To Be Sober ~ Chapter Fifteen

Older women are to teach younger women to be sober. Sober means to do one's duty, be moderate, self-controlled, thoughtful, and to learn to make wise decisions and judgments. {Therefore, it means not to drink at all or very little as well! I added this in since there are so many young women who seem to enjoy their alcohol a bit too much. Paul said "a little" so if you are going to have any alcohol, have just a little."}

Most women today aren't sober. They aren't self-controlled. They care more about themselves and their pleasures than obeying the clear Word of God. In the public schools in the 1950s, young women were taught the following in their home economics textbooks for instruction in preparing for their husbands to come home from work: 1. Have dinner ready; 2. Prepare yourself; 3. Clear away the clutter; 4. Prepare the children and minimize all noise. Some don'ts were: don't greet him with problems; don't complain if he is late; listen to him and make the evening his. The feminist agenda is opposed to ALL of these things! Do you see what has happened in the last fifty years? Every high school girl was taught a conservative worldview that was more Biblical in perspective that what the churches teach today.*

Our role in life as godly women is to make sure our homes are places of order. Men {and children} appreciate good meals, a clean house, and an atmosphere of peace - a refuge from the stress of life.* This is our job, not our husbands. When we realize that the Lord has given us this job, we will take it seriously and not have expectations of our husbands helping us. {Remember, the less expectations you have, the happier you will be.} 

If your husband is unhappy about the way you are doing something in the home in regards to cooking, cleaning, raising the children, etc. instead of getting angry with him, learn to please him, instead for two wrongs do not make a good marriage.* It isn't our job to give our husband a piece of our mind like many women feel completely free to do. Our job is to be a help meet to our husband and learn what pleases him. A wise woman doesn't let little things stir her spirit to agitation. With a quiet and meek spirit, she seeks to make all things better.* The next time your husband asks you to do something different, say, "I will sure do my best!"

A wise women takes good care of her home and family. If your mom didn't teach you how to cook, I have some great breakfast recipes and healthy hearty dinner recipes. No matter how badly I felt, I almost always made a great big green salad with homemade salad dressing that is a big hit with everyone who has ever tried it. I even make my own bread which is fairly easy and quick to make but is far superior to store bought bread. In order to save money and because I love things to be as non-toxic as possible, I make a lot of my own cleaning products and even my favorite lotion of all time and very effective deodorant {the lotion I love isn't the first one listed}.

Be the best help meet to your husband that you possibly can. Do everything heartily as to the Lord. Always treat him with kindness as a Christian. Have self-control in all areas of your life, since this is what our precious Savior has called us to do in representing His name to a lost and decaying world.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, 
and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

What am I Missing About Trump? Values?

WRITTEN BY KEN

As I watched the last debate, I wondered to myself, “What in the world am I missing in Donald Trump that some evangelicals see in him?"  Maybe what I am missing is values. Christian values are not something to be talked about or aspired to, but to be actually lived out before the world to see. Tell me, Christian evangelical leaders who support the Donald, do pride, name calling, demeaning and belittling of others look Christian to you? And if not, is there some sort of scale that you use for Donald Trump’s values that allows you to balance out his regular violation of grace, kindness, goodness, and self-control? Tell me, which of the fruits of the Spirit Mr. Trump has displayed in his run for office that the evangelical community should be supporting him?  

Let’s be real here, Christian, and let’s stop a second and think about what some of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, are doing when you support Trump. You are saying to yourself that the need for change in our country and its political direction allows you to vote for a man who holds few, if any, of your common values. Would you do such nasty stuff to someone that the Donald is regularly doing to anyone who questions him or calls him out? Wow, if you did it on national TV, you would probably expect one of your church elders coming to your door to tell you that you are in sin and you need to repent.

Is the desire for change in America, and a desire to restore conservatism, so enticing that you would eat the apple of a fruit that is proving daily a lack of some of the most basic values of common human decency? You don’t even need to judge Mr. Trump by God’s values, even common sense values teach us to be decent with others and clearly the Donald is not. And this is the man you want as President? Doesn’t it scare you to think what he may do to tick off a world that is learning to hate America?

Where in the Bible does it give the Christian license to throw out values in an effort to restore values? Is it not troubling to you that the man who many want to curtail abortions, protect Christianity and build consensus is the same man twice divorced, and taken four companies into bankruptcy. And he is proud that he used the system to his advantage to not keep his financial commitments. 

