Tag: Christian

Christian usually refers to: Christians, adherents of Christianity. Anything associated withChristianity.

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What Are “Dones” Looking for Why Are They Leaving Church?

What Are "Dones" Looking for Why Are They Leaving Church?

Sometimes Christians get to the point where they say, “I’m done with church,” and then drop out of church altogether. This is happening so much nowadays that it has become a social trend. Sometimes the people who do that are called “de-churched,” or “church refugees;” but the most common label they are known by is “Dones.”

Usually, Dones are deeply committed Christ-followers who are longing for more than they have found in the traditional church format. Normally Dones aren’t walking away from Christ or even Christianity. Instead, they are leaving the institutional church because they want more than they are finding there.

So why are the Dones flying away from church? What do they want? What are they looking for?

  1. Dones want a heart-to-heart connection with other believers. They are tired of being passive spectators and looking at the backs of people’s heads in front of them. They want to really get to know their sisters and brothers in Christ.
  2. Dones are looking for encouragement and support. The Christian life is not an easy way to live and Dones have discovered that weekly teaching that is often repetitive, doesn’t prepare them to victoriously walk with Christ in daily life. They realize they need an atmosphere of mutual caring, interaction, and support.
  3. Dones are searching for usefulness. However, they realize that the typical church service has no need for them and no room for their input. They want to use the gifts that God has given them to minister to others, and they realize that they need interactive, hands-on training in using their spiritual gifts.
  4. Dones desire spiritual experience. They don’t want to be spectators watching a human being give a lecture about God. They want to be in an environment where the resurrected Jesus is free to move and work among His people. They are tired of seeing Jesus as a mere figurehead and want Him to be the literal Head of the meeting.
  5. Dones are looking for equality in the body of Christ. They have experienced religious authoritarianism and are tired of high sounding titles and demanding leaders. They want the freedom to listen to God and then say/or do what He tells them to. They want Spirit-led meetings.
  6. Dones want reality in worship. They are seeking more than the outward forms of ritual, programs, pious platitudes, religious entertainment, and/or liturgy. That’s why millions of Dones are courageously obeying the Bible’s words in 2 Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.”

Author, Thom Shultz, sums it up this way: “The Dones are fatigued with the Sunday routine of plop, pray and pay. They want to play. They want to participate. But they feel spurned at every turn.”

For more about how “Dones” like to meet, google my book: “Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible–Ekklesia.”

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Harvard Christian club banned for Following the Holy Bible

Harvard Christian club banned for Following the Holy Bible

The club’s transgression? Harvard University has reprimanded a student Christian club for one year because its members pressured a female student leader to resign in September 2017 following her decision to date a woman.”, as reported by the Harvard Crimson.

Harvard College Faith and Action (HCFA) a thriving Christian student group was birthed in 2008 and is resourced by the Christian Union. Starting as a small group of eight freshmen studying the Bible together and then gained recognition from the College as an official student organization a year later.

The HCFA group reportedly has over 200 regular members attending Bible Courses and other weekly activities as of today.

The leaders of the HCFA Christian club said that they didn’t believe they violated any school policy, as they are a faith group based on Christian principals.

A college spokesman confirmed in an e-mail that the Harvard Faith and Action group has been placed on a one-year “academic probation.” The university has also said that if the club re-registers as a student organization next spring it will have to show that it is in compliance with the university’s “nondiscrimination principals.” Liberal hypocrisy one might add?

According to the Harvard Crimson, the action of asking the former leader to step down after they learned she was dating another woman violated guidelines in the Student Handbook, which states that student groups cannot discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

Aaron Goldman, Harvard spokesman said the Office of Student Life was alerted to the group’s actions in December 2017 and found it had conducted itself in a manner “grossly inconsistent” with the Student Handbook, he wrote in an e-mail.

“To be clear: Harvard is disciplining a Christian student group for the group’s expectation that its student leadership follow basic Christian ethical teaching on sexuality in accordance with Christianity’s 2,000-year-old doctrine on such matters.”

A statement from HCFA reads:

“We are an autonomous student group, and we do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation,” Molly Richmond, a co-president of the group, wrote in an e-mail Thursday afternoon. Richmond did not respond to questions about whether the group had asked the woman to step down and why.

Richmond said the club has operated at Harvard for more than 10 years and its policies and practices have remained unchanged.

“The college seems to believe despite our repeated assurances to the contrary that HCFA is not acting autonomously and that our leadership standards were applied unfairly,” she wrote.

What to make of this? Well, a lot.

The question is whether evangelicals will support this HCFA and remain true to the teachings of Scripture and the unbroken teaching of the Christian church for over two thousand years on the morality of same-sex acts and the institution of marriage.

Society is pressing this question upon us—voices that are calling for a radical revision of the church’s understanding of the Bible, sexual morality, and the meaning of marriage.  

So now Harvard has resulted to disciplining a Christian student group—and not some radical fringe group, but the largest Christian group on campus—for the group’s expectation that its student leadership follows Christian ethical teachings on sexuality.  So much for diversity?

For almost 2,000 years Christianity has spoken with one voice about homosexual behavior, calling it a sin. At the same time, the Church taught God’s design for sexuality — that marriage is the life-long, exclusive union of a husband and wife and the only place for sexual activity.

Harvard is a special case on this teaching as the school was founded explicitly on Protestant, even Puritan, faith and is now penalizing a group for holding to religious convictions that would have been identical to its founders’ views.

Unfortunately, according to other news sources, it seems as though anti-Christian discrimination is now the only form of bigotry acceptable at the modern university today.

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Are You an Oddball in Loneliness?

Isolation from the Church Is Dangerous

 

Beware of isolation; beware of the idea that you have to develop a holy life alone. It is impossible to develop a holy life alone; you will develop into an oddity and a peculiarism, into something utterly unlike what God wants you to be. The only way to develop spiritually is to go into the society of God’s own children, and you will soon find how God alters your set. God does not contradict our social instincts; He alters them.(from Biblical Psychology, 189 L Oswald Chambers)

I had to admit to myself that this had become a bit too true of me.  I, in my desire to protect myself from hurt, had become accustomed to isolation, and surely had become a bit of an oddity, and a peculiarism.  God’s word is very clear on how holiness is developed. Oswald Chambers is being completely Biblical here. It is impossible to develop holiness alone. God speaks of it in 1 John 4:

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

If we love one another,

  1. God abides in us,
  2. His love is perfected in us.
  3. By this, we know that we abide in Him and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit.

