Do the Right Thing

Today I sat in church and gazed across the congregation only find the drowsy eyes and sleepy nods of many normally attentive church goers. Nothing against the gentleman preaching today, but the message was a bit “everywhere” and for a lack of a better description, the message was boring. It came from Galatians 6:6-10. I know this because I take notes. It was rather hard for me to follow the message therefore not many notes were taken. There was one point nevertheless that stood out in this scripture. It was verse 9 “And let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”. In other words “Don’t get tired of doing the right thing because we will be rewarded if we don’t give up”.
Sometimes we all have to be reminded not to give up. We need to be reminded that doing the right thing... is …. well...right. I watch basketball wives (shameful confession) and I am always left wondering why do they seem to have everything their heart’s desire and they are so evil. I really do not understand it. Then the holy spirit reminds me of just how unhappy they really are. These women spend most of the show arguing, and they all go home alone. They all have been subjecting to cheating husbands or boyfriends. The only thing they really have is “money” and “friends”. Yet, their situation just always seem better than mine. Here I am, busting my butt day in and day out. I pour my all into the Jesus C.O.U.sin ministry everyday. I am constantly trying to help others. I spend more time giving than receiving, yet they are the ones “living the life”.
To read that passage today was what I needed. I was reminded through that one passage to never stop doing the right thing. I should never stop giving nor should I stop helping. Reality TV is not a reality at all. Reality is I spend my days trying to make God happy through worship. I know that my good deeds will be rewarded. Sure, I would love a brand new range rover or a nice million dollar condo overlooking the city of Charlotte, but I would much rather I have entry into heaven.
I encourage you to keep doing the right thing and not give up. You will reap what you sew. God sees you and He knows your heart. I believe that God is pleased with my works, the question is can you say the same?

Tolerating Excuses to Sin!!!

I fasted from twitter and facebook for a week, and when I came back tonight (2/25/11), this is the first thing I read. This will be the first time I've ever put a blog other than my own in my blogs, but it's so worth it! This blog was written by my big brother and person who inspired me to blog, Darrell James. I know it is long, but it is well worth the read for anyone claiming to be a Christian! I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me! Enjoy!

On Tuesday, February 22nd I did a status posting that I knew was going to invoke good dialogue between the ones who read it. Here’s the posting again for those who missed it: When I worked in the drug/alcohol field, we said that “once an addict always an addict”. I was talking with a friend and he mentioned giving into temptation also bringing up the song, “we fall down but get back up”. My humorous side responded, so once a sinner do we keep sinning just because God is a forgiving God (once a sinner always a sinner). He didn’t find it too funny. What do you think? SHARE LIFE-LET’S GO!!

Before I start I must give a DISCLAIMER (lol):
The purpose of this disclaimer is not to deny responsibility for what I’m about to write and share with you, or to cover up for anything you’re about to read. NOW LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT….. The purpose of it is to let you know that this is strictly my opinion on a topic and I do not claim to be a Mr. Know It All or that everything I say is GOLDEN. Nor do I claim to live a spotless and sin free lifestyle, YES I do sin and fall short of perfection BUT I strive to be more like Christ in my daily walk with Him asking Him to help me grow and remove my sins as not to repeat them. What you’re about to read was considered greatly and requested of God to help me express it diligently and without offended anyone who read it. (Whew, I’m already sweating and I haven’t even started to write yet, lol.) THAT’S ALL I’M SAYING, now let’s go……….ENJOY!!!

Sin is a big but small word, reminds me of an old song by Prince called ‘Sign of the Times’ where he says: AIDS is a big disease with a little name. Sin is a small 3 letter word that is so BIG that in the book of Genesis (v. 5-7) it speaks about God being so grieved at His heart about the sin of man that they were choosing sin and death instead of a relationship with Him, that He was going to destroy them (the story of Noah). Now take a moment to consider that this is just the book of Genesis and shortly after the creation of mankind. Now fast forward years ahead to current time and imagine the sins of the people of today, WOW. I’m just glad for His mercy and grace.

Now to give you more about what provoked this posting. I was talking with a friend on Monday and he was telling me about his disappointment in the area of trying to be a single Christian young man in a dating world of trying to find his mate. He was telling about how he’s tried staying within the church to seek out like minded women that were trying to walk the walk of faith. Within the last year of dating 4 different women he say that they tempted/pressured him sexually more than when he dated women outside the church. I went into how this didn’t give him an excuse to give in and then run crying to God for forgiveness. He said he had talked with an elder at his church about it was told that God will forgive him as well as the women for we’re not perfect and mentioned the above song. This triggered my funny bone and caused me to chuckle, saying what I had said, “so once a sinner we’re supposed to continue to sin and just take advantage of God’s mercy and grace because we know He’ll forgive us”. Let’s just say that our conversation went on for hours and ended with him asking me if I would be interested in talking with the elder at his church because of what we shared. This intrigued me to see what others thought of the discussion and I immediately wanted input from my FB fam, thus the status posting.

Now that you have that, let me take a brief commercial break to give you a little background info about myself so that you’ll know how my thought processes are formed. (Please keep this info private because once it comes out on The OWN Network and in my book I want everyone to at least pretend to be interested, lol.) I grew up 1 of 10 children to 2 of the best parents I could have asked for (imagine the assembly line for babies picking out their parents, yes I chose the ones I had, lol). They were both grounded in the church as my pastor likes to say, “from the old church” (big shout outs to my Pastor Keene and his leadership at KCC), Apostolic faith to be exact. My dad a bishop and my mom an evangelist, both great people in their time as they now rest in peace and shine through the legacy they left behind in the 10 of us. Well for me I grew up to dislike the fact that I was born in the church and forced to go because my parents went. Church was a priority in our house, when we weren’t there we were at home being made to do family prayer daily. I recall making a promise with a friend that I grew up with in the church that felt similar, we promised that once we were old enough to make our own decisions we wouldn’t step foot in a church again in our lives except for funerals and weddings (lol, this cracks me up now, however it happens still to youth that live similar lives to what I did then).

My mom being the praying mom she was talked/prayed to God so much that I thought at times she was talking to someone I never saw, now that I’m older and working in the mental health arena I’ve told people that she would’ve been diagnosed as schizophrenic, lol. I can recall times of hearing her cry out and running in the room thinking she had fell or one of my siblings were arguing about something. I had several talks of how I would never be able to run from God and what He had for me and I would think alright I hope He’s a good runner because I’m sure going to try to run and hide all the time, dodging under church pews, hiding in the balcony and trying to disguise my doings, lol. I didn’t understand scriptures like Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. My pastor broke this scripture down during a message one service in a way that really Blessed me, which was during the upbringing of a child he/she may take you through hell in the process but if you continue to train them correctly as they mature they’ll grow into the knowledge of what they were taught. So here I am today a changed man and glad to say that I don’t only go to church for funerals and weddings no more, lol.

During my upbringing my mom drilled into us, “once you see the light walk therein”. Now for me I didn’t care about this at the time because if I was going to be walking anywhere and there was no light I was cool with using a flashlight to light my path, not looking at it spiritually. Now I know that she meant although we walk and live in a world filled with darkness (sin) once you see better walk better. This to me meant a lot because as much as I rebelled against church I actually learned and held on to quite a bit and as much as my siblings would tell you that all I did was pout and sleep every service, trust me IT’S NOT TRUE, lol. Yes, there was times my dad would get in his mood and make me sit on the front row thinking it would make me at least sit up and not lay on the floor or the pew pouting and I would do it and act like I was sleeping. In spite of this, I actually learned and retained some things. I never wanted to get involved in church if I wasn’t going to be sincere about it, I didn’t want to be the lukewarm or indifferent believer because of knowing how God disliked this. I didn’t want to plan my next sin while repenting or asking God for forgiveness (yes, this happens - Lord please forgive me for the sin that I’m about to do, knowing better).

