K4D Rising #4

[K4D]

A&K,

I do recognize that God is challenging me and testing me right now. And I realize I fall way to often. I do realize that he has given me many great gifts and I try to remember to thank him for those gifts each day.

I'm just saying that in a world that has decieved themselves into legalizing adultery and pretending that it is M, I have no defense other than what the bible and church say on the covenant and sanctity of M and I stand by it.

Here is something I read from rejoice ministries today.

"How Do I Know God's Will For My Marriage?"
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

Are you willing to seek the Lord to know His will for your life? Are you willing to do God's will regardless of His assignment? Choose today to pick up your cross and follow Him forever. He will never lead you down a wrong path. Imagine if you had sought the Lord at an earlier age seeking to know and do the will of God in your life and marriage. How different your marriage may have been!

"I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8

Today, your question may be very simple. "How do I know God's will for my marriage?"

A few years before I divorced Bob, I met with our pastor. I told him briefly some of our marriage problems. I also told our pastor how much I loved Bob and did not believe in divorce. He talked to me for a little while, but then he said, "Charlyne, I feel God wants me to give you a scripture that you need to do for the rest of your life. I hope it becomes very special to you."

Well, I was deeply disappointed with him giving me one scripture, but now I share it frequently in devotionals and to many people. I did not allow the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart at that time. I had to wait until it came alive to me after our divorce. I pray that this scripture will become like manna was to the Israelites or let it be your "rhema" word for today.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

As you seek to "know and do" the will of God may this be one of the first scriptures that you choose to memorize. The Lord does have a sense a humor with me because this scripture came alive to me at the beginning of my stand. Then the Lord gave me months later, another scripture in Philippians 4:4-9. I will let you look this scripture up, a hint: "rejoice!"

Let me share several scriptures that will help you to "know" God's will for you regarding marriage. Have you started to stand and fight for your marriage? Then you need to look up all the scriptures in the Bible about marriage and divorce. You need to read and understand them. Another suggestion, cross-reference them also.

If you were taking a college course, you would have to read a large book on the subject you are taking. You need to get serious and start reading the Bible. May I suggest you read the Bible daily, but try reading the Bible topically. The Lord will teach you a lot about different topics. You will learn how to become a strong Christian and become the wife/mother or husband/father that you need to become by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me start sharing a few scriptures that begin in Genesis. As you read the Bible, you will read that God created man and then God created the woman as God said "It is not good for the man to be alone." Genesis 2:18

"Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:22-24

So God created a woman to be the man's helpmate and loving companion. You need to learn how to "know" and "do" the will of God in your marriage. Let me have you read two powerful scriptures that will show you that God wants marriages to be all that He created marriage to be in the beginning, one-flesh and forever.

"Another thing you do: You flood the Lord's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, "Why?" It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the Lord Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith." Malachi 2:13-16

"Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." Matthew 19:3-9

You need to believe in the institution of marriage, the permanence, the sanctity and the covenant of marriage. There are so many different scriptures that teach us about the permanence of marriage:

"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife." I Corinthians 7:10-11

"A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God." I Corinthians 7:39-40

"When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." Mark 10:10-12

There are many other scriptures about marriage and about husbands and wives, but today I pray that you will start the first step in "knowing and doing the will of God" by crying out to the Lord and telling Him that you want to "know" His will for your life and marriage. Will you make that first step and cry out asking Him for His direction and answers for only your life and marriage?

"'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'" Jeremiah 33:3

The only thing I disagree with here is that adultery is a reason for D and remarriage. The catholic church does not agree with the modern use of adultery as a reason to D and remarry. You can read up on why if you are inclined to do so.

Kevin