OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: ABIDE IN CHRIST.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:  SUNDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME:  ABIDE IN CHRIST.


MEMORISE:
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:7


READ: John 15:4-7

15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.


MESSAGE:

The lord Jesus Christ gave out several great invitations while He was on earth, and these invitations are still open to us today. If only you can accept them, your life will never be the same again. He says to us “Come and eat”, “Come and drink”, and “Come and follow me” (John 21:12, John 7:37, Mark 8:34). To follow Him, you must deny yourself of certain desires and lusts, take up your cross daily by being ready to live the sacrificial life that He demands, and put your feet where He trod, while carefully studying the paths that He walked (1 Peter 2:21). May God grant you the grace to truly follow Him! Today, on different social media networks, quite a lot of people have a great followership. There is no better person to follow than Jesus Christ! Following some of the characters on social media networks cannot add anything good to your life, but following Jesus will add both earthly benefits and eternal rewards to you (Mcark 10:29-30). The best thing that can ever happen to you is to follow Jesus! A good follower of Jesus is a good disciple of Christ.


In addition, the Lord invites His children to abide in Him. In John 15:5, Jesus says if you abide in Him, you will bear much fruit. Abiding in him is one secret of fruitfulness in the kingdom of God. If you want to be able to win a lot of souls to Christ, you must take time to ensure that He permanently resides in you and you in Him. It is only then that His life will fully and freely flow through you. If you are still toying with sin, you cannot be fruitful from God’s perspective. Also, abiding in Him gives you the assurance that all your prayers will be answered (John 15:7). When all your requests are granted, what more can you wish for? This is where God wants all his children to be and not just some of them. Are all your prayers being answered? If only some have been answered, then you really need to look at your present relationship with Christ and do some more work on your love towards Him, your faith in Him, your devotion to Him, and your obedience to Him, and study of His word. You need to look at how consistent you are in His presence and go deeper in Him. Don’t stop until all your prayers are answered! Don’t stop until you are most fruitful!


ACTION POINT:
On social media networks today, so many people who are being followed are leading their followers to Hell. Watch who you follow!


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Revelation 17-19
Zachariah 4:1-5:4
                                                                                                         

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE

1.  Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.  Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4.  Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Marriage Insight: Marital Harmony at Family Gatherings

Marriage Insight: Marital Harmony at Family Gatherings

Christmas is time when multitudes of families from all over the world gather together to celebrate. But even though this is supposed to be a time of joyful celebration, some family gatherings also include times that are not at all enjoyable. It’s a sad truth. So, below are a few tips to help you & your spouse survive and even enjoy marital harmony at those difficult family gatherings:

• “Holidays can be stressful. We’re often with people who are difficult to be around. You don’t have to like what family members do. But you do need to show love and grace. Dr Minirth, a Christian psychiatrist, warns that this is NOT the time to try to fix your family. There are 364 other days of the year to address problems.” (Keryn Horwood)

• Keep in mind: “You and your spouse don’t have to go to a party just because you’re invited to it. Be good stewards of your time and energy. Even Jesus, the Son of God knew He had to retreat from the clamor of the crowds for quiet times with His Father to renew His strength. Pace yourselves and find the balance between togetherness and separateness.” (Deborah Tyrell)

• Please know that: "Every family has their own ‘unique’ family members. Part of your plan should anticipate these family members and how you will respond to them when they show off just how unique they are. Plan these out ahead of time so no one is caught off guard. Also, make sure to plan out what time you’re going home. This gives you & your spouse an excuse to leave instead of getting caught as you make your way to the door." (Aaron Anderson)

• And if you do “get caught”: "When you’re confronted with what feels like a no-win situation involving an in-law, use the 'drop the rope' theory. Imagine a rope, the kind used in tug-of-war. If you find yourself provoked, see that rope in your hands. You can choose to continue yanking on it —or drop it. Dropping it may sound as though you’re giving in or giving up, but it’s actually very empowering. It’s also much more effective than tugging back and forth." (Romie Hurley)

• "Because unconditional love doesn’t naturally exist between in-laws [& some family members], it’s a decision that must be made and then acted on daily. 'Love your enemies,' we’re instructed (Matthew 5:44). This command crushes all our legitimate reasons for negative feelings toward an in-law. Regardless of those 'feelings,' we’re to act in love." (Elisabeth Graham)

To help you even more, we include a lot more tips within this Insight posted on the Marriage Missions web site at: https://marriagemissions.com/marital-harmony-family-gatherings/  But for this mailing, we want to close with one last tip that is especially important to note and apply:

 • "Put it all into perspective: 'First & foremost, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. When we lose sight of that & focus on our family get-togethers and the obligations of smiling and hugging people with whom we hold grudges, we take our eyes off of Christ. When we remember that Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ, we are able to more clearly see others through His eyes. This means that we aren’t as likely to see the hurt in our relationships but the way that Christ loves that person who has hurt or harmed us.” (Cheryl Dickow)

This applies whether it is family members that are causing problems or perhaps it’s even your spouse. Put it all in perspective. Celebrate Christ. Look over the tips again and do what you can to keep your eyes on Jesus so you reveal and reflect the love of Christ to everyone God brings into your life during this blessed time of celebration! May God bless you all the more as you do!

