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Sin Is Against God
After a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

Genesis 39:7-9 NIV

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When confronted with his sin of murder and adultery -

David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

2 Samuel 12:13 KJV

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How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered! I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD";
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:1,5 NASB

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But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:7-9 RSV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“I will take heed to my ways.”

Psalm 39:1

Fellow-pilgrim, say not in your heart, “I will go hither and thither, and I shall not sin;” for you are never so out of danger of sinning as to boast of security. The road is very miry, it will be hard to pick your path so as not to soil your garments. This is a world of pitch; you will need to watch often, if in handling it you are to keep your hands clean. There is a robber at every turn of the road to rob you of your jewels; there is a temptation in every mercy; there is a snare in every joy; and if you ever reach heaven, it will be a miracle of divine grace to be ascribed entirely to your Father's power.

Be on your guard. When a man carries a bomb-shell in his hand, he should mind that he does not go near a candle; and you too must take care that you enter not into temptation. Even your common actions are edged tools; you must mind how you handle them. There is nothing in this world to foster a Christian's piety, but everything to destroy it. How anxious should you be to look up to God, that he may keep you! Your prayer should be, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.”

Having prayed, you must also watch; guarding every thought, word, and action, with holy jealousy. Do not expose yourselves unnecessarily; but if called to exposure, if you are bidden to go where the darts are flying, never venture forth without your shield; for if once the devil finds you without your buckler, he will rejoice that his hour of triumph is come, and will soon make you fall down wounded by his arrows. Though slain you cannot be; wounded you may be. “Be sober; be vigilant, danger may be in an hour when all seemeth securest to thee.” Therefore, take heed to thy ways, and watch unto prayer. No man ever fell into error through being too watchful. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our ways, so shall they always please the Lord.
 
The Assurance of Jesus Christ’s Return



There are dozens of Bible verses about the return of God or of Jesus Christ, and the certainty of His second coming.
Mourning His Return
Most every believer I know of has a deep down desire for Jesus Christ to return…even today, and we have that assurance from Scripture, but what about those who have all their lives rejected Him? They won’t be thrilled as His return. The Apostle John wrote, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Rev 1:7). All tribes or nations will mourn His return, because in their hearts, they knew that God existed but rejected Him anyway. They simply denied His obvious existence (Rom 1:18-23), but denying the truth doesn’t make it go away, so even those who pierced Jesus’ side at Calvary will mourn His appearing, so depending on your relationship with Christ, you will either rejoice at His appearing or mourn because the Day of Judgment has come for you, and it surely will someday. Jesus says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matt 25:13).

Thief in the Night
Truly, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (1 Pet 3:10). On that day, all “the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17). Every knee will bow…and that includes atheists, agnostics, and those in other religions of the world. Every knee will bow…count on it (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10-11). Bow the knee today in humble submission to Christ and you will be saved…reject Him and you will be made to bow the knee. Either way, every human every created will bow the knee to Jesus Christ, so it’s better to do it today.

Signs of His Coming
Jesus Christ didn’t leave us to guess about the signs of His imminent return. He said in Luke 21:25-28 that “there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” One other thing Jesus said in the context of the days leading up to His return, and in this chapter, leading up to the time of Jerusalem’s destruction (in 70 AD), and “because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt 24:12).

This seems to be very evident in the world today, just as “many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people” (Matt 24:11). We’ve also seen that “many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another” (Matt 24:10), and you don’t have to look very far to see hatred toward believers. It may show up in comments that people leave on articles or things they say to your face, but that’s to be expected. This should not surprise believers because Jesus said that “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18), so we will be (and are) hated for His name’s sake.

Caught by Surprise
I don’t think unbelievers will be the only ones who are shocked and surprised at Jesus’ return. Many have duped themselves into thinking that Jesus is a myth. Many have been proclaiming that He could appear at any moment, but many have been skeptical, and many today are asking, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Pet 3:4). There have been and always will be skeptics who don’t believe in Jesus and His second coming, but what they believe does not change what is true. The Apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica that “you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2), so just “as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt 24:27). That will leave sinners no time to repent.

Rewards Lost and Gained
At the end of this age, Daniel prophesied about the final resurrection, writing that “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan 12:2-3). As if trying to warn the church, Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done” (Rev 22:12). That will be good for those who have trusted in Christ and done things for Him (Matt 25:40), but bad for those who have rejected Christ and done nothing at all. Many will claim to be the Lord’s, but these same many will be turned away for eternity by the Lord (Mat 7:21-23). The Apostle Paul knew he had rewards laid up for him, writing in his last letter, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim 4:8).

