“For this cause a man should leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31
NASB)
“One-Couples”
1. Think in terms of “we and us” not “me and you” or “my or me.”
2. Are free to be themselves and exercise all their gifts.
3. Have marriages that are love-based, not rule or control-based.
4. Don’t care which spouse earns the most. Love and respect thrive based on the essence of who the spouse is, not what the spouse earns.
5. Do everything possible to empower each other. One spouse never looks at the other and says, “Your role is to empower me.” Or “You’re supposed to pour yourself into ME while I pursue MY pursuits.
6. Aren’t threatened by each other’s gifts and talents, but freely applaud each other’s accomplishments.
7. Are best friends.
8. Argue infrequently, because they are of one mind.
9. Live by Jesus Christ’s Golden Rule: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). This includes EVERYTHING, just as Jesus said – even the marriage concepts you embrace.
10. Don’t believe one of them is spiritually superior to the other or has a deeper spiritual knowledge on all subjects at all times.
11. Have their needs met and enjoy a thriving relationship with God.
12. Make decisions by consensus, not by powerplays.
Romancing Your Wife … A Little Effort Can Spice Up Your Marriage by Debra White Smith and Daniel W. Smith published by Harvest House
Good words to ponder on this Wednesday, April 6, 2005

“I will remember that faith, like muscle, must be exercised in order to grow strong. In other words, there must be the occasion, or provocation, of faith. Most of the time my natural inclination is to escape this provocation. But I must put on the right kind of glasses and see provocation, not as a disaster, but as an opportunity for God to work.
(prov·o·ca·tion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (prv-kshn)n.
The act of provoking or inciting.
Something that provokes.)

Miracles occur when there is a tremendous voltage between need and supply. That is like the positive and negative particles that cause a thunderstorm. If I am to see God work dramatically, I must bring an acute need face to face with God’s supercharged supply. The need is always there as long as sin and man exist, but the missing element is the intensified power of supply. That is where God seeks a conductor, a man of faith, like Moses, Elijah, or the Lord Jesus. Wherever they went they were natural ‘lightning rods’ that drew the power from God.

I also must remember that faith decays from lack of stimulus. Quite often I have ‘little faith’ simply because I have had little opportunity to exercise it. Faith grows by being challenged. If my life is so so average, I do not need to pray for more faith, but for more problems, difficulties, and challenges. That means courage to dare, to launch out, to expose myself to the pains, hurts, and heartaches of this world.

A person without faith is admitting he has no concern for others, for we cannot long spiritually for others without becoming aware of deep, sore, bleeding wounds. By means of our faith those wounds can be healed, and God is waiting for believers! How I long to be like Abraham, who was ‘strong in faith, giving glory to God!’ (Romans 4:20) That is it — to be strong enough so that the result is always glory!”from DAILY WITH THE KING, published by MOODY PRESS

“By faith Moses . . . refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” (Hebrews 11:24-25)

Good words to ponder today.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
My oldest son Josh, and his wife, Jenny, called this weekend from West Virginia. They were working at a Camp Sandy Cove for Boys and Girls getting the facility ready for the summer season. Josh and Jenny’s boxer, Ruby, was along for the trip, along with her Dad’s Jack Russell, Skeeter. The family were busy doing their thing and the two dogs decided to wander off into the mountains of West Virginia. Night came and no dogs. Morning came, no dogs. They searched and searched but they were no where to be found.
Josh called mid-afternoon and left a message on the answering machine asking us to please pray that they would find the dogs. They were scheduled to leave first thing in the morning and were not sure what to do. After checking the message, Zach wanted to pray for the dogs that they would come home. We have been trying to instill into his little heart the importance of prayer, even for little things.
Zach reminded me that he prayed and the dogs were going to be found — the faith of a child! Two hours later, the Lord honored the faith of our son. Josh called to share that his mother-in-law had gone outside to look one more time. They heard Renee calling for Skeeter, and they all were choked up saying, “Why is she doing this to herself?” Little did they know that they were reliving a scene from the movie, HOMEWARD BOUND. Running towards here were Ruby and Skeeter!
God loves it when His kids come to Him with impossible situations. My friend, you have been given the privilege and authority to come boldly into the throne of grace. You can do so YOURSELF. You don’t need someone else to pray for you. Are you facing a difficult situation today in your life? Have you been to the throne of grace? Take some time, get on your knees . . . you will find grace to help you in the time of need!