I struggled with things I would hear, like we should be careful of the spirits we allow or invite into our lives knowing that everything carries some kind of spirit with it. For me music was a big challenge and I was a hip-hop head refusing to let it go until I discovered gospel hip-hop and it’s what I bounce to now as well as bits and pieces of other gospel varieties of music but it’s all stuff that’ll encourage and speak positively into my life. So as I said earlier: Do I live a sinless life? No, but I do strive to eliminate and avoid it with the God’s help. Now let’s return back to the regular programming, enough about me, lol.

Sin is something that’s been around since the beginning of time and caused trouble every since; destroying lives, families, relationships, marriages and so on. God tried helping us to avoid sin at all cost, giving us guidance and tools to help (The 10 Commandments, Biblical Laws, The Bible, etc.). He knew that it would be difficult to live a perfect and sinless life, however He said (in my Bible it’s in red, depicting He directly said it, not a disciple, apostle, prophet but Him) in Matthew 5:48 - Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. - Now when this was said He knew of the temptations we would face in our walk and the difficulties that would come with them because He too had been tempted before. The sin isn’t in the temptation but in the giving in to it. He died so that we might be saved and strive to avoid sin to lead to a life more like Him - PERFECT. Through His death He washed us of our sins and forgave us but this wasn’t to condone or give us an excuse to continue to sin.

In the book of John where He says, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (the parable of the adulterous woman) if we read further we see that He tells her, “Neither do I condemn thee, go, and sin no more.” Once God renews our thinking and life, we’re to strive to be more like Him, PERFECT. Will it be difficult, yes; will we fall, yes but does this mean we continue to fall, NO. In our walk, we’ll stumble and fall, become discouraged, think of giving up but these are the times we have to rely on the promises He gave us and when we forget them, just pick up the Bible and read them, It’s a complete book of promises. Our goal as Christians should be to eliminate sin from our lives, not excuse it. Sin is deliberate rebellion against God and when it happens we should pray and ask God to help us remove it, overcome it and not tolerate it. In this life it’s hard to be flawless and free of sin because it surrounds us, but we can aspire to be as close to Christ like as possible demonstrating morally sinless behaviors. A tendency to sin doesn’t give us the right to sin.

In closing I find it interesting that if you look at every adulterous sin done in churches, every act of deception committed, every act of wrong doing - the first thing said by the person that committed the sin is, “well nobody’s perfect and my God is a forgiving God”. I would love to ask someone on the receiving end of the sin, “How do you feel about the affair your spouse was involved in that you found out about only after you hired an investigator and saw it on ‘Cheaters’ (that’s my show, lol) after you both had got home from church? Point being that as we mature we know right from wrong. There’s an old saying that goes, “Everything I needed to know in life, I learned before the kindergarten”. This stands true for our walk with God as well, He’s given us instructions to live by while giving us the ability to choose if we want to live by them. Sin isn’t mandatory for being human, it’s a choice.

I pray that each of you that took the time to read this is Blessed in your daily walk to be more like Him. Please leave comments, if it provoked your thinking about the topic please pass it on. SHARE LIFE-LET’S GO!!!!

Wow, I like that so much I have to repeat it or as my pastor says, “that’s a good place to say amen”, lol…………………
SIN ISN’T MANDATORY FOR BEING HUMAN, IT’S A CHOICE.

Love and Blessings.

Martina McBride God's Will

Benny Hinn - Knowing God's Will, Perfect or Permissive

Watch this wonderful video of Benny Hill Explaining how to know God's will
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Discerning, Deciding and Doing God's Will

by Dr. Steven C. Riser

What is one of the most frequently asked questions about God?

It is, "How can I know the will of God?" As a new teenage Christian, my greatest concern was to know and do the will of God. Forty years later, I have the same concern.

One of the most popular books in contemporary Christendom is, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Its popularity points to the importance of discovering the purpose that God has for us. Pastor Warren says that we were: 1) planned for God’s pleasure, 2) formed for God’s family, 3) Created to become like Christ, 4) Shaped for serving God and 5) Made for a mission.

If it’s true that we naturally delight in pleasing the one we love; then, one who loves God, delights in pleasing Him. In short, he wants to do what God wants. Doing what God wants first requires knowing what He wants; it requires that we accurately discern the will of God.

What do we mean when we speak of God’s will?

There are several aspects or dimensions of God’s will revealed in Holy Scripture:

• God’s Sovereign Will: (Prov. 16:33; 21:1; Dan. 4:35; Rom. 11:33-36; Eph. 1:11) God’s Word teaches that He has a sovereign plan for the every thing that happens in the universe. This plan is secret in the sense that no one understands it completely but God himself and it is also certain in that no one can ultimately resist His sovereign will. (Romans 9:19)

• God’s Universal Will: God’s universal will is the same for everybody. It consists of clear and universal positive commands and prohibitions contained in Scripture that apply to all across the board. This is revealed, not secret, and we are expected to understand, accept and obey it. To sin means that, in some way, we miss the mark—the mark of God’s wise and loving will.

• God’s General Will: It applies to every one, but instead of specific commands it consists of general principles such as: peace, love, truth, justice, holiness. The way we apply these principles to our lives may differ, but it is God’s will we consistently incorporate them into our lifestyle.

• God’s Particular Will: The specific aspects of God’s will for the individual are not revealed in the Bible, but consist of God’s unique plan for each individual and are revealed to each believer. God leaves many decisions to us that have no moral import, but he has both a desirous and permissive will for each of us.

What is the most important prerequisite to knowing God’s will?

The most important prerequisite to knowing God’s will is to decide in advance to do it once we know it. This is necessary in order that we do not confuse our will with God’s will. Proverbs 14: 12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

In order to know God’s will, we must also learn to think His thoughts after Him through the memorization and meditation of Scripture. God says in Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

How do we know if we have a yielded heart? The Psalmist says in Psalm 138:8 that "The Lord will work out His plans in my life." In order for God to do this, we must learn to keep our heart yielded to Him. Here are three important characteristics of a yielded heart:

Thankfulness—is the only appropriate response to God’s grace. If we do not have a positive attitude engendered by the Holy Spirit, then we have a serious defect in our faith. As Christians, we have much for which to be thankful. For example…

• We can thank God that he sent Jesus into the world to die on the cross for our sins.

• We can thank God that he has given the Spirit to empower us for daily living.

• We can thank God that he has given us His Word, the Bible—wonderful words of life.

• We can thank God that he has given us the church—a loving extended spiritual family.

• We can thank God for our job, our home, husband, wife, children, friends, etc.

• We can thank God for every detail of our lives—for he is involved in every aspect of our lives.

Humility—Needless to say, an arrogant/rebellious heart is not a yielded heart. Humble people to not make the mistake of presuming that they already know the will of God. They are open to increased insight into their understanding of Scripture. They display a teachable spirit-open to the work of the Spirit in their lives. The humble know that God ultimately deserves the credit for any good that is accomplished.

Trust—Psalm 23 reminds us that even in the midst of danger, He can be trusted. Having a yielded heart means that we trust God, even in the midst of trial and trouble. We may not know the blue print but we can always trust the architect. James 1:2-8 reminds us that if we want to know God’s wisdom, we must not doubt. Proverbs 3:5-6 says that when we trust God with all our hearts and when we don’t rely on our own insights, He will direct our paths. According to Hebrews 11:6, Faith is the one indispensable ingredient in pleasing God.

What are three important presuppositions to knowing God’s will?

Presupposition One: There is a personal God who is interested in us and able to give us personal direction. This God, who revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, is still with us through His Holy Spirit. If we reject this assumption, there’s no need to read the remainder of this article. Our time would be better spent probing the very epistemological presuppositions for the existence of a personal God who has the capacity to reveal Himself to us.