Cindy and Steve Wright

Marriage Insight: Peace on Earth and a Peaceful Home

Marriage Insight: Peace on Earth and a Peaceful Home

As people all over the world are turning their eyes and activities towards Christmas, we often hear the angelic phrase repeated, “Peace on earth and goodwill to men.” But what about experiencing peace within our homes? Isn’t that to be our goal, as well? The Bible says: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.“ (Hebrews 12:14) "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." (Romans 12:18 ESV)

So, in the pursuit of peaceful moments this Christmas season, we would like to share with you a few tips that we pray will help. First, remember: ~ “The holidays can be especially stressful. The expectations are high, the demands unrelenting, and the pressure ever-building. When there seems to be no way to alleviate the pressure, a CHANGE IN OUR OUTLOOK is the secret to making the holidays more than just an anxiety-inducing frenzy of greedy kids, visiting family members, and never-ending church activities.” (Keryn Horwood)

~ “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“(Philippians 4:5-7)

~ “This year, when you’re planning your gathering of family and friends, I urge you to set aside a ‘fellowship’ time when everyone can sit in a circle and take turns really listening to one another. Ask these questions: ‘what were you most thankful for this past year? What have you learned from the past year? How would you like to grow next year?’ If you take the time for authentic fellowship with your family and friends, I guarantee that everyone will remember it far longer than if you merely socialize with them.” (Rick Warren)

~ “Accepting others as they are can be the biggest gift you give yourself. Holidays can be stressful because we’re often with people who are difficult to be around. You don’t have to approve or like what your family members do. But you do need to show love and grace to them. Dr Minirth, a noted Christian psychiatrist, warns that this is also not the time to try to fix your family. You can have a personal goal of showing love and peace to a difficult family member, however. There are other days of the year to address other problems.” (Keryn Horwood)

~ Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:32-35) These are words we must always keep as our goal—to reveal and reflect the love of Christ with our spouse, and everyone we are with.

We have more tips that can help us to live in peaceful homes and bring peace into other homes, as we visit them. Please go to https://marriagemissions.com/peace-earth-peaceful-home/ to read them. And as You strive to make yours a peaceful home: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory for ever and ever.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Cindy and Steve Wright

Marriage Insight: Rearranging Our Hearts in Thankfulness to God

Marriage Insight: Rearranging Our Hearts in Thankfulness to God

We just celebrated a wonderful holiday known as Thanksgiving. It's one of our very favorites. That is because it is an official holiday dedicated to focusing our hearts, sometimes rearranging our hearts in thanks to God. Yes, we should ALWAYS give thanks to God, according to scripture, & in the tugging of our hearts. We are told in Colossians 3:17: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." But too often we forget. And when we do remember to be thankful, we often forget to thank GOD. 

On that note, & in honor of our gracious Lord, we want to share something our dear friend, Debi Walter, shared on her web site—The Romantic Vineyard. It's a web site we encourage everyone to visit. You can gain a lot of great romantic ideas. But a few years back Debi posted something we've been thinking about a lot lately. Please prayerfully consider the following with us:

"Have you noticed how thankful people are this time of year? It used to be refreshing to hear people actually thanking God for His many blessings in their lives. But there has been a subtle change that I’ve noticed. Many no longer thank God. Instead they thank their co-workers, their boss, their spouse, their friends, and anyone who makes their lives better. They simply give thanks! Now of course it’s good to give thanks to those who mean the most to us. But Thanksgiving is primarily about setting aside time to thank God for His abundant provisions, His glorious kindness and His amazing grace to us throughout the year.

"May we encourage you that as you go about planning your menu and family gatherings to be sure and set aside time to thank God specifically for the ways in which He has made a difference in your life. Why does it matter? Because thanking God glorifies His name. And when we glorify His name He is exalted. And when He is exalted we in turn are blessed all the more. It is part of His nature, to return blessings upon us as we praise His holy name."