Then there many promises without substance. Tell me how we are going to balance the budget Mr. Trump, and give health care for those who can’t afford it while canning Obamacare. We will have lots of jobs, lots of jobs, you proclaim! We will build a great wall, which is now ten feet higher than last week, just because a former President of Mexico calls Mr. Trump on it? WOW! What happens when Mr. Putin or some other leader calls Mr. Trump a buffoon? Will there be 20% more missiles aimed at Russia?

The world is watching Mr. Trump and his antics and they are laughing while at the same time scared to death of what this man is capable of saying and doing. Hey wait, that is you and me also, laughing while we watch a circus takes place, yet sacred to death that this man has the potential to be our next "Christian" President. And he will have been put there by Christians. Are we really that far along in the demise of the Church that we will allow a "Christian" who cannot give us any meaningful discussion on what it means to walk in the Spirit, or worse yet, has never had to ask for forgiveness because he can’t recall ever being wrong? Yes, this is accurate from Mr. Trump himself that he has NEVER asked for forgiveness. Hmm, Bible 101.  Yet he may be sitting in the White House as our representative, because we decided that winning the prize was an acceptable reason to allow a regular violation of Christian values.

Listen, I am not saying I may not vote for Trump over Hillary if it comes down to that choice. And I am open to hearing a change of heart and behavior from Mr. Trump to begin to emulate the Lord he calls Savior. But I am asking, if you took away the man’s wealth, and his TV program, are there really many redeeming values that you have seen in this man that might match your own? Would you ever treat someone the way he has treated so many? Would you stand up and repeat regularly how great you are and how much money you have made?

Unfortunately, what many of us took as originally promising, and entertaining, has now crossed over into school yard behavior; and just what we don’t need in the White House. And this behavior is not new, but has a long history and it will continue for many years to come. America may well indeed elect the rich kid who never learned proper decency in dealing with those who cross him or he doesn’t like, but after all, foul mouthed Joan Rivers was a close friend.  If we get duped, we can’t say that Jesus didn’t tell us so; “And you will know them by their fruit” {Matthew 7:15}. He didn’t say, “You shall know him by his unsubstantiated promises.” Are we being sold a democrat in disguise? After all, with a very few tweaks in his message Donald Trump could have easily been the Democrats pick for office had he run on their side of the ticket.

And Mr. Trump, if you are reading this, please get into the Word and grow up in your Christian faith in these areas. Use self-control and control your tongue. Stop going after a Christian brother’s genetic profuse sweating to try to disqualify him as a candidate. What if he had a speech impediment or was in a wheel chair, would that disqualify a man because Putin might think poorly of him? If your generosity and leadership skills are such fabulous qualities that the American people are to bank on, please tell us that you have given some money to the Lord’s work, and served in your local church. If you think that scaring people by suing them and viciously attacking and belittling them looks anything like Jesus, I invite you to take out your Bible and study the humble man who has asked you to follow Him, and become like Him.

Mr. Trump, you are welcome in my church and in my home, unless of course you see me as a nasty liar who you would rather belittle than to build a good Christian relationship together. Change your ways, apologize to those who you have offended, and live out your faith, even if somewhat imperfectly. Then let’s see what the Lord can do with such a man who truly is sold out for Jesus, and is willing to show it with his life, and words, especially towards those who oppose him.

I am open to discussing this with you Mr. Trump, or coaching you on what a Christian should be like, if you want to return the email I sent to you about this four months ago when you started your campaign. I had such hope, but exactly what I feared has come true. You are winning, but you are losing my heart and the hearts of the remnant who may not be able to vote at all in the fall because we don’t know which Donald we can follow. The one who shows great leadership stature or the one who acts like he is back in junior high? Will the real Mr. Trump please stand up, or is greatness and a stunted personal growth all mixed together in the man they call the Donald?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:22-24

Sexual Predators Stealing Children's Childhood

Today is not like just ten years ago and much different than 20 years ago. When I went to elementary school, the principal had a paddle in his office and there were very few disobedient children. If there were any, they would get it from the principal. We didn't hear about children being molested, although I am sure it was happening but pornography wasn't at a click of a mouse then. It was difficult to get. Yes, there has always been evil people, but you would have to be blind to see that culture is getting worse.