Presupposition Two: We are a person who regularly repent of sin and trust in Christ. We want God to guide us and are praying that He will reveal His will so that we can obey it. If we are not willing to accept this assumption then we need to specifically reflect on our own relationship with the Lord and about what it means to come to personal saving faith in Jesus Christ. We could better spend our time probing the implications of discipleship, whether or not we are prepared to be a follower of the Lord or whether we simply want cosmic goodies showered upon us from the sky or a genie to jump forth at our command.

Presupposition Three: The most important prerequisite to knowing God’s will is to be willing to do it. If we have no intention of obeying God and if we want to wait till we know His will before we decide to obey it, why should God bother to reveal it to us? Furthermore, if our conscience is not functioning properly, this can seriously inhibit our ability in being able to accurately discern God’s will. If we are not doing God’s will now, why would we expect God would give us additional knowledge of His will?

What are some of the common mental obstacles in seeking to discern God’s will?

We may ask some of the following questions:

• What if God’s will is too difficult for me to do?

• What if God’s will is something that I’m afraid to do?

• What if God’s will is something that I don’t want to do?

• Does surrendering to God’s will mean I can no longer decide for myself?

• Is God’s will so detailed that it applies to every decision I make?

• Is God’s will going to conflict with what I want most in life?

• How can I know God’s will and how will I know when I’ve found it?

How can we prepare for doing God’s will? Consider the following three characteristics:

Be ready to stretch—God’s plan for us is bigger than our plan. Someone once said, "God doesn’t give us challenges to match our strength; He gives us strength to match our challenges." God wants the best for us and He is willing to help us get it.

Be ready to dream—When God reveals His will for us, He doesn’t give us a blueprint, He gives us a sketch and we fill in many of the details. Our dream or vision needs to be consistent with God’s plan and purpose for our lives. We need to learn to visualize ourselves doing God’s will. Most significant actions are conceived before they are achieved.

Be ready to roll with the punches—We need to be flexible. Many rigid people frequently miss God’s will because they miss valuable opportunities for ministry. The way in which we react to success and failure will have a significant impact in the kind of people we become. We react to failure by not letting it get us down and we react to success by not letting it go to our head. Regardless of the circumstance, we should react in a manner that would please or glorify God.

What is spiritual discernment?

Discernment of sound judgment is the ability to perceive reality as it really is. The opposite is deception and/or delusion. Spiritual blindness is inevitable for all unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4) while believers have a discerning spirit given by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:12-14) In the Old Testament, Solomon asked for a discerning spirit to distinguish right from wrong. (1 Kings 3:9) The writer of Hebrews says that discernment results, in part, from consistently obeying God’s Word. (5:14)

What guiding lights has God given us in order to help us discern God’s will?

If we are on a river at night we must follow the guiding lights in order to stay in the main channel. Here are twelve guiding lights for knowing God’s will:

1. The Bible: what principles apply to our specific situation? How do they apply?

2. Prayer: be specific about your needs. (Distinguish needs from wants)

3. Godly Counsel: people who love us and have a good grasp of God’s Word.

4. Proper Motivation: Is our decision selfish or will it please God and encourage others?

5. Providential Circumstances: God gives the resources for what He calls us to do.

6. Inner Conviction: Involves a settled disposition by being persuaded by the facts.

7. Peace of Mind: Am I uneasy or anxious about a particular course of action?

8. Clear Conscience: Is our conscience clear toward God and others? (Acts 24:16)

9. Personal Desires: Rejoice in the Lord and He will give you your heart’s desire.

10. Common Sense: Wisdom involves common sense and sound judgment about how to live.

11. Anticipated Results: What are the likely consequences of a particular course of action?

12. Personal Experience: What lessons have we learned that might apply to this decision?

Our responsibility is to weigh the input we receive from these sources and arrive at a wise and godly decision. Our decision is only as good as our best option. Sometimes the best option may be to wait for more definitive information. Sometimes we may have to choose between the lesser of two evils.

What are some characteristics of spiritual discernment?

It is rooted in: the truth of God’s Word, objective reality (facts), as well as a sound evaluation of circumstances and experiences. The Spirit of God helps us understand to Word of God so we might know the will of God and become more like the Son of God. (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:18)

How can we grow in our ability to discern?

1. By consistently practicing the classical spiritual disciplines.

2. By asking God in prayer for and seeking increased discernment in His Word.

3. By developing a healthy distrust for basing our decisions solely on our feelings

4. By consistently putting into practice what we already know to be God’s will.

5. By avoiding unreliable, untrustworthy and ungodly counsel.

6. By seeking a mentoring relationship from a spiritual mature Christian.

7. By being open to the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

What practices should we seek to avoid in the process of discerning God’s will?

1. Avoiding taking verses from the Bible out of their complete context.

2. Avoid putting out fleeces—this is not a normative method of knowing God’s will.

3. Avoid the drawing of lots or any other way of putting God in a box.

4. Be careful in what you attribute to God. For example, some people say, "God told me this…" But did He really? Did you hear an audible voice? How do you know it was God?

What questions can I ask in order to make wise decisions?

1. Is the decision in accordance with the clear teaching of God’s Word?

2. Is the decision consistent with what I know about Christ’s character?

3. Is the decision consistent with my understanding of the objective facts?

4. Is the decision consistent with historical, orthodox, biblical Christianity?

5. Is the decision confirmed by other godly Christians who also know me?

6. Is the decision confirmed by a variety of means or sources?

7. Is the decision consistent with my general understanding of God’s will?

8. Is the decision made by prayer and confirmed by a settled peace of mind?

9. Is the decision motivated by a sincere desire to please and glorify God?

10. Is the decision likely to benefit others or is it just selfishly induced?

What is the bottom line?

God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him!

Six Steps in Finding God's Will

God does not usually show us His will by performing outward signs, such as a Gideon’s fleece. Rather, He usually speaks to us through His quiet inner voice. To hear this voice, we must tune our hearts to God’s heart. Our hearts are like soil that must be cultivated to be fertile and responsive.

I have six steps that will prepare your heart to be sensitive to God’s leading. Since cultivating your heart takes time, weeks or perhaps months, you may be performing many of the steps at the same time. Nevertheless, breaking down the process into six separate steps allows you to be able to visualize what’s needed. In summary, they are:

Step 1: Be obedient to what God has already shown you.

Step 2: Pray and continually seek God’s wisdom and guidance in everything you do.

Step 3: Rearrange your priorities so your primary motivation is to glorify God.

Step 4: Saturate yourself with the Word of God.

Step 5: Learn from the examples of others.

Step 6: Get involved in a variety of ministries.

Step 1: Be obedient to what God has already shown you.

The first thing we should do is become obedient to the obvious things, the things we know we should already be doing. These are the commonsense things clearly spelled out in the Bible. For example, we know we should not lie, cheat or steal. We cannot expect God to reveal more to us when we haven’t followed what He has already shown us.

Before God gives you direction in the "important" things, you must first be obedient with the small things he has already shown you. This is the area where most of us Christians fail. We don’t realize God has already revealed His desire for us in so many areas. If we are not obedient with the small tasks, how can we be trusted with the larger tasks?

Probably most Christians feel they are already obedient to the basic things God has shown them. Yet, in reality, many of us fall short. For example, do we always speak the truth or do we sometimes conveniently leave out vital information to mislead someone? Are we completely truthful when we fill out our tax returns? Do we report errors when mistakes have been made in our favor, such as being given too much change? Do we obey the laws of the land, such as speed limits? Do we tithe?

When we are at work, do we give our employers their money’s worth or do we take extended coffee breaks and make personal calls on company time? How do we treat our mates? Is the time and attention we give our family honoring to God or does our work or ministry command a higher priority? How is your thought life?