We couldn't have said it any better. Yes, it's important to thank our spouse, co-workers, boss, friends, etc., for the ways in which they bless us. We encourage it. But even then, none of those blessings would be possible without them first passing through God's hands. After all, our every breath is in his hands. Steve's near fatal heart attack made this point all the more real to us last year. Thank you God for your grace in allowing us another year plus together… happy & healthy! But Heaven help us... actually GOD help us, if we forget the One who is the originator of every good gift we have. We're told in James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

So thank you God, from the depths of our hearts for all of the many blessings that You give to us. Thank You LORD... Thank You... for our very breath, THANK YOU! We hope you will join us in giving thanks now, and throughout the year. And if you can make the time & take the opportunity, ask your spouse (perhaps your family too) a very important question. Then listen with a grateful heart. It's a question that Steve posed to us at our Thanksgiving Day table. Here's it is: "Where have you seen God's goodness at work in your life this year?" Think about it, talk together about it, and then thank God for all of it. Even in the midst of our difficulties, God is watching, and will redeem every tear shed as you keep your eyes on Him. Thank Him for that, if for no other reason …thank God for that. In the midst of Doubt Storms, in the midst of trials, God loves you. Please don’t ever forget that fact because it is true. For that reason and beyond, THANK YOU GOD!

And please know that we “thank God for our every remembrance of you”… Cindy & Steve Wright 

Holy Ghost Congress Jingle.

The Holy Ghost Congress of The Redeemed Christian Church of God

The Holy Ghost Congress of The Redeemed Christian Church of God

Marriage Insight: A Thanksgiving Focus on Marriage

Marriage Insight: A Thanksgiving Focus on Marriage

“Here in the States [and other parts of the world], we commemorate a day of Thanksgiving. Yes, we’re supposed to continually give thanks to God. But this is also a holiday dedicated to do just that. We love it! Too often—especially in our married lives we forget to focus on our blessings. But even in the toughest of situations we can focus that, for which we can be thankful.

We totally agree with something that Dr Lee Baucom wrote in an article titled, "Thanksgiving and Marriage": “Marriages tend to suffer when we spend our time thinking about what we don’t have. When we compare our spouse to someone else, or focus on the weaknesses of our relationship, or find all that makes us unhappy, we move in that direction. There is an endless list of people to whom we can compare our spouse. And we have a nearly infinite list of weaknesses in our relationship. But for today, just today, change the flow. Focus on what you are thankful for. What about the relationship do you cherish? What about your spouse do you treasure? If your answer is ‘nothing,’ you are not looking fairly or deeply.

“When we focus on what we are thankful for, a magical thing happens. We find more things for which to be thankful! We turn off the critical switch in our brain for just an instant. For a split second, we exist in an area of appreciation. And our task is to expand that appreciation into more and longer moments.”

This expresses our sentiments exactly. We can focus on that, which is negative or wrong. Or we can focus on the blessings we have. We’re told in the Bible to “give thanks in all circumstances, because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." We realize that this is especially difficult for many of you who are struggling in your marriages. And for that we are sorry. You feel alone, though married & abandoned, even though God has told you He would “never abandon you.” You may want to see His hand, His care, and His presence, but you don’t. However, we hope that something that Paul David Tripp wrote in his book, "What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage" ministers to your heart through these tough times. He wrote:

“Our purpose for marriage tends to be different from the Lord’s. Our desire is that our marriages would be the location of our comfort, ease, and enjoyment. We often have desires no bigger than this. But God’s purpose is that each of our marriages would be a tool for something that is way more miraculous and glorious than our tiny, little, self-focused definition of happiness. He has designed marriage to be one of his most effective and efficient tools of personal holiness. He has designed your marriage to change you.”

He also makes this point, “God is in control, not only of the locations in which you live, but also of the influences that have shaped you as a person. He has not only written the story of you & your spouse and determined that your stories would intersect but he has controlled all the things that have made you different from one another. As you struggle, you must not view your marriage as bad luck, or poor planning. Don’t view it as a mess that you made for yourself. No, God is right smack-dab in the middle of your struggle. He is not surprised by what you are facing today. He is up to something.” The question is: will you participate with Him or will you struggle against the work He is trying to accomplish WITHIN & THROUGH you?

Open Heavens Devotional - DOES OUR WORSHIP BENEFIT GOD?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12TH 2017

THEME: DOES OUR WORSHIP BENEFIT GOD?

Memorise:

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:3

Read: Revelation 5:11-13

5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Message:

Giving is a common and crucial activity that every serious minded believer in Christ should regularly engage in. The wise believer would hear this and flow with it, but those who think they are “smart” will hear and ignore it to their own undoing. Luke 6:38 says that you should give and it shall be given to you. Have you ever asked yourself who benefits when you give to God? Can you make God richer by giving to the Owner of the universe? Can you add to the Owner of silver and gold by giving to Him? Everything you have, you received from Him (1 Corinthians 4:7). You are the one who gains from giving to God. When you refuse to give, who loses? The Holy Spirit answers that question in Proverbs 11:24:

“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”

If you fail to give, you are the one who loses. Your giving determines how far you go in life. Overflowing abundance is a product of sacrificial giving. If you have been sowing sacrificially to God and His Kingdom but you have not yet reached the level of swimming in abundance, you should be celebrated. Why? It is because you are not likely to die until God pays you back in full. The One who said we should owe no man cannot afford to owe you.