When I sent my children to the public elementary school, they sang Christian songs at Christmas and they were learning the fundamentals of math, reading, science, etc. They were not taught that children could have two mothers. However, when they were entering junior high, I knew I didn't want them in the junior high since pornography was starting to become more popular. Everyone had computers by this time so it was easy to access. I had heard that most boys were introduced to porn in junior high, so I wanted to protect them from this garbage.

Now, almost everyone has a smart phone and they can get porn at a click of the finger. Porn is no longer considered okay by the professionals. They know its destruction. I will never forget reading comments from men who weren't even believers unable to have intimacy with a normal woman anymore. They were furious with the lies they were told about porn. I hate porn and what it is doing to our country. Way too often women are telling me that their husbands watch it and think nothing of it; not knowing they are giving Satan a strong foothold into their lives.

Children are being sexually abused at higher and higher rates due to the insidiousness of porn. It corrupts the mind, then the man. There are more men going after children now. How are parents supposed to respond to this atrocity? PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN! Make sure they know that no one should touch them in their privates from a very young age. I worry about parents sending their children to any public schools now. Read this frightening story by "Tommy" who was sexually abused by his teacher/preacher. {Warning: It's very difficult to read.}

Our culture is no longer safe for children. What is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. God told women to be keepers at home so the Word of God will not be blasphemed and I believe the main reason for this is that God wants children home full-time with their mothers; under their mother's watchful eye and protection. Read to them and teach them math. There are many wonderful programs on the computer you can use for them to learn without them being able to access and roam the Internet.

Be as wise as serpents, women, in regards to your children's safety. You know being a keeper at home is a theme of mine but the Lord commanded I teach it to you, so I will continue to try and reason with whoever will listen. Don't allow sexual predators to steal your children's childhood from them.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, 

as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Failing to Appreciate What We Have

We're so good at not appreciating what we have. Women with no children wish they had children. Women with children complain about their children. Women who work full-time wish they could be home full-time. Women who are home full-time complain that their husbands don't help with the children and home enough. Women whose husbands can't find a job complain about their husband's laziness. Women whose husbands work hard complain that their husbands aren't home enough. Do you see why God has commanded us to not complain? Everyone has trials and sufferings. No one will go through life without hard times and difficulties wherever they are in life.

If you can't have children, feel free to grieve since this is very painful for women to endure. However, after a time of grieving, find something productive to do with your life. Involve yourself in some type of ministry, help mothers of young children, teach piano, tutor in math, adopt children or find something that you can use your gifts and talents. God can use you in powerful ways even without children. Look at Mother Teresa and Nancy Leigh DeMoss as examples. Our worth doesn't come from having children; it comes from who we are in Christ.

If you have children, love them and learn to enjoy raising them in the ways of the Lord. "Do the next thing," as Elisabeth Elliot wrote. If your home isn't spotless, it's okay. Teach your children to help with housework and cooking. Those babies will be grown up and gone before you know it so relish the time that you have with them and be thankful. They should grow up with a thankful mother instead of a complaining one. This will make their life one of joy instead of sorrow.

If you have to work full-time, do all you can to be able to be home full-time by praying and giving it to the Lord. Live as simply as you can and try living on your husband's income. In the meantime, however, learn to be content since godliness with contentment is great gain. Be Jesus to those you work with. Use your time in the workplace to share the Gospel with your words and with your life.

If you are home full-time, work hard at home. Keep your home clean and tidy. Shop for nourishing food for your family. Cook things from scratch. Figure out ways to save money and make your home a place of peace and joy. Be hospitable and welcome others into your home. While they are there, make sure you work to make their time a happy one, especially your husband!

If your husband is out of a job, pray and learn to live very simply. Don't waste anything. Don't buy new clothes but enjoy the ones you have. Try to keep a joyful countenance so your husband doesn't get too discouraged. Encourage him consistently since a man's work is usually tied up to his manhood. God created him this way. He is supposed to work hard to provide for his family. Cast your cares upon the Lord for He is your provider and He has it all under control.

