Greener Grass on the Other Side

Driving down a Texas country road is an interesting experience. You can pass large manicured ranches, trailer homes that have seen better days, old barns that must have been beautiful at one time, oil rigs, hay bales, and much more. The interesting terrain is adorned in a variety of ways, but the land is often occupied by livestock - horses, sheep, deer or cattle.

On one such drive, I observed an interesting situation. A Texas longhorn - a very large Texas longhorn - had forced his head through a fence in order to eat what seemed to be the greener grass on the other side. Whether he had done this before or not, I don't know, but I wondered how he was going to get his head back through the fence once he was through with his snack. It certainly must have been easier to put his head through the fence than to back it up again.

I guess I will never know his trick as we didn't wait until he was through to see how he did it. I knew that if he had problems, I wouldn't be able to help him. I am not comfortable around a large steer and could possibly get injured in the process. It would have taken someone who knew how to handle such an animal to assist him if he needed help.

People are a lot like that Texas longhorn. We often don't think of the consequences when we see something we want. It appears to be there for the taking. The grass seems greener on the other side.

Like that Texas steer, reaching out to take what we want may lead to complications. Once the decision is made, we may discover that it was not good for us after all. It is possible to get stuck in the fence, having to call on others to help us, possibly injuring ourselves and them in the process.

That is exactly how sin began. Can't you imagine that Adam and Eve wished they had left that forbidden fruit alone? On their own, they could not get back to the place where they had been before they sinned. They lost their place in the Garden of Eden.

God knew how to restore His relationship with man. He sent His Son, who was injured and died in the process of helping us, to bring us back where we need to be - safe and secure on God's side.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate, and she also gave it to her husband... and he ate... therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6-22-23).

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Persistence Pays Off

I heard a story about a man who for some reason could not get a flight out of a certain city so he went to a hotel where he frequently stayed. He asked the receptionist about a room; when she checked for a vacancy she told him that there were none, he asked her to check again and again she said that no room was available. He called for the manager and the manager checked for a room then told the man that nothing was available. The men said what if the president called and ask for a room would you find one for him? the manager said, yes we would, then the man said, well it is not likely that he is coming so can I have the room. The point of this story is persistent pays off.

The word persist means to go on resolutely in spite of difficulties and that is what Jesus want us to do because He knows that our persistence will pay off. In fact He told a story about persistence in Luke 18:2-5 He said there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man, now there was a widow in that city and she came to him, saying get justice for me from my adversary and he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, though I do not fear God nor regard man; yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. This woman did not give up until she had what she wanted; the judge's no answers did not stop her because she was determined to get what she wanted.

We may not get what we want immediately, in fact we might be turned down many times but we still should not give up on our hope and dream. If we would continue to believe we will see the desire of our heart manifested. Proverbs 13:12 read hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Defer means to yield to opinion or wishes of another. We might have to yield our heart's desire temporarily but that does not mean we give up; we keep going in spite of what was told to us.

Opposition of our heart's desire can come from within our own home and mostly likely it will especially if others do not share our dreams but do not get discouraged about that because God is bigger than any oppositions that we might face just continue to pursue the dream. He will bring it to past.

Hebrews 10:23 and 35-36 read let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence which has great reward for you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. The Lord spoke a word to me twelve years ago; I am still waiting for it to be manifested. He spoke something to me about three years ago; I am still waiting on that also. Concerning the twelve years thing, once I was letting go of it but the Lord sent a man from New Mexico or Mexico to my church and this man really encouraged me in fact, he talked on Hebrews 10:23 and it was as if he was speaking directly to me. His message got me back on track and I have been there every since that day.

Some time persistence is to just wait on the Lord and do nothing but thank Him for it, this is certainly the case with me about the twelve year thing. Some time the only thing that God wants us to do is wait and even in that, we persist. We are not out of His will when we do nothing but that can be hard to do at first because our mind is accustomed to doing things.

All the promises of the Lord is yes and amen but that does not mean it will be revealed at once but if we have received His promise, we should not let it go no matter of the time space or oppositions that will come. We should endure everything until we see the fullness of it.

We live in a world of great inventions but these inventions did not occur over night; those who thought of them had to endure oppositions; they had failures and other people told them no but none of that stopped them, they persist until they received what they wanted and most of them were not God minded but they got what they wanted anyway because they persist. How much better would it be for us having God on our side along with our persistence? It would be a lot better because we have one thing that the world does not have and that is peace of mind with confidence that our desire will be seen.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

And He Brought Us Out

"And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers."

As the Lord brought Israel out of bondage and gave them a land of their own for an eternal inheritance, the Lord has also promised all who believe in His Son to bring us all out of bondage and into a land flowing with milk and honey, an eternal Land, a kingdom of everlasting joy and peace.

Salvation is appropriately in theology, the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness. This is the great salvation.

The Bible tells us this commandment, which is a repeated theme in the New Testament; Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

In the fear of the Lord and judgment and trembling as child who knows the power of their Father. Rejoice in trembling never forgetting that it was Christ by His Fathers will, that He gave His life to save us all from the bondage of sin. Wherefore, in either the presence of man or in solitude, remember that the Lord knows all, sees all and records all that a man does in this life.

As the Lord heard the cries of the children of Israel, under bondage by the Egyptians, He heard the cries of the gentiles that were under bondage of sin and Satan. There was no salvation, no deliverance for us until God sent His Son to offer Himself as a sacrifice for all men, a lamb without spot or blemish, blood without sin. This is not to say that gentiles were without a judgment by God, on the contrary they were judged on their works, whether they were good or evil as stated by Paul in Romans 2:12 and 1st.Corinthians 9:21.

And He brought us out... that He might bring us in. He has brought out many who will believe in His word and His Son, out from the weight and burdens of sin, sin that was destroying our bodies, minds and souls, sin that cared not for man nor has concern for our welfare or well being. Sin destroys a mans ability to think rationally, sin destroys man by deception.