I need you, dear Sister or brother in Christ, in order to grow in love.  You need me, too.  God’s love is perfected in us as we learn to love each other despite failings, faults, and screw-ups.  Forgiveness should be a well-traveled road as a Believer in Jesus.  It is the only road to Calvary we will ever take.  Jesus calls us to the Garden of Gethsemane, as we learn to die to ourselves, but the Road to Calvary was His alone; and having walked it, He calls us to a new commandment: Love one another.  As God abides in us, His love is perfected in us, we have the assurance that we are His and we sense the power and presence of His Spirit, all through loving one another. O, the powerful ways of God, so transforming, so freeing, so right.

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What example are you setting?

What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.” Ecclesiastes 10:1

Just a little food for thought, because I am so tired of reading comments on social posts that attack the Christianity of others for telling the truth of God. I live in the south and there is a very common saying here, when someone gets mad at a Christian, after hearing the entire harrowing story of what has been done, you can almost guarantee the next words you will hear is, “And if THEY are going to heaven, I don’t have anything to worry about” if its someone I know, I usually like to add “Well, at least they are trying” and usually the one bashing the beliefs of another is not even saved.

Like it or not, fair or not, we are held to a higher standard. And right now the enemy is having a field day twisting those standards.

Maybe this is what opened the door for the onslaught of false and downright blasphemous practices of today. When the true Gospel is often met with jeers of intolerant, bigot, and anyone who warns of societal wrong is a target for their truly venomous hatred.

I read an article recently, written by a man a household name in the evangelical world, the article was true, based on the word of God and of course came with the warnings that no one in our present world wants to hear, including many in the “church” world. Of course, in the comments was a scathing rebuttal which included “that’s really Christian of him” and that unfortunately is now the world’s answer to the Gospel.

If we preach, if we write, if we witness, even in some of our personal lives everything we say is judged, everything we do is judged, and it is judged by an unsaved world who wants to take certain scriptures completely out of context and attempt to use God’s own word against his servants.

Proverbs 9:6-8 advises us this: “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hates thee: rebuke a wise man and he will love thee.”

There is no changing their opinions, only God can do that.It can be quite the temptation not to reply, but we are not to argue the Gospel.

2 Timothy 2:16: “But shun profane and vain babblings (worthless talk): for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

So it is up to us to step up to a higher level and check ourselves daily and even in hard situations to be certain that we are the reflections of God that he desires us to be.

Too often we become slack and even if having an upright reputation those decaying, dead things are allowed to enter into our lives it will destroy the work that God would do through us.

1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”  

And when you also consider verses such as Song of Solomon 1: 3: “Because of the savour (fragrance) of thy good ointments thy name is as an ointment poured forth…..”

Because of His beautiful Holy name and the mention of that name alone brings the sweetest healing and sweetest fragrance of all that He is and we bear His name.

Even if something may seem harmless, ask if that action or those words would reflect honorably toward God. An off-color joke or inappropriate remark can detract from our witness to another person and often those who feel offended are rightfully so, but it has become so out of control that all that bear the name of Christ are open to that same criticism.

Most of us have those we look up too and especially new converts that view elders as a source of encouragement and guidance and when one who is, as our scripture states, known for wisdom gives over to their flesh, in any way, because the verse also states ” a little folly” they bring reproach and cheapen and nullify the true Gospel. The new covert is left feeling empty, betrayed, and absolutely disillusioned.

Again anyone can stumble, anyone can fall, but it is up to us to stay on guard, guard against ourselves, our flesh, and when we do we must be quick to admit that and repent.

So keep your testimony and the sweetest of the life God has given you a “no-fly zone” and keep it clean.

Romans 14:16: “Let not your good be evil spoken of.” The devil is always going to send someone to tear us down, and we don’t need to keep giving them the tools for the job.

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God’s Reckless Love

This post is inspired by Cory Asbury’s song entitled “Reckless Love”.

When you think of the word “reckless”, what comes to mind? I honestly think of reckless driving. Driving at high speeds while weaving in and out of traffic. Something like that. So how can we possibly use this word to describe God’s love? Cory Asbury does just that in his song, “Reckless Love”.

[The following is a video of me covering the song at an event. Enjoy!]

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A LOOK AT RECKLESS LOVE  

The Chorus

Let me first share with you the lyrics from the chorus:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine. I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Some have argued that the use of “reckless” was a poor word choice and shouldn’t be used to describe God’s love. But I can see exactly where Cory is coming from. God’s love is reckless in its selflessness. It is never-ending. No matter how many times his children may hurt Him, He is still in constant pursuit of each and every one of us. The reference to Matthew 18:12-13 is extremely powerful. God leaves the ninety-nine sheep to pursue the ones who have strayed. That reckless love is an amazing love, an unconditional love.

The Bridge

The bridge of the song continues to describe the depth of God’s love:

There’s no shadow You won’t light up, mountain You won’t climb up, coming after me. There’s no wall You won’t kick down, lie You won’t tear down, coming after me.

This part of the song stands out to me the most. We all have had moments where we have strayed from God and his plans. Yet, no matter how many times we turn away, God is always right there with open arms, waiting to receive us. The imagery of the bridge is what amazes me. It describes a fierce and intense kind of love–Tearing through mountains, breaking down barriers, and exposing the “monsters” in our lives. That’s the reckless kind of love that God has. We just have to acknowledge Him, turn back towards God and run into those open arms.

The Message

There is so much to say about this song and the message Cory Asbury is sharing. Along with everything discussed previously, there is also the message of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). God won’t wait for us to reach Him. When He see’s that we have turned from our ways, He will also come running towards us. But keep in mind the work that He is doing in the background even when we aren’t in tune with Him–Paving his way past through the enemy’s tactics just to get to us.