Moreover, when you praise God, who gains? Can your praise add to Him in reality? In Psalm 18:1-3, David said several things about who God was to him. He said God is worthy to be praised, because he realized that when he praised God, he got delivered from his enemies. In other words, refusing to praise God would have resulted in him becoming a casualty in the hands of his enemies. So who loses if you refuse to praise God? Today’s Bible reading talks about God’s mass choir in Heaven. It says the size is something like 100 trillion. If God has such a great choir of angels and saved souls worshiping Him, what difference will adding or subtracting your voice from it make? Do you think that God will miss your voice? Therefore, who gains from worshiping and praising God? It is you! Every time God demands that we give something to Him, it is for our own good and not His. Only the fellow who wants to deceive himself or herself will think otherwise.

Action Point:
Serve and worship God because your life, joy and peace depend on it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 25-29
Amos 2:4-3:2 

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3:   HOW GREAT THOU ART

1. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

[Chorus]

3. And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

[Chorus]

4. When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then shall I bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

[Chorus]

Marriage Insight: Favorite Marriage Advice – Part Two

Marriage Insight: Favorite Marriage Advice – Part Two

Last week Cindy shared with you some of her all time favorite advice for marriage that she has gleaned over the years. This week I (Steve) have the honor of sharing with you a few of my favorites. Some of it will be directed specifically toward the guys. That’s because my passion is to help husbands love their wives in such a way that honors God.

Al Janssen, from his book, “The Marriage Masterpiece,” puts it this way: "One of the original purposes of marriage as God intended it in the Garden of Eden was to reflect his image. That means marriage is about something bigger than the two of us. Marriage is one of God’s primary means of speaking to the world, and the world takes notice when a man truly loves his wife the way ‘Christ loves his church.’"

Janssen went on to give us men how this looks in practical terms: "I have numerous opportunities every day to give up what I want to do and instead serve my wife. In this way, I glorify God because my sacrifice is a reflection of his heart and how he loves his bride. I’ve finally realized that my marriage is satisfying to the degree that I daily sacrifice myself for my wife’s good. What does that mean?

• It means biting my tongue when I’d rather defend myself against something she said.

• It means getting up in the middle of the night when a child cries rather than pretending I don’t hear anything.

• It means putting down my reading material and really listening when she wants to talk.

• It means taking over some chores when she’s got a hectic day.

• It means cleaning the kitchen Sunday evening rather than leaving the mess for her to face on Monday morning.

• It means that when I’m accidentally exposed to porn while channel surfing in a hotel room far from home, I shut off the TV because I won’t allow any impure thoughts to invade my marriage.”

I can tell you that when I started to practice Janssen’s principles in our marriage it transformed our marriage. One of the other principles that dramatically changed our marriage was when Cindy and I realized how important it was for us to have a “grace based marriage.” Dr. Tim Kimmel and his wife, Darcy, explain it this way:

“When people see a husband and wife relating to each other in a context of God’s grace, when they see us go to the foot of the cross when we’ve lost our way, when they see us still caring for each other when life has given us many reasons to walk out, the gospel is validated.  We may never know how much God’s grace rubs off of us onto others.  But it does.  When we take our spiritual purpose to heart, our sense of significance grows eternal muscles.  It’s what happens when we make it our priority to reflect God’s majesty through grace-filled marriages.” (From “Grace Filled Marriage”)

Marriage Insight: Favorite Marriage Advice

Marriage Insight: Favorite Marriage Advice

In this Insight, we're giving some of our favorite marriage advice (with more posted on our web site at: https://marriagemissions.com/favorite-marriage-advice/ . This week I will give my favorites; next week Steve will give his. We’d LOVE IT if you would post some of your favorites on the web site to help others. With that said, please prayerfully consider the following advice:

-- Before you marry: "Love convinces a couple that they are the greatest romance that has ever been, that no two people have ever loved as they do, and that they will sacrifice absolutely anything in order to be together. And then marriage asks them to prove it." (Mike Mason)

-- "Marriage is more than sharing a life together; it’s building a life together. What you do now is for both, & what is said now is for both. Your purpose is now is for the kingdom & giving glory to the image of God." (Norm Wright) "Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us & gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1)

-- Take care of your marriage relationship & it will take care of you: "It's a sad state of affairs when we take better care of our cars & houses than we do our marriages. We change the oil, fill the tank & periodically tune up our cars. We change light bulbs, wash windows, paint walls, unplug toilets, and re-roof our houses, but what do we do to maintain our marriage? The truth is: more damage is done than repairs are made. How important is your marriage? Is it more important to you than your car or your home? Are you willing to put in the time and energy it takes to prove to your partner how valuable the relationship truly is to you?" (Dr Steve Stephens)

-- Keep in mind: "Marriage can be wonderful. It can be deeply satisfying & mutually fulfilling. But if it becomes that, it is because both partners have paid a very high price over many years to make it that way. They will have died to selfishness a thousand times. They will have had countless difficult conversations. They will have endured sleepless nights and strained days. They will have prayed hundreds of prayers for wisdom and patience and courage and understanding. They will have said, 'I’m sorry' too many times to remember. They will have been stretched to the breaking point often enough to have learned that, unless Christ is at the center of both their lives, the odds for achieving marital satisfaction are very, very low." (Bill and Lynne Hybels)

-- As far as resolving marital conflict, note: “If we strive to seek the Light, rather than trying to be right, a lot of our marital problems will resolve themselves.” (Unknown) The “Light” referred to is Jesus. We are to put our energy into seeking Jesus & HIS ways—not in getting our own way.