Some will rejoice, knowing that they have been faithful in doing what Jesus commanded (Matt 25:35-36; 28:18-20, etc.), but others will not (Matt 25:41). Some who believe may even be ashamed when He returns as they have done little for Him and for His glory, so the Apostle John writes in this context, “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 John 2:28). This shows that some will be ashamed at Jesus’ appearance for their negligence in serving Him, while others will rejoice and will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’” (Matt 25:23).

Conclusion
After Jesus’ ascension, and while the apostles “were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11). Jesus Christ is coming again…and in the same manner that He ascended. When? We don’t know, but we do know He is coming, so I hope you’ll share this article about the assurance that Jesus Christ is coming again. Why not do it right now? Remember Jesus said, “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt 5:48).
 
Faithful is He!
O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness you have done
marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Isaiah 25:1 NIV

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Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

1 Kings 8:56-58 KJV

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"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,"
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.
Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones.

All your sons will be taught of the LORD;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression,
for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.

Isaiah 54:10-14 NASB

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“He did it with all his heart and prospered.”

2 Chronicles 31:21

This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is he pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business.

It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it be done withall your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but he does not encourage our idleness; he loves active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of his salvation.

Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, “It is the Lord's work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his strength I will accomplish it.” Christian, art thou thus “with all thine heart” serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was his! He could say, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” When he sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden he had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when he poured out his heart, it was no weak effort he was making for the salvation of his people. Was Jesus in earnest, and are we lukewarm?
 
Post-COVID Slump: Is it Just a Flesh Wound?



If you’ve seen the classic comedy film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” you probably remember the sword fight between King Arthur and the Black Knight. The King’s path is blocked by the knight, who bellows, “None shall pass.” The two men raise swords and begin fighting. Arthur cuts off the knight’s left arm, to which the knight replies, “Tis but a scratch.” Arthur hacks off the right arm, and the knight replies, “It’s just a flesh wound.” Arthur swings his sword once again, removing the knight’s right leg. Undeterred, the knight cries out, “I’m invincible! The Black Knight always triumphs!”
In the past four months, the COVID related shutdowns have hacked off three of the church’s four key limbs. Without these three limbs churches are struggling to engage and retain their members and attenders.
The “limbs” I’m referring to are the four primary activities Christians engage in when they gather for weekly worship. All four begin with the letter S:
  • Limb #1: Sermons
  • Limb #2: Singing
  • Limb #3: Sacraments
  • Limb #4: Socializing

When our physical gatherings were curtailed in March, limbs 2, 3 and 4 were essentially amputated from the church body. We moved our worship services online and quickly learned how difficult it is to deliver singing, sacraments and socializing on a screen.
Screen-delivered worship music is a poor substitute for congregational song. Sacraments such as the eucharist, passing the peace or putting something in the offering plate are hard to duplicate on screen. And of course, socializing is nearly impossible to achieve online.
Fortunately, we’ve still got a leg to stand on: the sermon. Watching a preacher on TV is not that different than watching him in person. Indeed, many churches have been projecting their pastors on-screen for a decade or more.

Attending church is a four-S experience, but online church is basically a one-S experience. And it’s the final S (socializing) that truly binds people to their congregation. Churchgoing is an intensely social experience, and without social interaction church becomes something we watch, not something we feel a part of.
Churchgoers are feeling the distance and are beginning to drift away.
In a report titled, “The New Sunday Morning,” Barna Research found that 32% of practicing Christians have not attended a church service (either online or in person) since the shutdowns began. Even more disturbing: among screen-obsessed millennials, 50% have not participated in online worship. Barna points out that these numbers refer to committed believers who were in the habit of attending church before everything shut down.

Additionally, Barna reports that one in seven committed churchgoers have switched churches during the pandemic, and 18% are viewing worship services from multiple churches every month. If the church experience is essentially just watching a sermon, why wouldn’t viewers seek out the most talented communicator? All the old considerations such as music style, ministry offerings and “where my friends go” have been rendered moot.

Once the COVID restrictions are lifted, there’s no guarantee things will return to normal. Many churches that have reopened and are reporting anemic attendance. People may be staying away out of fear of catching the disease, or they may be gone for good. People who might never have considered watching church in their pajamas now know how easy it is to experience church online. Will these folks return, or will they slowly drift away?
So, are the lockdowns a flesh wound, or a mortal wound? It depends on what we do with one limb that remains attached to the body. That’s the subject of my next post.
 

