Christian Coupling – All God’s “Little People” –
Purity 529
Purity 529 09/21/2021 Purity 529 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo of some apple trees and a cloudless blue September sky comes
to us from a friend who went apple picking and found their way through the corn
maze at Samascott Orchards, in Kinderhook NY over the weekend. While the first day of Autumn isn’t officially
here until tomorrow this photo is evidence that for some of us Fall is already here
as apple picking is a seasonal tradition for many in upstate NY. I must admit
that I indulged in a large Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Dunkin Donuts on Saturday
to celebrate Autumn’s arrival.
With a new season officially here tomorrow, it may be a time to consider
the change in seasons in our lives. I
will be meeting with a group of friends who support one another in dealing with
the effects of divorce and how to move ahead in the future seasons in our
lives. For those who have loved and
lost, it’s good to have a forum speak, to process the changes we have gone
through, and to discuss the next steps in our lives.
One of the concerns for many in our group is moving on and contemplating
finding a new life partner. Our group is
Christian and many of us have a desire to try to follow God’s direction in
choosing a new mate. Considering our
post Christian society, making the decision to not settle for anyone other than
a Christian spouse is like voluntarily removing anywhere from 60 to 90% of the available
candidates from the dating pool, depending on your preference for authenticity
and spiritual maturity. If you don’t believe me, just go to church on Sunday
and count the number of available single males or females, in any age bracket,
and you will have an idea of our dilemma.
I am 49 years old and the only single women at my local church that I
was remotely interested in was a 51 and 30 years old. The 51 year old had extreme
food allegories, a veritable rodent zoo of pets, an adult wiccan daughter who lived at home who smoked
marijuana, and a Christian faith that bordered on superstition. Even with all those red flags, I was so
desperate for love immediately after my divorce that I was really considering a
relationship with this woman when she decided she was content with being alone
and politely rejected me, much to my relief.
And the 30 year old, who I had secretly crushed on for years and had a
series of dreams of being in a relationship and being married to, shot me down
on Valentine’s Day this year when I sent a text that likened her beauty to the
natural wonders of Victoria Falls in Africa, where we had both been on a mission
trip together in 2016. Ain’t no fool
like an old fool.
So this year’s earlier rejections and the discussions I have had with
other Christian divorcees have shown me that building a new life with someone
who is Christian isn’t going to be a walk in the park.
When I was a kid, our family had this Fisher Price Little People Village
Playset. It was like a little city with two halves that you could place side by
side but you could also put them back to back and lock them together and pick
it up and carry it away as a single unit.
I googled it and if you are into vintage toys it was made in 1973 and is
available for $115 on Etsy.com! It’s pictured on the blog today.
Anyway, I think of trying to get together with a new Christian partner
as trying to put my Fisher Price Playset together with their playset. My playset would have me, two kids, a cat, a
house and 3 cars. So my task is to find
another person whose playset I could deal with and whose playset would fit together
with mine.
For instance Fisher Price also made a Farm Playset. Even though both playsets are Fisher Price,
the village playset and the farm playset don’t fit together into one
piece. But you could take the “little people”
from the different playsets and have them play and live in a different
playset. But just because you could have
the “village little people” live on the farm and you could have the “farm little
people” live in the village, it doesn’t mean that you should. So what’s a “little people” to do?
Well for the Christian, we are to go to God and ask for guidance and to
be discerning to be sure that the “little people” who say they are Christian
really are Christian, for one. And we
are also to make sure that they really are the “little people” they say they
are in other areas of life because unfortunately some “little people” tell some
really big lies.
So for the Christian looking for love we must be smart, and we must
stand by our convictions to not be “unequally yoked” by becoming involved with
someone who’s faith is a shallow or just a show. While compatibility, or coming from the same
Fisher Price playset, is important it is more important that both “little
people” have a living relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
If both “little people” are in Christ and are seeking the Lord’s will
for their lives and are living by Christian principles drawn from the wisdom of
God’s word, there are no differences that can’t be overcome.
For the love of Christ can not only cover a multitude of sins it can
also bridge the gaps between Jews and Gentiles and the “little people” from
different playsets. But before we start
slapping playsets together, we should be sure that all the playset people,
pieces, and accessories are considered and if we discover that these two
playsets just wont work or the pieces are just too different from one another,
we should trust the Lord, pick up our playset and move along.
With God, we can be content that we are loved. Instead of forcing a fit between our “playset”
and someone else’s playset, we should make sure all the pieces in our playset are
in order and that we are content with ourselves and are in harmony with
God.