God’s love is like no other. He fights for us each and every step of the way. This is the love He has continued to show us. Unconditional. Overwhelming. Never-ending. Reckless. His love is our standard, and as believers, we should be intentional in our pursuit to reach that standard.

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Should I Do Yoga if I am a Christian?

Recently I’ve been on a spiritual journey that includes deep prayer, meditation, and mindfulness to help me to connect with God. At the same time, I’ve also been on the hunt for some low-impact stretching that could potentially help with chronic pain in a natural way.

Meditation and stretching. Put those two together and what do you get?

Yoga.

So, I’ve said I need to stretch. And I find that meditation brings me closer to God. These all naturally come together in the form of yoga. But, as a Christian, should I do yoga? Am I allowed? Will Jesus love me less?

Well, first, let’s see”¦what does the Bible say about the word “yoga”? Nothing. Zero. There’s no record of that word being used.

So now what do I do? Since the Bible doesn’t talk about yoga specifically, I have to use the brains God gave me to dig a bit deeper. Then I can determine how best to deal with this current cultural trend.

Let’s start with a few of the basics:

Yoga began as a spiritual disciple in Hindu which includes breath control, meditation, and static postures of the body. Some people who practice yoga are active Hindus or Buddhists. Many are not.
In the western world, yoga is a broad term that is often descriptive of people engaging in the physical body postures that encourage strength and stamina. Sometimes this is combined with meditation for mental strength, but not exclusively. Some yoga classes used sacred words such as “Om”, “Namaste”, and certain chants that hint to Buddhism and Hinduism. Other classes make no reference to the spiritual world at all and are simply a form of physical exercise. Yoga potures have Sanskrit names that have spiritual meanings. Many times these are replaced with English names that simply describe the form the body is taking. (For instance, “lotus” has become “criss-cross applesauce”.)

The word “yoga” in Sanskrit means “yoke” or “union with God”. God tells me to not worship another god, and I must obey.

So I know that yoga started as an ancient spiritual practice of another religion which should lead me to move forward with caution. But I also know that Jesus came to redeem all things.

Is it possible to engage in a moderated form of yoga that feeds our Christian souls, or should we avoid it altogether? Can we be aware of the potential pitfalls and dangers of the spiritual side of yoga and then practice it in a meaningful way with a Christian bent and attitude?

The famous American minister John Piper seems to think that we can’t. He says we should avoid yoga completely, citing it as antithetical to Christianity.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Piper has some good things to offer. But in this situation I tend to think that maybe he’s throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bathwater”.

Christians have often taken “secular” symbols or practices and re-stored them into something that is healthy and even God-glorifying. Take Christmas, for example. December 25, the day on which we now celebrate Jesus’ birth, was reclaimed from the pagans. That date was redeemed from a pagan holiday to a Christian celebration.

Jesus has come to redeem all things. Even pagan holidays. Possibly even stretching and meditation and breathing?

Over the ages, Christians have used wisdom and the discernment to choose what is right for them as individuals and as a Body of believers. To apply Jesus’ redemption to various non-Christian things.

“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 10:23

So I need to decide if yoga could be beneficial (or detrimental) to me. In my case, I truly believe God has given me the wisdom and discernment to be able to stretch and strengthen my body without accidentally worshipping a false god. I even believe that I can meditate and breathe while I simultaneously reflect and contemplate how incredible God is. All without slipping into the devil’s snare.

But I am aware that this may not be the case for all people.

Personally, think that I can apply the idea of a “yoke” or “union with God” in yoga to my relationship with Christ. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just sign up for any yoga class that is offered. I need to be wise and first ask questions about how spiritual a class is before taking it. For my own purposes, I tend to learn at home with videos, so there’s not much of a risk of me getting caught in an awkward situation. If something gets a little weird, I can just turn it off.

Holy Yoga is a practice that is gaining traction, offering the grounding of the Gospel while reframing the positive aspects of yoga in a Christian way.

“Holy Yoga embraces the essential elements of yoga: breath work, meditation and physical postures. In all of these elements, Christ is the focus of our intention and worship.”

So as I‘m making a decision about yoga (or anything in my life!), I need to ask if it creates a risk of becoming a detriment to my walk with Jesus. If so, then I absolutely shouldn’t do it! But if yoga can be practiced in a way that is healthy to my body and mind, while drawing me closer to Christ with mindfulness and meditation, then is it possible that even John Piper can’t argue with that?

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So You Think You’ve Married the Wrong Person?

5 Truths about God’s Design for Sex in Marriage

When I saw Roger’s Facebook profile photo, my first reaction, if I’m honest, was that he wasn’t good-looking enough for me. Yet when he sent a message saying I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, I gave into his invitation for dinner, she says in regret.

“According to a new survey of more than 1,600 divorcees, 49 percent  admitted they were worried on their wedding day their relationship would break down, and two-thirds considered leaving their spouse-to-be at the altar.”

“A sixth said they hoped their partner would change after the wedding, while others said they got married in the hope that it would “all work out” in the end.”

Lord, I’m sorry! I married the wrong man. Please forgive me, she cries out in agonizing prayer.  

No couple should expect bliss every day and most couples know that perfection is not on the cards. Nevertheless, there are couples who display such deep-seated incompatibility, such heightened rage and disappointment, that most people will conclude that something else is at play beyond the normal scratchiness: they appear to have married the wrong person.

How do such errors happen, in our enlightened, knowledge-rich times? To avoid becoming a “statistic,” try to internalize these 7 insights.

#1. You picked the wrong person because you expect him/her to change after you’re married.

Many Christians may assume that non-believers are more likely to marry the wrong person because they lack God’s guidance in finding their one true love. But not so fast. Unfortunately, the number of Christians divorcing is no lower than that of non-believers.

“Singles today (and most married couples too) are searching for super-spouses that simply don’t exist.”

