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the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 As I was being ministered to one day, the Lord spoke to me and told me he wants to be my friend; he wants to talk with me and visit me. It was the perfect word for me because I was at a point in my life where I was feeling lonely. Change is not always easy in life, I change more and more everyday and in shedding old skin I have had to let go of some dear friends that did not share the same desires as me. I held on to that word and I went home that night expecting a visit from God, an actual, physical visit. I even made sure that there was a corner in my bed for him. No physical visit happened that night, or the night after that by midweek I had calmed a bit. That night I slept well, thinking - God I know everything is in your timing. It so happened that night my tooth was bothering me so I was drooling a little bit and sometime around three in the morning I started choking, badly. I sat straight up and in between gasps for air I managed to get out ”Yes God?” I waited and listened to the silence looking around and then I just had to laugh. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I didn’t see him that night but I know he was there, playing around - our God is a bit of a prankster. He made sure I was ok; he knew that it would make me laugh and that I needed that. Since that night, I still make sure that there is a spot for my God. I have faith that our God will actually sit at the edge of my bed and we will have a very silly conversation. Friend, faith is more than just seeing, it is hoping and knowing with conviction that God will never let you down and is always up for a laugh. Written by Venus Rodriguez
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SUCH FAITH? All one needs to get close to Christ is FAITH. We cannot have eternal life without God's forgiveness and it is available for anyone who wants it. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace." Romans 10:9 tells us how: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." By trusting in Christ, repenting and asking him for forgiveness we have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord. You start this wonderful process through a simple prayer showing your desire for Christ to change your life. You do not need any special words, just a willing heart. Please repeat the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I recognize I am a sinner and have not always done what you wanted. I believe You died for my sin, and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I repent of my sins and ask You to come into my life as my Lord and Savior. I thank you Lord that from this day forward, I will follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen. Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God! We pray that you get to know Him better and that your relationship with him grows. We suggest you join a church where you can worship God and grow in your faith. Also begin a daily personal worship experience with God where you study the Bible and pray. We’d love to hear from you - Please feel free to ask us any questions you have about becoming a Christian, or tell us about your decision to follow Jesus Christ. Send your comments to thelightmag@yahoo.com
Battle of the Mind
When the Holy Spirit Speaks
How To Win The War Over Worry
Can You Hear Me Now
By Adrian Rogers It’s like telling an alcoholic, “Don’t drink. Be sober.” Or a person trying to lose weight – “Don’t overeat. Get healthy.” There’s a missing link. Page 3 Parenting
By Milagros Perieda How rude of me, right? Thank God, He is merciful, patient and loving all the time. Page 4
Issue1 Volume 2 September 2010
Cover Story
CREDITS Publisher HIS Advertising, Inc. Editor
When Your Kids Say “NO”To God By Anoynomous “What did I do wrong?” “Where did I fail?” “Am I being punished for something?”
Confessions Of A Teenage Bride
Mirta Lugo Art Director
Pages 6
By Liz Nieves Instead, like many marriages that end in divorce, we had shared a selfish love, a love that says,“If you don’t make me happy, guess what, out you go.” Pages 7-8
Character
The Armor
Venus Rodriguez
Rachael Lugo Contributing writers Pastora Milagros Perieda Dr. Adrian Rogers Anonymous Writer Liz Nieves Pastor J. Perieda
What’s The Measure of Your Attitude?