The list could go on and on, but I think you get the point. We must be faithful with what we already have. Obviously, because of our fallen nature, being perfect in these areas is an impossibility. Yet, to the extent we are faithful to what He has shown us, He will reveal more of His will.

Step 2: Pray and continually seek God’s wisdom and guidance in everything you do.

It has been said, "A Christian is no greater than his prayer life." We should continually pray and ask God to bless and energize each area of our ministry. We must commit all rights and control to God with every issue we encounter. Besides asking God for His power, we should continually ask God to give us wisdom and guidance in everything we do.

Many people make the mistake of thinking since God already knows my needs, He will automatically meet them. As I mentioned in earlier chapters, this couldn’t be further from the truth. God wants you to continually come to Him and be specific about all your needs.

An example of this is George Mueller’s orphanage. Although he had a deep love and concern for orphans, the main reason he started the orphanage was to show the world God still performs miracles that rival the miracles of the Bible. The orphanage was to be a showcase of God’s power. Therefore, he felt led of God to live financially one day at a time. When money came in above and beyond his current needs, he sent it on to missionaries. To ensure God would receive all of the credit and glory, he made it a policy to never ask for money or even tell others of his needs.

As Mueller prayed for the material needs of the orphanage, the supplies miraculously came in. Now, it was time to open the orphanage. To his surprise and frustration, no one showed up. He was deeply depressed. That night, as he and his wife talked, they realized a startling fact. They had not specifically prayed for orphans. They prayed for everything else, but they had assumed God would bring the children.

They prayed for orphans that night and the next day there was a line of people with orphans to drop off. Many of them had stories about how they had planned on coming the previous day, but were detained. We should never assume God will meet a need simply because He’s aware of it. You must do your part and ask God to meet it.

In every project you undertake you should continually seek God’s wisdom and guidance. The story of the nation of Israel in verse Joshua 9:1-18 emphasizes the importance of this. Israel had just entered the Promised Land and was enjoying tremendous victory. God had promised them victory as long as they remained obedient.

God had told Israel to destroy every nation within a certain set of boundaries, and many of the targeted nations were concerned. The people of Gibeon knew they were going to be destroyed, so they embarked on a plan to trick Israel into making a peace treaty with them. Their plan was to make Israel think that they were from a distant country and were not one of the targeted nations.

They rode up to Joshua in old, worn-out clothing. Their provisions included worn out sacks and stale, moldy bread. Without consulting the Lord, Joshua concluded they were not one of the targeted nations and made a peace treaty with them. Within a few days Israel found out they had been deceived. But, it was too late. A treaty had been made and they were not permitted to destroy this nation. As a result of Joshua’s error, this nation was a continual thorn in Israel’s side. In verse 14 the Bible specifically makes it a point to say, "The men of Israel sampled their provisions but they did not inquire of the Lord."

After the death of Moses, God made it clear He would lead the nation of Israel through Joshua. Although this godly man had a close walk with God and was privileged to information not available to others, he still was required to seek the Lord’s direction before making a decision. Joshua was careless and it cost Israel greatly.

It is easy to become careless and overconfident. The story of Balaam’s talking donkey (Num. 22:20-35) provides a sound warning about being careless. In this story, Balaam was instructed by God to meet Balak. On three occasions during Balaam’s journey, the Angel of the Lord stood in the pathway to kill Balaam. Each time his donkey took evasive action to stay out of harm’s way. On the third occasion Balaam became so angry he started to beat the donkey. This is when the donkey began to speak.

After the conversation with the donkey, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Balaam and informed him the donkey saved his life. God told Balaam in verse 32 that He was going to kill him because he was being "reckless." We have no idea what Balaam did to make God so angry. It is obvious there is more to this story than what was recorded in the Bible. However, we do know Balaam was on his way to do some work for God when he was chastised for being reckless. As we set out to do God’s work, we too should take care not to be reckless.

I try to make it a point at the beginning of each day to ask God to provide me with wisdom and guidance for everything I will encounter throughout the day. During the day, when I am faced with a new issue or concern, I ask God for wisdom and direction. Although I don’t seek God’s wisdom for everything I do, such as, "What gas pump should I use?" I try to cultivate my heart so it will be open to His leading even on small "insignificant" things.

Step 3: Rearrange your priorities so your primary motivation is to glorify God.

God created us for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself. Our primary goal and focus should be to bring Him glory. Everything we do should center around this. Even "important" things such as witnessing and world evangelism should not be our primary motivation. As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, it is much better to do God’s will than to do God’s work.

Step 4: Saturate yourself with the Word of God.

There is no better way of knowing what’s important to God than by reading His Word. The Bible clearly states God’s position on a large number of issues and a systematic Bible study will reveal many of these to you. However, there are still many other areas that the Bible does not address directly. To understand God’s will in these areas, you must have a good understanding of the whole Bible. A good way to do this is to continually listen to the Bible on tape.

Our spiritual walk is like a wheel that must be perfectly balanced. As the wheel is centered on the axle, our focal point should be centered on bringing glory to God. If our desire is to glorify God, then many of our priorities will automatically align themselves properly.

Picture a wheel on an old cowboy wagon. The hub keeps the wheel centered on the axle. The stronger the hub the greater pressure the wheel can withstand and still be correctly centered. The "hub" in our spiritual wheel is the Word of God. The more we saturate ourselves with the Word of God, the better we can stay centered.

Step 5: Learn from the examples of others

The Bible tells us in verse 1 Cor. 10:1-11 we are to learn from the lives of the people in the Bible. Study their lives and see how God directed them. Learn from their mistakes and victories. The lives of believers who lived after the Bible was written can also be a rich source of examples. Think of these people as great teachers who will enlighten you in their area of expertise. Remember, of course, anything in their lives that contradicts the Bible should not be followed.

Step 6: Get involved in a variety of ministries

Exposing yourself to other ministries not only increases your spiritual vision, but it also gives God the opportunity to open and close doors. If you look at the lives of powerful Christians, you’ll find many of them got their start by "temporarily" helping out in a ministry which later became their life work.

Even when you have found the ministry that you feel God is leading you into, you should still get involved in other ministries. This will help keep you fresh and will continually expand your spiritual vision. Some suggest a good mix would be to spend 90% of your time and energy on your primary ministry and 10% on other ministries.

What Does God Want Me to Do

If you watch people who are fulfilling God's purpose in their life, you will notice that their motivation is high. They have amazing endurance to overcome obstacles. They are always growing and learning. There's real joy in what they do.

It amazes other people how faithful Christians breeze through life --- in good time, and in bad times. Having a strong faith in God is a the key that really lifts them up in life. And having defined their life's purpose in tune with God is the one thing that keeps them going.

There are actually many people who go through life without discovering God's purpose for their life. Life just goes on and on without know it. And there's no despair or sadness in not realizing it at all. Yet, to miss out on your life's purpose is to miss out on why God created you.

Whether your job is in a church or a business enterprise, we were all created with a purpose. Along with that purpose, should we discover it, are gifts from God that will guide us in living the life He planned for us. Yes, we were gifted and called by God. If only people could realize this they will enjoy a more blessed life and take take their assignments from God seriously!

Here are some questions to help you find your life's assignment:

What's are the "raw materials" available? God has given you a certain temperament and talents, and you have to honor your raw material.

What unlocks your compassion? It's quite amazing to realize that sometimes the problem that infuriates you most is the problem you were born to solve.

Why do I do this? There's a big difference between doing something because you believe God has called you to do it, versus doing what your parents, your friends or your ego wants you to do.

What are my limitations? Knowing what you're called to do often starts with discovering what you're not called to do. When you can accept your limitations, you're on the road to understanding your life's assignment.

Let it be clear: you have an assignment. It has to do with what God hard-wired into you. You must seek it with an open mind. When people pretend to be something they're not, they live with a chronic sense of inadequacy and set themselves up for a lifetime of frustration. Don't do that. Be ruthlessly open to the truth about yourself. Your life's assignment is something you discover, not something you choose.