The Lord can bring us out of the bondage to alcohol, out of the bondage to drugs, out of the bondage to homosexuality, out of the bondage to adultery, out of the bondage to greed, lust, pride, and even demon possession, yes demons really exist and have taken over multitudes with deception and false doctrines.

Remember the old song, "Just as I am"? Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. This song reminds me of the reason that the Lord sent His Son, without one plea, no excuse or reason for our sin, our iniquities, our unrighteousness, no reason that we should receive a pardon or forgiveness, we have no excuse to present before God that He would accept, for even the Lord says; "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin."

The Lord can bring us out of the bondage because of the blood shed by Jesus upon the cross. Our righteousness is as filthy rags before God and we are able to enter into His kingdom, through Christ because acceptance of the Lords great salvation cloths us in Gods righteousness, as it is written, not by works but through faith.

Each and every man living upon this earth has at one time or another heard the word of God and for this reason no man will have excuse. The enemies of the cross of Christ have been mobilized against all aspects of Christianity and Gods word. They have sought to silence it from the beginning and will continue to do so until the time of Christ return, when Christ will eliminate all false religions, doctrines and Gods, for it is written that He shall rule the nations with a rod of iron.

Many today have fallen victim to false doctrine and the influence of anti-Christ. They have divided the church body, being now called liberal and conservative, in Christ there is no division, we either believe in Christ or we do not, we either believe in Gods word or we do not, we either stand on the truth or we fall into darkness.

When the Lord brings men out of bondage many times men will once again set themselves up to once again being in bondage as spoke of here; " For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."

We are set free from our bondage of this world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Son and only begotten Son of God. This statement will, if men have their way will become unlawful to say, but the true followers of God, who have been set free from bondage, will not fear what man can do to them.

In these end days many shall return into bondage of sin because they have forgotten who they were before they were saved, forgotten who they were to serve and follow, forgotten what the Holy Spirit had taught them about the truth of Gods word, forgotten all the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven that that they were enlightened into, they have forgotten God.

And He brought us out of sin, forgiven, sanctified and justified... that He might bring us in, into His kingdom, His rest and His family.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Mystery of Melchizedek Revisited

In any bible study on the epistle to the Hebrews, there is, inevitably, the figure of Melchizedek, who may not be quite mysterious in the epistle, due to the epistle writer's interpretations. To unravel who this figure is, in the Hebrew bible, where he originates, is not quite as easy a task. Some have commented, and even concluded, that the mystery of Melchizedek is finally solved. These solutions, though, are interpretations, not exegesis of the original material.

I am revisiting the mystery hoping to shed more light on the emergence of this character, in order to understand the retrospect picture presented through interpretation or even hermeneutics. This presentation and revisit is not intended to refute those interpretations but rather seeks to elucidate on the picture seen by the pre-New Testament readers.

Melchizedek in the Hebrew Bible

There are two references to Melchizedek in the Hebrew bible - once in Genesis and the second time in Psalms.

In Genesis 14:18 we read the following: "And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High". In verses 19 and 20 Melchizedek blessed Abraham - then he was still Abram - with these words: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" Then, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

The Context:

In a battle of four kings against five in the Dead Sea valley, "the four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food;... They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot, and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom" (Genesis 14:11-12). Abraham, aided by 318 of his trained fighters went out to rescue his nephew.

Upon his return, Abraham was met by the king of Sodom in the Valley of Shaveh, also known as the King's Valley. It was at this point that Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham and pronounced the blessing.

Five Points to consider:

There are five points we need to observe closely. All of them have been interpreted in the epistle to the Hebrews or in light of it, but here we are trying to see their significance to Abraham and in later interpretations of the Hebrew bible

1. The name Melchizedek literally means "king (melech) of righteousness (tzedek). This meaning would have been obvious to Abraham, that "my visitor's name is king of righteousness". The question I am raising here, is: what, in fact, did Abraham associate with the name of his visitor? Did he interpret anything at all from the name?

2. Salem: Salem here is Jerusalem, and it means "peace". This is the only reference in the whole Torah - Pentateuch - where Jerusalem is mentioned by name. Furthermore, as a descendant of Shem, Abraham received from Melchizedek the blessing in the place that will ultimately become the religious and royal center of the people of Israel.

3. God Most High is the translation of El Elyon the name for God used forty five times in the Hebrew bible, twenty of those in the Psalms. The usages of this title are, most of the times, very closely linked to temple service.

El Elyon emphasizes exaltation and absolute lordship and thus combines priestly service with monarchical lordship. These nuances are well interpreted in the epistle to the Hebrews with regard to the High Priest and the Messiah.

4. Bread and wine: From the perspective of the New Testament and Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, Melchizedek bringing out bread and wine is understood in retrospect. The question I pose is: What, if any, was Abraham's interpretation?.

In Exodus 25:30 we read about the bread of the Presence, or holy bread. There are more references in 1 Samuel 21:4, 6 where we read: "The priest answered David, 'I have no ordinary bread at hand, only holy bread... So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence... ". This holy bread was actually twelve loaves placed before God as a sacrificial offering every Sabbath, to be eaten only by the priests

5. Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4

It was pointed out above that the only other reference to Melchizedek in the Hebrew bible is in Psalm 110:4 where we read as follows: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek". What we can gather here is that Melchizedek becomes the founder of a royal priesthood distinct from the later Levitical priesthood.

Based on this text, the Epistle Reading for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost (Hebrews 7:23-28) makes the following interpretation: "For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever" (verse 28).

Conclusions:

Without the New Testament, and especially the epistle to the Hebrews, the figure of Melchizedek remains very mysterious indeed. Later, the Essenes assigned him an eschatological interpretation in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The early church, on the other hand, found a typological interpretation.