Where Are You Headed?
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1:3-5 NIV

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But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13,14 KJV

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"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

John 5:24,25 NASB

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Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV

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My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

John 10:27-29 RSV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins.”

Psalm 19:13

Such was the prayer of the “man after God's own heart.” Did holy David need to pray thus? How needful, then, must such a prayer be for us babes in grace! It is as if he said, “Keep me back, or I shall rush headlong over the precipice of sin.” Our evil nature, like an ill-tempered horse, is apt to run away. May the grace of God put the bridle upon it, and hold it in, that it rush not into mischief. What might not the best of us do if it were not for the checks which the Lord sets upon us both in providence and in grace!

The psalmist's prayer is directed against the worst form of sin — that which is done with deliberation and wilfulness. Even the holiest need to be “kept back” from the vilest transgressions. It is a solemn thing to find the apostle Paul warning saints against the most loathsome sins. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

What! do saints want warning against such sins as these? Yes, they do. The whitest robes, unless their purity be preserved by divine grace, will be defiled by the blackest spots. Experienced Christian, boast not in your experience; you will trip yet if you look away from him who is able to keep you from falling. Ye whose love is fervent, whose faith is constant, whose hopes are bright, say not, “We shall never sin,” but rather cry, “Lead us not into temptation.”

There is enough tinder in the heart of the best of men to light a fire that shall burn to the lowest hell, unless God shall quench the sparks as they fall. Who would have dreamed that righteous Lot could be found drunken, and committing uncleanness? Hazael said, “Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?” and we are very apt to use the same self-righteous question. May infinite wisdom cure us of the madness of self-confidence.
 
2 Mistakes We Make That Create Loneliness




There’s a certain amount of pride that goes along with doing things on your own, isn’t there? Think about those curtains you hung by yourself. Or that gourmet recipe you mastered. Or that presentation you put together that knocked the socks off your boss. Isn’t an independent spirit something we admire in others and work to achieve in ourselves? Well, yes, many of us do work toward being seen as independent in many aspects: but it can also be one of the main reasons we have so much stress in our lives!

In my Life Ready Woman book and Bible study, I’ve heard from a lot of women who feel completely burned out and weary. And as I listen to their stories I see the same theme: we’re trying to do life on our own! Without even realizing it, we can end up being isolated or lonely—even if we do not think of ourselves that way! We have to do a radical rethink. Most likely, the last thing you want is to be isolated!
Here are 2 very common mistakes we make that create loneliness and how to reverse it:


Mistake #1: Demonstrating Apathy About Building Community

We are all busy. I have two active teenagers, a hardworking husband, and I am always running around the country on speaking engagements. I’m full up! What suffers? Getting together with friends; prioritizing our church Connect Group. “Sorry, we weren’t able to be there tonight . . . or last week . . . or the month before that . . .”


But we were not created to do life alone. After all, according to the Genesis account describing the formation of mankind, God looked at all of his creation and said “It is good” with one exception. It was absolutely not good for man to be alone. So, God made someone with whom he could do life. Then, in the first recorded small group, he himself walked in the garden with the man and his wife.

Scientists have found that when we don’t do life with others, we are at higher risk of everything from depression to cancer. Multiple times in the Bible, God stresses that he designed us to love and support each other. We are directed to live in community with other followers of Christ. That means we have to prioritize community and work everything else around it if at all possible!


Mistake #2: Not Asking For Help

Community doesn’t have to mean always being in harmony. It simply means sharing life together—not just offering support but asking for it when it is needed. It also means treating your community as if they are true family.


When I was living in Boston, a pastor shared a story about good friends who had moved to California. One night at 3:00 am, the pastor and his wife were awakened with an urgent phone call from their friends asking for prayer. Raging wildfires were threatening their home and community. From their window they could see the glow of thousands of acres burning—the fire was advancing quickly as they raced to evacuate their home. The pastor and his wife got out of their bed and knelt on the cold floor, praying urgently for an hour for the protection of their friends, their home, and everyone in the area.

In the end, although the fire consumed thousands of acres and several neighborhoods, the broader community—and their friends’ house—was spared.