By Pastor J. Perieda What was your attitude like that lead you to make the decisions that determined your destiny today? Pages 9
The Weapons Of Christian Warfare
By Adrian Rogers The trouble with many of us is that we are not using the one weapon that God has given us to grant us a sure victory. Pages 10
Love
The Seven Secrets of Lasting Love
By Adrian Rogers "You know, the great miracle is not love at first sight. It is love after a long long look." Pages 11
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How To Win The War Over Worry 3 TRUST IN THE LORD God wants to prove Himself to you. Let me ask you, “How do you know that the Lord is the joy of your life?” You don’t know, until He takes away your automobile or your health or your home or your family. When you say, “Jesus is all I need” make sure you can prove it. You’ll never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. DO GOOD One of the signs that you’re not trusting God is that you drop out of your usual activities. They get down. You say, “I lost my job!”Well, what are you doing about it? “Well, I’m just sitting around the house!” Well, quit it! Get out there and do something because you’re trusting God to provide! DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD Do you want to have a life of joy? Then, put your faith in something, or should I say Someone, who cannot be touched – the Lord! God isn’t finished with you until you find your greatest joy in Him alone. Now take the sentence very slowly – God is going to keep giving you this test until you pass it. He doesn’t flunk anybody out. And so, if you don’t pass this time, He’ll just run you through again. COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD “Commit”literally means “to roll.” It means to roll your burden on the Lord. Whatever that burden is, you are to give it to God. His shoulders are broad enough. Matthew 11:30 says,“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Is someone critical of you today? Give it to Jesus. Has someone hurt you? Give it to Jesus. Are you unsure about your future? Give it to Jesus. REST IN THE LORD This word “rest” means “to be silent.” We want our answers yesterday. And God is saying,“Hush! Rest in Me!” Friend, God isn’t interested in time. He’s interested in timing. He’s never in a hurry. And He’s never late. Waiting on the Lord is like waiting for the sun to rise. You can’t hurry it. And you can’t stop it.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Psalm 37:1-7)
Trust. Do Good. Delight. Commit. Rest. What is the key to all of this? Jesus. When He is your focus, you can win the war over worry.
Years ago there was a song entitled,“Don’t worry. Be happy.” It had a catchy tune, but do you know the problem with this phrase? It’s missing a “how to” in between “Don’t worry” and “Be happy.” It’s like telling an alcoholic,“Don’t drink. Be sober.”Or a person trying to lose weight – “Don’t overeat. Get healthy.” There’s a missing link. And it’s the “How does a person stop worrying and be happy?” Let me share with you four ways you can win the war over worry:
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Article written by Dr. Adrian Rogers, for further information on Dr. Adrian Rogers and his ministry go to www.lwf.org.
4 Can You Hear Me Now
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Not to long ago on a Sunday morning, I asked the Holy Spirit what I should wear to Church. I had already prepared my suit the night before, but the thought came to ask Him. He said, “if I were you I would not wear that suit this morning.” I asked, “why not?” He replied,“you are going to fall in the Spirit today and you might feel uncomfortable.” I laughed and said,“yeah right.” He didn’t get angry or tell me,“you are going to hell for not listening.” I told Him, “I have not fallen out in the Spirit for quite sometime.” So I said, “you know, I think I will wear my suit, if that’s ok with you?” He just kindly responded,“You could wear whatever you want, I was just responding to your question.”Now let me state this, I had also asked the Lord that morning if He would have the Pastor give me a word concerning something I was going through. We had a guest speaker that morning and he was ministering to people all over the Church. I just wanted the Pastor to be the one to answer the question I had asked the Holy Spirit. The service was nearly over and the speaker handed the service to the Pastor and it sounded like He was about to close. As I was talking to the Holy Ghost I said, “You really did a great job today. People got saved, healed and set free, thank you for doing a great job. I am proud of you, you did not answer my request but that is OK.” As I was ending the sentence with my head down and my eyes closed I felt my husband grab my hand and say come the Pastor has a word for us from the Lord. At that very moment my mind went back to the closet conversation where I had asked the Holy Spirit, what to wear? I had to let Him know He was right again. I knew I was going
to fall in the Spirit and as I went up. I just thanked Him even before hearing the Word. He answered me, as He always does. We both fell in the Spirit just as He said it would happen. God is talking right now. He talks all the time. The Word states in John 16:13 (AMP) “He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). He is talking all day. I know this is possible for God talks to me all the time. Yes, that’s right, all the time. Now, I have to be honest, sometimes I do all the talking and just go about my business. How rude of me, right? Thank God, He is merciful, patient and loving all the time. We talk about all kinds of stuff. I mean, if I were to tell you all the things we talk about you would probably wouldn’t believe it. We have fellowship. He is teaching me how to believe for even greater things. According to His Word we will receive. There are no limits regarding what you and God can talk about. There are no limits as to what God desires to do for you and lead you to. When people come to me for counseling I point them right to God. When you pray if you believe you will receive whatsoever you prayed for (Mark 11:24). The Word of God is true. That must be cemented in your heart and in your mind. Today as you read this, have courage, this is the day to begin your new relationship with God. Listen to Him with the ears of your heart. He will make your way prosperous.
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Enjoy the Blessing Article Written by Milagros Pereira.