Know the real purpose why God created you, and then you'll know who you really are.

What Greater Love Than This

What greater love could ever be shown than this... a man who gave his life for our sins...
Passion of the Christ... The Movie

Abagail The Woman Who Stepped Up

Sometimes the woman has to be the wise one and step up.

Touch One Touch Them All

Many times God sends us places we have no clue why we have to go. I remember going to a church with my father and he spoke to maybe 30 people at the most. Of those 30 people one person got saved. I was use to seeing at least 10 people walk up and give their lives. It was only when I got older that I realized that perhaps my father was suppose to go out to the small country church and preach. I don't know what became of that man who gave his life, but I'm sure God has used him in a way I never could imagine.

There is a bible story similar to this. Phillip was in Macedonia, and lots of people were turning to the Lord. Then God tells him to ride out into the middle of the desert. Phillip must have been wondering why.

When he got out there, he just happened to run into an Ethiopian who was reading the Old Testament. He didn't understand what he was reading, but Phillip was able to explain it to him. He got saved, was baptized, and then went back home, where he probably told people there about Jesus. It's likely that many of the Ethiopian Christians today were influenced by this one meeting.

Acts 8:26-40
^{26 -28}Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza." He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

^{29 -30}The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot." Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

^{31 -33}He answered, "How can I without some help?" and invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this:

As a sheep led to slaughter,
and quiet as a lamb being sheared,
He was silent, saying nothing.
He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.
But who now can count his kin
since he's been taken from the earth?

^{34 -35}The eunuch said, "Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?" Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.

^{36 -39}As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, "Here's water. Why can't I be baptized?" He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn't mind. He had what he'd come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.

⁴⁰Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.

What Happens When You Don't Respect Your Elders

Its no secrect that as most men get older, they start to loose their hair. Sometimes we find ourselves poking fun at these men, yet there was one man in the bible who didn't find that funny one bit.


2 King 2:23-24
²³ Another time, Elisha was on his way to Bethel and some little kids came out from the town and taunted him, "What's up, old baldhead! Out of our way, skinhead!"

²⁴ Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of God. Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb—forty-two children in all!

The moral of this story is to respect your elders... and don't call another man "bald head".

2 Women One Man...Rachel and Leah

We hear all the time about the battle between two women over the heart and attention of one man. History will forever repeat itself. Names change, time change, but the script will remain the same and so will God.



by Steven Wickstrom
Published September 29, 2004

In Genesis chapter 27, Jacob had already swindled his brother Esau out of the birthright, and now he had deceitfully taken away the blessing of their father Isaac. Esau, having been double-crossed twice, was so angry that he was preparing to kill Jacob. When their mother, Rebekah, found out about Esau’s plans, she convinced Isaac to send Jacob up to the city of Haran where her brother Laban lived to find a wife. Jacob left home, headed north, found Laban and became employed as one of Laban’s workers.

Laban had two daughters; the older daughter was named Leah, and the younger daughter was named Rachel. Rachel had the body of a goddess and the face of a super-model. Leah is described as having “weak” eyes. Jacob immediately fell head over heels in love with Rachel. He told Laban that he would work seven years for Laban and as payment, he would get to marry Rachel. Both men shook hands on the deal.

At the end of the seven years, Laban swindled Jacob by switching Leah for Rachel towards the end of the marriage ceremony. Jacob thought he was spending the night with Rachel, but Laban had substituted Leah in her place. Jacob was furious. The swindler had been swindled. He didn’t want Leah he wanted Rachel. Jacob and Laban worked out another deal for another seven years of service. When the seven-day marriage ritual with Leah was complete, Jacob immediately married Rachel.

The Bible says in Genesis 29:30 that “Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah.” The words “more than” are not in the original Hebrew text. The interpreters of the Old Testament added those words to the text much later. What the Bible indicates here is that Jacob did not love Leah at all. Jacob had eyes only for Rachel and he didn’t care about Leah. Jacob’s heart was for the super-model, not the homely girl who needed glasses.

Two women; one was loved and the other was unloved. The interesting thing to look at is the personalities of the two women. They were like night and day, complete opposites. Let me show you.


Rachel was for the most part, barren (a sign of God’s displeasure).


Leah bore many children (a sign of God’s favor).


Rachel stole her father’s idols and kept them in her tent.


Leah kept asking God for more sons in the hope that maybe Jacob would love her.


Rachel traded Jacob to Leah (for a night) for some of Leah’s freshly caught geese.


The only thing Rachel had that Leah wanted, was Jacob’s love.


Rachel was always jealous of Leah because Leah could bear children.


The Bible does not say that Leah was jealous of Rachel over anything.


Rachel was unhappy due to God closing her womb.


Leah was happy and rejoiced over her children.


When Rachel died (after giving birth to Benjamin) Jacob buried her near Bethlehem.


When Leah died many years later, Jacob buried her next to Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and Rebekah.


When Jacob was old and dying, he gave his sons instructions to bury with him with his forefathers, and next to Leah. What happened in the end that caused Leah to be shown so much honor and not Rachel? It was Leah who was buried with Jacob’s forefathers, not Rachel. It was Leah that Jacob wanted to be buried next to, not Rachel. In the end, it was Leah who was loved, not Rachel. What happened?

Perhaps Jacob started seeing things from God’s perspective. Perhaps Jacob saw that the woman God loved was Leah. Perhaps Jacob saw that Leah was focused on God and Rachel was not. Thousands of years later, the messiah would be born through Judah’s lineage. It was Leah who gave birth to Judah, not Rachel. It was Leah who gave birth to Levi, who would become the father of the line of Priests. Leah was not blessed with physical beauty, but she was indeed blessed by God. Unloved by men, she was deeply loved by God.

Perhaps you are a Christian woman who is married to man that does not love you. You and Leah have much in common. Where is your focus? Leah’s focus was on God. God eventually turned Jacob’s heart to Leah and he loved her more than he had ever loved Rachel. While Leah was waiting all those years for God to turn Jacob’s heart to her, she never gave up hope. During all those years that she was unloved, God continued to bless Leah. During all those years that Leah was unloved by her husband, God never stopped loving her.

If you are a woman in Leah’s shoes, there is great hope for you. Are you willing to give God time to answer your prayers? Leah waited, and God answered her prayer. Leah could have become bitter because she was unloved, but she did not, and God rewarded her patience. God will reward your patience if you keep your heart and your life focused on Him. Keep God as your number one priority and he will see you through to the end.

The desire of most women is to be a super-model like Rachel. What woman does not want men to desire her? But God wants women to desire Him. He wants women with weak eyes like Leah, who will focus on Him, and not on the world. You know how painful and tough life really is as you live from day to day. Will you face life and focus your eyes on God like Leah? Or will you focus inward and focus on your problems, like Rachel. It is a tale of two sisters, which one will you choose to be?

Single But not Alone - Dr. Myles Monroe Pt 4-6

Dr. Monroe talks about the advantages of being single.

Single But Not Alone Video- Rev Myles Monroe Pt 1-3

Listen As Dr. Myles Monroe speaks on not feeling lonely just because you are single.

Top 10 Traits Of A Great Christian Girlfriend

By Lee Wilson
Number 10 - She's independent
No, I don't mean that she's a radical feminist or an arrogant loudmouth. I mean that she is confident, optimistic and doesn't require you in her world every second to maintain her sanity. She misses you when you aren't with her, but she knows she will survive. She knows that there are some things that are outside of her control and she's not going to pout or worry about them. She enjoys time with her friends and isn't hurt if you want to spend an evening playing X-box with your buds.

