6 Characteristics for a Potential Spouse

"What to look for as you contemplate marriage."

-Dennis Rainey-

I am often asked, "What should a single person look for in a potential spouse?" Singles want to know...and parents want to know so they can pass the information on to the children. So I finally came up with the following list: 

A woman should seek a man who…

1. Fears God. Some of the ways you can tell if a young man fears God is by his language and how he treats other people. Does he treat them with respect? If not, why not? We as human beings are made in the image of God, and respecting people ultimately shows a heart that reverences the One whom we reflect.
2. Is not afraid to love. That may sound like a no-brainer, but a lot of young men today are afraid of commitment, and the young lady ends up chasing the young man. What we need today are more young men who are not afraid of being real, authentic, and committed to a young lady in a relationship. We need men who are not afraid to love.
3. Can admit his faults, his mistakes, and when he's hurt you. Ruth Bell Graham made the statement, "A good marriage is the union of two forgivers." The reason is because you're going to hurt one another over and over again during your lifetime together. If you don't know how to ask for forgiveness and give forgiveness, you're never going to have a great marriage. The growth of your marriage will be stunted early on.
4. Can control his passions. We live in an age that has been invaded by pornography. The world sends a message that you can have it all and can satisfy yourself. I would want my daughters to date a young man who is fully in charge of his passion and can control his desire for the opposite sex.
5. Honors his parents. In the Ten Commandments, God tells us to honor our parents that our lives may be long and it may be well with us. Wouldn't you want to select a man whose life has a sense of well being in God's favor? I have heard it said that if you want to see how a young man will treat you, see how he treats his mother. I'd take that a step further—how does he honor both his mother and his father? Does he speak well of them or is he angry with them? Does he refuse to speak about them at all? What's going on between a young man and his parents is very important.
6. Is in the process of becoming a leader who knows how to serve. Being the head of a home and having so much authority and responsibility demands a servant spirit and self-denial. If a young man doesn't know how to deny himself on behalf of another person, giving up his personal rights, goals, and dreams, I would question whether he would know how to create a family over a lifetime.  

  

A man should seek a woman who…

1. 1. Fears God and whose hope is in the Lord God. Her life is going to be a reflection of where her hope is. If a young lady's hope is in any place other than the Lord, the young who marries her is going to spend the rest of his life trying to help his wife catch a butterfly. It isn't going to happen.
2. 2. Honors her parents. There is so much baggage today being brought into marriages based upon dysfunctional relationships with Mom and Dad. And even though this impacts both the husband and the wife, it's been my experience that women tend to be impacted more negatively by this than young men. Women tend to be more nurturing and they are impacted deeply by hurting relationships. If she has a hard time honoring her parents, she will have a hard time honoring you. Find someone who has or is working to have a healthy relationship with her parents.
3. Knows how to ask for forgiveness, admit she's wrong, grant forgiveness, and give grace when you fail her. This isn't just a one-way street. Both of you are going to need to do that.
4. Wants to be a wife and a mother. There are some young ladies who want to be married, but don't really want to be a wife and a mother. They want to be married, but they want their career to be their number-one pursuit. I believe the scriptures teach that a wife's number-one pursuit should be ministering to her husband and family. That means if you choose to have children, your priorities and values have already been determined.
5. Displays character in her modest dress. A young man's character is displayed in his choices around life—around the use of money and relationships. But a woman's character is displayed in how she handles the power of her femininity and sexuality. In other words—how modest is she? That's becoming a weird word in our culture, but I would challenge young men to keep their eyes out for young women whose character is displayed in not only on the inside, but the outside as well.
6. Knows how to follow a man. That doesn't mean perfection, but it does mean that she understands that she's the vice president, not the president. Women are joint heirs of the grace of God, but someone has to make the final decision when you both disagree. When one person votes one way, and the other person votes another, I believe it's the responsibility of the husband to listen carefully and wisely consider the counsel of his wife. It's upon him and to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as being led in the power of the Holy Spirit to make that decision, and then it's upon the wife to be able to follow under the same influence. That's not an easy thing in this culture.  

Source :
http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3593987&ct=4639461&notoc=1

Parable of the Prodigal Son

The Parable of the Prodigal Son – The Text
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found'" (Luke 15:11-32). 

 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son – The Meaning
The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known stories of Jesus. It is more commonly referred to as the story of the prodigal son, though the word prodigal is not found in Scripture. To characterize the son as “lost” emphasizes that sinners are alienated from God; to characterize the son as “prodigal” casts an emphasis on a wayward lifestyle. In truth, this particular parable has many points to bring out concerning the nature of man and God.

The word prodigal may be defined as “rashly or wastefully extravagant”; the son in the story exhibited this behavior with his handling of his share of his father’s estate. Having prematurely gotten hold of his inheritance from the father he “squandered his wealth in wild living” then, “began to be in need.” The natural state of unregenerate mankind is always toward lust and greed and extravagance of all kinds; without God we squander our resources and energies until we are void and empty. When the younger son found himself in this state, he remained in the far country working in a contemptible job and willing to eat the food he was feeding to the pigs which were under his care. When we remain in a place of alienation from God, we descend into futility, darkness, and humiliation.