For additional reading see:

Melchizedek in Theological Dictionary of the Bible, edited by Walter A. Elwell.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Melania the Younger

Her grandmother was Melania the Elder who came from the illustrious patrician family of Antonii. After the death of her husband Valerius Maximus and the two of her three children Melania the Elder was one of the first Roman matrons to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she met Paula of Bethlehem and Jerome, whose friendship she enjoyed. Melania's son, Valerius Publicola, did not accompany his mother who stayed as a nun in Palestine, but was brought up in Rome and became a senator. His wife Albina gave birth to a daughter whom we know as Melania the Younger.

Her full name was Antonia Melania; she was born to the immensely rich Roman family of Valerii. Their palace was huge; the estate she inherited comprised the territory of several modern countries. Despite all this, the girl felt strong inclination towards ascetic life. Nevertheless, at the age of 13 she was married against her will to her cousin, Valerius Pinianus, who was 17 years old. Melania implored her husband to live together in celibacy, but the young man convinced her that they should have two sons first. Within seven years of their married life they had a girl and a boy, but the children died young. As a result, both Melania and her husband devoted themselves to asceticism and deeds of charity.

This family organized one of the most large-scale philanthropic programs in history: they aided thousands of poor and sick, pilgrims and captives in many lands; they gave donations to many churches and monasteries in Europe, Palestine, Egypt and Syria, sometimes buying entire islands for that. Melania and Pinianus not only spent their income on charity; they were ready to give away the very substance of their riches. During two years they freed more than eight thousand slaves, but the most of them refused to be freed and went to Pinianus' brother.

It was obvious that Melania intended to give away everything she had. Her relatives, especially her mother Albina, a widowed daughter of a heathen priest, opposed to this "mad" plan. They appealed to the emperor so that he should forbid the noble patrician girl doing so, but Honorius sided with Melania. Finally, Albina accepted her daughter's ideals and lifestyle. Pinianus, Melania and Albina left Rome to live in their country estate which was now turned into a great center of religious life and charity. Thousands of people came there looking for aid and comfort.

In 408 Visigoths ransacked Rome and the charitable family moved to Messina, Sicily. Their home was too valuable for any buyer and was burnt in 810 during the next, more violent Visigoth invasion. Very soon Sicily was no more secure. Melania, together with her husband and mother, decided to go to Northern Africa. Accompanied by the elderly priest Rufinus and some of their former slaves, they were shipwrecked but finally were able to reach their estate in Tagaste. Their sanctity was soon famous throughout Numidia. Both Augustine and his friend Alypius were close friends of this family. Melania and Pinianus founded monasteries of which they took charge, living there in great austerity.

By 417 all their riches were spent on charity. Now poor, the family made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Egypt, and then visited Jerusalem, where Melania the Elder lived as a nun: she introduced her granddaughter to the circle of virgins in Bethlehem who were guided by Jerome, including Paula, her cousin. Melania the Younger decided to settle in Jerusalem forever.

In 431 Albina died. Melania founded a monastery on the Mount of Olives and commissioned her husband to find novices for this new institution, but a year later Pinianus fell ill and died. Melania spent four years near his tomb and continuously prayed about her deceased mother and husband. She grew famous and attracted multiple disciples who imitated her holy way of life. Her pagan uncle Volusianus wrote to her from Rome and tried to convince her that she should be married to the emperor Valentinian III. When Volusian was sent as ambassador to the court of Theodosius II, she converted him. In 438 she also met empress Eudoxia, wife of Theodosius, during her visit to Jerusalem. It should be mentioned that Melania played a considerable role in the conflict with Nestorianism.

The holy woman spent her last Christmas with Paula in Bethlehem and died five days after the feast of St. Stephen. Before her death Paula cried and Melania consoled her.

Melania the Younger was almost unknown in the West until Cardinal Rampolla has found her biography in Latin in the Escorial at Vatican in 1884, and later another one, in Greek, in the Barberini library. To be sure, this was a precious discovery for all who are interested in Church history.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Prophecies of the Antichrist: Who the Devil Could the Antichrist Be?

The various prophecies of the Antichrist seem to lend itself to sharp differences of opinion among theologians and laymen prophecy students alike. The divergence of views is divided into two main categories. On the one hand you have the view that puts the Antichrist in the distant past, while the other view regards his advent as a future, end-time fulfillment. The purpose of this article is to propose a solution by which you can unravel the difficulty with understanding end-time prophecy and identify this last-day enemy of Christ.

The best way to understand the different utterances from the various prophets, especially Daniel and John, is to coordinate their testimonies and identify the points of convergence. By the coordination of the different end-time prophecies the Bible has always made itself plain in its description of the Antichrist. Here are some of the specifications of this individual:

• He speaks against God (Rev. 13:6) • He persecutes the saints of God (Dan. 12:7) • He change the laws of God (Dan. 7:25) • He has no desire for women (Dan. 11:37) • He will rule for 1260 days (31/2 years)(Rev. 13:7) • He will deny that Christ is come in the flesh (2Jn. Vs. 7) • He will exalt himself above every god and all that is worshipped (2Thess. 2:3, 4)

Having religious authority Among the things that are clearly implied in the prophetic word in relation to the Antichrist is the fact that he will be a religious leader exercising religious authority. It is through the exercise of this authority that the world will be plunged into apostasy. It will be on account of his supremacy that the mark of the beast is issued and the image of the beast set up. This will be a new religious system that will be foisted upon the world in the latter days.

The Antichrist's association with Mystery Babylon In the seventeenth chapter of the book of Revelation, we are told about a woman sitting on a seven-headed beast. This woman is clearly a symbol of a church system. Woman as a biblical symbol represents a church, but since this woman is said to be a whore, she must be an apostate church. The association of the Antichrist with Mystery Babylon seems to be a clear indication of his spiritual leadership on the global scene imposing this apostate religion on the world.