-- "Marriage is for grown-ups. It is not for those that want to 'play' marriage." A great guideline is in the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:11 where says, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child, I thought like a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." When you say, "I do" you are to say goodbye to acting in immature ways. Marriage is for GROWN-UPS.

-- When things go in an unhealthy direction in your marriage, remember: "You are not responsible for fixing your marriage. But you are responsible for doing what you can to make it better." (Sheila Wray Gregoire) "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18) Keep in mind: "The issue isn’t whether you fight…it's how you fight & how rich your stockpile of good feelings is about each other to weather difficulties and keep your attitude toward your partner positive." (Dr John Gottman)

I'm ending with some of the best advice ever given for we interact as husband and wife: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:29-32)

May God help us all to grow our marriages to reveal & reflect Christ ~ Cindy & Steve Wright

Marriage Insights: Improving Your Marriage Relationship

Marriage Insights: Improving Your Marriage Relationship

This is a simple Marriage Insight, where we’re sharing some thoughts from one of our favorite books, “Romance in Real Life” written by Ellyn Sanna. Unfortunately, this book is no longer being published. But we love the thoughts written in it concerning growing the marriage relationship. So, here are a few. Please prayerfully read & consider how you can apply them to your marriage:

“Make your marriage your number one priority after your relationship with God. It’s too easy to let our marriages fall into the background. We would never say our marriages weren’t important—& yet we act as though they are not.” …“Being married isn’t a decision you make once & then be done with it. The wedding ceremony doesn’t magically transform us into ‘married people.’ Instead, being married is a lifetime process we must commit ourselves to again & again.” (Ellyn Sanna)

I admit that I have been guilty of this. My husband and I both have. When we got married, we just slid into life. There were a lot of things to do to build our life together, and we got busy at it. Like many spouses, we became so focused on making life “work” for us that we ran past & over each other to accomplish them. We just let things slide that we really shouldn’t have—such as intentionally growing our marriage relationship. We thought it our love would keep growing & growing as it had in the past. But I was wrong. We both were. It slid backwards.

“The plain fact is that most of us do not take marriage seriously. We get so caught up in all of the other demands that our marriage and the quality of our togetherness fall to the bottom of our ‘to do’ list.” (Evelyn and Paul Moschetta) … It’s important to remember, “Marriage has no automatic pilot. You can’t flick a switch and lean back and forget about it. You have to stay at the controls, making adjustments, making it fly. Every day you have to decide to love your mate. Every day.” (Kevin Leman) You have to make big and little choices to choose each other over other demands.

“A marriage can be improved in many ways but I cannot think of one that doesn’t have something to do with giving.” (Henry James Borys) “Giving” in marriage is manifested in many ways. You are to “honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10) It’s a matter of giving of yourself to your spouse, “as unto the Lord.” When sacrificial giving is involved, imagine that you’re doing this for the Lord. Essentially you are, much like giving a “cup of cool water” to someone that is thirsty. “Marriage is not just a spiritual communion and passionate embrace; marriage is also three meals a day, sharing the workload and remembering to carry out the trash.” (Dr Joyce Brothers)

It’s like what George Eliot said, “It is not true that love makes all things easy; it makes us choose what is difficult.” And that often involves doing things that we really don’t want to do, when it’s not convenient to do them. Isn’t that what Christ did for us?

God has a very high calling for our marriages. He uses it as a vehicle to grow us up to love and serve beyond our own comfort zone. “Marriage is an occasion to practice the gospel day in and day out. …If we want our marriages to grow and flourish, we will follow the pattern for love that Christ lived. We will look for opportunities to lay down our lives, to put our love into practice. In the context of our daily lives, this seldom means we literally give up our lives for the spouse we love. More likely it means we pick up their dry cleaning—or take out the trash for them when they’re running late.” (Ellyn Sanna) “A growing relationship means turning romantic love inside out—from love that takes to love that gives.” (Henry James Borys) 

Again, isn’t that what Christ did for us? And as we’re told in the Bible, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:6) So, if you want to improve your marriage relationship, do as Christ did and does. As Christ followers, that is our calling. To help with this we’ve added more tips posted in this Insight at: https://marriagemissions.com/improving-marriage-relationship/.