Number 9 - She's complimentary of your looks
If you're always telling her how beautiful you think she is and all she can say is "thank you," you're in trouble. A great Christian girlfriend tells you how hot she thinks you look in THAT shirt and might even be overheard telling her friends how handsome she thinks you look. She introduces you to her friends with lines such as, "this handsome fella is my boyfriend," or jokingly says things like "you can't have him, he's mine." You know what I'm talking about, those things that some girls have forgotten make us guys feel good too.

Number 8 - She's attracted to you sexually
That's right, SEXUALLY. Don't panic. What I'm about to say might be a little bit controversial, but I think you'll agree with me if you read all of this one. We're all grown-ups here and I'm not advocating that you have sex before you get married. But if it's easy for her to just sit there and hold your hand, you might want to reconsider. The apostle Paul said it's "better to marry than to burn with passion." That means that if you can't stand it and are having difficulty controlling yourself, you need to marry that person or be done with the relationship. So if you two are an "item" and have been for a while, that natural urge God placed within humans should start to kick in. If she doesn't seem to at least wish the two of you could go further than a passionate kiss, you might need to read the writing on the wall. The last thing you want is a sexually-uninterested wife. It's normal for you and her to have to fight that urge. It's not supposed to be easy. She should want you that way and if she doesn't, MOVE ON.

Number 7 - She's beautiful
Yeah, yeah, I know it's popular to say that inner beauty is all that matters. Well it doesn't. There I said it. She needs to be beautiful in your eyes. If you think she's beautiful and someone else things she's ugly, so what? You win! If you think she's beautiful on the outside and the inside, you've found the perfect combination.

Number 6 - She respects you
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me! She doesn't roll her eyes at you. She doesn't mock you for thinking differently on some issue. She respects your opinion. She doesn't go to daddy to see if you really know what you're talking about. She doesn't tell your secrets to other people. She is able to recognize your strengths and admires you for them.

Number 5 - She lets you be a man (and likes it)
She understands that men and women are different. No, you don't want to go to the antique museum with her and she should know that you probably never will like it a whole lot. She should be able to recognize that when you do go it's because you love her very much and are making a sacrifice. She doesn't want you to "get in touch with your feminine side" and understands that sometimes you really aren't thinking about anything in particular. Lastly, she doesn't deprive you of golfing with the guys (or whatever you like to do with your buds). She doesn't think her shopping trips with the girls are not more mature or sophisticated than your time with the boys.

Number 4 - She doesn't nag
There is nothing worse than a nag! A great girlfriend knows this and chooses her battles wisely. She's knows you two are on the same team and so she doesn't try to be your teacher or mother--she just listens and tries to see your side.

Number 3 - She gets along with your friends & family
A great girlfriend will not only help your mom in the kitchen, listen to your dad's stories, and hang out with your friends, she will enjoy it. She'll make a real effort to get to know and love the most important people in your life. And she won't try to get you to ditch your best buds. She'll sit through your little brother's elementary play and go to your little sister's piano recital. Not only that, but your friends won't roll their eyes and moan when you announce that she'll be joining you guys when she gets off work (yes, women like this do exist).

Number 2 - She loves you
"She likes me for me!" That's a great line from a Blessed Union of Souls' song called, Hey Leonardo. That makes a great Christian girlfriend. She likes you for who you really are and not who you might sometimes pretend to be. She doesn't try to change you. She thinks you look cute in that old baseball hat and she made a decision to learn a few things about football. She treats you well on an everyday basis and doesn't play mind games with you such as playing "hard to get" or insulting you in some strange attempt to flirt with you. No, she loves you in a mature way and takes your feelings and beliefs into consideration at every turn.

Number 1 - She makes you want to be closer to God
No, she doesn't nag you about how you should be singing louder in church or shouldn't take a bite of your steak before saying "grace." In fact, she doesn't have to say anything to make you want to be closer to God. It's the way she treats you. It's that strange feeling of guilt that recently started coming over you for tripping your sister when you were a boy. It's why you want to thank God every time you think of her. Maybe it's love!

Guys, if you find a girl with all these traits...marry her!

10 Traits of A Great Christian Boyfriend

By: Lee Wilson
1. He is devoted to the Lord.
He views things from the Lord’s perspective and for His purpose. He puts the Lord first with you following as a close second. He is devoted to his Christian walk and is generous with his time, talents and other gifts.

2. He is faithful to his obligations.
This shows what level he will probably be committed to your relationship. He doesn't cop out of commitments he has made to others.

3. He is willing to let go of something.
For example, he will forgo an activity if a conflict of schedules comes about and compromises to work through a situation. Of course, if you are a great Christian girlfriend, you'll practically have an argument with him over who sacrifices because you will also be willing to sacrifice your plans if a conflict of schedules enters the pictures.

4. He is considerate of other people in addition to you.
He is protective of small children and has an affection for puppies (technically, it could be cats or rabbits or other small animals, but you get the idea). He lets his mother kiss him on the cheek without complaining.

5. He is loyal to his family/friends and to you.
He keeps his word and remembers birthdays, anniversaries and to get gifts at Christmas. He takes your side, even if you happen to be wrong.

6. He respects his parents, elders and you.
He doesn't roll his eyes when his grandfather has something to say. He does not interrupt or talk over you.

7. He is involved in ministries, reaching the unsaved and helping others in the body of Christ. He participates in Bible classes. The church is an important part of his life and not just a building where he shows up on Sunday morning.

8. He prays and recognizes its power.
He spends personal time with the Lord in prayer. He prays with you. Prayer is his first thought when a crisis happens--not something he has to be talked into.

9. He sees the advantages of working together as a couple.
Yet allows for plenty of grace in those times there needs to be space to reflect.

10. He honors God by taking care of his body.
His diet does not leave him a ticking-time-bomb of heart-attack potential and he makes an effort to exercise. Not only is this something that will keep physical attraction alive over the years, but should you marry and have children, he will be less likely to leave them fatherless because of an untimely death.

Bottom line: He is loving, complimenting, sincere, committed, caring, respectable, honest, trustworthy (yes, they go together). Because of our humanness, none of us is perfect. However those qualities that you see exhibited in his life now, reveal the ways he handles circumstances that will arise at a later date or if you should both decide that your relationship is serious and leads to marriage. You should compliment each other, as you learn of the other's strengths and weaknesses.

For further guidance see: I Corinthians 13; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Timothy 3.

Being A Single Christian And Handling The Need For Sex

BY: Layla Velasquez

Christian singles face a rather unique predicament. Culture floods them with a torrent of sexual images, ideas, and thoughts, encourages the free indulgence of desire, and even scorns them for refraining. The church, however, requires purity and celibacy, and shames them for indulgence. There seems little to bridge this disconnect, leaving God-fearing singles confused and frustrated.

The Need for Sex

Aside from the physical euphoria, sex satisfies a longing for intimacy. In Revelations of a Single Woman, Connally Gilliam says perhaps sex reflects a longing for eternity, a longing to connect. She writes about a cultural need to understand things by touching. If people can touch it and experience it, they can know it. Inside singles, there is “a longing for loving, restful intimacy – to know and be known.”

In Sex and the Soul of a Woman, Paula Rinehard talks about the psychological reactions during sex. Oxytocin is the hormone that allows people to feel close and intimate. During sex, oxytocin levels skyrocket and the partners bond. Further, during sex, women feel such a heightened vulnerability that can, “piece by piece, heal anything that is broken and fragmented inside.”

If sex is this bonding, healing, pleasure experience, it seems the lack of sex would cause a single adult to feel incomplete, unfulfilled, broken and alone. It is no wonder singles desperately seek such satisfaction. However, Christians must wrestle with another factor.

The Christian Approach Toward Sex

Traditionally, the church mandates celibacy. This comes from several Scriptures, including 1 Thess. 4:3-8. Many single adults, however, find this standard unrealistic. Those who attempt it frequently cannot sustain it. This leads to guilt-ridden relationships, and propagates the downfall of many otherwise good Christians. Some modern Christians have adopted other approaches toward sex.

