Works, Works, or Works?

Written by Joyce C. Lock


Continued from page 1

You pray, "Oh, dear God, here I am. Send me. Bless this child through me. Let me hearrepparttar need of their heart. Give me Your words to meet that need, as we wait together. I know you'rerepparttar 126880 Great Healer. Guide me as to how to best bring comfort and ease their pain. And, Lord, being in control of all things, protect us from oncoming traffic and give someonerepparttar 126881 heart to call for help."

WORKS ofrepparttar 126882 Flesh - Dead WORKS - WORKS of Faith.

- Three choices in how to pray -

Consider readingrepparttar 126883 following verse this way...

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, seeking my face (which is turning from their wicked ways) then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

~ Works that Work ~

The next time you feel led to pray, try reporting for instruction. Then, watch God begin to healrepparttar 126884 hearts and lives of people.

© 2002 by Joyce C. Lock http://my.homewithgod.com/blessingsandlessons/ This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact, for non-profit ministering purposes.

In addition to being a published author and poet, Joyce C. Lock created the religion column, "Christianity Made Simple" for Peru Daily Tribune, continues to write inspirational articles for area newspapers, and shares further in online and e-mail ministries.


May I Divorce and Remarry?

Written by Ray Stark


Continued from page 1

Note: In vs 10 Paul emphatically states that what he is about to write concerningrepparttar married believers is a direct command from Jesus Christ Himself, "I command, yet not I, butrepparttar 126879 Lord". He is not going to disagree with Jesus inrepparttar 126880 following teaching, he is going to deliverrepparttar 126881 commandrepparttar 126882 Lord gave Him forrepparttar 126883 church. First he states unequivocally that it is notrepparttar 126884 will of God for either husband or wife to give up on their marriage and seek divorce.

Depart: 5563 cwrizw chorizo kho-rid’-zo AV-depart 8, separate 3, put asunder 2; 13

Mark 10:9"What therefore God joined together let not man put asunder"

Paul makes it very clear that Christian couples should expend every effort to make their marriage work and even if they divorce they should keeprepparttar 126885 door open for restoration by avoiding remarriage. It is probably good to note at this point that there is nothing mentioned here about fornication or adultery either asrepparttar 126886 cause of divorce or as a legitimate reason to reason to remarry. Neither is there any curse mentioned for remarriage.

Paul now moves on torepparttar 126887 case of a believer married to an unbeliever. Keep in mind that there were no believers in Corinth before Paul foundedrepparttar 126888 church there so there were probably quite a few instances in which one member of an existing marriage relationship became a believer and their spouse remained unsaved. This is not talking about a believer makingrepparttar 126889 decision to marry an unbeliever as so often happens nowadays. Paul covers that in his "be not unequally yoked" teaching in 1 Cor 6:14.

1 Cor 7:12 But torepparttar 126890 rest speak I, notrepparttar 126891 Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 Andrepparttar 126892 woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 Forrepparttar 126893 unbelieving husband is sanctified byrepparttar 126894 wife, andrepparttar 126895 unbelieving wife is sanctified byrepparttar 126896 husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15 But ifrepparttar 126897 unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

Paul usesrepparttar 126898 same terminology here as he does speaking ofrepparttar 126899 liberty to remarry without reference to sin that comes afterrepparttar 126900 death of a spouse.

Rom 7: 1 ¶ Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that knowrepparttar 126901 law,) how thatrepparttar 126902 law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 Forrepparttar 126903 woman which hath an husband is bound byrepparttar 126904 law to her husband so long as he liveth; but ifrepparttar 126905 husband be dead, she is loosed fromrepparttar 126906 law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

1 Cor 7:39 ¶ The wife is bound byrepparttar 126907 law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only inrepparttar 126908 Lord.

PAUL ON REMARRIAGE

In vs 27 Paul finally gets around torepparttar 126909 subject of remarriage after coveringrepparttar 126910 various marriage and divorce scenarios inrepparttar 126911 church. His definitive command to every believer is "If you are married, don’t look for a divorce. If you are divorced, it would be better to remain single but if you remarry you have not sinned."

1 Cor 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble inrepparttar 126912 flesh: but I spare you.

NOTE: Divorce is an awful thing, and is to be avoided at all cost. It is not however,repparttar 126913 unforgivable sin. Nor does divorce and remarriage constitute ongoing adultery. The Blood of Christ cleanses from ALL sin and ALL unrighteousness.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.celebratingjesus.org copyright 2003 Ray and Sharon Stark



Pastor Celebration Christian Church http://www.celebratingjesus.org

22 years experience in pastoral and missionary ministry.


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