We strongly encourage you to post some tips you know of. They can help many others to improve all of our marriages. We hope you’ll join us in this mission. ~ Cindy and Steve Wright

Health Food Devotions - Honor Your Father and Mother

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.—EPHESIANS 6:2–3

 *Honor Your Father and Mother*

After I was healed as a teenage boy, the thought never entered my mind that I might die prematurely. Now since then, I almost died a time or two because I got into disobedience. But I got back into that secret place of the Most High just as fast as I could. I taught my children that if they honored their father and mother, they would experience well days on earth and live a long time. When they were little, I read the Bible to them. And if I had to (I didn’t have to do it very much), I would give them a spanking, because, like any other child, they disobeyed me at times. I would say to them, “I’m not doing this because I want to. I’m doing it for your benefit. I want it to be well with you. I want you to live a long time on the earth. I don’t want you to be in the hospital. And I know you want to live a long time on the earth.” Neither one of our children ever had to go to the hospital. (Pat went there to have her babies, but that was it.) Very seldom was either one of our children even sick, in any way. When Ken was twelve years old, my mother-in-law called me and Oretha while we were on the road holding a meeting. He had the mumps. Ken said, “Daddy, I told Grandma to call and have you pray. There’s no use in me missing school. God will heal me.” So I prayed. And within forty-five minutes, the mumps disappeared, and he went back to school the next day. He never did miss a day of school. God’s Word works!


 *Confession* : I want to live long on the earth. I want to enjoy my time down here without sickness and disease. Therefore, I obey the Word of God. I stay in obedience and enjoy the blessings of God, such as health and healing.

Marriage Insight: Why God is This Happening?

Marriage Insight: Why God is This Happening?

Everywhere you turn you are hearing of different tragedies happening all around us. There are hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, fires, wars, rumor of wars, shootings, suicides, marriages on the verge of breaking up, and the list goes on. We hear the cries… daily. It is so heartbreaking. People are crying out, “Why God? Why is This Happening? Why don’t You stop this?”

How we wish we had answers for the heart cry of those around us. Just last night Steve was called to the scene (he is a Fire Department Chaplain) where a young boy committed suicide. The mom kept crying out, Why… why… why? And there are no logical answers to give to her. Comfort and help her… yes. But no real answers. I opened up the monitoring system to post comments that came in over night on the Marriage Missions Prayer Wall. There is one prayer request dealing with a spouse filing for divorce after meeting someone else, and the other is from a wife walking in on her husband having an affair. Why is this happening to good people? 

This morning a news story tells of people who are crying out to God as an evil shooter killed and wounded a huge number of people at a concert. Then there are bombings, stabbings & people ramming cars into crowds of people. There are so many people that never even thought much about God who are now blaming Him for the tragedies that are happening. Some were close to God before the horror hit, and others weren’t. But most of them are wondering why God didn’t stop these things from happening, or at least protect them or their loved ones when it did.

Sometimes there are dark clouds that surround our understanding of what “in the world” is going on. We have no idea of what God could be thinking in allowing certain horrible things to occur—especially when they occur to “good” people. We’re told God has a plan; and that He cares and He loves us. But our finite minds just cannot grasp the complexity of what good could come out of so many painful circumstances. Perhaps we are nearing the “last days” or maybe not—only God knows that truth. But whether we are, or not, we still need to “make the most of them.”

Jesus said that in the last days "there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, & never will be." (Matthew 24:21) …“Nation will rise against nation & kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines & pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you." (Luke 21:10-11) As recorded in Matthew 24:6 Jesus said that in the last days "you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet." For this reason, we should not panic. We just don't know if this is the end, or not. We're also told, "There will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self..." (2 Timothy 3:1-5) And don't we see this? Please read the rest of those scriptures. We see a lot of this happening in today’s world. We need to "be on the alert" because the enemy of our faith wants to cause us to fall. Jesus "said to his disciples, temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!" (Luke 17:1)

With all of this, fear can easily grip our hearts. But grabbing and then holding onto fear will only render us helpless. There are numerous scriptures that support this point. Fear ushers in hopelessness, which is then pushed onto those around us. But what good will that do? God tells us through His Word to, "Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish..." (Eph. 5:15-17) We highly encourage you to continue reading what we are told in scriptures from there.

