Do You Know with Certainty?

Today's post is dedicated to one of my dear mentors, Maggie Chapman.

Today, February 28th is her 35th wedding anniversary. And today at 12:05 am, her precious husband, Bob, breathed his last. He has gone home to be with Jesus. Bob valiantly fought prostate cancer. These last few months have been very difficult.

A little over a week ago, I was visiting Bob - knowing it would be one of my last times seeing him this side of heaven. And he told me he wanted to hold on to February 28th, but was not sure if he could. (Let me briefly share the conversation...)

Me: "35 years of wonderful bliss?"
Bob: (To my surprise) "No, it hasn't been 35 of bliss..." turning to Maggie with a gleam in his eye. "But definitely 25 years of wedded bliss."
Me: "Why? What happened the first 10 years?" (Before you call me Noisy Nelly, please understand, I know them well enough to ask the question.)
Bob: "Because I did not know Jesus those first 10 years. And I was not as good to her as I should have been. But she never gave up on me."

You see, Maggie prayed, and prayed, and persevered in prayer some more for her Bob. When finally in 1988 he waived the white flag and begrudgingly went to Bible study. One month later, he realized he was a sinner, needing a savior. At 51 years of age, Bob accepted Christ as Savior. His life was truly transformed. BC (before Christ), Bob was a man who chased wealth, position, prestige and toys. His motto was, "he who dies with the most toys, wins!"

However, this was not the way Bob ended his life. Soon after 1988, Bob realized that the Bible was the real deal. It wasn't a decoration on a table; it wasn't a book picked up only on Sunday - but it became his Manual for Living; Life's Instruction book. He lived the words found in

Deuteronomy 32:47

They (the words of Scripture) are not just idle words for you - they are you life.

The Bible became his life. His relationship with Jesus Christ became the most important relationship in his life. He exchanged the zeal for more material possessions to zeal for more of Jesus. On his death-bed he boldly proclaimed that the second part of his life was far better than the first half of his life. He had found the Meaning of Life - Jesus!

Why am I sharing his story with you? I hope their brief story can encourage you:

1. If you are a believer and your husband is not - be encouraged by Maggie's story. Pray for your husband. No one is not too sinful for God to reach. Think about Saul/Paul... Think about Rahab. She was a prostitute. Yet we see drops of her blood in the genealogy of Christ. (Matt.1)

Nothing is too hard for our God. Persevere in prayer for your man. Believe God for the man He created your husband to be. Do you realize what a miracle it was for Bob to accept Christ at the age of 51??? Pray. If you are not praying for your man, who is?

2. When you reach the end of you life, can you say with certainty that you will be in heaven?

Can you remember when you became a Christian? Do you remember the transaction that occurred when you confessed that you were a sinner in need of saving? Have you invited Jesus to live in your life?

If your only testimony is that you "joined the church when you were..." or "I was baptized when I was..." I gently ask you to make sure of your salvation.

Joining a church or becoming baptized; sprinkled or christened - does not save us. These are to be outward professions of an inner decision we've made. A personal decision - an intentional act of the will - of inviting Jesus into your life is what saves us.

My sweet Maggie KNOWS that her Bob is in heaven. And she knows with certainty that she'll be joining him one day. As will I...

Do you know with certainty? If not, take a spiritual inventory. If you need to, feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to talk to you about this and pray with you -

Don't let another day go by without knowing with certainty.

Being Wise About Temptation

1 Corinthians 7:3-5

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.

The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.

Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you.

I must admit, the first time I read this Scripture (years ago), the hair stood up on the back of my neck. It sounded oppressive to me. I wanted to omit this portion of Scripture from the Bible. My logic was that this was for a past culture - certainly not for today's woman.

Over the years as I've grown to know the character of God, my thinking has changed. It was meant for today's woman and her marriage. God is our loving heavenly Father. No matter what your earthly father has been to you, God has our best interests at heart. He only wants what is best for us. He NEVER wants to oppress us or make us feel less than who we really are - daughters of the King. Princesses of the Most High God. Scripture also says we are dearly loved.

In this passage, God is giving us the recipe for a successful marriage - sex being forefront and center. And building on what we studied yesterday, He's showing us the IMPORTANCE of intimacy in our marriages. Notice the warning, "Satan will tempt" your husband if you are depriving him. So let me ask you...

Do you hold sex over your husband as a power play? That if he's good enough or helpful enough or deserving - you'll reward him?

Oh girlfriend, we have to be shrewd and smart. Wise - not unwise. The "tempter" is real. Satan wants your marriage to fail. Satan wants to tempt your man with any hot babe that walks by. We become shrewd and smart by making ourselves available to our husband on a regular basis. By not depriving him. By learning his "needs" schedule and accommodating him with what we can handle.

So I have to ask the question - don't forget - I'm all about life change - not warm/fuzzes.

What's the need schedule???

This is important. Find it and stick to it. Don't purposefully deprive him.

Whew, I'm glad this week is over!

Have a great weekend!

It's a Command!

What does God say about the subject of sex? Where does steamy passion fit into the marriage relationship? And how do we even have time for it?

Let's go to our Manual for Living - our Bibles - to see what God has to say about a subject we cannot escape.

Genesis 1:27-28

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number..." (italics mine)

(v31) God saw all that He had made and it was very good.

God's first command to men and women was to be fruitful and multiply. In other words, God was saying, "have sex, enjoy each other! Out of that pleasure, bring children."

God have never viewed sex as something dirty or taboo. (Our culture has made it that way.) It was to be a pure act with a holy purpose: that purpose sometimes brings children. But more importantly it was a way to demonstrate love and bonding, a deep relationship of friendship and companionship.

Sex was God's idea. He invented it and and gave it to us as a gift. Sex is meant to be a sacred gift to a husband and wife in the bonds of marriage. Notice the timing of where "sex" is in Scripture. It originated BEFORE Satan and sin entered the world. (Genesis 3) It's the culture that we live in that has taken a sacred gift and made it vile and dirty.

Secondly: (is that a word?)

I believe God is telling us through Scripture that sex needs to be a priority in our marriages. God knew how He had wired Adam (man), we discussed this yesterday. He knew how He had wired Eve (women).

I think God is trying to teach us something big here. Since it's the first thing He COMMANDS a married couple to do - perhaps its the antidote to many of the problems we see in marriages today. Think about it...

Is it a priority in your marriage? Or is it an after thought?

Maybe if he's 'working' it', you'll consider it.

Do you only engage when you "feel like it?"

If you have small children, you may NEVER feel like it. If you get up early in the morning - you may never FEEL like it.

Have you ever thought of making it a matter of prayer? "Sex, a matter of prayer?" you ask. Yes!!! Pray for the desire; pray for the energy to instigate; pray God will help you to make it a priority. God has COMMANDED US to make it a priority... Don't forget Jesus' words:

John 16:23

"I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

When we pray according to God's will - the answer's YES! He'll give us these things!

More tomorrow...