The homeowner called the pastor and thanked him profusely for being a true friend. The pastor answered, “No. Thank you. You were the one being a true friend. You thought enough of our friendship that you were willing to wake us up in the middle of the night to ask us to pray. You were good enough friends that you were willing to ‘inconvenience’ us.”


The Fix? Open Yourself To Community

Are you good enough friends with someone that you are willing to “inconvenience” them with your struggles?
So often, we can see the fires of financial crisis, health issues or kids’ rebellion on the horizon. We pray and pray. God wants us to call on Him, of course! But God has also created community for us to call on—even in the middle of the night. That is what God has designed for you.
 

Love One Another
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:9,10 NIV

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A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34,35 KJV

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Through Him you have confidence in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart.

1 Peter 1:21,22 RSV

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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Matthew 5:9

This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It may be that the Saviour placed the peacemaker the seventh upon the list because he most nearly approaches the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have perfect blessedness, so far as it can be enjoyed on earth, must attain to this seventh benediction, and become a peacemaker.

There is a significance also in the position of the text. The verse which precedes it speaks of the blessedness of “the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” It is well to understand that we are to be “first pure, then peaceable.” Our peaceableness is never to be a compact with sin, or toleration of evil. We must set our faces like flints against everything which is contrary to God and his holiness: purity being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness.

Not less does the verse that follows seem to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we may be in this world, yet we shall be misrepresented and misunderstood: and no marvel, for even the Prince of Peace, by his very peacefulness, brought fire upon the earth. He himself, though he loved mankind, and did no ill, was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Lest, therefore, the peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet with enemies, it is added in the following verse, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Thus, the peacemakers are not only pronounced to be blessed, but they are compassed about with blessings. Lord, give us grace to climb to this seventh beatitude! Purify our minds that we may be “first pure, then peaceable,” and fortify our souls, that our peaceableness may not lead us into cowardice and despair, when for thy sake we are persecuted.
 
What Everyone Must Know About BEING SINGLE



Some people excel at being SINGLE and some don’t. So what is the difference? The first thing is to understand and accept that it is OK to be single. Second, we must be aware of the advantages of being single and how one should live in light of these advantages. I want to get into some of the practicalities of what a single person should be doing. Now I realize that there are some who choose the single life and others who have it thrust upon them but they are not looking to remain that way.

Let’s discuss both of these. First, what do you do when you are single because you want it that way.

Single by Choice
Seeing some of the advantages of singleness, the reduced responsibilities of being married, there are some who will choose to be single. Maybe you are thinking right now, That is a choice I want to make with seemingly no responsibility. However, let me warn you that singleness is not a license to be selfish.
No matter where you are in life, single by choice or not, married with kids, etc, none of us are called to be self focused. We are all called to be godly, to be holy.
1 Peter 1:15-16
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Being single doesn’t mean you have NO responsibilities. Everyone has responsibilities toward God. You just don’t have some of the relational responsibilities that a married person would have. But you still have responsibilities to be holy in what ever situation you find yourself in.

The Responsibilities of Being Single
So what are the responsibilities that a single person would have? Well, one of the responsibilities is to refrain from sexual intimacy. Maybe you are thinking “Hey, wait a minute, I have needs and desires that God has put inside of me.”
God knows that and the outlet that he has given for those very real and normal needs and desires is marriage between a man and a woman. But to choose to remain single means to choose to forgo and subdue those urges. Paul says if you can’t control those passions, if those passions are consuming too much of your mind and energies to control, then it would be better to marry.
1 Corinthians 7:9
9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

So if you choose to remain single, you choose to sacrifice sexual intimacy. Besides the responsibility of refraining from Sexual intimacy, there are other responsibilities that come along with choosing to be single while being a Christian.
And it is because of the reduced responsibilities toward others in terms of our time and finances that we have a greater responsibility to God with those things. So one should use ones increased time availability to grow.
Grow in the Lord

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now this verse isn’t just for single people, but for everyone. But singles can use the increased time they have available to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. You will have more time than a married person to be studying the word on your own, to be involved in a small group Bible study, and to be devoting yourself to prayer and meditation.
Through the increased time you have available, you can grow stronger in the Lord. And the reason that you want to grow in the grace and wisdom and knowledge of the Lord is so you can better serve.