So, keep walking and talking with God. If you follow Him, you can be
assured that you are loved and cared for and if you are obedient to His
guidance He won’t lead you astray.
Today’s meditation verse
is drawn from” from the Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries provided
resource: “Freedom: Our Life in Christ” Memory
Verse Cards set:
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
Galatians 5:14 (NASB)
14 For the whole Law is
fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Today’s verse
teaches us the importance of our relationships with others as part of our
faith.
For those who don’t
know, the advice to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, known
as the Golden Rule in some circles, is a paraphrase of Jesus’s words Matthew
7:12. What could be passed off as “common
sense” or a “good life principle” is drawn from the Bible.
Today’s verse echoes
Christ’s words in Matthew 7:12 and teaches us to not act by the letter of the
law but to be motivated by love to fulfill the Law. The parts of the Old Testament Mosaic Law that
didn’t have to do with loving God with all our hearts, minds, soul, and strength,
basically instructed us not to harm other people.
The legalist would
concern themselves with the specific details of the law whereas the Children of
God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ are directed to act out of love. If we act out of love, we won’t steal our
neighbor’s stuff or kill them. If we
love our neighbor as ourselves we will only seek their well-being. The
instruction to love our neighbors tells us to not seek our desires over someone
else’s.
So if we struggle
with loving other people, we need to try to see them as our Lord would. We need to try to consider the trouble’s and
pains they have suffered, and we need to remind ourselves that no matter what
they say or do, God still loves them, and He desires that they would come to
Him.
When we can see
others as God does, we can forgive them for “they know not what they do” and we
can choose to show them the love of God by treating them the way that we would
want to be treated. Our love our neighbors can cause them to see that there is
a God and God can use our words and actions to open their eyes and bring them
into His kingdom.
So love you
neighbors as you love yourself. Not only could our deeds be a way to get some
peace on earth and show good will to men, our efforts to “do the right thing”
could be used by God to bring the dead to life.
As
always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from
prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with
their walk.
Today we continue to share from June Hunt’s
Boundaries: How to Set Them, How to Keep Them.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work. If you need this title you can find it online at several
sites for less than $5.00:
IV. Steps to Solution
Rosie Ruiz is an administrative assistant for a metal company and a marathon
runner.
In the world of racing, she is a “no-name,” unnoticed by women who
are rivals and is never the subject of media attention. In 1980 she enters her
second competition, the prestigious Boston Marathon, and finds herself in a
field of about 450 female participants.
The person in the spotlight at the marathon is the esteemed Bill Rodgers,
who is expected once again to be the first to lunge through the tape at the
finish line and to chalk up three consecutive titles. But when it comes to the
female runners . . . there will be a surprise finish.
God knows the outcome, as well as the motives of the heart. . . .
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each
person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
A. Key Verse to Memorize
To compete with 5,364 runners in the Boston Marathon you can’t be timid, and
self-discipline is a key component to hopefully making it across the finish
line, For Rosie Ruiz, a Cuban-American, participating in the race appears to be
like a dream come true, an unparalleled opportunity to be associated with
sports history. The 26-year-old even looks the part too. Rosie has a long,
lanky figure with short hair, indicating she seemingly is ready to run with the
best of them.
When the big day arrives, Rosie sports a T-shirt bearing the race
identification W50, and it will be an image few runners that year will forget.
. . .
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us
power, love and self-discipline.”
B. Key Passage to Read
Yes, there is a time for everything, and at the 1980 Boston Marathon it’s a
time to be victorious for Bill Rodgers . . . and Rosie Ruiz!
Rosie trots across the finish line in just over two and a half hours, giving
her 1st place overall in the women’s division and the third fastest time among
female marathon runners ever in any marathon. Her life is forever changed as
the accolades start pouring in.
Massachusetts Governor Edward J. King crowns Rosie the women’s champion, and
before long she is wearing the coveted laurel wreath associated with the race.
She also is given a medal and a silver bowl, and obviously enjoys being
photographed with Bill Rodgers.
Boundaries are not only essential for fair competition in athletics, but
they are also a basic requirement in every area of life. This principle is
clearly expressed in the Ten Commandments. When God established a covenant with
His chosen people, Israel, He clearly defined boundaries for their
relationship. . . .
“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought
you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before
me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven
above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to
them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the
children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me
and keep my commandments. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the
Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do
any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female
servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six
days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day
and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long
in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall
not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony
against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not
covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or
anything that belongs to your neighbor.’”
Biblical Counseling Keys: Boundaries: How to See Them –
How to Keep Them.
—————————more
tomorrow————————
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