Author: mary

Have you ever been on a mission trip or participated in a service project? It is so rewarding to focus on others instead of yourself. When you go on mission, you place others above yourself and the love of God above your own needs. It allows you to see other places of the world that don’t have the resources that we have and yet the faith in those countries are spreading and growing. Being a part of something bigger than yourself has lasting effects on your own walk with God and spiritual life. God’s Word tells us to go into all the world and make disciples in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. He doesn’t say stay at your house, but GO! So look for ways you can be a part of what God is doing so you will experience all He has to offer.

Pray for missionaries in countries around the world. Some missionaries are serving in places where the gospel is not wanted. They are living in dangerous situations just so they can share how God has changed their own lives and so they can watch him change others. Find a mission trip you can participate in. Most churches are sending people to serve in the community around them at least, so that’s a great place to start! Pray that God will plant a desire to see changed lives deep in your heart. Finally, manage your money well so you can take part in what God is doing. If you are always spending your money and are unaware of what you have, you will not be able to bless others. But if you create a budget so that you are able to meet your own physical needs first, you will find that God will provide opportunities to bless others in His name!

Pray for God to give you a heart for missions and watch as He presents opportunities for you to participate in what He is doing around the world!

The world has always been seeking to find the truth about how everything came to be. Scientists seek out proof of the beginning of time and justify it with theories and opinions. People refuse to believe a higher being created the Universe and everything, yet somehow an explosion that created order in space is easier to believe. Christians sometimes stay silent and allow nonbelievers to spread lies to a dying world. Many questions remain about the creation of the earth and the Savior Jesus who came, died a martyr’s death, and resurrected from the grave, and yet the world refuses to believe the One who cries out for their souls. So what is our part in all of this?

We must refuse to stay silent any longer. Those who are against Christ are not staying silent, so why are we? Are we allowing fear to consume our minds and hearts so much that it is crowding out the truth in our lives? Are we afraid we won’t have answers for their many questions? The answers to all of the tough questions lie in the Word of God. He did not send us into the world without a guide or answer key! We have even more than believers did 2,000 years ago. We have the Bible that is not only a love letter from God to man, but also a firsthand account of how His followers walked the same road we walk now, how they stood for their faith, and how they continued to grow in Christ.

The world is slowly dying and seeking an antidote for what will rescue them. They look to scientists, musicians, actors, politicians, and even religious leaders for answers. If we don’t answer them, someone will. We as Christians have the antidote, the truth about God’s saving grace, and need to bring that truth to the world.

What kind of faith do you have? Do you have the type of faith that stands in the midst of rejection, trusts in the face of danger, and hopes when all hope seems lost? Or do you buckle under pressure and give up when things are hard? God wants us to have a faith that hopes and perseveres in trials.

Fear can paralyze us and prevent us from trusting in the Lord. The devil wants us to live in fear. He wants to keep us from trusting the Lord. Faith leads us while fear holds us back. Look at Ruth. She lost her husband and was faced with a decision. She could allow the fear and worry to paralyze her and keep her where she was comfortable: her homeland. Or she could trust in the Lord and walk by faith. She could follow Naomi and the new God she had come to know. In the end, she chose her new faith in God and allowed it to lead her to a new land. God had a plan for Ruth that she got to be a part of because she did not give into her fear. She was the direct ancestor of Jesus Christ. God used her and her line to bring about His son.

What about you? Are you allowing God to lead you to a new life in Him? Or are you stopped by fear? We cannot allow fear to control how we live our lives. We must trust in the Lord and follow Him with all of our hearts.

In the beginning of time, God created man. He created man to walk and talk with Him everyday. In the beginning, it was beautiful. Man walked alongside God, and everything was in perfect unity. God knew, though, that man would need a helpmate, so He created woman from the ribs of man. The union between man and woman would be a picture of the union between God and man. So the purpose for marriage began. However, sin entered the world through one decision- a decision to defy God and the relationship He had with His creation. A decision both Adam and Eve made when they ate the forbidden fruit and listened to the enemy. Sin and Satan have been trying to destroy marriage ever since.

Throughout the Bible we see times when man thought he knew better and tried to have relationships outside the divine union God created (like homosexual relationships, adulterous relationships, etc). This never ended well because it was outside the Lord’s will. Anything outside of His plan will end in ruin and will not radiate in beauty like the union between man and woman that He created. God then sent His Son to die on a cross for the sins of man, and in that, a new marriage relationship began between Christ and the church. This gives man and woman another picture of marriage. It is the ultimate example of how to love like Christ loves. This beautiful picture of love is the image of how God loves His people, what He will do for her, and it should also spur us on to imitate this picture.

Is your marriage reflecting the love God has for His people and the relationship between Christ and the church? If not, start by pursuing Him together through prayer and reading the Word and you will find that beautiful union!

Marriage can be really tough. It takes patience, compassion, grace, and commitment to make a relationship work. Society does not do anything to help Christian marriages. They teach that if it gets hard, just give up and look for a new relationship. They teach that you need to maintain your own identities in marriage rather than finding your identity in Christ together. They teach that perversion is okay outside of marriage if you have a good reason. When you take the advice of the world, your marriage will fail. That is why it is important to seek out godly advice and Christian counsel before anything else. The best advice is found in through study of the scripture and what God says about marriage and through prayer and communication with Him. So what does God say about marriage?

Genesis 2:24 tells us that God created man and woman for each other and that they will leave their families and cling to each other. That means that they make decisions together and rely on one another rather than their own families. While it is not wrong to listen to other people, if you truly want your marriage to grow, then you need to seek Him together. Hebrews 13:4 says that marriage should be held in high regard and with honor. Perversion has no place in marriage. Finally, 1 Peter 4:8 says that we ought to love each other earnestly. Since love comes from God, we must stay connected to him through communication in prayer and His Word so we know how to love our spouses deeper.

Marriage can be difficult and require you to be selfless. When you focus on your spouse and his or her own needs, then you will be able to see what God wants to do in your marriage.