The Mind Boggling Matter of Being Married 50 Years

Yes, 50 years to the same man!

The survival of the God ordained institution of marriage between 2 hotheads, one male and one female.

Just being male and female presents obstacles of differences in emotions.

We really can only coexist in a long marriage by the grace of God.

Forgiveness is hard but without it your marriage can't survive.

Just keep in mind that God has forgiven you through the mercy of Christ and His death and resurrection!

Jealousy is a big no no!

That's hard too but jealousy is just another word for being possessive. 

That stifles a marriage! 

Christ first!

Each other second!

Faith in God's ability to hold you two together is what you cling too.

28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her."

29 But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:

32 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." - Matthew 22:28-32

34 And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,

35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,

36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. - Luke 20:34-36

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  - Genesis 1:27

20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.

21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.

22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." 

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. - Genesis 2:20-24

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

30 because we are members of his body.

31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. - Ephesians 5:22-33

Lord, forgive us when we fail.  Thank You for mercy. Bless the rest of our days together. Let us share You with the lost. Deliver us from Satan and all his evil schemes, physical and spiritual. We know You alone are able. Give us faith, boldness, and a will to be Your servant. Amen

Are You Investing in Heaven?

BIBLE MEDITATION

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

In Luke 16:1-9, the Lord Jesus gave one of the strangest parables in the Bible. At the end of the parable, He explained to His disciples how it applies to us. He says, “Don’t let the children of this world be more shrewd than you are wise. Take what God has put into your hands and make friends for God. Win souls to Jesus. And when you die, they’ll welcome you into Heaven. Have some people waiting on you there.”

We often hear people say, “You can’t take it with you.” But I’ll tell you what you can do. You can send it on ahead. And the only way you can send it on ahead is to invest it in something that’s going to Heaven.

The only thing going to Heaven isn’t houses, lands, cars, stocks or bonds, but the souls of men.

ACTION POINT

Take the money you have, make plans for the future, and invest your money in something that is going to Heaven. Then when you die and go to heaven, they’re going to say, “Welcome home. Oh, I’m so glad to see you. I’m here because of your faithfulness.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

An Unshakably Happy God

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)

God is absolutely sovereign.

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3).

Therefore, he is not frustrated. He rejoices in all his works when he contemplates them as colors of the magnificent mosaic of redemptive history. He is an unshakably happy God.

His happiness is unconditionally the delight he has in himself. Before creation, he rejoiced in the image of his glory in the person of his Son — his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased (Matthew 3:17). Then the joy of God “went public” in the works of creation and redemption.

These works delight the heart of God because they reflect his glory. The heavens are telling the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works” (Psalm 104:31) He does everything he does to preserve and display that glory, for in this his soul rejoices.

All the works of God culminate in the praises of his redeemed people. “Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!” (Psalm 150:2). The climax of his happiness is the delight he takes in the echoes of his excellence in the praises of the saints. “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Psalm 147:10–11).

But our praise is not only God’s delight, as an echo of his excellence; it is also the apex of our joy. Praise is the consummation of the joy we have in seeing and savoring the greatness of God.

Therefore, God’s pursuit of praise from us and our pursuit of pleasure in him are the same pursuit. This is the great outcome of the gospel of the glory of the grace of God in Christ!

John Piper 

August 21

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,

30 saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here.

31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"

32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them.

33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it."

35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.

36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.

37 As he was drawing near-already on the way down the Mount of Olives-the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,

38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" - Luke 19:28-38

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. - Titus 2:11-15

Proverbs 15:17–33 (ESV): 18  A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, 

but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. 

 19  The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, 

but the path of the upright is a level highway. 

 20  A wise son makes a glad father, 

but a foolish man despises his mother. 

 21  Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, 

but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. 

 22  Without counsel plans fail, 

but with many advisers they succeed. 

 23  To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, 

and a word in season, how good it is! 

 24  The path of life leads upward for the prudent, 

that he may turn away from Sheol beneath. 

 25  The Lord tears down the house of the proud 

but maintains the widow’s boundaries. 

 26  The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, 

but gracious words are pure. 

 27  Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, 

but he who hates bribes will live. 

 28  The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, 

but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 

 29  The Lord is far from the wicked, 

but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 

 30  The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, 

and good news refreshes the bones. 

 31  The ear that listens to life-giving reproof 

will dwell among the wise. 

 32  Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, 

but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. 

 33  The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, 

and humility comes before honor. 

Satan Cannot Snatch You

BIBLE MEDITATION

“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are One.” John 10:29-30

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

When discussing the issue of whether or not you can lose your salvation, I hear people use an interesting argument. They will say,

“Well, you know, I don’t think I believe in the security of the believer. I just believe that the devil could take you out of God’s hands,” and they use this verse as a “proof-text.” They say, “Jesus said no person could snatch them out of God’s hand, but it doesn’t say that the devil couldn’t. He hasn’t taken me out, but I believe he could. He could snatch you out of God’s hand, and you’d be lost.

Now that is a strange doctrine, isn’t it? They give Satan so much credit.

Think about it. If Satan could snatch you away, then why hasn’t he? And if he could snatch one of us, why hasn’t he snatched all of us? If he hasn’t, then hasn’t he been good to you? You are going to Heaven by the goodness of the devil!

Don’t you think that if he could, he would? The only reason he hasn’t is that he can’t. “No one” in this verse is pretty clear. No one can pluck you out of the Father’s hand.

ACTION POINT

Read Romans 8:38-39 and underline in your Bible the words “angels” and “any other created thing.” Meditate on what this means for you: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Jesus Is Who You’re Looking For

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)

The last chapter of Matthew is a window that opens onto the sunrise glory of the risen Christ. Through it you can see at least three massive peaks in the mountain range of Christ’s character: the peak of his power; the peak of his kindness; and the peak of his purposefulness.

All authority is his — the right and the power to do his will. And he uses this power to pursue his unwavering purpose to make disciples from all the nations. And in the process he is personally kind to us, promising to be with us to the end.

We all know in our hearts that if the risen Christ is going to satisfy our desire to admire greatness, that is the way he has to be. Great in power. Great in kindness. Great in purposefulness.

People who are too weak to accomplish their purposes can’t satisfy our desire to admire greatness. We admire people even less who have no purpose in life. And still less those whose purposes are merely selfish and unkind.

What we long to see and know is a Person whose power is unlimited, whose kindness is tender, and whose purpose is single and unflinching.

Novelists and poets and movie-makers and TV writers now and then create a shadow of this Person. But they can no more fill our longing to worship than this month’s National Geographic can satisfy my longing for the Grand Canyon.

We must have the real thing. We must see the Original of all power and kindness and purposefulness. We must see and worship the risen Christ.

John Piper 

August 20

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.

12 He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.

13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.'

14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'

15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.

16 The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.'

17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.'

18 And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.'

19 And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.'

20 Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief;

21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'

22 He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

24 And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.'

25 And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!'

26 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'" - Luke 19:11-27

1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,

8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. - Titus 2:1-10

1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 

2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 

3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 

4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 

5 A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. 

6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 

7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. 

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. 

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness. 

10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die. 

11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man! 

12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. 

13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. 

14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. 

16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. 

17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.  - Proverbs 15:1-17

1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,

2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel,

3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him,

4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.

5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace.

6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones.

7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.

8 And drinking was according to this edict: "There is no compulsion." For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired.

9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus,

11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at.

12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment,

14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom):

15 "According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?"

16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, "Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

17 For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.'

18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty.

19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike."

21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed.

22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people. - Esther 1