If your husband works "too" hard and is rarely home, when he is home, make your home a wonderful place for him to be. Fix his favorite food. Make sure you discipline the children properly so they are a joy to be around for your husband. Working out in the world is tough so he needs a place to come where he can put up his feet and relax. Don't nag him about helping you and about the TV he watches. Love him and appreciate him for working so hard to provide for you and your children.

In conclusion, appreciate where the Lord has given you. Stop complaining for this is sin and self-pity is Satanic. Complaining never accomplishes anything good or productive. It just makes everything worse. Appreciate what the Good Lord has given you for godliness with contentment is GREAT gain!

Do all things without grumbling and disputing.

Philippians 2:14

The Crux of the Gospel ~ Romans 6:1-6

Romans six through eight are the crux of the Gospel. "The believer is taken out of the death of Adam to be placed into the death and then the life of Christ!" This is a thrilling and life-changing study. I have been teaching the book of Romans to the chat room the past few months but have decided to teach these three chapters in posts so I will have them for my reference. These three chapters were life changing for Ken and me and many who have understood the depths of what Christ's death on the cross accomplished for all who believe. I will be teaching you from Michael Pearl's teachings as well as some thoughts of my own.

Paul has just told us in the previous chapter that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" {Romans 5:20}. The introduction of the Law, which explained sin, caused sin to abound since everyone knew right from wrong now and this lead to grave consequences, but God's answer to this was much more abounding grace through the death of His Son. Therefore the next question some may ask is...

 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? {Romans 6:1} Many will use the occasion of God's grace to say they can now sin. Is this what Christ came to die for; that we may sin more? Is grace limited to the power to forgive and pass over sin? It's disheartening to hear so many Christians using grace as an excuse to sin and cover their continuing sin.

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? {6:2} "God forbid" is the strongest negative possible. Here Paul is introducing an amazing new concept. Continuing in sin is NOT an option for those that are dead to sin - dead to the power of sin to reign over the body of flesh. We are dead to sin!!! {Paul will repeat this type of phrase six times in this chapter, hence I will underline them for you to notice.}

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {6:3} This is NOT water baptism. This is an immersion into Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ {Galatians 3:17} and Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead {Colossians 2:12}.This baptism, which places the believer into the death and resurrection of Christ, is done by the operation of God; that is, God is the baptizer! {So many verses in the Bible will make sense once you understand all of this truth.}

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life {Romans 6:4} When Christ was buried, the believer was buried with Him. Christ's history becomes the believer's history. The newness of walking comes from a new life; the life of Christ.

 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: {6:5} When Christ was planted in the grave, the believer was planted with Him. When Christ rose, we rose Him!

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin {6:6} “Knowing this…” The believer’s co-crucifixion/resurrection with Christ is not something to which we aspire, but it is a past fact we are to know! The “old man” is history. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new {1 Corinthians 5:17}. We are a brand new creature!

The old man no longer exists in a regenerated believer. The believer's only reality is that of the new man. Every aspect of the believer is new man. If the believer sins, it is the new man that sins. The old man was the natural man, the Adam man, earthy, natural, carnal, dead in personal trespasses, weak through the flesh, and could not please God. The old man was without God and without hope. He was sold under sin. 

The new man now sustains a relationship only to Christ and not to Adam. The old man is crucified with him. Paul is not challenging us to "die to self," as many have maintained. We are not told to seek crucifixion. Crucifixion with Christ is not the goal, but the very historical event on which we originally entered a relationship with Christ the moment we repented and believed in Him. Being baptized into Christ, we are placed into his death, thus freed from Adam so we can be married to Christ {Romans 7:1-3}. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. {Galatians 2:20} This crucifixion results in the body of sin being destroyed. Now believe it to be so! This, my friends, is the freedom we have in Christ.

The next verse begins HERE.

He Leaves a Messy Sink

{Written by a woman from the chat room}

Hello ladies! I would like to share something about these pictures. They are before and after shots of my husband's side of our bathroom. I would like to give some perspective here. I know many of us are tempted to be irritated by things like this. Notice the whiskers in the sink? They are hard to see here, but the sink is full of them, but irritation is not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about thankfulness. 

You see, when you have a husband who deploys, these things take on a whole new meaning. Sometimes, this is the last thing he leaves behind before he goes underway. There have been many times I looked at these things, or his pajamas left on the floor, or his shoes in the living room and thought,"He was just here, he just wore those, and now he won't for months and months." It's the last tangible evidence I have of his presence for a long time. 