Movie star Mickey Rooney said, “Marriage is like batting in baseball; when the right one comes along, you don’t want to let it go by.” It sounds good, until you realize that Mickey was married eight times. He must have had a lot of “good pitches” to swing at!

Mickey Rooney has what might be called the “needle in a haystack” view of picking a mate.

But you won’t find a “wrong needle” clause in the Bible that gives you an “out” if you conclude that your spouse isn’t right for you. Instead you’ll find in Malachi 2:15, “Do not break faith with the wife of your youth.”

Surprising to many, the Bible never tells us to find the one God has chosen.   It tells us how to live with the person we have chosen. It’s easy to take our thoughts to the extreme when we’re so unhappy. But lets not forget that God says in the Bible says, “Come, let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18).  You didn’t marry a mind reader.   Don’t fault him or her for that.

#2. You picked the wrong person because you focus more on chemistry than on character.

Many societies portray marriage as a temporary arrangement that can be adapted or forsaken at will.  When first looking out for a partner, the requirements we come up with are coloured by a beautiful non-specific sentimental vagueness.  All of us are crazy in very particular ways.  All too many people say their vows without a real commitment to their spouse or to God.

Marriage is not primarily about finding the right spouse. It’s about being the right person.  In his classic work, The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm declares, “To love somebody is not just a strong feeling—it is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise.

#3. You choose the wrong person because you do not share common life goals and priorities.

Biblically, a Christian should be looking to marry another believer who shares a similar commitment to following the Lord Jesus. Marriage to an unbeliever should be avoided (2 Corinthians 6:14). So, if a Christian marries a non-Christian, he or she may have indeed married the wrong person.

#4. You choose the wrong person because you got intimately involved too quickly.

“Do you know unmarried couples who attend church, have consensual sex, and may even live together? According to a recent study by the Barna Group,”

The Bible is filled with lots of info about sex, and believe it or not, God thinks it’s a great idea! And why shouldn’t He, He invented it  and declared it to be “good.”

Many Christian couples also justify cohabitation with the rationalization that they are going to get married eventually. However, the Bible promotes complete abstinence before marriage. Sex between a husband and his wife is the only form of sexual relations of which God approves (Hebrews 13:4). Sex within marriage is pleasurable, and God designed it that way. God wants men and women to enjoy sexual activity within the confines of marriage.

If you believe Christ died on a cross for your sins and you are trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, Christ commands you to pick up your cross and follow him (Matt. 16:24). Sex outside of marriage is a sin, no matter how a person tries to interpret Scripture otherwise, and every Christian is called to obey God in this aspect of life. Jesus said.

Also consider this, if the Bible’s message on sex before marriage was obeyed, there would be far fewer sexually transmitted diseases, far fewer abortions, far fewer unwed mothers and unwanted pregnancies, and far fewer children growing up without both parents in their lives.

#5. You picked the wrong person because you didn’t put everything on the table.

Let’s start off with the big one.   TRUST!  When a spouse is persistently and relentlessly lying about dim-witted things, it causes worry and doubts to set up camp. The journey begins like this. A young man or woman identifies the person he or she wants to marry and begins the business of serious courtship. Time and money are no object.  They have a worthy goal and are motivated, even if that means telling lies in the process.

“You look as beautiful today as the day I met you.” “Of course you don’t look fat in that.” “I’m not angry.” “I wasn’t looking at her, I was just noticing her boots.”

Legally, all you need for a wedding is a visit to the county clerk’s office, and whatever else your local government requires.  Most weddings these days skip the garter toss; many skip the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and some even skip the flowers. But what matters most is that you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

“If you tell the truth, it becomes part of your past, however, if you tell a lie, it becomes part of your future”. ~ Author Unknown”

Wow does that quote nails it, or what??!!

#6. You picked the wrong person because you use the relationship to escape from personal problems and unhappiness.

In many places in the world, a fantasy is promoted that marriage should meet all our needs—the emphasis being on meeting one’s own needs, not the needs of one’s spouse. However, people that are unhappy when single and expect marriage to fulfil their lives are greatly disappointed as their level of contentment will drop even lower when married.  Unrealistic expectations are those demands you make of your spouse of which he or she is incapable of providing.

“When you’re single, you experience a range of contentment from low to high. However, when your married, that range becomes even wider in both directions. Greater contentment—or discontentment.”

God wants to destroy you, not the physical you, but the  selfish you. Jesus taught us that if we don’t die to our selfish nature, we will never be able to experience all the blessings that God wants to bestow on us. Well, if there was ever an institution designed to kill the selfish you, it’s marriage. In fact, it is virtually impossible to succeed at marriage if you don’t learn how to let the selfish part of you die.

#7. You picked the wrong person because you did not consult with God

“I don’t think I can do any better. He or she said, It may sound clich, but if you don’t respect and love yourself, it will be difficult to respect and love another person.”

Surely we aren’t destined to fail.  So maybe we have misunderstood the will of God. I know that sounds simplistic.  Many people claim that is the problem with their marriage.  If they could go back and press rewind, if they knew back then what they know now, they would have made different decisions. But remember that God promises us that if we ask, He will give. And while asking, request that the Holy Spirit guide you as your Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6).

How can a person prevent getting married to the wrong person?

The truth is, a successful marriage is not the result of marrying the “right” person, feeling the “right”emotions, thinking the “right” thoughts, or even praying the “right” prayers,

Instead, keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards,” is good advice (Poor Richard’s Almanac, June 1738), but even more helpful is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

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5 Truths about God’s Design for Sex in Marriage

5 Truths about God’s Design for Sex in Marriage

Living in an over-sexualized culture, we hear messages about sex, wrong messages.   These messages become more a part of us than God’s truth because we hear them repetitively and churches are scared to address sexuality.

For too long, I believed the world’s message about sex.   That it’s a superficial, feel-good avenue to self-satisfaction.   Wrong, partly.   God did design sex to feel good!

But, there is more than that.   He designed it for profound spiritual, physical, and emotional connection.   It is just a shadow of things to come.

God’s design of sex is too amazing to keep silent about.