When you’re children start saying “NO” to God, it can be a terrifying time for parents. All of a sudden tell you “I don’t want to go to church anymore, ” “I don’t believe in God” or “He doesn’t exist”. For one reason or another your children loose their passion, motivation, and/or belief and you begin asking yourself “What did I do wrong?”“Where did I fail?” “Am I being punished for something?”There are thousands of thoughts and emotions that run through ones mind. I remember when I gave my life to the Lord in 1997. I would go to church every Sunday but my children wouldn’t go, my home was a single-parent home. Honestly, I raised my children according to the world’s standards. I was working two jobs and my parents were practically raising my children. I was “serving” the Lord for two years when I got a phone call from my mom that my 15 year old daughter had left with her friends to a carnival without permission and she was still not home, it was 10 o’clock at night. You may be thinking that 10 o’clock for a 15 year old is not bad but for me it was. I left work and all I can remember is that on my way to find her I was furious. I was ready to give her a good beating but at the same time I was afraid that something had happened to her. This incident was one of many that I had with my daughter. I got mad at God because I wanted Him to wave a magic wand over my children and make everything alright over night. Mind you I had not really been there for them, there werne’t any boundaries , no disciplinary actions were taken when they misbehaved. I was doing my own thing and allowing my parents to raise my children. I believed that I was fulfilling my parental duties by working and providing them with food and shelter. I had not relationship with my children. So I get to the carnival and after a while I find my daughter with her. I remember that she turned white as a ghost. She didn’t think I would do something like this (remember no boundaries, no discipline). After this I realized that no magic wand would be waved. So I sought out advice from one of the elders at the church and prayed, a lot. Through prayer, the Lord showed me that I needed to quit my second job, if not I would lose my children. He also let me know that I needed to love my children where they were right now and stand in faith that He would do the rest, So I did. I quit my second job and started to be home more often. At first it wasn’t easy. My children were used to being free and doing
as they pleased. But now they had mom around telling them what to do, armed with rules and regulations. They looked at me like I had two heads. As time passed and I pressed into the Lord things got better. I learned not to live in denial or run from difficult situations. My children learned discipline but most importantly they learned that I loved and cared about them. Today my daughter is 23 years old and is serving the Lord. My son is 22 years old and I am standing in faith that he too will come to serve the Lord. The word says , “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household”. (Acts 16:31) I have learned to love my children no matter what mistakes they make because I have learned to walk by faith and not by sight. I still to this day sow seeds of the word into their lives. I walk according to what it says in Proverbs 22:6,“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”. It was through faith in the Lord and His word that we were able to weather the difficult times. Not concentrating on my children’s actions or words but on the promises that Jesus had given to me. It also helped that my children saw my faith walk. They saw and realized that this was not a faze mom was going through. This new way of life was permanent and mom was becoming a better person. She was not giving up on us and he loved us even though we didn’t agree with her beliefs, she was becoming the loving mother we desired to have. A mother’s role is not an easy one, but it is one of the most rewarding roles that the Lord has blessed us with. To be able to raise children with the love of Jesus, demonstrating to them just a tiny bit of the unconditional love Jesus shows us is amazing. The love of Jesus that we show our children casts out all fear. It creates children that are confident in Jesus and even if they say no to God now we can be confident in the fact that eventually they will say yes to Him. The word says in James 5:16 “that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” These words and many more were what got me through. We have to learn how to trust God with our children. Even though they may say no to Him, He still loves them. He sent His only begotten Son to die for them. The Lord is persistent and we should be as well. We need to rest in God and His promises and you will see the awesome work He will do in your children.
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Article written by anonymous writer.
