DAVID SMOTHERS

In Revelation, Jesus announces, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). Five verses later Christ says, “Behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (22:12).

Nothing May Be Added
…19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. 20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

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Marriage

You know what? Your question raised a question in my mind, and I have to say that I don’t believe in religion either. I believe in God the Father Almighty and in Jesus Christ, God’s precious son, who died for my salvation, and in the Holy Spirit, who counsels and comforts me. So, having said that, let’s talk about marriage love and prayer.

First of all, God hates divorce, (Malachi 2:6), and says it is a cruel alternative to reconciliation and loyalty. There is also reference in the Bible to adultery, should a Christian divorce and then remarry. (Matthew 19:9, 31:5)  Some Pharisees tried to trip Jesus up by asking if divorce was okay for any reason. This is what Jesus said: “from the beginning, God made them male and female.” And he said, “this explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.” So, the Bible is pretty clear on whether divorce is an option for troubled marriages. When a couple marries, God’s law binds them together for life (I Corinthians 7:39). Many people have gone through very bad times in their marriages, turned to God for help and found their way back to each other.

Spend time in prayer, asking God to show you what part you are contributing to the problem and also ask the Lord to soften your husband’s heart towards you and to remember his God and all His benefits towards him. Remember that Christian wives and husbands bring holiness to marriage. (I Corinthians 7:14) God is a loving Father and wants joy and peace for His children. No matter how rotten things may have gotten, God still loves you both, (I Chronicles 16:34) and will help you if you turn to Him (Psalm 46:1). He is faithful far beyond anything we can really understand (I Chronicles 16:34). Ask God to surround your marriage with His shield of protection.

Plead with God to see your wretchedness as Daniel did, (Daniel 9:18) and beg for mercy to get you through this difficult time. And just as Jonah did when he had lost all hope, turn to your only true hope, the Lord God Almighty, and praise Him for His enduring faithfulness.

Try to rethink your own attitudes more than trying to change your husband back into someone He used to be. Remember that humility is a Christian’s lot and goes far to smooth things out. In I Corinthians 13:4 we are given specific guidelines on how to be loving: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” Write these words down on an index card and carry it with you so that you can read it often throughout your day until you have those life-giving words memorized. Dwell on them instead of previous hurts and decide to forgive all disturbing instances from the past. Don’t look for this behavior from your husband, but rather demonstrate it to him. Begin anew and sooner than you’d think, your husband will begin to respond to you in kind.

And remember Mathew 21:22, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” May God richly bless your marriage.

from http://www.gotquestions.org/

The Prayer Of Salvation

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer.

• Prayer is talking with God.

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?

If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

“Anything I cannot thank God for for the sake of Christ, I may not thank God for at all; to do so would be sin. … We cannot rightly acknowledge the gifts of God unless we acknowledge the Mediator for whose sake alone they are given to us.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

“Let us give thanks to God above,
Thanks for expressions of His love,
Seen in the book of nature, grand
Taught by His love on every hand.

Let us be thankful in our hearts,
Thankful for all the truth imparts,
For the religion of our Lord,
All that is taught us in His word.

Let us be thankful for a land,
That will for such religion stand;
One that protects it by the law,
One that before it stands in awe.

Thankful for all things let us be,
Though there be woes and misery;
Lessons they bring us for our good-
Later ’twill all be understood.

Thankful for peace o’er land and sea,
Thankful for signs of liberty,
Thankful for homes, for life and health,
Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

Thankful for friends and loved ones, too,
Thankful for all things, good and true,
Thankful for harvest in the fall,
Thankful to Him who gave it all.”
― Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.