In 1 Peter 3:15-22 we are told, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…" Please continue reading from there. We’ll include them & more in the Insight posted at www.marriagemissions.com. But whatever you do, don’t panic… pray, & make “the most of every opportunity possible, because the days are evil.” Work to combat that, which the enemy intends for evil. We hope you will join us in this mission. And "may the Lord direct your heart into God's love and Christ's perseverance." (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

 ~ Cindy and Steve Wright

Open Heavens Devotional - NO SKIPPING DETAILS

Open Heavens 25 September 2017: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – No Skipping Details

NO SKIPPING DETAILS – Monday September 25^th 2017

Memorise: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isaiah 28:10

Read: 2^nd Kings 4:1-7 (KJV)

4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

^4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

^4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

^4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

^4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

^4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

^4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 10-11, Ezekiel 46:13-24, Hymn: Sing hymn 14

MESSAGE:

To avoid financial storms, you need to carefully note all the elements of a divine instruction. God is a God of details. When He gives you a recipe to solve a particular problem, He expects you to leave no details out. In  today’s Bible reading, to solve the serious debt problem of the widow of a late prophet, Elisha asked her to borrow vessels from all her neighbours, shut the door behind her and pour out her remaining pot of oil into all available vessels. If she had altered any element of this instruction, it would definitely have affected the result she got. Some people receive certain divine instructions and thereafter determine which to obey and which to discard. No! All the details must be observed! Do you know that if the widow had borrowed the vessels but refused to shut her door, the oil would not have flowed?

Beloved, always pay close attention to whatever instructions you receive from God. When it comes to sowing for instance, 2^nd Corinthians 9:6-7 says,

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

From the details of this scripture, it is not just sowing that will get you your expected returns, but rather, sowing bountifully and cheerfully. Today, many people have chosen to forget these details on sowing, and this accounts for the financial storms in their lives. On tithing, it is not enough to tithe, but to bring in all the tithes. After completing my PhD research, I recalled I still had part of my research grant with the university. So I went to my Head of Department (HoD) asking to draw out of it to bind my thesis. He refused to release it to me, and when I insisted, he sent me out of his office. With no other funds available, I wondered how to get the money I needed. A little past midnight, someone came knocking on my door. He said he could not sleep, and so he came to return the money I had loaned him five years earlier. Although I had forgotten this money, God had not. He paid me the exact amount I needed. After binding the thesis, I was scared, wondering if my HoD would accept it and give me a good score. So on the following Sunday, I paid my tithe, and on Monday, when I submitted my thesis to him, he was impressed and offered to personally take it to the external examiner. He also waited on the examiner until he finished his job in three days instead of six months. After this, my PhD grant was paid, and it became useful pocket money for me. You cannot tell the extent God will go to satisfy those who are totally obedient.

Action Point

Ask God to lead out youths aright in the choice of life partners.

Open Heavens Devotional - THE IMPORTANT FACTOR

THE IMPORTANT FACTOR – Sunday September 24 2017

Memorise: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence . Colossians 1:18

Read: Matthew 6:31-34 (KJV)

^6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

^6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

^6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

^6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 9, Ezekiel 46:1-12, Hymn: Sing hymn 3

MESSAGE:

First thing first, so the saying goes. As a believer in Christ, when you come before God’s presence, the most important person is not you but Him. Also, unlike most of us believe, at God’s Throne of Grace, the most important thing is not your requests, but rather the worship you offer to Him. if you fail to get this right, and you fail to adjust your approach and attitude to reflect this truth, you will always have issues with God. Do you know that every time you approach God’s presence, it is like facing a test? Believe it or not, when you come before God, there are two crucial people at that meeting: God and you. One of these two must take pre-eminence. Similarly, God has a need and you also have a need; one of these two needs must be more important.

“But seek ye first kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:33

The scripture tells us about a divine order that must be followed. It also talks about God’s need and man’s need. It tells us that God has already provided for all of man’s needs. In other words, God already has all you would ever need at anytime in your life. For you to receive them, all that He requires from you is to simply meet His needs. Give Him what He wants. Put Him first and your needs last. Give Him quality thanks, praise and worship. When you follow Heaven’s protocol, you will easily receive a favourable answer to your requests. God expects you to come before His presence with thanksgiving, praise and worship, leaving your request as the last thing. Do you know that one way to know how important something really is to you is to measure the amount of time you give to it? When you pray for one hour and you use 50 minutes of the time presenting your requests, you are telling God that you and your request are more important than Him and His desires. How do you think this makes God feel? In any case, He has already expressed His thoughts about this in 1^st Samuel 2:30, where He said:

“For them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

Also, what you focus on becomes magnified. If you focus on your problems, they will be enlarged, but if you focus on God and on what He wants, He will be magnified to the extent that your problems will fade into insignificance. By the time you eventually remember them, you would discover that they have been swallowed up by His Almightiness, leaving you with the answer to your prayers.

Key Point

If you make God your priority, He will make you His priority.