Here are five truths about God’s design of sex in marriage.

God designed sex to be bonding.

Not only spiritually bonding, but emotionally and physically.   When the two become one flesh, biochemicals are released in our bodies like oxytocin and dopamine.   Oxytocin, especially, is a bonding chemical.   When I embraced this truth and started engaging in the marriage bed more, the tone of our marriage completely changed.

“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh,” Genesis 2:24 (NIV).

God designed sex for both husband and wife to experience pleasure.

It’s an equal opportunity activity.   Why else would there be a clitoris?   It’s only function is for pleasure.   The Song of Solomon is full of beautiful poetic language about the pleasures of physical love for both spouses.

If one spouse struggles with the ultimate moment, there are Christian resources available to help the couple understand how to achieve mutual enjoyment.

“The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you, my beloved,” Song of Solomon 7:13 (NIV).

God designed sex so that we would know yearning.

Before you were married, you yearned for your fianc.   Not only did you crave your fiance’s touch, you craved his/her presence and knowing him/her better.  Even after years of marriage, it is good to remember this yearning.  It mirrors how God desires us to yearn for him.   I believe this is one reason he frequently uses the marriage as a symbol of his relationship with us throughout the Bible.

“Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” James 4:5 (NIV).

God designed the marriage bed to be a place to show the fruit of the Spirit.

Peace, patience, love, joy, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control are the foundation of all Christian life, especially the marriage bed.   All conflict surrounding the marriage bed can be managed through employing these key traits.

My own marriage endured a long season of mismatched sex drives.   It was through these qualities and some wise communication tools that we overcame our conflict.

God designed sex as a powerful mystery.

Biblical stories of sex often confused me when I was young.   There was some nasty stuff in the old testament, the rape of Dinah, Lot and his daughters, the men of Gibeah  clammering for the male visitor, Leviticus 20.   And yet, there is the beautiful Song of Solomon.   The New Testament seemed to prefer celibacy, to be honest.   As a teenager, I couldn’t understand why I liked thinking about sex if it was disgraceful and violent.

But, as an adult, I realized the stories were teaching me that sexual intimacy is powerful and mysterious.   It’s OK not to have it all figured out, as long as you respect the power it holds to do good when it is aligned with God’s perfect design.

“For my thoughts  are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the  Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways  and my thoughts than your thoughts,” Isaiah 55:8-9.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let the world’s message of cheap sex destroy the meaningful sex in your marriage.   Sex may only be a small portion of the whole of your marriage.   However, sex matters.   It especially matters if one spouse is more interested than the other.   When we ignore its power and importance in marriage, the relationship suffers.

Now, granted chronic health issues can affect sexual function and that’s a more complicated story.

 

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Living Through Grief

The Road of Grief

Death. Most of us do not choose it for ourselves, much less for our loved ones. Both of my children died before me. Each year as I approach the anniversaries of their deaths, Pax in May 1982 and Catherine in April 2011, I walk a journey of remembrance.

Many of those who have been bereaved of precious loved ones find themselves doing this. We replay conversations. We think about who said what, who did what, what happened next. We may remember the weather vividly or some other detail. The last time we shared a meal together is a precious memory.

Remembering in this way is a natural part of the human experience of loss, and we are reminded at Easter that this is also a normal part of our Christian experience.

We are beckoned onwards this week. We know what’s coming. We began on Sunday, a lovely sunny day as it happened, celebrating the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. We’ve sat at his side at the table for the last meal with his followers, breaking bread and drinking wine in remembrance.

Evening falls, and we watch with him in the garden as he prays and weeps. We wait with bated breath for the arrival of Judas, the Betrayer. Our hearts are racing as we consider what happens next: Jesus is about to suffer. He will be ridiculed, questioned, accused; he will be stripped, beaten, crowned with thorns.

It is Good Friday now. We follow his faltering steps as he carries the cross. We are not alone. Crowds of grief-stricken women also follow, weeping and mourning.

Can it get worse? Yes, it can and it does. Jesus suffers the pain of crucifixion; the wooden beams are raised and he hangs there. Most of his friends have abandoned him. Still, his enemies mock him. There is agony, there is blood, and then there is death.

This journey of remembrance is painful yet it is one that is taken by many millions of Christians throughout the globe each year. Tears are shed as we dwell for a time on the sacrifice Jesus made in choosing to accept this cruel death.

Nobody tells the multitudes of mourning Christians to “move on” during Easter week. Nobody tells them, “stop your crying,” and expects them to “find closure” when the body of Jesus is laid in the tomb.

But so often that is the attitude of others towards a grieving spouse or partner or parent or child or sister or brother or friend. The Christian community does not always travel well with the mourners. There is usually sympathy for the person whose heart has been broken by loss, but the expression of that sympathy can be shallow. Often it simply does not acknowledge the depth of the pain of loss.

“She’s at peace, she’s with the Lord now.” (Yes, but she’s not here.)

“At least his suffering is over.” (But why did he need to suffer? Why didn’t God heal him?)

“It was God’s will.” (Really?!)

“Time heals all wounds.” (Nothing and no person can replace the person I’m missing.)

“Everything will be okay.” (How can it be? They’re gone!)

“Don’t you need to think about moving on soon?” (Moving where exactly?)

And the list of clichs and platitudes continues. We’ve all heard them, and most of us have probably said them at some point in time, in a well-intentioned effort to comfort the grief-stricken.

But would those have been our words of support if we had mingled in that crowd of grief-stricken women following Jesus to his death? Would they have been comforted?

Come Saturday, if we had found ourselves in the locked room with his disciples, would we have spoken those trite sayings? Would we have told Mary his mother, “time heals all wounds”? Would we have told John, “It’s time to move on”?

I don’t think so.

We now know that the days leading up to the big event – the procession, the supper, the betrayal, the trial, the crucifixion – were not the end of the story. The anguish and hopelessness was followed by Sunday. The sun rises. Jesus conquers death.

But on the way to that victorious moment, there were many tears.