Who then is the Antichrist The reference to Mystery Babylon as that city that sits upon seven mountains is a clear identification of the city of Rome, which is the only city in the world that fits that description. It, therefore, means that the Antichrist will not only come from Rome, but will be a close associate of the religion of Rome! Are we not told in the parallel prophecies of Daniel that Rome will be the final world kingdom before the Second Coming?

So who is this end-time enemy of Christ? Here are the four major specifications that will help you to unravel the prophecies of the Antichrist:

• He has no desire for women; he is celibate. • He is a religious leader. • He is associated with the religion of Rome. • He assumes titles that belong only to God.

Who is he? I leave it up to you to make you own judgment.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Sodom, True Believers, and End-Time Models

Sex and violence are the secret of success in any modern medium of entertainment. The long time best seller, the Holy Bible, has its fair share of both. The awkward problem for the faithful is to explain it all away. Surely when Jewish scribes were compiling various documents into their Bible they could have edited out the unsavoury or unflattering passages they inherited from their oral traditions.

All other nations, both past and present, seem to make sure their own version of events is appropriately favourable. But the Jews seemed to have no problem dishing it out to themselves. The sins and omissions of kings like David and Solomon are faithfully chronicled. Those who believe most of the Hebrew Bible is fiction need to explain away this negativity since it could be seen as evidence that God inspired the Bible for His own inscrutable purposes.

A Jewish hero called Lot was the patriarch Abraham's nephew. His behaviour as described in Genesis chapter 19 is generally considered absolutely appalling, yet he is called a righteous man in the New Testament. (2 Peter 2:7) He lived in Sodom, where morality wasn't a priority.

God sent two angels in the form of men to assess the people of Sodom with a view to destroying the city if necessary. As it happened Lot met the men at the city gate and, being very hospitable, invited them to his home for the night despite their willingness to sleep on the street. Lot evidently thought that was not a bright idea.

During the evening a crowd gathered outside Lot's house yelling to him to bring the men out "so that we can have sex with them". (v 5 NIV) The details of the story need not concern us but Lot eventually and shockingly offered to send out his two virgin daughters instead of the men. It is hard to find any commentator who defends Lot for this shocking behaviour. Clarke's Commentary claims traditional Eastern hospitality required a host to defend a stranger in his home even at the expense of his own life; but in this case Lot didn't put his own life on the line but his daughters' virginity.

Nothing is said about the daughters' willingness to participate in this game but seemingly they were willing to do their "duty" -- Lot would have had some trouble getting the two out if they didn't want to go. They probably knew many of the men in any case.

The angelic guests decided that Sodom had to be destroyed and told Lot and his wife to get ready with their extended family to leave the city first thing in the morning. The obedient daughters were willing to go but not the guys they were engaged to. (v 14 NIV) It says something for the commitment of these girls to God that they were prepared to leave the luxury of Sodom and head into an unknown future without their partners.

The family duly set off next morning to leave Sodom for good. Their angelic guides cautioned them not to look behind as burning sulphur was about to rain down on the city. But the mother's heart was evidently still in Sodom and she couldn't help but look back. The record says she was turned into a pillar of salt. The obedient daughters steadfastly plodded on with dad, who the previous night had offered them up to the wolves.

Lot and his daughters lived in a small town called Zoar for a time but seem to have found it to be much like Sodom, so moved on, settling finally in a cave in the mountains. Quite a come-down from the luxury of Sodom!

The story doesn't end there. Eventually the older daughter, presumably considering the men of Zoar quite unsuitable and too far away, suggested to her sister that they do their noble duty and preserve their dad's family line by getting pregnant through him. Realizing that he might not like the idea, they got him drunk two nights in a row, and first the elder daughter and then the younger "lay with him", and both became pregnant. You'd have to agree that the sex education available in Sodom must have been up to the very best of modern porn standards for these two virgins to organize impregnation by a drunken dad.

The two sons conceived in this most unusual way both later headed tribes (Moabites and Ammonites) that were thorns in the flesh of the Hebrew people. But one of the descendants, Ruth, became an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

You might think that Jesus would never dare to mention the name of His infamous ancestor, Lot, because Jewish scribes might challenge Him to explain away Lot's offer of his daughters as sex sops. But you'd be wrong. Jesus used the character and fate of Sodom as a picture of the time preceding His Second Coming. He warned the faithful in the predicted chaotic end times of this world to be ready to jump and run at a minute's notice. (Luke 17:28-32) For a wrenching experience like that Lot and his daughters set a worthy example in leaving prosperous Sodom.

Like everybody else the daughters may have shown faulty judgment at times, but when the chips were down they were true believers. Likewise their dad!

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Special 'Delivery'

So, here's some Good News: You're delivered!!! Oh, really?! And, just what, pray tell, am I delivered from? Allow me to answer that question by asking another: What do you need deliverance from? In other words, whatever you need, you've been delivered from it. Everything!

Now, I want you to take particular notice of something I said and something I didn't say, because the contrast important. If you've spent any time in church you've probably heard that deliverance is available through Jesus Christ; and, praise His name, that's certainly the truth. It's real, it's precious, it's an amazing blessing... and, if you read carefully, you saw that it's not what I said.

You see, 'availability' denotes something which might be close by and/or obtainable, but not necessarily in one's current possession. If you're in Christ Jesus, my message to you today is not that deliverance is available through Him, but that you've already been delivered. You already have it!

There's a difference.

Well, it sure doesn't look or feel like I'm delivered from [living paycheck-to-paycheck, sickness, drugs, smoking, drinking, lying, stealing, pornography, dog-kicking, cat-smuggling, mouseketeering - whatever you want to put there is up to you]!Judging by appearances, are we? Therein lies the problem - and, as it turns out, it happens to be a major one (2 Corinthians 10:7).

I'll show you what I mean: Consider a destitute, homeless person. He lives under a bridge - uses a cardboard box to keep the wind away as best he can. He forages through the garbage of others to try to salvage some of the things he needs to survive, including a few mouthfuls of food... and no one seems to care. No one wants him or anything to do with him.