Confessions of A Teenage Bride 6 I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! As my husband comes into our bedroom, all I can think is I hope he believes I am really sleeping because if he so much as breathes on me, I will let out a shriek that will be heard ‘round the world. The disgust, disappointment and desperation I feel is too much to bear. How did I get to this place in my marriage? My life seemed to be so far removed from my hopes and dreams, that I couldn’t even remember what they were anymore. But then again, at the tender age of 16 when I walked down that aisle towards my future husband,I doubt my hopes and dreams were even realistic. The word “fairytale” comes to mind. Being brought up in a very strict Christian household and as a pastor’s daughter, there was no doubt in my mind when my mother found out that I had lost my virginity at 15, that there would be consequences. My child-like mind lead me to believe that I would receive the mother of all spankings. Being a mother now myself, though, I realize that as my mother read my diary confessions (she’s an old school mama) the devastation must have left her confused as to what to do next. There was yelling and crying and denying. My father refused to believe it, but eventually the threat of a lie detector test (did I mention how naïve I was) forced me to admit my wrongdoing. That night as my mother crawled into bed with me crying, she asked me, “Why?” “Because I love him, Mami,”I answered. And with that admission, wedding plans started to unfold a few years earlier than I had planned, but hey, I’d get to be with the one I love, get away from my religious parents and have sex without worrying about getting caught. As I put my wedding dress on to begin the role of a wife, it seemed like it was yesterday that I was role playing with my best friend a scene from Charlie’s Angels. But I was far from being Sabrina, the smart, sassy angel. I was now the lead in a horror movie and here I am walking into a house that everyone knows is haunted, but me. And it seems no one is brave enough to yell “STOP!!” To make matters worse, my first act of independence after marriage was to rebel against anything spiritual or religious. I stopped going to church and started to involve myself in things that had been prohibited from me. I turned my back on Jesus, the Only One that could possibly make sense of this “horror” that would now be my life. Don’t get me wrong, at first married life was wonderful. We did love each other and we enjoyed each other’s company. But as the years went by and I “grew up”I started to feel that I wanted more out of life than being married to a man that I didn’t know any more and who I felt was ruining my life. There were so many booby traps in our life, how could we possibly succeed? We didn’t know how to communicate with each other in the midst of a crisis, much less listen to one another’s view point. My expectations of marriage and the role that each spouse should play in marriage were so unrealistic and uneducated (My people perish for lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6) that I started to blame my husband for everything that didn’t fit into the script of my fairy tale. As a consequence of my crushed expectations I lost all respect that I had for my husband and for the vows that I had made. As I looked around, I couldn’t find any role models to seek wise counsel. We were surrounded by divorce, infidelity, marriages of convenience and loveless marriages. And the last thing on my mind
was going to God, the Creator of marriage. One day during one of my bawling tirades of hurt, anger and unhappiness, I asked my husband Junior to leave. To my surprise, he did. It had never crossed my mind that if I was unhappy, he could be as well and couldn’t wait to get out. So,after 12 years of marriage,I found myself separated and with a five-year old daughter. What now? Surely now that I had gotten rid of “the problem”I would be happy. Well, that happiness was short-lived because there was still this nagging emptiness and unhappiness that wouldn’t go away. Eventually I realized it was an emptiness that only God could fill. It wasn’t a man’s job to fill my heart. So, on April 6, 1997 I finally surrendered to my Lord Jesus Christ. And my husband Junior and I lived happily ever after… Wrong! As I started to develop my relationship with Jesus Christ, I knew that God wanted to restore my marriage. I remember calling my husband to let him know of my decision and of the future I envisioned. He promptly told me, “I don’t want to get back together with you just because you’re a Christian.” I responded with a chuckle and sneer (the molding process had just begun), “Relax, I’m not asking you to come back just yet.” It didn’t take long for me to see through the help of the Holy Spirit that there was a lot of work that God had to do in my life, in my attitude and in my heart. It had been so easy for years to point the finger at my husband for my lack of happiness and contentment, but God wanted to show me what I could do for myself through Him. On our wedding day there were promises to love, honor and respect, but those words lost their meaning the moment I felt that I wasn’t being loved, honored and respected the way I deserved. But when Christ came into my life and I started to search His word, I understood that the love I was supposed to share is the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. Instead, like many marriages that end in divorce, we had shared a selfish love, a love that says, “If you don’t make me happy, guess what, out you go.” As I started to search God’s word for my life, I learned that “a wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one pulls it down with her own hands.” All the time I had spent planning the wedding, the guest list, the reception, flowers, thinking of the white-picket-fence scenario could have been spent seeking God so that I could be a true blessing to my soon-to-be husband. But with God all things are possible and all things work for good for those that love the Lord and so what we had turned into a mess, God would turn it around to bless. Of course this was not something that happened overnight. We spend years creating a mess and then want God to wave a magic wand and “poof” all our problems are gone. There were so many times that I wanted to jump off the Potter's wheel and put my husband on there all by himself, but God had other plans. The process of restoration can at times be very painful and seem like it's never going to get better. But God's plan for our life is not to harm us, but to give us hope.( Jeremiah 29:11) I love him! I love him! I love him! I look at my husband snoring late at night as I catch up on e-mails and I think to myself howamazing it is that we've made it through 23 years of marriage, blessed with two beautiful daughters, Raquel and Rebekah (our reconciliation baby) and we're still learning and loving. Thank you, Jesus!!