Serve the Lord
1 Peter 4:10
10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms
By serving others we serve the Lord. This is why God has given us all that we have. He gives us gifts to serve others. He gives us time to serve. We need to be wise stewards of our gifts and our time. Those who have less time responsibilities in some areas should serve more in others. Not having a wife and kids means you can decide to do things based on what happens to be going on in your life alone, not on yours, your spouses and your kids.
Now if you are single by choice and a Christian, this should be your primary focus for you life. Paul says that there are some who should consider not marrying and he gives those reasons for it and concludes with these words:
1 Corinthians 7:35
35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

If you are a Christian and choosing to remain single, you are choosing to live Singly focused upon the Lord. Serve Him by serving others. But what if you are single and are not really choosing that for yourself? What do you do when you are single because of something other than your own choosing?

Single by Circumstance
Maybe you want to get married and you just have not yet met that right person. It may be that you are just not ready for the responsibilities of marriage yet. What do you do then?
Well, first remember that God is sovereign, meaning that He is in control of things. It is not some mistake that you are where you are. That being said, I want to give you some advice that will help you live well in the meantime and be able to be used greatly by the Lord.

Pray for Purity
First of all, pray for purity. Like I said at the beginning of this post, God has reserved sexual intimacy for marriage between a man and a woman. Physical intimacy outside of our marriage is either adultery for someone who is already married or fornication for someone who is not married. And they are both sin. It is within the bonds of marriage that sexual intimacy is to be experienced.
Hebrews 13:4
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

So while you desire and are looking forward to marriage, you need to be praying for your purity. And what you are praying for is really the strength to remain pure. We live in a difficult culture. Television shows, Billboards, Movies, and Commercials all seem to include sexual overtones that get our minds focused on sex.

Watch and Pray
That is why we need strength and help from the Lord to be pure and holy. Because Jesus recognized his disciples weaknesses, he told them in the final hours of his life, while he was praying to…
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

We need to be praying because our flesh is weak especially in areas that we are constantly bombarded with temptations. But if God commands it, He will enable you to do it.
“Single through no fault or choice of my own, I am unable to express my sexuality in the beauty and intimacy of Christian marriage, as God intended…To seek to do this outside of marriage is, by the clear teaching of Scripture, to sin against God and my own nature. I have no alternative but to live a life of voluntary celibacy…chaste not only in body, but in mind and spirit…I want to go on record as having proved that for those who are committed to do God’s will, His commands are His enablings.”
Margaret Clarkson in Homemade, Dec. 1989
So be praying for purity. Another piece of advice for you when you are single by circumstance is to wait for the wedding.

Wait for the Wedding
That is everyone’s favorite word. Wait. Nobody likes to wait. But when you rush things that have life long effects, that is when problems arise that you would not have to deal with otherwise. Don’t be so eager to be married that you throw out some of the guidelines God has given us concerning marriage.

Don’t Marry a Non Christian.
For instance, if you are a Christian, God says don’t marry a non-Christian.
2 Corinthians 6:14
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(23, 121, 186); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s; line-height: inherit; cursor: help; position: relative; display: inline-block; border-bottom: none;">2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be bound together with unbelievers;

Single people, this is not something God has said to us to limit our joy, but to increase our enjoyment of life. When, as a Christian, you marry someone who is not a Christian, it typically ends up that the Christian is drawn away from the Lord and drawn away from walking with Him. You won’t lose your salvation, but you will end up losing your joy in the Lord. You won’t be able to have that abundant life that Christ came to give.

What about Dating?
So what does this mean for your dating relationships? Well, it means that you should not date anyone who is a non-Christian. Why is that? Because you shouldn’t date anyone that you know up front you couldn’t marry.
Emotions are not something to be played with. You may enter into a relationship with someone who is not a Christian with no intention of getting serious, but then your emotions get involved and it starts to get more complicated.

The best thing to do is not even enter into a relationship with someone who is a non-Christian. And furthermore, you are going to want to think twice about entering into a relationship with someone who says they are a Christian but does not live as one. Jesus said you will know His disciples by their fruit. It is not that someone will be perfect, but they will be striving.

Be looking for that a spouse that is committed to striving to follow the Lord and pursuing that in their life. That is where you will be finding a mate that will be bringing joy and not hardship into your future.
Finally, for the Christian who is single by circumstance, you too need to serve God.

Serve the Savior
Just as the Single who chooses to remain that way, God has gifted you and given you time right now. You do not need to be spending all of your time finding Mr. or Mrs. Right. As you are praying and waiting, you need to be serving. God is faithful to provide for us. Let God work and trust Him in His work in your life. It is hard sometimes, but realize that God’s timing is not always our timing.