As individual Christians grieving our personal losses, the message of Easter does give us hope, but it is simplistic and just plain untrue to think that this all we experience. We are living with the sad absence of our loved ones and that can be hard to bear.

I have hope that my children are at peace and that one day I will see them again, but I still miss them.

I imagine how Pax would have looked and behaved if he had reached his 4th birthday, his 10th, his teens. It is hard for me to conceive how different my life would be if he was here now, perhaps a parent himself, which would have meant I was a grandparent. He would be 39.

And I miss dear Catherine, with her generous heart, funny sense of humour and love of cooking, but also her struggles with bipolar disorder. I miss her phone calls, I miss our visits. I miss having a daughter to advise me on clothing styles. I miss long talkative walks. I miss being able to congratulate her on her latest attempts at work or study. I miss sharing a cup of coffee or a meal out.

Easter isn’t only the palm branches of celebration and the sunrise of hope. There is also a procession of tears. Being more honest about grief, acknowledging it, facing into it, is how I believe we can survive the losses in our lives, as well as support others who are walking through their own dark valleys. The Road of Grief – How Well Do We Travel with the Mourners?

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Can Rock Star Alice Cooper Really Be A Christian?

Can Rock Star Alice Cooper Really Be A Christian?

Thinking back to the rock celebrity from the 1970s, Alice Cooper, and your mind will probably conjure up images of a creepy long-haired guy with runny black eye makeup who plays with snakes. In an age when hard rock was associated with all things evil, Alice Cooper seemed to epitomise that genre. His style was macabre theatre and he played it up with all his might.

But it wasn’t always that way.

Raised as a pastor’s kid (and the grandson of an evangelist) Alice Cooper grew up in Detroit and Phoenix as Vincent Damon Furnier. He even served in the church as a pre-teen. But as a teen, Furnier wandered off from the church to begin his rock career, eventually adopting the band name “Alice Cooper” as his own. In many respects, he became a completely different person.

Inspired by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and The Who, Cooper’s band jumped quickly into fame in the 1960s and 1970s with showmanship as well as musical talent.   Drugs and alcohol came naturally along with the mix, while violent stage antics began to draw more and more attention. Glam-rock costumes, fake blood, torture of baby dolls, and even mock human executions became trademarks, leaving audiences wondering what could be next.

The effect was controversial in public, to say the least, while Cooper’s life was on a downward spiral in private. Hospitalising himself for alcohol addiction in the late 70s, he wasn’t able to kick his habit of illicit substance abuse. Barely able to remember recording some of his albums in the 80s, Cooper was so addicted that his wife filed for divorce (they then reconciled). He began acting in B-grade horror films as well as appearing as a dark personality in many other formats.

Since then, things have drastically changed again.

The faith of his childhood never went away and Cooper eventually hit rock bottom. He looked around himself and saw his drinking buddies, including Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, realised they were dying before they were 30, and didn’t want the same for himself.

When he bottomed out, Cooper knew where to turn. He credits his full recovery to God.

Appearing as King Herod in NBC’s live version of Jesus Christ Superstar for Easter 2018, Alice Cooper’s dark experience likely allows him to identify with Herod’s dark side more than the average person.

Now 70 years old, Cooper declares that he and his wife are both Christians who read the bible and pray every day. Alice’s wife, Sheryl, also grew up as the child of a clergyman. The couple has remained faithful to each other throughout their 42-year marriage and are thankful that their three kids have never had any problems with alcohol or drugs.

Alice Cooper doesn’t consider himself to be particularly “religious” but he does go to church every Sunday. He also heads up a faith-based organisation in Phoenix, called Solid Rock, which ministers to teens in partnership with a local church.

Cooper says that Christianity is all about “dependence on Christ” and a “one-on-one relationship”. And he is adamant that there’s nothing in the bible that says he can’t be a Rock Star.

Check out these lyrics from Cleansed By Fire from the 1994 album “The Last Temptation”:

What about truth

What about life

What about glory

What about Christ

What about peace

What about love

What about faith in God above”¦.

You’re lost

And I’m found

And I’m Heaven Bound

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24 of Bonhoeffer’s Most Challenging Quotes

Bonhoeffer's Most Challenging Quotes

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian, spy, anti-Nazi dissident, key founding member of the Confessing Church as well as one of the most influential spiritual voices across the globe for decades. It’s a good thing for the modern Church that Bonhoeffer was determined in his course.

Bonhoeffer grew up amid the academic circles of the University of Berlin, where his father, Karl Bonhoeffer, was a professor of psychiatry and neurology and was awarded a doctorate in 1927 at the age of only 21.  He also studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York from 1930–1931. During that time he attended Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and became deeply interested in the issue of racial injustice.

Bonhoeffer’s involvement in a plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler  led to his imprisonment and execution on the 9th April 1945.

More than seventy years after his death, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s writings on faith, the Church, ethics and the nature of God serve as a touchstone for all of us who seek to understand a Christian’s responsibility in the face of injustice and have gone on to have a profound influence on Western Culture and the legions of Christian thinkers who’ve encountered them ever since.  He also remains an important symbol of opposition to Hitler.

Here’s a look back at some of Bonhoeffer’s most powerful quotes.  

ON GRACE  

“Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

ON JUDGING OTHERS

“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”

ON LIFE  

“Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.”

ON SIN

“May we be enabled to say ‘No’ to sin and ‘Yes’ to the sinner.”

ON JUDGING

“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”

ON SERVING GOD

“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.”

ON GOD’S LOVE

“God does not love some ideal person, but rather human beings just as we are, not some ideal world, but rather the real world.”

ON GOD’S WILL

“Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will.”

ON SERVING OTHERS  

“The Church is the Church only when it exists for others, not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ, to exist for others.”

ON OBEDIENCE

“One act of obedience is worth a hundred sermons.”  

ON EVIL  

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”

ON STANDING UP FOR INJUSTICE

“If I sit next to a madman as he drives a car into a group of innocent bystanders, I can’t, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe, then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver.”

ON GRATITUDE

“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.”