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! ! ! ! !
Where you are today, in just about every area of your life is a result of the attitude you demonstrated and the actions you put into place last year, last month, last week and even yesterday. Think about that for a few minutes. What was your attitude like that lead you to make the decisions that determined your destiny today? A very well known Pastor and speaker stated the following: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Godly thoughts produce Godly words. Godly words produce Godly actions. Godly actions produce Godly habits. Godly habits produce Godly character. Godly character takes you to a Godly Destiny!
It begins with a thought, but it is your attitude that will determine what you allow your mind to dwell upon. Do your thoughts line up with the Word of God? Do they lead to the blessing & life, or are you contemplating thoughts of the flesh, that lead to the curse or even death? The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Henry Ford, the father of the automobile was quoted as saying “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.”How powerful is that? I enjoy watching & playing sports.One thing champions have in common is their attitude. A World Champion’s attitude is evident in everything about him or her.The way they walk – fearless and secure. The way they talk – well versed and with confidence. I remember as a child and teenager watching World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali in the ring. I have never seen anyone intimidate his opponents the way he did.Yes, he did a lot of trash talking, but he backed it all up with action. And when it was all said and done, he was still the champion. Our Attitude will determine our approach to life. Like an airplane if our nose is pointed up, we’re taking off; if our nose is pointed down, we might be headed for a crash. Our Attitude will determine our relationships with people. In a study that was made it was determined that themoney you will make in any endeavor is determined only 12% by knowledge and 88% by your ability to deal with people. Often our attitude is the only difference between Success & Failure. History’s greatest achievements have been accomplished by those who would persevere and not quit. Our attitude can turn our problems into blessings.What is the difference between an obstacle and opportunity - our attitude toward it? Remember, your attitude today will determine the thoughts that will take you to your destiny tomorrow. Article written by Pastor Jesús Pereira
Your thoughts produce your words. Your words produce your actions. Your actions produce your habits. Your habits produce your character. Your character takes you to your Destiny! Negative thoughts produce negative words. Negative words produce negative actions. Negative actions produce negative habits. Negative habits produce negative character. Negative character takes you to the wrong Destiny! THELIGHTMAG@YAHOO.COM
Can You Hear Me Now 3 How do we use this sword? Let’s look at how our Lord Jesus Christ used the Word when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness after forty days and nights of fasting (see Luke 4:1-13). First, Satan tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh (“command that these stones be made bread”), then the lust of the eyes (“if Thou therefore will worship me, all shall be Thine”), and finally the pride of life (“if Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from [the pinnacle of the temple]”). How did Jesus deal with the devil? He took the sword of the Word of God – that sharp two-edged sword and ran Satan through. Jesus said, “It is written, it is written, it is written…” Jesus overcame every temptation by one weapon – the Word of God. The Word of God is all-powerful. Satan fears the Word of God. He knows its overcoming power. The Source of Your Supply - "Prayer" Some Christians fail to understand that prayer is the second offensive weapon in our warfare. They get all dressed up in their armor, pick up their sword, and think they are ready to fight. But Ephesians 6:18 tells us that there’s one more weapon – prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” A soldier needs to stay in contact with headquarters and have at his disposal a constant source of supply. Without a constant source of supply and a system of communications, a soldier is destined for defeat. Thank God we have the Holy Spirit who gives us constant
THE WEAPONS OF CHRISTIAN WARFARE People are continually discussing what is happening in this country, the Middle East, and in every corner of the globe. What many may not realize is that we are already at war, an invisible and unseen war between light and darkness, good and evil. And Satan is our adversary. In Ephesians 6:10-17a, we learn about the defensive weapons of our warfare – the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace and the helmet of salvation. These pieces of armor are to defend us from Satan’s fiery arsenal. But, we also need offensive weapons to defeat the enemy – the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God and the prayer of the Spirit. The Sharpness of your Sword - "The Word Of God" Hebrews 4:12 teaches:“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The trouble with many of us is that we are not using the one weapon that God has given us to grant us a sure victory. Many of us study the Bible, but it’s not enough just to study the Bible, we must learn how to employ it. Years ago, when young men went into the service, the military issued them an M1 rifle.They were taught how to take it apart and reassemble it.But they had to do more than just learn about their weapon;they had to learn to use it.The Word of God is a sword and it is meant to be used.
