate’s eyes. I have no idea if he was a believer, but God touched him that night. It was the most normal and natural thing in the world to tell others about Jesus because I just found out that there really is a God and he can be known by us through Jesus!

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

Being new to all this, I really did not want to go to sleep that night. I was afraid that the emotional high I was riding would dissipate, leaving me right back where I was before – an agnostic. Finally around four in the morning I drifted off to sleep. I think I got up around 7 or so, and, guess what? I still believed, and today, 49 years later, I still believe. Something remarkable happened that night. I had come to know God deep in my spirit. I was born again and had eternal life. It’s real!

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (NLT)

What joy I experienced and still do, knowing that I have eternal life!

The Catholic Church never told me I could possess eternal life. They told me I could never know for sure. It was a lie. Now I know the truth! Knowing God is eternal life.

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus came to help us know God. We might say that was his purpose.

No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known. John 1:18 (NET1)

The only one who knows the Father came to make him known to us, so that we can experience the incredible joy of knowing him for ourselves.

My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matthew 11:27 (NLT)

Do you have a longing to know God? Are you willing to open your life to Jesus and ask him to reveal the Father to you? That is what I did, and it forever changed my life for the better. Why don’t you pray something like the following?

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know God, but so far I have not been able to get there. I hear that you came to reveal the Father to those you choose. I ask you to choose me. I open my heart to you, Jesus, and ask you to come in and take possession of my life. Please forgive my many sins and make me yours completely. Open my heart and eyes to behold Father God. I want to know him for myself and experience eternal life. Amen.

If you prayed that, you have every reason to believe Jesus will answer your request. After all, he is the one who said.

...those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)
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Is Jesus Really in Control?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we watch things apparently spinning out of control around the world, we face a huge question. Is Jesus really the Lord of Lords? Is he truly in control, or is he merely a religious refuge in whom we can hide when our emotional tanks are running on empty?

The Gospel of John supplies us with an answer in the very first chapter.

Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was there with God in the beginning. 3 Everything was made through him, and nothing was made without him. 4 In him there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the world. 5 The light shines in the darkness,♦ and the darkness has not defeated it. John 1:1-5 (ETRV)

Jesus, the Word who became a human being, is the Creator of the universe. This gives him complete authority over what he made.

Contrary to the assertions of Deists, God did not create things and then back away as an uninvolved observer. The author of Hebrews makes the amazing claim that everything we see around us is being constantly sustained by the Creator.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power... Hebrews 1:3 (NASB)

This means that, in agreement with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the universe requires a continual input of energy from an outside source to keep it going. This source is the Source of Life itself, Jesus the Creator God.

This is the second reason he is in control of all things. He not only has the right of ownership as the Creator; he also controls through being the continual Sustainer. Without his continual input, everything will fall apart.

Lastly, after his resurrection from the dead, Jesus became Lord of Lords.

and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:4 (NLT)

Jesus’ lordship is qualitatively different from his role as Creator and Sustainer. He was the first two things before becoming a human being. His lordship as the risen Son of God, the Jewish Messianic King, is directly related to his humanity. As the risen human King of Israel he has been declared to be Lord of Lords.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT)

When Jesus walked this earth during his public ministry, he was never a victim of the plots and attempts on his life by his enemies. Not until it was the absolutely perfect time for him to be offered as the Lamb of God for our sins did he allow himself to be taken and crucified. But this was also part of the plan.

But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. Acts 2:23-24 (NLT)

His control was and is absolute because he is Creator -Sustainer – Redeemer – Lord. Nothing can happen on planet earth without his permission, and all things ultimately work for his glory.

As we listen to the news, we should remind ourselves that Jesus “has this.” It is his world. His kingdom shall prevail. There is no doubt about it at all. Be at rest. To conclude, let us think about the following amazing promise.

My Father has given me everything. No one knows the Son—only the Father knows the Son. And no one knows the Father—only the Son knows the Father. And the only people who will know about the Father are those the Son chooses to tell. 28 "Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. 30 Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light." Matthew 11:27-30 (ETRV)
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Victorious Eschatology

Victorious Eschatology

by Harold Eberle and Martin Trench

When it comes to what we choose to believe regarding debatable issues, such as the end times, I go with the position that seems true to the Bible and resonates in my heart. I remember when I first read Arthur Pink’s amazing book, The Sovereignty of God. His words reverberated in my heart. He put down on paper what I already believed, but just had never seen articulated so well. That is what Eberle and Trench do in Victorious Eschatology.