ON FOLLOWING CHRIST

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

ON INJUSTICE

“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”

ON PEACE

“There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself completely to God’s commandment, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God, not trying to direct it for selfish purposes. Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won when the way leads to the cross.”

ON ‘DEFENDING’ THE BIBLE

“Do not try to make the Bible relevant. Its relevance is axiomatic. Do not defend God’s word, but testify to it. Trust to the Word. It is a ship loaded to the very limits of its capacity.”

ON REAL MORALITY

“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.”

ON PEOPLE  

“We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.”

ON SPIRITUALITY

“When all is said and done, the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with every available weapon against the flesh.”

ON FELLOWSHIP

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love of God begins with listening to his word, so the beginning of love for our brothers and sisters is learning to listen to them.”

ON PROOF OF GOD

“A God who let us prove his existence would be an idol.”

ON THE FUTURE

“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.”

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She’s Interested and He’s Not Pursuing

There’s a joke going around: men in the church are like parking spaces. The good ones are either already taken — or they’re handicapped.

Houston, we have a problem. It’s a problem that will require all of our effort, courage, confidence and creativity to solve.

Christianity is the largest religion in the world, claiming 2.2 billion of the world’s 6.9 billion people, as of last year and dating is a big deal for most young Christians. However, ask any young woman what the Christian dating scene is like these days.

“Christian men … ugh.”  Grim. Impossible. Slim pickings they’ll  say.

Young Christian men simply won’t commit, they’ll  say and if you’re lucky they’ll  call once – never to be heard from again.

And the churchgoing men who are available? Well, there’s a reason they’re single.

“Usually, he respects or admires the godly young woman (or, other people in his Church think he should admire her more), and yet he’s not physically attracted to her. She’s not his “type,” he says.”

So why are all the single Christian ladies having trouble finding single Christian guys for companionship and romance?  A plethora of Christian dating websites, books, blogs, advice columns, and magazine articles have surfaced in the last few years, attempting to give Christian young women some helpful tips for snagging a godly man and achieving that much-desired state of wedded bliss.

  • Date for at least a year.
  • Don’t kiss before you’re married.
  • Be careful how much time you spend together.
  • Date a bunch of people before getting serious.
  • Don’t unless you are ready to move in the direction of marriage.  

It’s not terrible advice— waiting until marriage takes work. But here’s the thing: Relationships take work.  However, while most Chrisitan ladies have internal regulations in the form of our Spirit inspired convictions and knowledge of the Bible, it does not seem to be enough?

Could it be that we screened all the godly young men out of church as boys?  

Probably not entirely, as according to Mark Regenerus, a sociology professor at the University of Texas, young single women in the church outnumber young single men by a three-to-two ratio.

That’s right ladies, you’re not imagining it: there’s a severe shortage of single men in the church. Not just here in the U.S., but also around the world.

“There are almost no men in my country who are following Christ. And French men will not marry a woman whose faith in Jesus is so strong. She is a leper in their eyes.” –  Christian woman from France

A young godly man knows he’s a catch – particularly if he’s dedicated to his faith, good looking and works out and there are hardly any other man is his Church. With each week that passes, he’s presented with a congregation full of single women. Most haven’t been on a date in a while. He has his pick of the bunch.

There’s even a joke about the gender imbalance. It goes like this:

“Men in the church are like parking spaces. All the good ones are either already taken, or they’re handicapped.”

Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the supply of young women grows with each passing year.

So whats the solution?

God Will Orchestrate the Love Story

Do you find yourself becoming resentful that God is withholding something from you?

  • Still waiting to find the man of your dreams
  • Your greatest desire is to have a baby
  • You want to experience the joy of being “equally yoked” with a godly husband

Desperation is dangerous because it focuses on self: What I want. What I must have. What I cannot live without. Firstly,  if and when the time comes for you to be married, God will orchestrate the love story. But in the meantime, your focus is to be on serving God and pouring your life out for God, not on getting serious about getting married. The timing is up to God, not you.

Singled Out in Church

Secondly, research shows that single men are more likely to attend churches that fit the following profile:

  • Large
  • Headed by a male pastor who’s bold and outspoken
  • Offers intentional male discipleship
  • Worship service is done in under 90 minutes

Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept “God helps those who help themselves” is correct. We’re not suggesting you switch churches over this issue. It probably wouldn’t hurt to visit another church once in awhile – especially if your church offers nothing for singles.

Also remember that there are actually some Christ-men out there who are praying and hoping for a set-apart young woman – one who is not following after the trends of the culture, or who are not wallowing around in discontentment or on the constant prowl for a guy.

Any pastors who are reading, have you ever stopped to listen, really listen, to the women in your church about how they feel they are treated or perceived?

Any other advice?

 

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What Should Be Different about a Christian Marriage?

What should be different about a Christian marriage?

You get a lot of advice before you get married.

“Never go to bed angry.”

“Keep dating.”

“Make your partner your first priority.”

“Don’t walk out during an argument.”

“It’s all about communication.”

So why on earth do so many marriages fail?

Reasons Why Couples Break Up

Marriage has gotten quite a bad reputation over the years. The butt of a seemingly infinite number of jokes, matrimony is a source of endless social commentary, gender politics, and governmental debate.  

According to recent University of Maryland divorce research, you’ve got about a 50/50 chance of growing old with your spouse. If the statistic did not shock you, the reasons many couples decide to separate will not either.

 “The relationship was built more on lust than a true partnership.”

“I wasn’t present.”

“We were together 15 years, I was unhappy for 11 of them.”

“We were co-parents, not lovers.”

“We didn’t choose to work on the marriage, day in and day out.”

“It was like we were on opposite teams.”

“Married too fast”

“Bedroom boredom”

I was a full-time manager in the marriage.  

“There was no respect.”

“There was no real intimacy.”

Many people mistakenly believe that most marriages end almost exclusively because of infidelity, however, while this certainly is a major factor, the decision to terminate a marriage is much more complicated.

