Man Up, Husbands!

In Ephesians 5:25-33 husbands are commanded to love their wives as God loves them.  This command can only be accomplished as men place themselves under the control of the Holy Spirit.  Realizing this, I have come to conclude that most women never experience true love from their husbands. Why? Not from a lack of trying, but because most believing husbands are not filled with the Holy Spirit.  Until men turn their will over to God and give control to the Holy Spirit their marriage will lack true love.

-Mark

The Marriage Mess

In our study this Sunday, May 16th, we are learning how to have the marriage God intended.  As I studied the Bible passages concerning marriage I was struck with how fast the family unit fell into decline after the sin in Eden.  In Genesis 3:16-19 we see God pronounce His judgment upon Adam and Eve for their sin.  The relationship, which had been one of equal partners, was now one where the wife would always attempt to rule over the husband, and the husband would always attempt to dominate the wife.  From that point on, the family fell under attack.
Not too many years after God's judgment, murder, polygamy, perverse sex, adultery, rape and incest attacked the family unit. Now thousands of years later we are still under attack.  Families are struggling.  Husbands and wives do not know how to communicate.  Children are not being taught. Sunday, Mary 16th, we will learn how to return to what God intended with marriage and family.  Please join us if you are able, and learn how to put your house back in order.

-Mark

How to get God to do whatever you want

Sunday the men studied the act of confession in prayer.  It was a good discussion with a great deal of interchange. The typical verses were considered; like 1 John 1:9. And the typical conclusions reached; like the idea that sin hinders our relationship with God.

One part of the discussion involved the idea that when we sin we tend to do a number of spiritual activities short of confession. (Read the Bible more, go to church more often....) We seemed to agree that these can become works if they are not accompanied by a sincere act of confession.  Then Bruce offered up this idea, "Even confession can become a work."  I think his comment caught some of the men off guard.  Why? Because some looked upon the words of confession as some sort of magical prayer; pray these words and all will be well.

Without a doubt, sometimes believers use spiritual activities - prayer, Bible reading, church attendance - as an incantation, mantra, or talisman, as a means of protection or blessing from God.  Back in 2000, Bruce Wilkinson wrote The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life.  Now 10 years later I still hear  believers offer up that prayer expecting God to bless them.  They feel that if they say these words, with or without sincerity, God will meet the need.  Could it be that we have come to the same place with 1 John 1:9? Possibly we go through day confessing in word but not in heart our sins with full expectation that God will forgive once again.

If that is our attitude and we feel certain that it will always work, why not add some other prayers to our daily mantra?  In 2001, Sandy Simpson pulled together a list of Bible prayers that will enable the prayer to get everything they want out of God.  Click here and enjoy. Also let me know if any work.

-Mark

Your View of God

This past Sunday our small groups started a study on the subject of prayer. The groups separated male and female. I led the men and Doris led the women. I am unsure what the women covered, but the men studied our view of God and its impact on our prayer life.

Often we have a poor view of God. To us He is a vending machine for our many prayer requests. Request goes in and Answer comes out. This is a wrong view of God. Rather, we need to use Scripture, God's creation, and God's Son to give us a greater view of God. We will pray much differently when we understand who God is and what He has done for us.

-Mark

Judgment, Mercy, or Both

There is an awareness that can come upon one who is waiting on God.  As you wait, you should become increasingly aware of God's holiness and increasingly aware of your sin.  Murray points out in day 19 of his devotional that God is both the God of mercy and the God of judgment.

So if awareness of God's holiness leads us to see our sin, then this awareness should lead us to a greater understanding of God's salvation.  Truly God is good, because of His great love He is able to save someone as sinful as me!  I hope you too have come to the same understanding - That a perfectly holy God loves you and has provided a way, Jesus, to pay for your sin.

-Mark

Waiting as a Church

Murray used Isaiah 25:9 in his devotional titled, "To Reveal Himself." It is a beautiful verse that gives the reader a glimpse into the hearts of those waiting.  It speaks of that moment when God delivers those waiting. And what is their response? "Look, here is our God!....Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation!"  Finally, those waiting upon God see Him revealed and come to celebrate their salvation and deliverance from their dark circumstances.

Murray focused his discussion on a congregation that is waiting on God.  I wondered as I read it, how many churches are waiting on God? Or are they marching on to their own drumbeat, oblivious to God's desires for them? Hmmm?

You can read Murray's devotional by clicking  here.

-Mark

Waiting for Others

Sometimes it is not for self that we seek God's face, but for others.  Murray addressed this on day 17, using Isaiah 8:17.  However, Murray takes it in an unexpected direction.  He notes that many do not wait because there is no life in their faith. They are spiritually dead. 

"You worship with a certain congregation. Possibly there is not the spiritual life or joy either in the preaching or in the fellowship that you could desire. You belong to a Church, with its many congregations. There is so much of error or worldliness, of seeking after human wisdom and culture, or trust in ordinances and observances, that you do not wonder that God hides His face, in many cases, and that there is but little power for conversion or true edification."

So Murray focused on those who claim Christ but are spiritually dead. And they are dead to the point that God has turned His face from them. It is for those that we are to wait.  And as we wait, we must believe that God can and will deliver them.

-Mark