Making It Plain

It is the end of the year and most of us would make an account of what we have done in the last of these 365 days. We will smile at some of it and maybe some of  those other things... well, its best we not think of them anymore ( Philippians 4:8 KJV ). You know, the stuff that we wish we should have said, should have done, could have done, if it were only for not having this or that. Those are called regrets. For a practicing born again believer, there is no place for any regrets. We have to see them as lessons that will not be repeated. The experience has taught us that given the same opportunity, we will react differently. Emotion will take a back seat to Christian principles , love , and wisdom . These are the things we have practiced to the point of them being habits. This is what we renewed our minds for. Honestly, having that understanding is half the battle in that spiritual warfare we call the evil nature. Its what used to be our rationality basing on what we see , rat...

I recall listening to a sermon about getting a man interested by wearing his favorite color. Because this was a minister and what I recall in the bible, I listened to the instruction, went to the store and bought all of these clothes of this particular color. Every time I went to church, I had this color on that I would not normally wear. Then I thought about it, is this disrupting my peace? Do I like wearing this color? How much money did I spend buying all of these clothes? Who am I trying to impress and even after I get his attention, will I like what he has to say and what he is about? How long will he be staring at the color I have on before finding out what is in my heart? In making an assessment of the person you are dating for the purposes of marriage, there has to come a time where you have some pertinent questions to ask. These questions cannot be superficial and it would give some insight to the person's intentions and exactly what is in his/her heart. Again, as unrom...

I have been studying Paul's writing for quite sometime. There were many passages that left me in a quandary and I either went back over them to meditate on or just left it alone until I could grow up in the Spirit for a better understanding. Marriage was one of those quandaries by which my inner response was, "how could Paul teach something that he has no experience and no knowledge of what the institution consists of?" His rules seemed too strict and bordered on contradiction of the original text (Old Testament). Tried as I could, I still liked my own ideals more than what Paul was trying to teach. The rules that began frustrating me had nothing to do with if you don't have a wife don't try to find one (1 Corinthians 7:27 KJV). Nor was it that if you do marry, you didn't sin; though when you put the two verses together your entire expression would be a question mark. The problem I was having was if I marry I would no longer try to be pleasing to God but ...

The question is when has one exceeded the overflow? There just comes a time where we have to stop and assess our lives and ask ourselves some practical questions. Is it what God called you to do? Are you doing more than what He said to do? Granted, sometimes we just can't help ourselves being made in His image and He being more than enough; however, after His work, the Word states that He saw and said it is good. There was a moment where He canvased all. When do we see what we have done and can call it good? Was it in God? Was it in ourselves whose agenda is subject to change? God has told us to plan and write it down. He tells us to make it plain . Why would such simple instruction be note worthy? Could it be that we could lose focus, be discouraged by others, be influenced by some other idea, or be predisposed to be a man-pleaser? I believe I wrote about this before; however, I have received new insight on the matter. It was about that ministry where the pastor taught th...

For many of us we take the chance with this verse in the bible because we are so enamored by what we see, we don't realize that love just doesn't work this way - especially for the devoted Christian. If you would recall, God is love and it is impossible to please Him without faith (Hebrews 11:6 KJV). Seeing that faith is the substance we hope for and the evidence not seen, how then can we equate love based on what we see? With this understanding, we can tell that beauty has already faded. The verse had also been taught that beauty fades because of age. But the verse doesn't say that. The lesson is taught based on again not experience but what has been seen. There are many of the elderly that if we saw a picture of what they looked like in their younger years, you couldn't recognize them. The mother of a high school classmate had family pictures on a mantel in her home. When I visited them, I saw the pictures and tried to examine them closer. The classmate's moth...

In grade school I couldn't understand the purpose of history. Was it going to make the present better or make a bleak future exciting? Do we decide not to repeat it or find ways better for the next generation? Those questions weren't answered. It was just a barrage of facts or false documents for a group of children to believe who would rather still be playing at recess. Is the attitude still there when we hear the past life of the person we are dating? How interesting is it? Does it change the present for the both of you? Will it make the future better or are you ready to get through it so you can go and "play"? Actually, it should be fascinating to know if there is mental illness, alcohol or drug abuse, and a past of chronic smokers. Doctors ask these questions and more because they can determine the mortality of an individual. What they don't teach (well, not any doctors I have seen) is that family pre-determines the behavior of an indicvidual. If the behav...

Is it unfathomable that Wisdom could watch the stupidity of others and say nothing? Some have turned from the truth looking to hear that which tickles the ears (2 Timothy 4:3-4 AMP). They heard instruction that would be to their benefit and also to their families, but that would mean giving up what God says not to do. Which also arises question as to why when receiving correction one tries to bombard the issue of all that one cannot do living in Christ as opposed to being disciplined to receive the abundance that is available just for the asking? Wisdom gives such poignant lessons throughout the Word and especially in the book of Proverbs. In studying this book, it should convince those who are marrying for the soul purpose of self gratification to step back and take a good look at who is leading and to where (Proverbs 11:3 AMP). The personalities of people are well disguised in making a good first impression (and months afterward). The signs of the true character cannot help ...

I have met many men who are interested in marriage. They have a certain criteria by which they already know what type of wife would be ideal for them. I am amazed at how many young men even form the words out of their mouths that they are looking for a woman to take care of them (1 is too many). Essentially, they are saying without saying that they are looking for a Mommy to sleep with. Yuck! My question to all of the young men I have counseled over the years (including my sons). Why would you incorporate someone into your mess? Invariably, the answer would be (not my sons, they know better), "God created woman for the man and she is supposed to be the help mate." I would sigh and agree for it is the Word and thank God they know that much of it. I just wonder why do they skip over that the man is supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25 AMP). If you recall, He sacrificed His life for her. Now what gentlemen? Are you willing to do that? And then ...

Everyone loves to make a good first impression. We primp and take long looks in the mirror so we don't have anything disgusting hanging out of our noses, no spinach between the teeth and every single hair be in place. We learn to speak eloquently with charm and a hint of wit so not to be obnoxious but to be certain that when we leave a room or the person, there is a lasting affect that we have made - the impression. That impression, the word itself tells us what we are trying to do. To press an image on the mind of the other. That image we manipulate for it to be a good one. Much like a virtual photoshop. It has been a long time since I have been surprised with what technology can do to a photograph these days. It is what makes marketing a placebo into a multi-million dollar diet pill. A commercial presses the image on your mind for you to need that product. It is what motivational speakers and human resource courses teach us in order to get the job. We have learned so much and a...

It is no wonder that the polygraph is inadmissible in court. It has been deemed as not a direct use of determining whether someone is telling the truth or not. In fact those who have agreed to be under the rule of such a test and know they have lied, can google the ways to fool it. If it has been thought of to use to detect lying, the liars would find a way to either refute it or make others believe that it doesn't work. By means of the purpose of dating and Christianity, the polygraph's use is to let others see what God already knew - you don't have faith and are not trusting Him. The subject matter of this blog came when I was watching a well known talk show whose fame came about with paternity tests and using the polygraph. In the last season, after keeping from the show for more than a year, I have seen them use different questions on the person suspect of cheating, lying, or just being the same person as he/she was when they first met. The ...