“Conventional wisdom tells us that those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

A marriage is a lot like buying a new car. Driving it out of the showroom is bliss. As you cruise off you can hardly believe your luck. Everything feels,  sounds, smells and looks perfect. You coast through many months—sometimes even years— of happy driving before the car needs an MOT or service. But like a car, when a relationship eventually breaks down, it’s flabbergasting; you’re left stuck on the side of the road trying to figure out what on earth went wrong and realise that no car or relationship comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Christ-centred Marriage

“Our culture still shapes our thinking and conduct regarding marriage to an incredible degree.”

It’s easy to think that only “other people” get divorced. That your own marriage is somehow immune to heartache, infidelity and fights over who gets the house, car and dog. After all, how many of us would walk down the aisle if we knew for sure that our relationships would end up in divorce court.

Viewing Marriage Realistically

Christian or not, marriage is difficult for any couple to sustain over a lifetime. Life’s trials—the pressure of making a living, of parenting, of resisting temptations to unfaithfulness or selfishness.  But Christian marriage offers hope.  

“We have to stop asking of marriage what God never designed it to give — perfect happiness, conflict-free living, and idolatrous obsession.”

Christians marriages should be shaped by the cross of Christ, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God.

“Above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’ ” (1 Peter 4:8).

“Her husband ”¦ praises her” (Proverbs 31:28).

“She who is married cares ”¦ how she may please her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:34).

“Be kindly affectionate to one another ”¦ in honor giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10).

“Pray for one another” (James 5:16).

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Successful marriages don’t just happen; they must be developed.

Serving Our Spouse

Another key component in a Christian marriage is selflessness, as described in Philippians 2:3-4. The principle of humility outlined in these verses is crucial to a strong Christian marriage. If happiness is our primary goal, we’ll get a divorce as soon as happiness seems to wane.  With greater awareness of the principle of thought, many marriages can be saved and even strengthened.

Becoming “one” is about more than sex. It requires a level of vulnerability that opens the door for deep hurt. Both husband and wife must consider their partner’s needs before their own, which requires a selflessness that is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells them.

“Focus on your spouse’s strengths rather than their weaknesses.”

“Encourage rather than criticize.”

“Pray for your spouse instead of gossiping about them.”

“Learn and live what Christ teaches about relating to and loving others.”

It is a partnership of love, made richer and deeper through sex.  Continue—or revive—your courtship into your married life.

Marriage isn’t always easy and the sad reality is that not all “I dos” end with a happily ever after. However, the primary difference between a Christian marriage and a non-Christian marriage should be that Christ is the centre of the marriage. With a Christ-centered relationship, an other-centered attitude and an unwavering commitment to making it work, your marriage can flourish — just as God designed.

Which of these reasons is most true in your marriage? Please share with me below.

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Let’s Talk about Salt: What Does It Mean to Be the Salt of the Earth?

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?" (Matthew 5:13)

The Lord Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:13 that Christians are the salt of the earth. Now, salt is a fascinating substance. It can be put to a lot of use. If applied rightly, it can be helpful and the results can be wonderful. If applied wrongly, it can be repulsive and the results can be damaging. Who on earth can stomach an extremely salty dish?

Salt adds flavour.

Salt is a basic ingredient in the kitchen because it adds flavour. Even in baking sweet goodies, salt is a primary component. The right amount of salt brings the best out of any dish. Omit or apply it insufficiently and those at the dining table can’t help but feel that something is missing.

Think about it. God uses His children to bring out the goodness in the different family and work environments each of us are placed in. Because of us, family and work life should enjoy a better atmosphere.

It is sad when you hear of Christians willfully committing a wrong against other people. We Christians are to be the very agents of good and righteousness, making our own side of the world a better place.

Salt potentiates flavour.

Salt not only adds flavour, it potentiates what is already there. To potentiate is to increase the power and effect of something.

Think about it. God is good and the earth is filled with His goodness. The world is blinded; people only see the wrong things that are happening around them. They are unable to look past the hardships and tragedies. They cannot see the grace of God in situations. It is for this reason that God uses His children to help others perceive all that is blessed and beneficial.

It is sad when it is the very Christian who exudes a negative spirit on situations. It is sad when you are around believers who are unhelpfully pessimistic, who are complainers, and who are never satisfied. We Christians are to be the very agents of optimism who see the bright side to things, who see the possibilities, who see all the good that is in the moment and the moment to come.

Salt is vital to our health.

The body cannot live without sodium (salt). Sodium is needed to transmit nerve impulses and to contract or relax muscles (that includes the heart). It is important for maintaining fluid balance. Lack of salt causes fatigue, headache, and confusion. When sodium is depleted, the heart gets overworked and the blood vessels are pressured. If left untreated, lack of sodium can cause blood vessels to stiffen and may even lead to heart failure and stroke.

Think about it. God deems our presence vital on this earth. You and I are here for a reason. Your existence is essential to a healthy functioning of another person. Our life is a blessing to someone. God has a set purpose for us to accomplish.

It is sad to think that one can choose to exist just for his self. It is a pity for one’s life to revolve around the pursuit of personal pleasure and interests. The Bible says that none of us lives and dies for himself. (Romans 14:7) Life is bigger than our own private world. We are made for so much more. When we step outside of our comfort zones, we will experience how much better it feels to be a helpful part of somebody else’s world.

Salt cleanses.

Salt is a cleansing agent. Salt solutions clear the oral cavities of infection and bad odour. Doctors recommended a saltwater rinse on the onset to kill bacteria that cause sore, itchy throats and bad breath. Saline solutions also help wounds heal faster after tooth extractions and keeps the wound clean after meals. It is interesting to learn from the journal “Cell Metabolism” that salt stores bar microbes from invading our bodies and boosts our immune defences.

Think about it. God uses His children as cleansing agents of this world. That means in our relationships we are to bring guidance for rightness. We are not to be peer-pressured into wrong acts. Rather, we are to be the influence and testimony of right living. Our presence should help our family, friends, and business associates sort the messiness of their lives out. We are to help lead them to discerning and deciding on the right action. We are never to encourage nor pressure them to make wrong decisions and use wrong means to accomplish goals.

We are God’s salt on earth. Let’s make our world a “salted” place.

 

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