The world’s attention is riveted right now to Rome and the events that have led up to the death of the Pope. Hundreds of thousands of people are making their pilgrimage to the Holy City to have the opportunity to view the body of their beloved spiritual leader lying in repose at the Vatican. The media has rehearsed the life of this amazing spiritual leader who has impacted the world in an amazing way.
Today, however, is the LORD’S DAY — a day in which we celebrate ONE who is above all! Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlike the Pope whose body will in just a few days be placed in a grave, JESUS stepped out of the tomb conquering sin and death once and for all.
I am reminded that one day there will be another who will come to the Holy City. The One who was crucified, buried, and ascended into heaven reminded us that HE WAS COMING AGAIN IN POWER AND GLORY. Many this week will bow in reverence and honor of Pope Paul. But on that day, the focus of ALL the world will not be the Pope. It will not be on Mohammad. It will not be on Billy Graham. Every eye shall see HIM — and as Paul wrote, ” . . . at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
He IS LORD! And that is what we celebrate on this Lord’s Day! Exalt Him with every fiber of your being today. Rejoice in Him!

“Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary lists 550,000 words. And it is a solemn and beautiful thought that in our worship of God there sometimes rush up from the depths of our souls feelings that all this wealth of words is not sufficient to express. To be articulate at certain times we are compelled to fall back upon ‘Oh!’ or ‘O!’ — a primitive exclamatory sound that is hardly a word at all and that scarcely admits of a definition.

Vocabularies are formed by many minds over long periods and are capable of expressing whatever the mind is capable of entertaining. But when the heart, on its knees, moves into the awesome Presence and hears with fear and wonder things not lawful to utter, then the mind falls flat, and words, previously its faithful servants, become weak and totally incapable of telling what the heart hears and sees. In that awful moment the worshiper can only cry, ‘Oh!’ And that simple exclamation becomes more eloquent than learned speech and, I have no doubt, is dearer to God than any oratory.”

A. W. Tozer from TOZER ON THE ALMIGHTY GOD published by Christian Publications

Paul said this, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how nsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!’ (Romans 11:33)

As you prepare your heart for worshipping tomorrow with the body of believers that you fellowship with, think through some of the “OH!” moments in your spiritual journey. Write them in your journal.

>From the pen of OSWALD CHAMBERS on the subject of intercession . . .
“Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.
Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshipping God, the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.
Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?
Good words to ponder from the April 1 reading of MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST, updated edition, published by our good friends at DISCOVERY HOUSE.

Be willing to talk to your wife often. Tell her what’s important to you.
Be willing to listen to your wife daily. Look in her eyes. Hold her hand.
Gaze into her eyes even if you aren’t talking.
Stroke her face.
Give her a massage with no sexual touching.
Dedicate one night a week to holding your wife in bed without sexual touching.
Smile at your wife for no reason.
Applaud her accomplishments.
Turn off the TV and tune into your wife as intensely as you would lose the latest game.
Turn the kitchen into an oasis of emotional bonding. Join her in the kitchen and help cook dinner or clean up.
If your relationship with your parents was emotionally distant, realize that you are most likely projecting that relationship onto your marriage. Also, understand that your wife probably will feel about you the way you felt about your parents when you left home.
Ask your wife to make a list of the top seven things that would make her feel emotionally intimate with you. Commit to doing one day for a week.
Then start over the next week.
Tell your wife she’s the most important person in your life.
Make a list of ways your wife has positively impacted your life and thank her for what’s on the list.
Share your dreams with your wife.
Ask your wife to sit down. Kneel before her, take her hand, look in her eyes, and say, ‘I would give my life for you.'”

Romancing Your Wife … A Little Effort Can Spice Up Your Marriage by Debra White Smith and Daniel W. Smith published by Harvest House
Good words for you to ponder and put into practice. Have a great day.