Or so he thinks. Actually, he's been 'wanted' for the last five years, ever since his long-lost twice-removed uncle died, leaving his entire estate - a $100,000,000 estate(!) - to him. So, then, here's a question to ponder: Is this homeless man actually poor, or is he rich?

I suppose the answer to that question pretty much depends on who you ask. But, the only two opinions that actually matter - that carry any real weight - are those of "the Law" and of the man himself. If you approached him and asked (without supplying any other information), "Excuse me, Sir; are you poor?" - well, after performing a patented Three-Stooges 'boinking' to both your eyeballs, he'd probably walk away in extreme indignation. But, if you asked the executor of the estate what he thought about it, his response would probably be something closer to, "Yeah, that guy's stinking, alright - stinkin' rich! By law, it's already his."

The difference - the only difference - between these two points of view? Knowledge.

Well, of course it's 'knowledge.' If the man doesn't know what he has, how can he ever do anything about it?!"Point taken. Nevertheless, just because the man doesn't know about what he owns, it doesn't negate the fact that he owns it. The question itself points this out: "... he doesn't know what he has!" It's all his. It's been his ever since somebody died and left it to him. All he needed to do was (drum roll)... find out about it, and then claim it!

You're healed already (1 Peter 2:24). You're rich already (1 Timothy 6:17; Revelation 2:9). You're delivered already (Luke 4:18). You're free already (2 Corinthians 3:17). You're whole, with nothing missing and nothing broken - already! (2 Corinthians 6:2) Everything that has anything to do with your life has already been given to you in the inheritance left for us by the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3). So, find out about what's included, and start claiming it by faith.

Don't worry; it's yours. Jesus is not only the Testator, He's the Executor of the Estate - and He's faithful to you as an heir of God and joint-heir with Him of the whole world (Romans 4:13, 8:17; Hebrews 3:1, 6; 9:16). You are already delivered! So, stop judging by what you see or feel and start judging your condition by the Will and Testament that's been left you. That's how you appropriate it (Mark 11:22-24).

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

The Generous Life

It's amazing the way revelation works. Over the years, you can read a particular verse or passage in the Scriptures time and again. You can become so familiar with it that you could literally recite it by memory from beginning to end; and even get so 'comfortable' with its words that you begin to think to yourself, "Yeah, yeah... I know all about that (verse). No need to go over it again or hear it preached anymore. I got it; I understand it - nothing more for me to learn there." Yeah, right.

But then you do read or hear it again, and you see something you never quite saw or thought about before. It could be something really, really deep and profound... or something really, really simple - you know, that "as-plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face" kind of simple and utterly profound; so much so that it leaves you sitting there wondering how you could have missed it all this time. And it alters your thinking and outlook from then on.

Well, I got smacked with the 'really simple and profound' one recently. I just happened to be looking at Matthew 9:18, where Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, arrived to ask Jesus to come home with him and heal his daughter. Jesus' response to the request was that He "arose, and followed [Jairus]" (verse 19). Okay, fine, straightforward... read it a hundred times... yeah, He went with him. Then, a thought flashed through my cerebral cortex: "He [Jesus] always went!" I was then prompted to back up a few verses to get the feel of the setting that they were in. As it turns out, they were right in the middle of dinner, or some meal - the point is, they were eating.

Jesus interrupted His meal, not to just go across the room, but to leave the building and go with this man all the way over to his house - while His lasagna sat there, destined to get cold. (If that doesn't resonate with you, just think about the times you may have been a little less than 'warm and inviting' when someone needed your help while you were in the middle of throwin' down at the dinner table. I ask you to consider... because at the moment I'd just as soon not think about my own past actions, thank you very much... but I digress.)

Now, Jairus was a person of considerable standing in the community. He was one of the synagogue rulers. And, back in the day, that was a really big deal. This man wasn't treated like we treat some of our pastors and men of God today. Anyway, he asked something of Jesus, and Jesus didn't say a word; He just got up and went with him.

While they were on the way, some woman had the nerve to come up to Jesus - well, she actually had the nerve to fight her way up to Him. Apparently, she'd had enough of things as they were and decided she was not going to be denied what she needed (Mark 5:25-28). I say that because in her then-present condition (this is, of course, the woman with the issue of blood; and being out in public with an issue of blood made one unclean according to Jewish Law [Leviticus 15:25]), she risked being stoned just for being around other people. In fact, Jairus, the one whose time she was ultimately taking up, could have been the one to put her on the program. Nevertheless, she got what she went there for; and Jesus didn't stop, rebuke or condemn her - in fact, He blessed her! (Mark 5:34) And, Jairus, fortunately (for his daughter), didn't say a word - though it's pretty likely he was standing there twiddling him thumbs with a great deal of force while waiting on them to finish up. But, I'm sure he was well aware of the 'irony' that would have been present in his asking for mercy for his own daughter while spitting out judgment upon someone else (Psalm 18:25-26).

Can you see it what I'm getting at? Jesus was open, willing and generous toward everybody that came to Him, from the ruler of the people all the way down to a despised woman who was an eyelash away from being hit by a bunch of (substantially) large rocks. He never turned anyone down. Whenever someone asked of Him, He always gave them what they had need of. Always! I don't think the word 'No' was in His vocabulary.

Jesus is the perfect picture of God's heart toward us (Hebrews 1:3). Indeed, 'No' isn't in God's vocabulary toward His children - only for matters pertaining to Satan or the curse or things which simply are not for our good. He's said so: all His promises are 'Yes!' to us through Christ Jesus when we respond to Him by saying, "Amen!" - that is, "I agree; So be it!" (2 Corinthians 1:20). It's also why Jesus said, "Give to [all] those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow;" because Love gives (Matthew 5:42 NLT; John 3:16). Such a simple and yet utterly profound mindset. He's telling us to be just like Him, and live the 'generous' life (1 John 4:17) - even when it's right in the middle of your dinner.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Overcoming the Inner Darkness of the Heart

Our secret inner darkness keeps us from growing into the great spiritual man or woman God desires us to be. When we harbor dark secrets within our hearts toward ourselves, our family and friends and even our enemies we are not only displeasing God but we are destroying our own lives. We are preventing the joy of the Lord from regenerating our soul and spirit.

