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When we pray…

Jesus had very specific instructions about praying. Public praying in front of a crowd of church goers either in the building or on the streets out in the open area is discouraged. The reason is because of our perception which Jesus talked about in other scriptures. Our egos love recognition and when our ego gets recognition that is our only reward. But in order to keep our egos in check, we are to go into the closet and pray. Don’t say length prayers either because God already know what we need even before we ask.

 

Jesus said in Matthew 6:5-8, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corner of the streets, that they may be seen of men, Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye like unto them: for your Father knoweth what ye have need of, before he ask him.”

#Save the first family!

Working things out Jesus’ way

If someone wrongs us, the first thing that we are supposed to do is talk it over with that person alone. If he refuses to listen then the next thing that we do is bring at least one witness. If he still refuses to listen, the next step to take is to tell the church. Church doesn’t mean the people within four walls. It means the people that we meet and work with every day. Don’t fall for the old saying, “If you can’t say something good about someone don’t say anything at all” and don’t use a lawyer to work out your problems. If transgressions are forgiven on earth they are forgiven in heaven, but if transgressions are not forgiven on earth, they go to heaven for resolution. And so when the two of us reach an agreement regarding our disagreement, peace will be the result and Jesus will be there with us too!

 

Matthew 18: 15-19, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

One man and one woman

I am convinced that God’s plan for each man was to have only one woman. In our culture, I hear the phrase, “one man and one woman” quite often. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean much because in most cases it involves the divorce from his first wife in order to take another woman. Cheating is frequently the cause of the break-up of the first marriage. Let’s look closer at Abram’s (Abraham’s) and Sarai’s (Sarah’s) marriage to see how the second woman affected their family. Genesis 16: 5-6, “And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she was conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand, do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.”

Sarai actually asked Abram to choose between her and Hagar. A simple family is much healthier and less stressful than a complex family whereby a man takes more than one wife into his family unit. And in Sarai and Abram’s case, no cheating was committed because it was a mutual decision between the two to bring Hagar into their family.

In the beginning, God made them male and female…

Luke 3:23, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.”

 

Jesus had no earthly father and most people thought of Jesus as Joseph’s son, which he was not. God was his Jesus’ father. In a similar way, most people thought that my husband’s father was Mr. Cox, but instead his natural biological nonexistent father was Mr. Frizzell.

 

Jesus said in Matthew 19:4, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

 

Before the genders were separated, male and female were in the same body. We reproduced just as Mary produced Jesus. God played the role of father exclusively. Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” This is before the genders were separated – male from the female. Mothers now have someone to help her with her children. Can imagine a mother breast feeding and trying to provide food and shelter for the child alone? This is the reason God created men – to provide for the physical needs of God’s children, his “living souls”. Mothers need a help mate. How many of our men actually fulfill this responsibility? God loves his mothers and children very much – our men had better be there for their family – his salvation depends upon it. (NOTE: the word “family” in this context means the man’s entire family and not just part of his family.) My husband’s father was a man that thought that the part was more important than the whole. He was wrong!) #Save the first family!

Little Children

Matthew 19:14, (Mark 10:14, and Luke 18:16) “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Our children are closer to heaven than we adults are. Their little minds have not been contaminated with the teachings of our religions and the special commandments of parents. One of the worst commandments that I can think of is that an adulterer or adulteress living in the child’s home is a “step-parent”. Jesus never uttered any such word.

 

Jesus said to the grown-ups in Matthew 18:3-4, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

#Save the first family