God does not just want us sitting home praying and waiting for Mr. or Mrs. Right to call. He wants us to wait on Him actively, by serving Him and His church. Get involved in serving. Singles, there are many things you can do. Take on mentoring some of the younger kids. Look for how you might be able to impact someone’s life.
God has given you gifts to be honed and used. Use them by serving Him and His church.

Now go… and be godly!
 

He is the Prince of Peace
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15-17 NIV

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Peace, peace to him that is far off,
and to him that is near, saith the LORD;
and I will heal him.

But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up
mire and dirt.

There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Isaiah 57:19-21 KJV

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Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6,7 RSV

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"The steadfast of mind
You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD,
we have an everlasting Rock."

Isaiah 26:3,4 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.”

John 15:9

As the Father loves the Son, in the same manner Jesus loves his people. What is that divine method? He loved him without beginning, and thus Jesus loves his members. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” You can trace the beginning of human affection; you can easily find the beginning of your love to Christ, but his love to us is a stream whose source is hidden in eternity. God the Father loves Jesus without any change. Christian, take this for your comfort, that there is no change in Jesus Christ's love to those who rest in him.

Yesterday you were on Tabor's top, and you said, “He loves me:” to-day you are in the valley of humiliation, but he loves you still the same. On the hill Mizar, and among the Hermons, you heard his voice, which spake so sweetly with the turtle-notes of love; and now on the sea, or even in the sea, when all his waves and billows go over you, his heart is faithful to his ancient choice. The Father loves the Son without any end, and thus does the Son love his people.

Saint, thou needest not fear the loosing of the silver cord, for his love for thee will never cease. Rest confident that even down to the grave Christ will go with you, and that up again from it he will be your guide to the celestial hills. Moreover, the Father loves the Son without any measure, and the same immeasurable love the Son bestows upon his chosen ones. The whole heart of Christ is dedicated to his people.

He “loved us and gave himself for us.” His is a love which passeth knowledge. Ah! we have indeed an immutable Saviour, a precious Saviour, one who loves without measure, without change, without beginning, and without end, even as the Father loves him! There is much food here for those who know how to digest it. May the Holy Ghost lead us into its marrow and fatness!
 
What Would Jesus Pray?




I’ve said before—probably in my book which you should be able to buy in October just in time for Christmas—that it may be fine to ask, “What would Jesus do?” as your lodestar, but you might want to think for a few minutes before wondering, “What would Jesus pray?” and then going and doing thou likewise. Jesus does a lot of things in the Gospels that most of us neither can do nor should do—like standing before all of his enemies and claiming to be God, like dying for the sins of the world, like denouncing those unrepentant cities as being worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, like here, thanking God that not everyone is going to get it. Moreover, he prays this prayer in public, so that the people he is praying about will be able to hear him. A person who loves Jesus can go a great distance in following after and doing what he did, but after a while, there is a limit.

That is only one of the problems with these brief, biting verses, wedged into Matthew’s gospel. The idea that God, who as we all know is love and love is love, would purposefully exclude some people from his kingdom, and would be thankful to have done so, offends today’s Law of Inclusion to such a degree that it is intolerable even for some Christians. “Yes, Father,” for such is your gracious will,” says Jesus, happy that the glorious riches of his gospel are revealed to “little children”—that diminutive and not particularly complimentary term he often employed for his disciples—and not to the “wise and understanding.”

Wisdom comes in all shapes and sizes, depending on the context and the moment. Yesterday, it being the Fourth, there were thousands of swirling “wise” sayings on various social media platforms. Contradictory epithets were tossed back and forth across the cyber waves—America is Great, America is terrible, freedom means never having to wear a mask ever, freedom means not having to get covid, if I can’t sing it won’t even be church, every governor is Satan, Christians who even want to sing are Satan, or maybe Hitler, the Founders were all racist, the Founders were all better even than Jesus. For a while I tried to compose a tweet in my mind that would contribute to this great national conversation, but then I wandered away to eat more pie, because, after all, I am an American, and Americans must eat pie. It’s the patriotic thing to do.