Marriage Insight: Weakening the Relationship Walls that Separate

Marriage Insight: Weakening the Relationship Walls that Separate

Whatever you do, it’s important as husband and wife to “Deal with grievances as they arise. Don’t stack them on top of one another or let them fester inside until they turn to hostility. Anger is always a secondary emotion. If spouses back up to what preceded it, they will often find hurt. If they reveal the hurt, they’ll weaken the walls that separate them.” (Bill Hybels)

There are so many circumstances that can cause walls of conflict to build up and separate us as wives and husbands. But the question is—what do we do when communication breaks down & hostility rises up to drive a wedge between us? We’d like to share a story to bring insight into what we’re to do in just such a circumstance. It’s titled: What Do We Build? Unfortunately we don’t know who wrote it so we can’t give them proper credit, but here’s how the story goes: 

“Once, there were two brothers who lived on adjoining farms who fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift they’d had in 40 years of farming side-by-side. They used to share machinery & trade labor & goods as each of them needed, without a single hitch. But then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding & eventually grew into a major difference until it finally exploded into an ugly exchange of bitter words, which was followed by weeks of silence. 

“One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. ‘I’m looking for a few days’ work’ he said. Would you happen to have anything around here that I could help you with?’ ‘Yes,’ said the older brother. ‘I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother’s place! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee & now there’s a creek between us. He may have done this to spite me, but I’m going to do him one better. See that pile of lumber over there by the barn? I want you to build me a fence —an 8-foot fence —so I won’t have to see my brother’s farm or his face anymore.’

“The carpenter said, ‘I think I understand the situation. Show me where you have some nails and a post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that will please you.’ The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. There wasn’t a fence there at all. It was a bridge —a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! It was beautifully built with handrails and all! He then saw the neighbor —his younger brother, coming toward them, with his hand outstretched. ‘You’re really remarkable —to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.’

“The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, & then walked toward each other meeting in the middle, taking each other’s hand. They then turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. The older brother yelled, ‘No, wait! Stay for a few days. I have a lot of other projects for you to do.’ ‘I’d love to stay on,’ the carpenter said, ‘but I have a lot more bridges to build.’"

That carpenter had a peace plan—to weaken and tear down the walls that separate, and build relationship bridges to open up communication again. This is the same plan we should grab onto when we have grievances against each other as husbands and wives. Please recognize that:

“Most problems start with hurt. After the hurt mulls around in our mind for a while, it becomes infected. (You can end up being angry at ‘the insensitive louse’ that only cares about what they do.) That’s why it’s important to plan peace talks as soon as possible, before hurt turns to anger. …Revealing hurt can build bridges of understanding and compassion. But venting hostility blows up bridges, because people are repelled by angry assaults.” (Bill Hybels)

Are you one who blows up bridges in your family or are you a bridge builder—taking seriously the message of reconciliation that the Bible talks about? We need to keep in mind that “We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them.“ (2 Cor. 5:19 – The Message) We’re told in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

It’s our prayer that we’ll take this commissioning to heart to be Christ’s representatives —allowing His light to shine, as His ambassadors—especially within our homes. “Watch what God does & then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.“ (Eph. 5:1-2 – The Message)

As Christ’s ambassadors, may we continually build relationship bridges ~ Cindy & Steve Wright

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - YOU CAN AVOID WASTAGE

Open Heavens 16 September 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – You Can Avoid Wastage

YOU CAN AVOID WASTAGE – Saturday September 16^th 2017

Memorise: for by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 24:6

Read: Luke 15:11-16 (KJV)

^15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

 ^15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

^15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

^15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

^15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

^15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 35-36, Ezekiel 41:12-26, Hymn: Sing hymn 7

MESSAGE:

In life, some people experience provision before they ever need it, while some get provision just in the nick of time. Some others only get the provision they need after the time of need is past. One Bible character who experienced provision before need is the prodigal son in today’s Bible reading. All he would ever need was already provided for and safely kept by his father. Nevertheless, what was his responses to his father’s wisdom and grace? He foolishly asked for all that was his, and he wastefully spent it all. Luke 15:13 says,

“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”

May you never waste God’s provision for your life! There are so many people who engage in wasteful spending. There are some people God has blessed with the funds to buy a piece of land, which they can develop as God enables them, but they use the provision to acquire a flashy car or attempt to live ‘big’ while they are still in a rented apartment. This amounts to foolishness. There are some youths who get some big money from legitimate ventures, but because they had no financial intelligence and never sought counsel, they wasted it and struggled thereafter.

“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.”

Ecclesiastes 10:10

To manage financial provision, you need wisdom. In fact, the scripture above says that you can get results from a cutlass whether it is sharp or blunt; the difference is that wisdom helps you make the best decisions to obtain the best results. If you have financial wisdom, you would avoid wasteful spending and increase whatever you have. Do you have financial resources beyond what you need for the moment? Ask God for wisdom to manage it. Also, ask for guidance. Follow the counsel in today’s memory’s verse: ask those who know better. Ask from experienced fund managers and people skilled in financial investments. More importantly, find out from God, the provider of that provision, what the purpose of the provision is. If you can diligently ask Him, He will guide you on how to spend it in such a way as to guarantee repeated provision. You do not need to spend on every item you see or like. Humbly surrender your desires to God and let Him reign over them.

Key Point

You can completely avoid wastage when you submit your finances to Jesus, asking Him direction and approval of your budget.