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A transparent marriage is a devotional ministry that was birthed out of gratitude to our Lord and Savior. By His grace we are saved and if you invite Him into your life He will do the same for you.

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Showing posts with label jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jesus. Show all posts

Adams where are you?


A couple weeks ago one of our pastors was preaching and he asked a simple question during the sermon. Adam where are you?
He spoke how God was cutoff from seeing his children. Sin had come between them. It was at that moment they were cast out of Eden.
I’ve been waking up with same questions for a couple nights now and this morning as I write this the sun hasn’t come up yet.
We as men are the “ Adam’s “ of the world.
So I’ve been tasked with asking.

Adam’s where are you?
Where are you when we see social media being a tool of division than uniting us? We are like mice in a laboratory. The algorithm feeds us our wants and desires to keep us happy for hours on our phones. We are addicted to information to the point we miss out to much of what’s going on around us.

Adam’s where are you?
When the Gospel of love is being hijacked By the Lgbtq community to allow Gay pastors on the pulpit and Gay people in position of power within churches because we as men are told not to ask. Jesus is the prophet of love but He also said it simply “go and sin no more.” Are we not called to be salt in our society of blandness? Do we sit idly by seeing how our houses of worship are Lukewarm by being so all inclusive that we would rather fill seats than share the message of sin and redemption. Getting back to the basics of what sin is will go a long way of not letting it hide in plain sight.

Adam’s where are you?
During this conflict in Isreal. Do you chant the slogan from the river to the sea or do you stay quiet? Do you pray for Israelis and Palestinians equally knowing that war only brings pain to the innocent. Do you support terrorist or freedom fighters? Do you believe in the right of self defense and to live in peace? As for one who made a pilgrimage to the Holy land I can attest very few there realize how Holy that land really is. If they did they wouldn’t send thousand of rockets over the skies of Israel.

Adam’s where are you?
When we see antisemitic protests. Do we know where the root of antisemitism comes from? The fact is antisemitism was born out of the church during forced conversions.
From the inquisition to the crusades even to the expelling from countries our Christian forefathers have much Jewish blood on their hands in the name of the faith.
A past lie that was repeated throughout history was that the Jews killed Jesus. Yet forgetting that Jesus himself could have called legions of Angels to his side for protection. He went willingly to the cross as the sacrificial lamb.
We must as Christians know that past history as to never repeat it.

Adam’s where are you?
Do you share with your closest people your internal struggles. The dark hidden pain that trauma has made you forget. A pain that when if it were to come out into the light you would feel embarrassed. We must remember we have brothers in arms that will stand in the gap giving good counsel even when we fall there will always be hands to lift you up.

Adam’s where are you?
Have you as a child of God identified your generational curses? As a father and priest of your house have you identified from both your lineages the wrongs of your ancestors? Adultery, lying, cheating , stealing, addictions anger, envy. A good father leaves an inheritance. What inheritance will you pass on that is good for your future generations.

Adam’s where are you?
In these turbulent times where right is wrong and wrong is right. Where do you stand with a man identifying as a woman to play woman sports. Where do you stand with society telling us not to offend anybody by calling people pronouns. By blurring the lines of what man and woman is we are allowing people to believe they are God. That by identifying other than what you where born as you are saying God made a mistake.

Adam’s it’s time we not only ask the hard questions but seek the hard answers. Will we as the Adam’s of the world continue to stand idly by as the Apple is passed around?
Adam’s wake up for there are many battlefields that await us.
Which field will you you be willing to fight on?

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Faith



We were at a class and the topic of discussion that came up was about faith "what does faith mean to me" to be exact.   After spending some time thinking about what faith means to me I came up with what I believe is the accurate definition of what faith is in my life.


Faith

"A peaceful and confident journey, trusting and knowing that Jesus is walking with me while God is ahead of anything that I face whether good or bad but either way ending with the gift of eternal life"


What would our life really  look like if we actually lived this out?  What effect will this have on your marriage? Imagine waking up each morning, opening your eyes to see Jesus right there ready and waiting to walk out the day with you.  What would that feeling be like? Would you feel intimidated, confident, nervous, on guard, safe, loved?  How would this change your actions, behaviors and responses through the day? 

 I mean, we say we have faith but  we wait to encounter difficult situations to pray out to God often seeking resolve for what we go through but how about if  walk out in faith ahead of time?  Think how different our lives would be, how many setbacks  we would  avoid, how many arguments would we prevent if we actually walked out the faith we speak about, pray about and learn about.