Inner Struggle

Purifying ourselves of inner darkness must be our top priority. If we allow it to remain and grow within our hearts, we will live defeated lives and will not prosper in pleasing God or represent the kingdom of heaven within us. Pleasing God demands integrity and honesty of heart. When a believer lacks these qualities he is struggling with inner darkness.

The Confrontation

Our own thoughts, habits and routines must be released if we are to purify our inner being of evil intentions. We must make a sincere effort to confront what inside us. Ignoring it will only strengthen its hold on our heart and soul. When this happens we will not be able to rise above the negative conditions and circumstances that will surely come our way.

Purification & Patience

Getting rid of our inner darkness will take time. Purification doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes it is a slow gradual process of falling down and getting back up again as long as it takes. Understanding the nature of the process will prevent a believer form becoming discouraged when the same old aspect of inner darkness keeps repeating itself in our lives. The bottle line is to persevere toward inner purification.

Changing for the Sake of Growth

Overcoming inner darkness requires a sincere heart. A believer must be willing to change for the sake of growth. She must be ready to release negative friends and family members who tend to lead her into temptations. When we hang with those who are full of darkness, our own consciousness takes on that sense of darkness. We are then d trapped into the activities of their nature, whether it is dishonesty, abuse, gossip, un-forgiveness or hatred toward some other cultures.

The Eternal Truth & Meditation

In order to purify our heart of inner darkness, we must read and meditate upon as much truth as we positively can. Filling our hearts and minds with eternal truth cleanses our hearts so that peace and joy can prevail. Deep meditation upon the word of God burns the heart with a divine fire. This is certainly no ordinary fire. Instead it is the anointing of God penetrating the very depths of man's heart and cleanses it of all impurities.

Divine Connections in the local Church

However, a believer must not attempt to overcome her inner darkness alone. She must connect herself with others of the body of Christ who can pray for her and encourage her when things fall apart. These are divine connections. Others who are on the road to inner purification can inspire and strengthen us to go all the way. Joining and attending a spiritually dynamic local church will go a long way in helping us to complete the journey of purifying our hearts.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

How to Vote Like a Christian

With election day bearing down on us, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss how Christians should vote. I'm not talking about which party or candidate to vote for, but about the qualities that God requires in those who will govern over us. Yes, the Bible really does set forth criteria for civil leaders and those of us who seek to honor God would do well to observe it. It is found in Exodus 18:21.

"Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:"

We have a bad habit of glossing over things that we've heard before and just saying "yeah, yeah, I've heard that before, it's in the Bible" and moving on to the next topic without pondering the depth of the meaning and its application in our lives. So let's take a closer look at each of the four criteria contained in that verse and get a clearer picture of exactly what kind of civil leaders God is instructing us to choose.

Able Men

This is more than just someone with a degree behind their name, or someone who has climbed the political ladder, has experience in government and "knows the system." It's more than just having made some money, knowing how to smile for the camera and being called "electable." A man can have all that and still be called a fool in God's book.

This is talking about selecting leaders who have proven themselves in making right, wise and honorable decisions in life that have tended toward success and who have produced the kind of fruit in their own life and house that we should want in our corporate house of a community, state or the nation. We can see this same principle at work in 1 Tim 3:4-5 with regard to the selection of leaders within the church. What a man produces by being the head over his marriage, family, business or whatever other affairs of life he has had responsibility in, is the same fruit that he will produce if we make him the head over our corporate household.

This is someone who, if need be, you would entrust your business affairs to, or give guardianship over your children knowing that they would raise them to be Godly, respectable and successful members of society like themselves. In reality, this is exactly what we do every time we cast our ballot, we turn over a portion of the authority to govern our own life, household, business and that of our neighbor as well, to someone who hopefully will be "able" in governing our affairs in a manner that will tend toward our corporate success.

Such as Fear God

Fearing God is not to be confused with mere church attendance or someone saying of a candidate "I hear they're a Christian," or some equally inane idea that the church in America appears to have substituted for "The Fear of The LORD."

According to Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words, the word translated "fear" (Hebrew - yare') means "standing in awe... reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect. In this sense, the word may imply submission to a proper ethical relationship to God."

So a person who "fears God" would stand in awe of his Creator, recognizing His position of authority as the God of Heaven and Earth - the sovereign to whom both men and nations owe their allegiance.

Like America's founders, a civil leader who posses, and is possessed by, the fear of God, would understand that God is the sovereign; that all civil law must comport with His revealed will; that any law that does not comply with the law of the sovereign is no law at all. A candidate for public office who does not demonstrate nor articulate this understanding, either lacks the fear of God or has grown forgetful that the sovereignty of the Creator extends to His creation and have had their understanding so darkened as to believe the satanic lie that the laws of the Creator have no place in governing his creation.

Men of Truth

Truth is much more than the absence of a lie. The Hebrew word translated "truth" in this passage carries the ideas of firmness, faithfulness, sureness, stability, continuance and reliableness. Adam Clark's commentary on this passage describes men of truth as "Honest and true in their own hearts and lives; speaking the truth, and judging according to the truth."

This has much more to do with character, integrity and honor than it does with simply making factual statements. This is what a previous generation referred to as "a man or his word" and sometimes described such a man by saying "his word is his bond." This is a man whose word and a handshake are a much greater surety than any legal contract executed by a dozen lawyers. This is the man spoken of in Psalm 15:4 that "sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not."