Some reduce sexual purity to a technicality. They deem intercourse immoral, but all other sex acts permissible. However, the dangerous psychological boundaries have already been crossed. They attempt to follow the letter of the law, without the heart. In Boundaries in Dating, Dr. Henry Cloud writes, “It is difficult to keep someone out of your heart, who has invaded your body.”

Other Christians forbid casual sex, but condone it in a committed relationship. Unfortunately, sex outside of marriage creates fuzzy thinking and prohibits partners from viewing the relationship properly. The lack of commitment can also make singles feel taken advantage of and used. Frequently, even if a marriage results, the partners find difficulty trusting one another. Gilliam notes that if the relationship does not last, the break-up can be catastrophic. “If sex is this super-mega bonding agent, then the gluing together and ripping apart – one time, or many, in isolation or in bulk, can only do damage.”

In a Washington Post editorial, secular therapist Patricia Dalton writes, “I am convinced that breakups are much harder when unmarried couples have had sex to bring them closer. That’s what sex is supposed to do, after all, in evolutionary terms – promote pair bonding and thereby provide a secure environment for their offspring.”

How Should Christian Singles Then Live?

If sex is such a deep need, and single Christians cannot participate, then how should they then live? The church provides few answers, most of which seem largely insufficient, save for a few notable exceptions.

An increasing number of Christians, particularly young people, believe modern thinking, as propogated by media, is too far removed from "Godly thinking." They decide the way to maintain Godly thinking is to remove media's influence in their lives. They shun TV, movies, and non-Christian music. They report clearer thinking, and closer communion with God. Singles already living this lifestyle may find Godly relationships easier, as they are not as inundated with sexual messages. However, many may find this lifestyle confining and legalistic.

Gilliam offers another interesting answer. She notes that perhaps consumerism has turned sex and relationships into getting, rather giving. Perhaps if singles learn to adapt to a lifestyle of selfless giving, they can find fulfillment. If sexual desire reflects a need to connect, perhaps a selfless lifestyle of connecting can satisfy the need.

Finally, some Christians suggest living in a community of believers. The Bible outlines the church’s role as a community of believers. In Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller talks about living in community, and stresses the importance of singles to avoid isolationism. Singles adequately surrounded with a supportive family of believers, are well-equipped to handle temptation – sexual or otherwise. According to this approach, singles should not live unsupported, but in community.

Many unanswered questions surround the topic of sex and Christian singles. Is sexual purity possible? What does purity mean? What should Christians do with desire? How does a Christian maintain a Godly adult relationship? These questions, while messy, cannot remain unanswered. Many believe that if the church does not answer them, culture will.

Read more at Suite101: Sex and the Christian Single: An Honest Look at Purity, Celibacy, and Godly Relationships http://www.suite101.com/content/sex-and-the-christian-single-a213372#ixzz1DERRxNdR

Being Single and Christian

BY Mogama
It is a common thing for us to assume that a single person is missing something or missing someone. We tend to want to help the single person become complete by playing matchmaker, trying to hook them up. At other times, we pray profusely for this or that single person to find that right person. We pray for these two singles to find one another, because in our minds they would make such a nice couple. Sometimes we are just too busy running our own little eHarmony dot com, sizing singles up in order to match them up.

But in our undying zeal to see singles become couples, could we be practicing unbiblical conduct? Here is what I mean. It is true that the Bible honors marriage (Hebrews 13:4), and the Bible uses marriage as a working model of the covenant relationship between God and His people (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:31-32; Hosea 2:2), or between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Yet nowhere does the Bible ever portray being single as something less than normal or less desirable. The Bible does not speak of singles as incomplete people who need marital partners to complete them.

On the contrary, the Scriptures tend to praise singles. One way the Bible uplifts singlehood for God's people is the sheer inclusion of so many prominent Bible characters who were single for life or widowed without remarriage. Among these godly singles are Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul and Barnabas, as well as widows like Naomi in the Book of Ruth, and Anna, the saintly woman who was 84 years of age when the Baby Jesus was dedicated in the Temple (Luke 2:36-38).

Besides parading prominent single characters, the Bible reveals some important truths about being single and godly. Let me share four of those:

1. Yahweh (God) is the Lover of the single ( Hosea 2:19-20 ). The single person can relate to God as his/her dependable Lover. God's love for the single person is always unconditional, unlike the love one may get from a typical human lover. How many singles have abandoned singlehood for marriage only to find love with all kinds of strings attached and to be disillusioned by the marital experience? If God intended for you to be single, then He alone can fill your deepest need for unconditional love. Don't reach for a substitute in another human being. Don't let your married friends fool you; marriage is often not the Paradise or panacea you think it is. Don't get me wrong; marriage can be a great life, but it has its own batch of troubles that may shock singles.
2. Celibacy is a spiritual gift. God has given some people the ability to remain single. Celibates are spiritually empowered to keep the sex drive muted or tuned down to the point where they do not strongly feel the need to gratify their sexual desire. Jesus Christ, the most famous single person ever, had the gift of celibacy, and He made it clear there were others with that spiritual gift ( Matthew 19:12 ). The Apostle Paul said he had the gift of celibacy as well ( 1 Corinthians 7:7-8 ).

There are two categories of celibates: primary and secondary. Jesus Christ was a primary celibate, because He never married or experienced sex at all, contrary to what some novelists would have us believe. Naomi and Anna, on the other hand, practiced secondary celibacy; they received the ability to refrain from sexual activity after being previously sexually active. Thus a widow or divorcee who remains single without the need to fulfill herself sexually is a secondary celibate.

Christ made it clear that a person, out of devotion to the Kingdom of God, can choose to be celibate (Matthew 19:12). In that case, such a devotee is likely to ask God for the power of celibacy, and God will grant that ability. The New Testament teaches that it is perfectly fine to desire a particular spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:31).

It should be strongly noted that celibacy cannot be manufactured, short of castration or some other physical operation on the sex organ. For example, religion has tried to require celibacy of priests, but priests who do not have the spiritual gift of celibacy will find other ways to meet their sexual needs, unless those sexually potent priests were castrated. Once the flame of sexual passion starts burning within the hearts of those clergymen, they may masturbate, have sex with females and father children under cover, or they may sexually molest underage children.

Those who lack the gift of celibacy, or who have not been surgically neutered, will find ways to express and fulfill themselves sexually, thus making a mockery of celibacy, and bringing shame on the name of the Savior and of His Church. It would serve the cause of the Church more nobly if singleness were an option rather than a requirement for the priesthood, so as to minimize the sex crimes committed by clergymen who lack the spiritual gift of celibacy.

3. The Bible recommends singleness. This may seem or sound strange in light of the Bible's strong support for marriage. But it's true, the Bible actually encourages a Christian to remain single, if that person has the gift of celibacy. Such a person need not force the issue of marriage just to avoid the stereotype of being single (1 Corinthians 7:1-2,8-9).

However, Christian singleness is not to be used as an option of convenience in the interest of personal space or not wanting to deal with another person within marriage. Christian singleness precludes sexual purity as a condition for the single person to please the Lord in his/her sex life. Thus singleness with sexual activity is not what the Scriptures commend. This makes singleness for Christians the exception, not the rule, since most of us are sexually driven enough to seek sexual fulfillment with others.

4. There is such a thing as The Single Advantage. The Bible teaches that the Christian single can have a singular devotion to Jesus Christ. The Christian single has an advantage over the married Christian when it comes to total focus on the things of God. This single focus on the Lord may result in greater happiness for the Christian single as compared to the married Christian who is often distracted by marital obligation and issues.