communication with our Commander-in-Chief. Before we go to the battlefield, we must get on our knees. The battle is not won in the pulpit or in the Sunday school class. The battle is won in the prayer closet. Prayer is warfare. You probably have never thought of yourself as a soldier. But, when you are sitting in your bedroom or in your den, you can wage a mighty battle of intercessory prayer. Isn’t it wonderful that those who are sick or shut-in, on a hospital bed or in a wheelchair can fight because they can pray? What an awesome weapon is prayer! I challenge you today to take the mighty weapons God has given you and get into the battle! Begin today to offer lingering, loving, laboring prayer on behalf of others. for when you use the weapons of the Word of God and prayer. John 15:7 says,“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” You can have the victory you long for, when you use the weapons of the Word of God and prayer.
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Article written by Dr. Adrian Rogers, for further information on Dr. Adrian Rogers and his ministry go to www.lwf.org.
6 Seven Secrets of Lasting Love Ephesians 5:23-25). Most women don’t mind submitting to a man who loves her enough to die for her, and shows her by the way that he lives for her.
CULTIVATE CONTENTMENT
I told my wife Joyce the other day, "YOU KNOW, THE GREAT MIRACLE IS NOT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. IT IS LOVE AFTER A LONG LONG LOOK." Let me tell you some ways my wife Joyce and I have tried to keep the honey in our honeymoon. FORTIFY FAITH Build up each other in the faith. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says "a threefold cord is not quickly broken." A three-fold cord is a man, a woman, and God. Joyce knows that she is not first in my life because God is first in my life. She doesn’t mind being second. Why? Because she knows I can love her more by putting her second than I ever could love her by putting her first.
REMEMBER ROLES God made us different that He might make us one (see 1 Peter 3:1, 7). He made the husband with a hard exterior and the wife more gentle, but not inferior. The husband is the head of the home, as Jesus is the head of the church and gave Himself for the church (see
A wise man once said, "To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough." If you’re not careful, your marriage is going to be until debt do us part. Learn to be content (see Philippians 4:11-13). Do you know how much I paid for Joyce's engagement ring? One hundred dollars. I didn’t have the cash or a credit card. Instead, I went in week after week to pay for that ring. There are no problems too big to solve, just people too small to solve them. If we would just banish bitterness and attack the problem rather than one another, our families would be a lot better off. Don’t go to bed angry with your backs to each other. Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Joyce and I have tried to practice that. Sometimes we’ve stayed up for three nights in a row, but we worked through our bitterness!
CONTINUE COMMUNICATION Communication is so important because it is truly what builds intimacy in a marriage. First Peter 3:8-10 has much to say about the communication a couple needs to have in order to enjoy a lasting love. One way we can build communication is to have a good date life and there are four kinds of dates that everybody needs to make. First, each spouse needs to have a daily date with God. Second, if the couple has children, each needs to have a regular date with their kids. Third, couples need to have a date by themselves. Fourth, have a date with each other.
REFRESH ROMANCE Joyce and I really try to keep our "courtship" going. Many times on my way home, I will call Joyce and say, "The Love Mobile is on its way home. I can hardly wait to get there, so sensitize your lips." To the husband, I would add – never cease flirting with your wife and never flirt with any other woman. Don’t call the waitress or your coworker "sweetheart" – you’ve got only one sweetheart. Second, God's Word tells husbands to give honor to their wives, that means to respect and be courteous to her at all times. Open the door for her – and not just when other people are looking.
PRACTICE PRAYER First Peter 3:7 tells the husband to "dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." To the men who may be reading this, let me say that most men don’t want to pray with women because we have a hard outer shell. But husband, I implore you to humble yourself and get down on your knees with your wife and practice prayer. Let her know you are praying for her, let her hear you pouring out your heart before God. It will give her great confidence and comfort.
I hope if you are married or are contemplating getting married, that you will pray about doing these things to create a love that will last. Article written by Dr. Adrian Rogers, for further information on Dr. Adrian Rogers and his ministry go to www.lwf.org.
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