A man of truth is a statesman who represents himself to be exactly what he is and who, while in office, does exactly what he said he would do. In this, I can have more respect for a lot of liberals who represent themselves to be the liberals that they are than what I can for many who run as conservatives, then once elected, raise taxes, increase the national debt and bailout Wall Street.

Hating Covetousness

Some translations render this as hating "unjust gain." Now we all know that covetousness, greed, avarice, lusting for money, position or power is wrong, but notice, this verse is not merely saying that civil leaders ought not have covetousness in themselves, it says they are to "Hate" it both in themselves and others.

We obviously ought not give our vote to greedy grabbers who are just looking to climb the political ladder. However, this passage would actually instruct us not to give our vote to anyone who tolerates covetousness in those around them or who has anything less than utter contempt for every manner of exploitative unjust gain.

I am by no means talking about implementing so called "social justice" where government tries to "make" everyone equal. I'm talking about Godly justice where government "treats" everyone equal and protects the weak from exploitation by the rich, the powerful, the mega corporations and the Wall Street banksters. Believe it or not, the Bible actually has a lot to say about justice. We would do well to read it sometime.

The U.S. Constitution

Now I realize that the U.S. Constitution isn't actually mentioned in the passage that we're studying, or anywhere in the Bible for that matter. However, those who we elect to public office will swear an oath to uphold the Constitution - the supreme law of our land. So how can one be called a "man of truth" if he does not fulfill his oath by strictly adhering to the highest law of the land?

To be a man of truth and exercise true fidelity to our nation's founding documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights), a person is going to have to comprehend the actual meaning of the documents and the original intent of their framers. To do this, they are going to have to study the documents themselves, then study those who drafted and/or signed them, then study the philosophies and principles upon which those documents were established. Only after this will a person be capable of implementing the actual intent of the documents and of administering Constitutional governance and protecting the God given rights to life, liberty and property as America's founders intended.

While the qualities described in Exodus 18:21 are more spiritual in nature and are matters of character that can be harder to assess, especially without personal acquaintance with the candidate, adherence to the principles of the U.S. Constitution can be easier to detect. It will require that we, the Christian voter, study our nation's Constitution and be acquainted with the founding principles. However, it shouldn't take long before you find yourself able to detect statements, actions, votes in Congress and policies proposed by candidates that conflict with the clear text of the document or the rights to life, liberty and property.

Choose the Blessing

Choosing to be blessed is as simple as obeying God and walking in His ways.

... Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. (Psalm 112:1) Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. (Plasm 128:1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly... But his delight is in the law of the LORD. (Psalm 1:1-2)

This isn't about earning blessing by being good enough. This is about keeping ourselves in the safe place, the blessed place that God has provided for us, by following all of His instructions - instructions that have been given for our benefit to lead us and guide us to the place where the blessing is.

God wants America blessed - He wants all the nations of the earth to be blessed. He has given us plain and simple instructions as to what kind of civil leaders to select in order to be blessed. So why would we be so foolish as to depart from His loving counsels designed for our protection and venture outside of the safe place, outside of the blessed place?

Let's choose to bless ourselves and our land by choosing God's way - the blessed way.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

It's Our Initiative

What moves God is our reaction to Him evidenced by our faith. For Christians to be affective in fulfilling their calling, a vertical relationship must be established. Many Believers attempt to impress God with their horizontal outreach, which many times are void of faith. Christians are not the only ones who feed the poor or find a need and meet it. There are many non-Christians who are touching the lives of people with just as great an efficiency as the Church itself. What brings the Church into a Godly perspective is when we establish a relationship with God. When we walk with God we establish a personal and living "inner life" with the Creator of all existence. Noah walked with God (Gen. 6: 9) and Enoch walked with God. (Gen. 5: 22, 24) Amos stated, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3: 1) To fully understand God's directives, there must be a connection with Him. How can we expect spiritual satisfaction without a living and growing relationship with God? It is not knowing about God, rather it is knowing God. It is not about "our Father which art in Heaven," rather it is about our Father which abides within us. (John 14: 23) It is not the "bless this food" and the "now I lay me down to sleep," it is rather an ongoing sharing with the One who cares so much for us.

How do we get into that relationship with God that will transcend all our human desires and interests? So many times we wait for God to take the initiative in establishing a relationship with us. What we don't realize is that God is waiting for us to initiate an "open door policy" in which He can enter our lives and have a living relationship with us. Without learning His desire, we substitute works for relationship. We become so involved in horizontal ministry that the vertical relationship is taken for granted. God is not impressed with our works; rather He is moved by our faith. (Heb. 11: 6) Works without a faithful relationship is nothing more than secular humanism. Filling the stomach and clothing the body, while neglecting the spirit and soul of the needy, is to evidence a strained relationship with God. The Christian needs to come into harmony with God through Jesus Christ. When that interaction becomes prioritized, the power of God will be released through the Believing individual to a horizontal ministry that will affect the body, soul, and spirit of others.

God is not impressed with our "weakly" attendance on Sunday. What pleases Him is to see the strength of our daily commitment. Communication is essential to the success of marriages. When couples don't communicate their relationship is strained. Lacking verbal expressions, each travels their own road in pursuit of self gratification. Very seldom is there an evidence of contentment. It is the same way in the Christian walk. Without interaction with God a lack of spiritual contentment develops. Works become the road of Spiritual fulfillment. Many of these efforts are self initiated and result in substitutionary commitment. In other words "works" become our faith.

When the two men on the road to Emmaus encountered Jesus they were at first unaware of who He was. But as they journeyed and heard Him expound the Word, something began to happen within them. When Jesus left them later that evening, they realized who He was and said to each other, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scripture?" (Luke 24: 32) As we develop that relationship with Him, our hearts will "burn within us" as He opens to us the understanding, not only of His Word, but of the things of the Kingdom.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Prayer for Hurting Humanity Everywhere

"Be kind to each other. We have no idea the pain others carry. No idea how hard people are working to transform their hurt into something that heals." ~Jarrod Saul McKenna

We live in a gargantuan world with such wide-ranging experiences - from the dizzying and deceptive materialistic heights to the lows of numb-town; a reality 97% of us have no idea about.