The Apostle Paul claimed to have enjoyed this advantage in his own ministry. He wrote, In all you do, I want you to be free from worry. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him. But a married man can't do that so well; he has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. It is the same with a girl who marries. She faces the same problem. A girl who is not married is anxious to please the Lord in all she is and does. But a married woman must consider other things such as housekeeping and the likes and dislikes of her husband. I am saying this to help you, not to try to keep you from marrying. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few other things as possible to distract your attention from him... in my opinion she will be happier if she doesn't marry again... ( 1 Corinthians 7:32-35,40 , LVB).


It helps to understand that Paul's strong preference for the single life was due in part to the prevailing persecution, which Paul called "the present distress", being leveled against Christians at that time (1 Corinthians 7:26). Also, Paul recommended singleness due to his strong belief, at the time he wrote his first letter to the Corinthian Church, that Jesus Christ would return in his lifetime and the world would shortly come to an end. Thus he even advised married Christians to behave as if they were not married. Paul wrote, But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none ( 1 Corinthians 7:29 , NKJV).

Without the constraints of persecution and a sense of the imminent end of the world, which Paul felt at that time, it is safe to say that the biblical basis for a Christian choosing the single life should be on the basis of celibacy, which is a spiritual gift, and because one wants to serve Jesus Christ with undivided attention.

Tithing Testimonies - Video

Listen to these people as they explains how God moved in their lives when they decided to tithe.

5 Reasons to Tithe

5 Reasons Why Christians Should Tithe

The practice of Tithing has been the subject of much controversy in recent times.There are Christians who do not Tithe and for various reasons. Some do not understand the practice. Some understand but disagree with it. Some understand, agree but lack the discipline. Still others understand, agree, but make a lot of excuses not to give to the church.

So why then should Christians today maintain this practice?

The sole reason for the Church’s existence is fulfilling the Mission of God. There is no other reason why we are brought together. Congregations in various places use a variety of methods, which we call ministries, to give expression to their understanding of God’s Mission. In most cases these ministries require some kind of financial support for them to be implemented. The purpose of every ministry should be toward the transformation of lives and community.

It is on this that I premise the need for the continued financial support of the mission of God. Christian giving comes out of an understanding that all of our financial resources like everything else that we have, comes from God. It is a gift, not for hoarding, but for continued use in building up the Kingdom of God. When viewed like this, giving is not seen as a burden. You will give joyously because you know you are only managing what God has entrusted you with.

So here are the 5 Reasons I believe Christians should Tithe.

1. To advance, through financial support, the Mission of God. The church needs financial resources to fund its mission. We who are members of the church must give this support, to the best of our ability.

2. To foster fellowship this is not readily obvious. But the church that has a lot of members giving financially and the burden isn’t only on a smaller group, enjoys much better fellowship. It is the freedom people experience when they know they are part of something. There is no guilt for not giving, or resentment for carrying all the weight.

3. To respond in obedience to God that you will give back to God (which is what you do when you contribute in church, contribute to various ministries, make donations to various organizations, help those who are in need and so on) what God has

4. Develop the discipline of self-denial and rise above selfishness, greed and sheer meanness or lack of generosity. The world has grown heavily skewed toward selfishness. Christians should struggle against becoming like this. When you give, you are becoming more and more unlike the world.

5. To experience personal blessings. Don’t get hung up on this but it does give a heady feeling to know that what you have given has made a lasting difference in the life of someone else. So much so that that person whose life was touched is moved to glorify God (not you, God). It gives immeasurable satisfaction.

There is no rocket science in it, you don’t even need to read ‘the secret’ to get it. Just try it and you will see the profound difference it makes in your life to open your heart, purse or wallet and start giving to your church and its ministries.

Do share your stories with us on this controversial subject.

Make a change,
Marvia

10 Ways to Make Tithing Easy

Tithing generally refers to taking the first 10 percent of your income – the first fruits or cream of the crop, so to speak – and donating it to your church or the charity or charities of your choice.

If you’re like me, you’ve always wanted to tithe your income, but sometimes it seems so hard! But it doesn’t have to be. Here are 10 tips to make tithing easy.

1. Have your employer take it off the top. Most employers offer various payroll deduction plans. Talk with your employer to see if you can have 10 percent of your gross income automatically deducted from your paycheck and forwarded to the charity of your choice. For example, many employers do payroll deductions in conjunction with the local United Way campaign. They might also accommodate your request for the charity you choose.

2. Put it in a special account. Set up a special account just for your tithing funds. Many employers are linked with credit unions and will accommodate your request to take a specific amount or percentage from your paycheck each pay period and deposit it into a specific account. This could be a separate savings account or even a Christmas Club account – the proceeds of which you can donate to the charity of your choice when you receive the check each fall.

3. Write your charitable checks first. Good intentions can fade fast when it comes to bill-paying time. You might be tempted to give “what’s left” instead of your first fruits. This kind of defeats the purpose of tithing and can lead to guilty feelings instead of the positive feelings you want to get from the act of tithing. Before you sit down to pay your bills, write the check for 10 percent of your gross income out to your church or charity and mail it out.

4. Sign up for your bank’s automatic debit service. Most banks and businesses are happy to use automated debit services that withdraw certain funds from your savings or checking account on a particular date each month. You don’t even have to write a check. You sign an authorization and the money just comes out automatically. Our bank gives us a lower interest rate for using this service to make our car payment and pay our mortgage each month. Our life, health, and disability insurance automatically come out of our checking account on the same date each month, as well. Many utilities and phone companies encourage this option now, and recently, our church suggested it. Simply designate the specific amount to withdraw on a specific date each month and the money will automatically be transferred to the church or charity’s bank account and deducted from the balance in your account.

5. Tithe your time instead of your money. If you’re like me, cash is sometimes hard to come by. (I’m also really short on time, but sometimes that’s in more plentiful supply than money!) Take a look at your working hours. Assuming you work a 40-hour week, 10 percent of your working time would come out to 4 hours. Consider volunteering 4 hours each week to your church or the charity of your choice. Perhaps that means reading to kids at the library on Saturday mornings or walking dogs at the local animal shelter. Whatever charity you support, this may be the easy answer for you!

6. Tithe your talents instead of your money. Similar to tithing your time, look at your individual skills and talents. Is there something you can offer your church or charity – some talent or skill you possess that equates to monetary value? Perhaps your church needs a bookkeeper. Normally, they would hire someone for $60 per month to keep the books. Donate your talent in lieu of your cash and do the bookkeeping for your church at no charge!

7. Donate a possession of value. You’ve been meaning to tithe all year. Now you look back and you haven’t given nearly what you had planned. Take a look at your income. Compute 10 percent of gross – the standard amount of tithing. Now look around your home. Do you have something you no longer need – something of value that your church or charity might use or sell to generate income – of that same approximate value? Perhaps it is a used car you no longer need or one you were planning to trade in. Why not donate it instead? Maybe it’s some furniture or an appliance you really don’t use? Whatever the item, if it honestly has value, your donation/contribution could become your tithe.

8. If money is really tight, consider getting a part-time job entirely for the purpose of “giving something back.” Maybe you could work at a gas station one evening a week or work part-time for your local library, nursing home, or other facility and dedicate that specific income to your local charity. Because it’s “extra” income aside from your regular job, it won’t impact your “normal” finances.

9. Combine cash, time, and talent to arrive at your tithe. Maybe money is in short supply, but you can give a little bit. Give what you can and make up the difference between what you can donate in cash and what you want to give in time and talent as suggested in numbers 5 and 6 above. Who says it has to be all one way or the other. Mix it up!

10. Contribute through organizations that offer a gift-matching program. For example, some organizations will match your gift of up to $50 or $100 per family member to the charity of your choice or specific charities you may regularly support. You can write a separate check for each member of your family and essentially double your gift or the impact of your gift. Now that’s an offer that’s too good to refuse! Talk about making tithing easy!