Getting home after dropping him at the dock or the hangar, seeing him off for another deployment, and coming home again, I look at those pajamas on the floor and am reminded that just this morning he was wearing those pajamas and snuggled in bed with me. Tonight while I crawl into that bed alone, he has to endure the coldness of the ship's berthing or 16 hours of sitting on a jump seat or on the floor of a cargo plane, going to a hostile place and being away from the love and comforts of home. And so many times after he's left, I've left the "mess" sitting there a while. Not because I'm irritated by it, but because it reminds me of him. 

Now, that being said let me talk about these pictures. These were taken yesterday. My husband was active duty for fourteen years. He was gone a lot. He missed two of our nine children's births, and barely made it back in time for one of them. {He literally walked into the hospital with his sea bag on his back and I was beginning to push out his first son; having come straight from the hangar!} He now works a civilian job and has two years left in the Naval Reserves before he retires. He works a civilian job, drills once a month plus his two weeks out of the year. He is also in school. He does all of these things for us. He supports 9 {soon to be 10} children and a wife, and works hard so that I can stay home and raise them. This is his drill weekend. That means he won't have a day off until next Saturday, so that's 12 straight days of working, but he also has to fit in his school work around all of it. And he takes our sons to scouts. 

Yesterday, this was the "mess" he left before he went to do his "Navy Stuff," {as we jokingly call it}.  I saw it and thought, "That’s it? He didn't leave a very big mess behind!" lol! It took me less than a minute to put his things in the basket under the sink and wipe it all down. And I thought how thankful I am that he will be coming home later that afternoon and can do it again tomorrow, because he doesn't have to be gone right now. We don't have to miss him. We don't have to count the days until he gets back. We get to have him home, and I want to make sure that he feels safe and loved when he's here. 

So think about this, please ladies! When you are tempted to let these things bother you, that somewhere out there is a wife who would give anything to have her husband home to leave his things out, or track mud on the floors, or have him sitting in their couch; even if he is just watching TV or playing a video game. Be thankful he is there and you don't have to wonder and worry and miss him!

An excellent wife who can find?

    She is far more precious than jewels.
 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life

Proverbs 31:10-12

Compare her reactions to her husband to this woman's She Divorced Me Because I Left Dishes By the Sink.

Women Who Left Their Kitchens

The feminists are all fired up with John Kasichs’ comment; "I didn't have anybody for me. We just got an army of people, and many women who left their kitchens to go out and to go door to door to put up yard signs for me." Oh, this is just terrible. "He thinks women are in the kitchen!" One women told him she would vote for him but she wouldn’t come out of the kitchen, so there.

Do you all see how preposterous this is, women? The exact place that God calls women to be, in the home, is now offensive to many women. Few women are in the kitchen anymore. Few even know how to cook. Even fewer know how to cook nourishing food. Many will say they don’t like to cook, so they don’t. They feed their family microwaved food and fast food junk instead, as the children become overweight, out-of-shape, and lonely.

Even the pundits were saying how retro this comment was of Kasich; it even made headline news. This is another example how far women have come and now even disdain their God ordained role. Women, being in the kitchen is a GREAT thing! It means you are in it and at home. It means you are fixing food for your families. It means you care about the health and welfare of your children and husband. It’s right where you are supposed to be! There is nothing more important for you to be doing daily as a woman than nourishing your family's bodies besides teaching your children the Word of God. 

I remember watching an interview with a famous man and woman who both worked full-time. The man at one time during the interview blurted out, "I would love to come home from a long day at work and have a home-cooked meal ready for me and my clothes cleaned." Feminists probably mocked him for even saying this. "He's a big boy. He should get his own food and clean his own clothes." No, if you are a godly woman, you were created to be your husband's help meet in all of these areas. You are the one created to fix him food and clean his clothes. 

Find out the food he wants to eat and prepare it for him. The majority of men alive today would LOVE a wife who fixed them delicious food. All children would love to have a mother who did this willingly for them. Unfortunately for feminist, men haven't been able to accept the feminist's life hook, line and sinker because God created men to need a help meet, even in a feminist culture. This hasn't changed for them one bit.