We live at a time when Apple gets all our money and Facebook gets all our time. It's hard to compare the privilege of our time to the arduousness of a time not that long back. Yet with all its privilege - and our sense of unbridled entitlement - the prosperity gospel telling us we should all be blessed - we are staggered to find there is an unprecedented gap between those that have and those that have not.

In a reversal of fortunes the blessed materially are never poorer spiritually.

Like the 13-year-old girls in McDonald's; arguing aloud and calling each other selfish and disrespectful, with not a guardian in sight. These kids had laptops and iPhones, yet not a parent within earshot. They seem to have more than enough, but the very things they truly need - love, discipline, a good role model - are perhaps nowhere to be seen.

These kids have no idea how lost they are. They have only their experience as a gauge. Their life is normal to them, but their pain is ever-present.

As I sat in McDonald's not 10-feet away, pretending not to be perturbed about their behaviour, I couldn't help think about the damage done by guardians (of whatever form) who have neglected these 'spoilt' kids. There are a million characterisations of neglect in this world, without even broaching the subject of overt abuse, for neglect is its own form of abuse.

These kids are carrying pain, and their only defence, their only resistance, is attack. They have no way of dealing in the world other than to fight. We don't have to look far to understand where they learnt that.

And like everybody, there is a great desire within the heart to heal the hurt. It's a tragic irony, then, to observe how these kids, along with many others, will search in all the wrong spots. They will find their 'healing' in alcohol and other drugs, in relationships with equally broken people (perpetuating the pain), and in myriad other forms of pain-perpetuating relief; forms of relief that shatters hope of relief. I'm glad I tried many of these forms of fake relief to know the one and only True Relief.

Everybody needs Jesus, but few actually come close.

The lesson in all this - the lesson for a 'privileged' Westerner like me - is tolerance for the pain behind the person, for the deep-seated anguish simmering away inside.

Heavenly Father,

Make me thankful, and not snooty, for a 'normal' upbringing; for this privileged Australian life; to live in this wonderful land - the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit. Make me compassionate, and, above all reachable, when it comes to the hidden plight of others. When people abuse and attack and annoy, help me to see the fearful rage within them that seeks a home - a place of peace, though they may know it not. Make me submit to your love, to your grace, to your river of peace - that they may find Jesus' peace in me, somehow. Help me be silent at the right time and help me to speak at the right time. Make me humble; your servant.

In Jesus' restoring name, AMEN.

***

When we have an eye for pain and an ear for anguish - the types that are unspoken and even denied - our hearts fill with compassion beyond our fear. In the hardest of hearts are pains so deep, where only the love of Jesus could break through and abide.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness   

Love Is an Act of the Will, Not a Burst of Emotions

Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one toward another. (John 13:34-35).

Love is the badge of Christianity. We are commanded to love one another as followers of Jesus. The love that we are commanded exhibit to the world should also be shown in our interpersonal relationships including marriage.

No one can deny that the divorce rate is skyrocketing. Sadly, the divorce rate within the Christian community is high as well. I won't quote precise numbers, because no one really knows, but in my opinion a 1% divorce rate within the Christian community would be too high.

We as Christians claim to have a God who is all knowing and all powerful. We say that He lives in us by His Holy Spirit who has been sent to lead and to guide us. Some of us even go to Christian marriage counseling before we make the commitment to marry. We seem to have all the tools anyone would need in order to succeed but still the majority of marriages fail.

With all of this going for us, how can we possibly fail so miserably when it comes to sustaining our marital relationships? You would have to factor in many different variables to answer this question. However, I think the pillar on which those factors rest is the fact that many don't understand the definition of the word "Love".

Love is an act of the will, not a burst of emotions. In John 13:34-35, Jesus wasn't talking about the eros (where we get our English word erotic) kind of love, but I believe the principle of being committed to love is clear regardless. Jesus commanded His followers to love one another. You don't have to command someone to do something that comes naturally.

So many times we meet someone we find attractive. We date, we become engaged and we eventually marry based upon emotional excitement. As the emotional high of the relationship begins to subside, we are tricked into thinking that the love we had for the person is subsiding as well.

At this point we may meet someone else who we find physically attractive. This new person may cause our emotions to rise. Thoughts may come of loving this one more than we loved the other one. So we divorce because we think we have fallen out of love with the old partner and fallen in love with the new partner and the cycle of misguided love continues.

Love is Not a Feeling

Love is not a feeling. Love is a decision based upon the will, not an emotion based upon physical attraction. Don't get me wrong, physical attraction to your wife or husband is very important, however physical attraction may subside over time. We cannot afford to base anything pertaining to God (in this case marriage) on emotions. Emotions change like the weather. Emotions cannot be trusted.

Love is a vow. Love is a commitment. Love is a powerful intertwining of two amazingly beautiful people for the cause of giving glory to God. Marriage is taking on an addition, not suffering a loss. For the Christian, love in the marriage context is God, man, and woman becoming one.

If you're reading this article and you feel that the love is gone from your marriage because you aren't on the emotional high you once were on, I'd like to encourage you to renew your commitment to love. Make up your mind to love your partner like never before.

Base your quality of love on you commitment to God and to self and not upon anything that your spouse does or doesn't do. Emotions will follow the action of love, love does not follow the arousal of emotions

If you commit wholeheartedly to love, you'll seen see a return of the emotions and the attraction that you felt for your partner when you first met and in the end, your union will serve to glorify God as He intended from the beginning.

Corrie ten Boom - The Roots of the Jerusalem Prayer Team   Unspectacularly Supernatural   Walking After Emptiness