This wisdom of God, no matter what any of us pretend about it, is not the wisdom of men, nor even women. If you wanted to think about What Jesus Would Do and What Jesus Would Pray, you can’t take your already formed cultural assumptions about what is good and right and then go back to the text and try to make sense of it. Which is at least one of the other problems arising in this brief terrible moment. John the Baptist is in prison for calling Herod, of all people, to repent for committing adultery—always a complicated and tetchy thing to do in any age, the moral vagaries of powerful leaders and their sexual proclivities all wrapped up in the politics of the moment—and he hears what Jesus is doing, and it doesn’t quite match what he expected, and so he sends his own disciples to find out if maybe he had the wrong end of the stick, maybe Jesus isn’t who he thought. But no, Jesus sends back, it’s going exactly to plan, I am who you thought I was.

Then Jesus denounces those wicked cities. Then he explains that he and the Father are so united in will and purpose that no shadow can fall between them. And then he brings up this other problem that I think most Christians would be completely reasonable to question. “Come to me,” he says, “all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Tell that to John in prison, who will shortly lose his head as a party trick, any stander-by might have muttered. Or Mary and Martha, when they explained in grief-soaked tones to Jesus, who they knew had the power to raise the dead, that if he had been there, their brother would not have died. Or his own Mother when Jesus himself was nailed to his own cross. Or anyone really, at any point in human history, who looks at the wisdom of God and the real circumstances of life and suffers a whole-body shudder.

Indeed, looking at it from this angle, signing on to follow Jesus, to be one of his “little children,” to have hidden riches of his grace revealed so brightly, even in the presence of an unbelieving, unrepentant, violent and adulterous world, the very last words one finds oneself groping for are “light” and “rest.” It’s the warning to count the cost that feels most useful when casting abroad the good news of God in Christ. Think carefully, sensible people say, this won’t be easy. You’re signing up to lose everything. You’re humbling yourself to the point almost of humiliation. You’re letting go of everything you have ever thought you needed to be ok and having in its place only one thing, only Jesus. It is no light choice. You may lose sleep—scratch that, you will lose sleep.

I think a lot of us run to the “little children” image to try to make sense of this. It’s all about trust, we say. Babies and children easily trust those who take care of them. They aren’t worried or anxious. They make cookies with their mother and their mother is happy to have their “help.” It is a warm and glowing picture until you discover that your “helpful” participation in this warm, trusting, delightful picture may—nay will—include your death in one way or another. Indeed, I think many Christians are rightly more anxious than other people. They see the wickedness of Chorazin, of Bethsaida, of Capernaum, of Herod and they tremble. They pray desperately, asking God if he really knows what he is doing.

And in response, Jesus says, essentially, “Yes.” I know what I’m doing. I’m picking up the burden of your sin that will weigh you down and drag you into hell, and I’m carrying it for you. In exchange, here is my own goodness—a burden so light, a yoke so kindly that you cannot feel its weight. Indeed, the goodness and glory of Jesus is a rest that lasts into eternity. Who is even carrying you along through your anxieties and griefs? Who is even burdening you to pray for the lost and incoherent? Who is even getting you out of bed to put on your dreaded mask and sit muffled in church, mourning the music that normally carries you through the week?
He is. And honestly, what is the alternative? Going away after some other paltry, pitiful wisdom? Not for all the glory in the world.
 

Meekness
The Lord lifteth up the meek;
He casteth the wicked to the ground.

Psalms 147:6 KJV

__________________

Blessed are the meek
for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5 KJV

__________________

The meek shall eat and be satisfied;
the shall praise the LORD that seek him:
your heart shall live forever.

Psalms 22:26 KJV

__________________

Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD's anger.

Zephaniah 2:3 NKJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“And she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.”

Ruth 2:14

Whenever we are privileged to eat of the bread which Jesus gives, we are, like Ruth, satisfied with the full and sweet repast. When Jesus is the host no guest goes empty from the table. Our head is satisfied with the precious truth which Christ reveals; our heart is content with Jesus, as the altogether lovely object of affection; our hope is satisfied, for whom have we in heaven but Jesus? and our desire is satiated, for what can we wish for more than “to know Christ and to be found in him?”

Jesus fills our conscience till it is at perfect peace; our judgment with persuasion of the certainty of his teachings; our memory with recollections of what he has done, and our imagination with the prospects of what he is yet to do. As Ruth was “sufficed, and left,” so is it with us. We have had deep draughts; we have thought that we could take in all of Christ; but when we have done our best we have had to leave a vast remainder. We have sat at the table of the Lord's love, and said, “Nothing but the infinite can ever satisfy me; I am such a great sinner that I must have infinite merit to wash my sin away;” but we have had our sin removed, and found that there was merit to spare; we have had our hunger relieved at the feast of sacred love, and found that there was a redundance of spiritual meat remaining.