I read this book years ago at the recommendation of a friend. Recently, while working through a study of Daniel, I decided to read it again, hoping it would shed some light on a difficult to interpret book. Wow! Am I ever glad I did! It made a much greater impact this time around. A lot of things make sense now that before seemed muddled. I formerly jokingly, yet truthfully, told people that I am a “pan-millennialist,” meaning I have no idea of how to properly interpret what the Bible says about the end times. I would read books like Daniel and feel that understanding it was hopeless. Instead, I put the end times on the “back burner,” thinking that it will all “pan out” in the end. Now I feel much more confident.

Victorious Eschatology explains what is called the partial preterist view that much of what the Bible has to say about the end has already taken place. This is very different from the futurist view that overlooks 2000 years of church history and believes that a very great deal of everything in Daniel and Revelation still lays ahead of us.

After my recent study of Daniel, I now believe that God gave him a revelation of the coming of the Messiah, his anointing for ministry, rejection and death, and the subsequent judgment of the nation in 70 AD by Rome. Daniel is not about the very end of time at all. It was about the end of the Jewish nation and sacrificial system after the introduction of the perfect sacrifice on Calvary and the Jews’ rejection of their Messianic King. A large section of Victorious Eschatology examines Daniel’s vision from this theological position.

Another large chunk of the book shows how the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25) should be broken down into two sections, that which pertains to the subject covered by Daniel and that which is about the Second Coming. The authors’ arguments are very convincing. A third segment of the book interprets Revelation in a similar manner.

The book shows how many modern teachings regarding the Antichrist are mostly unscriptural. It show how the great tribulation was what happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD. It shows how the Emperor Nero fulfilled the Revelation Antichrist to a tee. I will not give away any more of the book. You must read it for yourself.

Any discussion of the end must be done with humility. No one knows for certain what is going to happen. But the Bible does lay out for us a good reason to expect victory, not defeat.

Rather than gloomily expect everything to get worse and worse, we should expect our victorious Lord to reappear at any time to claim his rightful kingdom and impose his glorious rule. Come, Lord Jesus!

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What do our marriages tell the world about God?

 

 

 

 

 

People are watching. Whether we like it or not, people keep an eye on followers of Christ to see if we do what we say. They suspect us of being just as hypocritical as most others. Some people even want professing Christians to fail miserably, because they think that will get them “off the hook” with God. They can say, “See, just as I thought, Christianity is a crock! It’s not real.”

People are also watching our marriages, but not just because they want them to fail. In many cases, they want to know if people can still have a lasting union, because they hope that their marriage will have staying power, too. So many marriages are failing that it can be disheartening to those contemplating tying the knot! When people pledge lifelong faithfulness to their spouses, most really intend to keep their vows. Even in a morally confused world, people generally want the stability and security that lasting love provides.

One big reason why faithfulness in marriage is so important is because it reflects to the world the relationship between Christ and his church.

Jesus is the “husband” in the relationship, and the church is the “bride.”

FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32  This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32 (NASB)

God wants our faithfulness in marriage to be a living example of the faithfulness between Christ and his people. He promises to never leave or forsake us, and we promise to always be faithful to him. He gave himself for his bride, the church, by dying for her on a cross. Our loving response is to live and, if necessary, die for him, as we offer ourselves back to him in loving worship and service.

God always keeps his promises, and he expects us to do the same.

When we violate our solemn covenant to be faithful until death to our spouses, we transgress the very nature of God, who dwells within each believer. When we keep our word, we honor God and exemplify his faithfulness to a watching world. Love and faithfulness are two key character attributes of God, both of which a good marriage reflects to the world.

Marriage is supposed to reinforce the Gospel, not detract from it.

When we tell people that God never violates his promises nor abandons his people, if our marriages do not reflect the same kind of faithfulness, it will seem a little hollow. Sure, as humans we fail, but God remains faithful.

Even if our marriages fail, we can still testify to the mercy and redemptive power of God, but how much stronger is our witness when we live out covenant faithfulness as a kind of living parable!

So, remember: people are watching us. They want to know if following Christ makes any practical difference at all. Let our marriages be a resounding “Yes!”

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