I challenge you to start your day imagining Jesus walking besides you each day so that you can enjoy a peace that surpasses all understanding, so that you can experience true relationship with our Father during your time here on Earth.  Psalm 121:8  says "The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" Let us embrace this scripture and really believe what we say we believe as God is already ahead of anything we can encounter.

A Transparent Marriage


In His Presence


You are right where God wants you to be, In His presence!  Sometimes you rush to get your day started and others you lay in bed in awe of the miracle of just being able to open your eyes and breathe.

Regardless of what your day looks like, you can rest find peace knowing that Jesus always walks beside you, not only in moments of despair but as you awake and sit quietly drinking your coffee or as you take it on the road with you, He is with you always, whether we realize it or not He is right there living through your.  The Bible says "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" Deuteronomy 31:8

He will have a random stranger speak into you and use you to speak His word into someone else, just like that! He will be your peace in times of chaos and your joy in times of despair. He will gift you a calmness  that truly surpasses even your own understanding. 

We are saved and treasured by a God that is with us every moment of the day even in those dark hours when even thinking about it fills us with shame, fear or feel unworthy of His love and mercy.  Every day we live another life lesson, but be assured the struggles you face are the rope that pulls someone else to freedom.  Your test is the testimony that will help set others free, embrace it!  When you share your testimony you break free from the enemy's plan to keep you quiet, that plan to attack your mind over and over again causing  shame and fear to paralyze you. 

Tomorrow,  be intentional when you open your eyes and say "Lord, I invite you to be with me this day, to guide me, protect me and give me the wisdom I need to own this day as I welcome you to live through me; allow me to be your eyes, hands and feet throughout the day.

It is amazing how God can take one day and transform your life if you are willing to invite Him to be the center of it.


A Transparent Marriage

To Hell With This




When you are sharing your life with another person it can be easy to face situations where you feel like you want to throw in the towel and even assume an attitude of who cares what other people think  and say "to hell with this".  Yes, "to hell with this" we often say when something as simple as you  getting fed up or easily irritated with some of your spouses habits that early on you found adorable, but while sharing your life with them now makes you want to pull your hair out.  Or it can be more serious that like adultery, lies, emotional abuse, drug abuse or physical abuse.  A lot of you have said "to hell with this" at one time or another because that is just the answer that fills that hunger quicker in your marriage at the time versus taking it to God!
  

Imagine if we approached each argument and said "to God I go with this?  To God I go with this lustful thought, to God I go with this pornography, to God I go with this filthy mouth, to God I go with this affair, to God I go with my finances, to God I go with this anxiety, to God I go with this generational curse, to God I go with this business, to God I go with my children, to God I go with my spouse.

We are all sinners, there is no doubt about that.  Marriage doesn't come with lifetime guarantees, the enemy knows that.   The enemy also knows that God's plan for marriage is to display God's glory to all of creation.  In Ephesians 5:25 we get a glimpse of what a husband's love should look like and it's none other than a reflection of Christ. Love your wife as Christ loved the church.  There aren't enough words to describe how great that love is!  In Ephesians 5:24 it calls for wives to submit to their husbands in everything, this is perfect if your husband is submitted to living a Godly life but what if he is not? Therefore living you with the option of   "to hell with this", as an easier way out than going to God for answers.  

The Bible is clear in God's design for marriage and we learn as Christians that we need to be fully equipped to fight the battles that we are faced with. The enemy is  prowling around waiting for the perfect opportunity to come steal and destroy. Your job is to put the armor on every day. Ephesians 6:11.

Be encouraged to equip yourselves with scripture, prayer and worship daily, anticipate that the enemy wants to  use your shortcomings to divide you. He is the real  enemy you need to fight together and send him back to the hell he belongs to,  choose to take it to God over and over again.  That is how you win in marriage!

Relationship goals



Wow, wow, wow!  Relationship Goals  by Michael Todd, this book embodies everything a transparent marriage is.  The book went on sale April 28, 2020 and immediately an instant Best seller reaching millions around the world.

For those that have no idea who Michael Todd is you are just missing out.  Pastor Todd of Transformation Church in Oklahoma is by far one of the realest of our time. His ministry continues to reach millions around the world every Sunday with his message to represent God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ.  In 2019 his relationship goals message went viral on YouTube and God continues to speak through him and his wife with this new book which is just the beginning.  If you do nothing else this year for spiritual growth and personal growth at least be  encouraged to follow pastor Todd and Transformation Church as God is using them to bless millions.