Men and children have been cheated. They've been cheated of having a wife and mother who loves them enough to be in the kitchen often preparing good food for them. Nourishing their bodies is important in many ways since they all eat at least three times a day. Don't take this job lightly, women, or listen to the lies of our culture. You belong "barefoot and pregnant" in the kitchen! This is all I ever wanted in life and if you are a younger, godly woman, you should as well. While you are in the kitchen, do it heartily as to the Lord. Be thankful for all the food the Lord has blessed you with, the kitchen to be able to fix food in, and for a husband that provides you the money to buy and fix food. Then on voting day, happily leave your kitchen to go vote for Rubio or Cruz who clearly proclaim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

Proverbs 31:14, 15

photo source

Kings and Kingdoms ~ Chapter Fourteen

Years ago, Ken went out with a couple for dinner. Almost every time the husband said something, the wife would screw up her face and look at her husband as if was the biggest liar on the face of the planet. Ken said it was so annoying to see the amount of disrespect this woman was showing her husband. No matter how beautiful this woman was in appearance, she was ugly by her behavior of disrespect towards her husband.

Many of us marry our husbands hoping they will be a perfect help meet to us and when they don't live up to our expectations, we are continually angry with them. Michael Pearl tells young men looking for wives that there is really only one absolutely necessary trait that the girl they marry must posses - a grateful heart. He tells them that the girl they choose must be joyful and thankful that you love her.* {I'm sure glad he didn't say this to Ken or Ken would have never married me. :( } Admit it, women. I bet many of you married your husband thinking of how he would make you happy and satisfy your needs, instead of you thinking how much you want to make him happy and satisfy his needs.

Every institution in this world has one leader. Our country has a President; states have a Governor; cities have a Mayor; jobs have a boss; marriages have a Husband. Man was created to rule. It is his nature but the only place most men will ever rule is their own little kingdom called home. At the least, every man's destiny is to be the leader of his household.* Don't take away this privilege from your husband, women. Make it easy for him and allow him to be the leader. If you say your husband isn't the leader, give it over to him. When he wants to go out to eat, ask him where he wants to go and then go there. When you are fixing dinner, ask him what he wants and then fix it. As you begin making him the leader in the little things, he will begin taking over the big things.

As your leader, you must show him reverence since God commands this of you. If you show it to him grudgingly, he will be able to see it. Reverence is not just how you act; it is how you feel and how you respond with words and with your body language.* If you are a wife who has spent years showing your husband disrespect by the words you said to him and by the way you have treated him, you must go to him and repent of your words and actions towards him. Until you repent, he cannot love you with abandoned joy.* True repentance doesn't only mean you are sorry and ask him for his forgiveness. It means you stop disrespecting him and begin showing him the reverence that he deserves because of the position in the home he holds. When a man is reverenced by his wife, it is a powerful tool that will begin to have a profound effect on even the meanest of husbands. You cannot command your husband to love you, and you have no right to expect him to love you when you are unlovely...His very nature is made to respond to us if we will only treat him with reverence.* 

1 Peter 3:6 states, "Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord..." Sarah reverenced Abraham by calling him lord and adorned herself with her subjection to him. This is what God calls us to do and you will never be truly happy until you obey this command. To reverence a husband is to be delighted and thankful.* It's not to control or manipulate your husband; it is to be delighted and thankful that he chose you to be his wife and show him this the rest of your days. Your husband is your king and he chose you to live in his kingdom!

Yes, all of this is so completely opposed what our culture is teaching women today. Most women don't hear things like this in Christian schools, in their homes, in their churches or in women's conferences but it's an important thing for women to hear if they want to obey God and have a marriage the way God intended it to be. For God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..."{Hosea 4:6}. The more you show your husband reverence, the more he treasures you and treats you like his queen.*

*Quotes from the book.

Repentance that Leads to Salvation

Many disagreed with me on my post about living a life of repentance. The Bible doesn't teach that we must lay in bed every night and try to remember every single sin we did that day and ask for forgiveness. There is nothing in the Word of God that commands we do this type of thing since every single one of our sins was forgiven the first day we repented {turned away from our life without God and turned to Him and His ways}. All of our sins {past, present and future} were paid for and forgiven at the cross and we received this forgiveness the day we repented and believed. This isn’t something I have made up; it’s in the Word of God. Read Romans 6. Paul tells us multiple times that we are freed and dead from sin. It's all been forgiven! Spend your time in bed at night praising the Lord for the great work He has done in you.