There are certain sweet things in the Word of God which we have not enjoyed yet, and which we are obliged to leave for awhile; for we are like the disciples to whom Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” Yes, there are graces to which we have not attained; places of fellowship nearer to Christ which we have not reached; and heights of communion which our feet have not climbed. At every banquet of love there are many baskets of fragments left. Let us magnify the liberality of our glorious Boaz.
 
Why the Poor Are Important To God



The Bible has a lot to say about the poor and what it means to God. ….something we should all do as we’re able.
Being Blessed
Of course we don’t help the poor just so we’ll receive rewards. We do it because it’s the right thing to do. Most of us have been blessed. Yes, we will receive rewards from the Lord, according to what we’ve done here on earth, but we give because it is the right thing to do, and besides, God takes it personally when we help those who are unable to help themselves. The Proverb says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed” (Prov 19:17), and “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor” (Prov 22:9). This is something we should all do as we’re able. We can’t solve world hunger, but we can at least help locally. The Apostle Paul says, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). As Jesus said, “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matt 5:42).

Unto Him
Someday, “the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34). Why? He goes on to say, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt 25:35-36). When we minister to those who are less fortunate than we are, we minister as unto the Lord. In fact, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40).

The way God sees it is, “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him” (Prov 14:31). It’s really a good idea anyway, not just because we do it unto Christ, but “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse” (Prov 28:27). The Lord our God, Jesus Christ, says, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33-34). Outside of our bills and monthly payments for car, house, utilities, and other things, where we spend our money reveals where our heart is at, and it reveals what we really treasure.

Not for Gain
As we have read, we give to the poor because it is the right thing to do. Jesus once gave an example of unselfishness in Luke 14:12-14 where He said, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” We don’t give in order to be repaid. If we do, then we’re no more than a lending institution.

There will be a time of rewards, but we who are blessed are in a position to help, obviously not all, but at least some. Just because there is so many needs doesn’t mean we can’t help at least someone with a need. We know that the poor aren’t going away anytime soon. Scripture says, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land” (Deut 15:11), so “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10). When the Apostle Paul was asked about remembering the poor, he said that this was “the very thing I was eager to do” (Gal 2:10b). We should be eager to do the same.

Conclusion
Helping the poor is a command from God, in the Old Testament and the New Testament, and it is incumbent upon us who have to help those who have not. God says, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be” (Deut 15:7-8). The Apostle John asks a very convicting question: “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him” (1 John 3:17)? Remember God says, “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered” (Prov 21:13). The day you get in trouble and go hungry may make you appreciate God’s Word about helping the poor, because “Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor” (Prov 14:21). Be blessed by being a blessing.
 
The Father Loves the Son
"As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.
Now remain in My love. If you obey My commands, you
will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My
Father's commands and remain in His love.

John 15:9,10 NIV

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Therefore doth my Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father.

John 10:17,18 KJV

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The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 3:35,36 NKJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.
 
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.”

Ephesians 5:25

What a golden example Christ gives to his disciples! Few masters could venture to say, “If you would practise my teaching, imitate my life;” but as the life of Jesus is the exact transcript of perfect virtue, he can point to himself as the paragon of holiness, as well as the teacher of it. The Christian should take nothing short of Christ for his model. Under no circumstances ought we to be content unless we reflect the grace which was in him.

As a husband, the Christian is to look upon the portrait of Christ Jesus, and he is to paint according to that copy. The true Christian is to be such a husband as Christ was to his church. The love of a husband is special. The Lord Jesus cherishes for the church a peculiar affection, which is set upon her above the rest of mankind: “I pray for them, I pray not for the world.” The elect church is the favourite of heaven, the treasure of Christ, the crown of his head, the bracelet of his arm, the breastplate of his heart, the very centre and core of his love.

A husband should love his wife with a constant love, for thus Jesus loves his church. He does not vary in his affection. He may change in his display of affection, but the affection itself is still the same. A husband should love his wife with an enduring love, for nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A true husband loves his wife with a hearty love, fervent and intense. It is not mere lip-service.

Ah! beloved, what more could Christ have done in proof of his love than he has done? Jesus has a delighted love towards his spouse: He prizes her affection, and delights in her with sweet complacence. Believer, you wonder at Jesus’ love; you admire it—are you imitating it? In your domestic relationships is the rule and measure of your love—“even as Christ loved the church?”
 
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