So Relationship Goals, what does that mean?  It sure means more than the cute selfies and posts we see across social media going viral and single ladies using the hashtag #relationshipgoals which by the way, at the time of this article has over fifteen million searches on google.  That is actually 15 million people seeking something for their relationship and rest assure is more than a cute picture to post.

Our friend Webster defines relationships as a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings, and defines goal as the end toward which effort is directed. So simply put  its safe to say a relationship goal for a couple is being with someone and together work towards a set of goals. Those goals to name a few can be working towards marriage, family and wealth.  The problem is that in order to win in these areas it requires work, it requires being in one accord and most of all a lot of God along the way.  

When it comes to marriage a book like relationship goals is perfect because it goes into a raw look of how to win in dating, marriage and sex.  You can read thousand of books on the subject but it won't mean a thing to you because in order for us to be encouraged on a personal level we need to hear from those that have walked through the valley and come out victorious and it is only by sharing their struggle and vulnerable transparency that we can learn from their mistakes and learn how Gods grace is sufficient for all of us to survive the storms of marriage. 

 Remember free people free people, when you share your struggles giving God the glory He continues to give you the wisdom to win in relationship and that is the ultimate goal.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

Don't let isolation be your default



According to Webster the definition of default is a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration due to lack of a viable alternative, another definition is in the absence of. 

The Bible teaches us that Jesus often withdrew from people and the demands of his ministry to pray and be with the Father.  It was during those isolating moments that Jesus heard from the Father and prepared for the demands before him. When storms of life sway us left and right in our marriage,  it is easy to default to isolation and hide our pain and suffering from the world leading to feeling depressed and defeated. What if  instead we used those challenging times to isolate welcoming in his presence versus isolating automatically to focus on all the bad things that are happening in our life? 

We learn in Ephesians 4:11-13 that "with God beside us and His Spirit to guide us we can navigate the waters of loneliness and come into the rest and peace that comes from giving up all efforts to satisfy my human desires giving myself entirely over to God" Be encouraged that in moments when life gets rough you have another option to select, you can choose to invite Jesus into your life and let the Father comfort, guide you and give you the wisdom to deal with the situation at hand. 

Allow Jesus to be the alternative default in the presence of conflict and just like Jesus you will hear from the Father.  Remember in Luke 11:17 we read that 'Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them:  "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fail"  Don't give the enemy a free pass to defeat you, you don't get to confront him alone.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

Who do you say that I am



Who do you say I am
Am I the genie in the bottle that you rub so that your wishes come true.


Who do you say I am
I am the one you call when something tragic happens and promise never to do it again. 

Who do you say I am
Am I the only one you call to when there’s a problem.

Who do you say I am
Am I the one you pray to reminding me you do good deeds, knowing that you want glory from men.

Who do you say I am?
I am who you need me to be, I am that I am.

I am the beginning and the end, The Alpha and The Omega. The one who listens when you cry, the one who calls on you to change your direction and your outlook for you to take a step back and change your perspective. 
 I am also the one who listens and the one who gives and takes. 

Who do you say I am?
I am the one who encourages you to change your life because you are seek a new beginning.


A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

Who do you serve?







In this day in age its easy to call yourself a believer, that by accepting Jesus you are transformed, that you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Yet many continue to do the same thing as before.


Being in Christ is a new thing, a born again experience, a chance at a renewed life not for what you are living for but for choosing to live with a Godly purpose. To be first is to be last and to be last is to be first. Being reborn needs to be done from a heart of a servant.  He came to serve not be served.

As a believer and follower, we are called to be His servants, yet we continue to serve a worldly God.
So I ask, who do you serve? Do you serve the God of lies? Do you serve the God of money? Do you serve a God of selfishness? 
Who is really the God you serve?

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com

Finding our treasure!






How about if daily you decided to take an inventory of your deeds, to make sure you do good because when you go home to your eternal life you want to make sure you are rewarded, You don’t wanna look around and think "had I only did this or that on Earth I would have earned that and that in Heaven", be led by  that feeling of pleasing the Lord in all your ways versus impressing man so that you can hear “Well done, good and faithful servant You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:21.

Heaven is real! Jesus died for us to live eternally, that is so crazy, still to this day we are awe of the ultimate sacrifice, a sacrifice that easily goes unnoticed as we live each day. A sacrifice that we don’t deserve, a sacrifice that will guarantee us free entry through heavenly gates some day. 

Wow, Wow, Wow. Can you just imagine the magnitude of what that means? People will mock us, will put us down and will talk about us because we know something they don’t know yet. We found the ultimate treasure and It has the name of Jesus.

A Transparent Marriage
www.atransparentmarriage.com