The day after that post was published, Ken and I read this in Charles Spurgeon’s Morning Evening ~

The verse was from Isaiah 44:22, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, they transgressions and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.” Spurgeon wrote, “Let our joyful eye dwell upon THE NOTABLE ACT of divine mercy-"blotting out." God Himself appears upon the scene, and in divine benignity, instead of manifesting His anger, reveals His grace: He at once and for ever effectually removes the mischief, not by blowing away the cloud, but by blotting it out from existence once for all. Against the justified man no sin remains, the great transaction of the cross has eternally removed His transgressions from him. On Calvary's summit the great deed, by which the sin of all the chosen was for ever put away, was completely and effectually performed."

The moment we repent and believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior “we are washed, but we are sanctified, but we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” {1 Corinthians 6:11}. The writer of Hebrews then writes, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God” {Hebrews 6:11}. Once we repent by turning away from a life without God to a life with God, we are free and dead from sin. We are new creatures in Christ and walk in newness of life.

I love what one person commented on my repentance post. “I agree that we don't need to confess sins for forgiveness. For myself, I just find myself agreeing with God when He puts his finger on an area of sin in my life. And, now, instead of wallowing in guilt and shame, I can thank Him and praise Him because I know that when He does that, He's going to bring me into more freedom in that area in my life. And, His grace is sufficient for me in those weaknesses. The realization of those truths make me a much more cooperative child as He is working in me to will and do of His good pleasure as opposed to feeling guilty, ashamed or fearful of His response or how He thought/felt of me. How can you run to a Father when you feel those things? But, it's much easier to run to the Father and trust Him when you know that your sin has been fully dealt with and hurled to the depths of the sea. Love the book of Hebrews, so much of it speaks to what we're talking about here."

Hebrews 10:14-18: "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,' he also adds, 'I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.' Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin."

Does this mean we are free to sin? NO, as Paul said, "By no means! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" He knew that there would be some that would say that we could magnify the grace of God if we kept on sinning and he spoke very clearly that this grace was not a license to sin. So, while we remember that we are forgiven of all of our sin and that it has been fully dealt with, we also remember the truths that we have died to sin and are alive to God. If you are a new creation in Christ, you do not want to sin. You have the life of Christ in you. You may stumble, but you will not ever be "at home" living in sin the way you were before becoming born again. {Thank you to whoever wrote this wonderful and encouraging comment!}

Jesus paid for every sin one of your sins at the cross. You are completely forgiven of every single sin you have committed and will commit, the moment you believe. You are now a new creature in Christ! Now that you are a believer, repent {which means to 'turn away'} from all sin in your life and begin living like the saint God calls you. "Go and sin no more!"

Finally, here is another entry by Charles Spurgeon from Morning Evening. {I encourage all of you to have this convicting and encouraging devotional!}

Come, my soul, think thou of this. Believing in Jesus, thou art actually and effectually cleared from guilt; thou art led out of thy prison. Thou art no more in fetters as a bond-slave; thou art delivered now from the bondage of the law; thou art freed from sin, and canst walk at large as a freeman; thy Saviour's blood has procured thy full discharge. Thou hast a right now to approach thy Father's throne. No flames of vengeance are there to scare thee now; no fiery sword; justice cannot smite the innocent. Thy disabilities are taken away: thou wast once unable to see thy Father's face: thou canst see it now. Thou couldst not speak with him: but now thou hast access with boldness. Once there was a fear of hell upon thee; but thou hast no fear of it now, for how can there be punishment for the guiltless? 

He who believeth is not condemned, and cannot be punished. And more than all, the privileges thou mightst have enjoyed, if thou hadst never sinned, are thine now that thou art justified. All the blessings which thou wouldst have had if thou hadst kept the law, and more, are thine, because Christ has kept it for thee. All the love and the acceptance which perfect obedience could have obtained of God, belong to thee, because Christ was perfectly obedient on thy behalf, and hath imputed all his merits to thy account, that thou mightst be exceeding rich through him, who for thy sake became exceeding poor. Oh! how great the debt of love and gratitude thou owest to thy Saviour!

"There is therefore now no condemnation."

