Anti-Christian Extremists Stop Church Building

It’s very sad that in many places around the world, the freedom to be a follower of Christ is denied or severely limited.  Take, for example, Sarak Dubey, a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary arrested and jailed for building a church.  On October 15th, some anti-Christians complained to police about the followers of Christ and their new church building construction project.  Police arrested and jailed Sarak and several members of his congregation.  They are unable to resume construction until the village head drops the charges and grants permission.

[Link:www.assistnews.net]

Obama Critical of ‘Old Values’ About Homosexuality

President Obama and his family were recently spotted leaving St. John’s Episcopal Church, yet Obama recently delivered the keynote address to the Human Rights Campaign in which he criticized people who hold to “old attitudes” about homosexuality. Obama also praised the passage of the homosexual hate crimes bill in the House last Thursday and said he was preparing to sign the bill in to law once it passes Congress. As followers of Christ, we are to hate the sin and love the sinner, but I have to question Obama’s apparent “buffet-style” belief in God’s word. All scripture is given for inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, according to 2 Timothy 3:16. That’s all scripture, not bits and pieces that are suitable for anyone’s unbiblical beliefs.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09101308.html

How to Live a Holy Life V: Divorce

What does God’s word say about divorce? Let’s first get a little perspective on divorce in the United States today.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, there were 7.1 marriages and 3.5 divorces per 1,000 people in the United States in 2008. Divorce has lost its stigma in America and in other parts of the world as the don’t-judge-me attitude continues to gain traction. Many of you may be offended by this article on divorce this week, but I’m proclaiming God’s word on divorce, and not my own. As followers of Christ, we are expected to change once we have truly been saved. While works aren’t a condition of salvation, our works are to be evidence of our salvation.

From Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels to Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians, God’s word is very clear on the topic of divorce. While God intended marriages to last for life (1 Corinthians 7:39), He did provide some outlines on how Christians should live their lives with regard to marriage and divorce.

In Mark 10, some Pharisees questioned Jesus about the lawfulness of divorce. Jesus responded, “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” – Mark 10:6-9 (NASB) Jesus continued later in the same chapter, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” – Luke 11-12 (NASB). Matthew had the following addition in his gospel: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” – Matthew 19:9 (NASB)

From the scriptures in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus explained to us that marriages are joined together by God and that no man should separate, or end, the marriage. He went on to say that whoever does divorce and marries another, that person commits adultery – with the exception of immorality (in the King James version, the word “fornication” is used in place of immorality). Further reading through the New Testament tells us that’s not the end of the story.

God expands His feelings on divorce through Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. In fact, a great portion of chapter seven speaks on marriage and divorce. Specifically for this article, however, I’ll be focusing on verses 10 and later.

In 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, God’s word gives us this instruction: “But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.”

God is very clear in this verse, saying that the wife shouldn’t leave her husband, nor should the husband divorce his wife. If the wife does leave, however, she either must remain unmarried or go back to her husband.

In 1 Corinthians 7:12-13, God’s inspired word goes on to say, “But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.”

God provides no escape route for either a husband or a wife living with an unbeliever, provided the unbeliever consents to live with the spouse. But God gives us a reason for His desires concerning the preceding statement in 1 Corinthians 7:14: “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.”

The Greek word used here for sanctified is hagiazō, which purified. God is saying here that the unbeliever in a marriage is purified and any children are clean and holy because the believer chooses to stay in the marriage.

What if the unbeliever chooses to leave the marriage? God’s word tells in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, “Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” If the unbeliever chooses to leave the marriage, the believer is not bound and may marry another without committing adultery.

Living a holy and righteous life in the matter of marriage and any other teaching from God provides good witness to others. Too many times I have read about Christians who have succumbed to the desires of the flesh and it just gives more fodder for unbelievers to mock Christianity. Proclaiming a personal relationship with Christ while blatantly sinning against God is not a productive means by which to win souls for Him. Set an example. Live the way God commanded us to live as Christians. If you don’t yet know Jesus, I urge you to ask Him into your heart, repent of your sins and believe that He died for your sins and rose again. If you’re sincere, and only God knows your heart, you’ll be changed forever on the inside.

May God pour His blessings on each of you this week.