Proverbs 30:21-23 “Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations —
when a janitor becomes the boss
when a fool gets rich,
when a whore is voted ‘woman of the year’
when a ‘girlfriend’ replaces a faithful wife.” (from THE MESSAGE)
Interesting verses this morning from the book of Proverbs. Over the years I have joked about writing a book entitled “I THOUGHT I HEARD IT ALL UNTIL …” There have been things that I have seen and experienced that were absolutely absurd. Mind boggling. Situations that rocked the foundation of my life.Things people have said or done that just baffled me. Often these absurd things have caused me to step back and think through their implications or to take inventory of my own life.
Solomon gives us some interesting “thought food” in these verses. I want to zero in this morning on that last phrase — “when a ‘girlfriend’
replaces a faithful wife. In my 50 years of life I have seen a number of couples that I loved and respected end their marriages. Most have gone through very painful divorces. I have watched the way divorce has destroyed the kids. I even witnessed how one divorce of a prominent couple in the church, actually destroyed the church. I have looked at some of these situations and scratched my head saying, “How can this be?
What were they thinking? How could they throw all this away?”
You might be reading this today and say, “Bill, I have never cheated on my spouse. I have been faithful and I am committed to my marriage.” If we are not careful, we can be so pious and proud that we miss what is going on in our lives. I don’t think I am stretching the text here — but if I am, hear me out anyway. You may be right — you are not replacing your wife with a physical or emotional relationship with another woman (or a man, if you are one of the ladies who read Freedom Fighters). But it could be that there is some other “girlfriend” or “mistress” in your life. Has your job/ministry become your mistress? Are you so consumed with what you are doing that you are neglecting your spouse? Could it be sports, money, possessions, or even cars?
Unfortunately, for too many men, the computer is sucking the life out of you. You avoid spending time with your spouse because you have become ensnared with “air-brushed” porn pictures or you are spending time in chat rooms where you will end up talking with someone for hours rather than having conversation with your spouse.
Is there a girlfriend or mistress in your life that you need to deal with today? Your spouse is a God-given blessing and responsibility. My guess is that your spouse is longing for fellowship and companionship with YOU. Why not purpose in your heart to replace that “mistress” with the wife of your youth! It could be one of the greatest decisions you make in your life apart from your salvation! If you need help in this area, please write.

“Lord, I must be very careful not to be sin conscious lest I become weak and exhausted. The burden of the Lord may be a conviction of my sin and is therefore necessary; but as soon as I am conscious of my sin, I must rid myself of it by confession (Psalm 32:5; 1 John 1:9). And once confessed, I must have nothing more to do with it.

Nehemiah had the correct solution for the sin-conscious people: eat and drink, share with others, and praise God, ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'(Nehemiah 8:10)

Conviction of sin, while necessary, is weakening and must be turned into conviction and praise in order to save your sanity. The inward look is depressing and discouraging, and I must avoid, at all costs, people who are continually turning me inward. Many people are turned from Christ
because they see morbidity in Christians who have not gotten beyond sin’s conviction to sin’s confession.

I must never treat sin lightly; neither must I give it so much time, attention, and place in me that I am actually enslaved by it. Many Christians seem to enjoy looking within and relish seeing themselves corrupt and sinful. I must never give sin any more of my time than it takes to let it do a redemptive work in me — to drive me to my God and His cleansing, and then to praise, strength, and growth! For God wants me alive and well, not caught in the octopus arms of sin. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered!’ (Psalm 32:1)”
from DAILY WITH THE KING published by Moody Press

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love.” (Micah 7:18)

Good words to ponder today!

Proverbs 28:13 “You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting them and leaving them.” (Proverbs 28:13 THE MESSAGE)

A good friend of mine thought he could do just that — whitewash his sins. He was in over his head with internet porn. He was not only visiting internet porn sites, but adult bookstores and even massage parlors. They were having work done on their house and his wife came home from the grocery store one afternoon only to discover copies of two porn pictures on his printer.

The thought never crossed her mind that they could be her husband’s. She was furious that the construction workers would have used their computer and violated them by printing out such filth. Later in the day, she showed my friend the raunchy pictures, and for my friend, it was now a “moment of truth!” He had a choice — he could easily blame the construction workers and buy himself some additional time for his life-dominating sin, or as Solomon said, he could try and “whitewash” his sin. Or he could come clean with her and tell the truth.

I am happy to say, he did the right thing. The initial response was painful, and for several weeks, their marriage teetered on the edge of disaster. But in the end, God honored his bringing his sin into the light.

King David is a great example of this truth. He thought he could get away with the sin of adultery. He did away with Urriah, the husband of Bathsheba. Everyone else was away in battle the night he took Bathsheba. He was free and clear. His sins were whitewashed! Except for one
problem. Nathan the prophet! God sent Nathan to David and in a matter of moments, David faced the same choice my friend faced. When confronted with the truth, David didn’t whitewash his sins — he admitted then and repented! (Read 2 Samuel 11-12)

Psalm 51 is the prayer of David after Nathan confronted him. Take some time to read it today. Is there an area of your life that you are whitewashing? My friend, make it right! Confess your sin(s) to Him and repent! Walk in the light today!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)