Romans 8:1

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 
when sorrows like sea billows roll; 
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, 
It is well, it is well with my soul. 
Refrain: 
It is well with my soul, 
it is well, it is well with my soul.

 My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! 

My sin, not in part but the whole, 
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, 
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

The College of Contentment

The other day, I was complaining to Ken about the possibility of a Trump presidency. When I was done, I thought a few minutes and told him, "Next time I complain about this would you remind me that this isn't our home and that we're strangers and pilgrims just passing through." In a round about way, he let me know that he'd let me clearly know whenever I complained about anything!

A few mornings later in our devotional we read this in Morning Evening by Charles Spurgeon ~

I have learned whatever state I am in,

 therewith to be content.

Philippians 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. "Ill weeds grow apace." Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. 

If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener's care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. 

Paul says, "I have learned . . . to be content;" as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content," he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave-a poor prisoner shut up in Nero's dungeon at Rome. 

We might well be willing to endure Paul's infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.

God hates grumbling and complaining. Look at what He did to the Israelites when they grumbled and complained. This leads to being unthankful which is on the path to destruction and a reprobate mind according to Romans 1. Let us not be a people of grumbling and complaining but people who keep our eyes on things above and not on things of this earth; for it is all passing away, but God's Word abides forever. 

Do ALL things without grumbling or disputing.

Philippians 2:14 

***Bottom line, even if Trump becomes our President, don't lose hope for our hope isn't in our President. It is in Jesus Christ who is the Savior of the world!

The Time is Now; Mothers Go Home!

After reading the article I posted recently Growing Up Fast: Why 12 Year Old Girls are Having Sex Earlier, Rougher explaining what young children are being exposed to and the destruction it is causing in their lives and then reading Michael Pearl's article This is the Last Righteous Generation {The Pearls hear from families all around the world and know clearly what is happening with our children.}, I've been even more convinced that now is the time for mothers to go home and raise their children. Your children need your protection from the evil influences that are happening at an alarming rate in the society around us.

Pornography is available at a click of a mouse. It is evil, insidious, and destructive. It is NOT something you want your children to be exposed to when they are young, innocent and defenseless. You must not allow your children to go to sleepovers since you have NO idea what goes on behind the closed doors of other families and how protective they are of their children. You need not be afraid for we know Who is in control and Who is going to win but we must use wisdom and discernment in protecting our children.

The Bible tells us that in the last days there will be a great falling away of the church. You can see this happening all around us. Many preachers are preaching a watered-down Gospel so as not to offend and "Christian" blogs are all about grace and love, carefully avoiding judgment, sin, and condemnation plus the wrath to come for all those who refuse to repent of their evil deeds. We must NOT be afraid to speak Truth and do whatever we must do to protect our children from this evil and perverse generation.

Many earlier generations in the Bible got farther and farther away from God's ways because the parents failed to teach their children His ways continually, so each generation grew deeper into sin and worldly pleasures, thus becoming seekers of pleasures rather than seekers of God. In many churches today, we hear more about wealth and happiness than denying ourselves, being servant of righteousness and forsaking sinful lives.

Michael Pearl gives seven suggestions for protecting your children: 1) Don't send your children to private or public schools with cell phone or web access; 2) Don't allow your children to possess any online devices or know your passwords; 3) Don't allow your children to operate online media without your presence there; 4) Don't allow your children to associate with other children who are not carefully protected; 5) Warn them of Satan's devices and the power of porn; 6) Give them an example of a strong and happy marriage and give them a desire for a virtuous life as they watch you; 7) Never trust your children or anyone if their activity seems suspicious. 

Always remember, this is a spiritual battle being waged in the heavenlies for the souls of man. Put on the full armor of the Lord {Ephesians 6:10-18}. Pay careful attention to your children's environment. Don't allow evil into your home. Make sure they know that it is unwelcome in your home. Teach them God's Word and His ways continually making sure they understand that they can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens them and that God's power is so much more powerful than the enemy's. Be joyful so they will be attracted to the Jesus in you. Remind them often of who they are in Christ and all the riches they have because of Him. After all, the God of the universe lives mightily within us!

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, 

and in the power of his might.

 Put on the whole armour of God, 

that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11

***Michael Pearl wrote a post Two Front War on Christianity. 
I encourage you to read it.