The parable of the prodigal son indicates, however, that we do have the opportunity to make a change; we do not have to stay in our hopeless state; we can come to ourselves. The lost son realized that in his father’s house there was sustenance for him; he humbled himself, willing, if necessary, to be his father’s servant, and started back home. This turning in our lives is the first indication of God’s love for us. Even recognizing our sinful, hopeless state is initiated in us by God, Himself. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

The parable of the prodigal son makes it obvious that God was at work. That he was able to see the younger son when he was still a long way off means that the father was watching for his son, waiting for him, longing for him. The father runs to him, embraces him, loves him and gives him gifts; he seems totally oblivious to the fact that his son has disrespected him, acted outrageously, and lost everything. The father lavishes upon him, celebrates over him. This is a wonderful picture of the great love of God towards us. He seeks after us, reaches out to us. When we come to Him, He washes away all our evil deeds of the past, not holding them against us. “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

The parable of the prodigal son also shows the attitude of the self-righteous sinner, pictured by the older son. He quarreled with his father that the younger son had messed up and yet the father had prepared for him the “fatted calf.” Because he considered himself better than the younger son, he could not share in the father’s joy. “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” The older son’s hardness of heart made him unaware of the riches available to him in his father’s house. This son complained that he had “slaved all these years.” He had no more love for the father than the younger son; nor did he avail himself of all the good things the father freely provided for him at all times. Both sin and self-righteousness separate us from God. We all require God’s grace, His unearned, unmerited love for us. The father went out to the disgruntled older son. God is He who always continues to seek after us, regardless of the state we are in. 

Source :
http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/parable-of-the-prodigal-son-faq.htm

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me. 

Dear My Lovely Student (MAG),

~Happy Birthday 12nd~

Thank You for everything,

You are the best gift that I have

God is Able - Hillsong [Our Fave song]

[Verse 1]
God is able
He will never fail
He is almighty God
Greater than all we seek
Greater than all we ask
He has done great things

[Chorus]
Lifted up
He defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name
We overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able

[Verse 2]
God is with us
God is on our side
He will make a way
Far above all we know
Far above all we hope
He has done great things

[Chorus]
Lifted up
He defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name
We overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able

[Bridge]
God is with us
He will go before
He will never leave us
He will never leave us
God is for us
He has open arms
He will never fail us
He will never fail us

[Chorus (x2)]
Lifted up
He defeated the grave
Raised to life
Our God is able
In His name
We overcome
For the Lord
Our God is able

For the Lord
Our God is able
For the Lord
Our God is able
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 1 Corinthians 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

Happy Valentine's Day

Pensil

 Pembuat pensil  menaruh pensil yang baru seleai dibuatnya ke samping sebentar, sebelum ia memasukkannya ke dalam kotak. Ada 5 hal yang perlu kau ketahui, katanya kepada pensil, sebelum kau kukirim ke seluruh dunia. Hendaknya kau ingat selalu pesanku berikut ini, dan jangan sampai lupa. Yakinlah kau bakal berhasil menjadi pensil yang terhebat.

• SATU: Kau bakal bisa melakukan banyak hal besar, tetapi hanya bila kau mau membiarkan dirimu dipegang dalam tangan seseorang.
• DUA: Kau akan menderita tiap kali engkau diruncingkan, tapi kau butuh itu agar bisa menjadi pensil yang lebih baik.
• TIGA: Kau bakal bisa mengoreksi tiap kesalahan yang mungkin kau lakukan.
• EMPAT: Bagian terpenting dari dirimu adalah apa yang ada di dalam.
• dan LIMA: Pada tiap permukaan di mana kau dipakai, tinggalkanlah jejakmu. Apapun kondisinya, kau harus terus lanjutkan menulis.

Pensil itu angguk mengerti dan berjanji akan mengingat nasihat tersebut. Dan memasuki kotak yang akan dieksport itu dengan suatu tekad kuat dalam hatinya.

Bertukar tempatlah dengan pensil itu; ingatlah nasihat yang sama tadi dan yakinlah, kitapun pasti akan berhasil menjadi orang terbaik.

• SATU: Kita bakal bisa berbuat banyak hal besar, tetapi hanya apabila kita membiarkan diri kita berada dan dipegang dalam tanganNya, serta mengizinkan orang lain mengakses talenta yang kita miliki.
• DUA: Kitapun akan menderita saat diruncingkan, yaitu dalam proses melewati macam problema hidup, tapi kita butuh itu agar jadi lebih kuat.
• TIGA: Kita bakal mampu memperbaiki kesalahan apapun yang mungkin kita lakukan.
• EMPAT: Bagian terpenting dari diri kita adalah apa yang ada di dalam, yakni hati nurani kita.
• dan LIMA: Dalam setiap peristiwa dan lembaran hidup yang kita jalani, kita harus meninggalkan jejak kita . Tak peduli bagaimanapun situasinya, kita harus tetap melanjutkan tugas kita. Jadi terang dan garam dunia.

Good days give you HAPPINESS, bad days give you EXPERIENCE, but both are essential for life.

Source :
 http://artikel.sabda.org/book/export/html/21

Resolving to Persue a Clean Heart

The above quote is from Psalm 51:10. It is the psalmists plea for God to keep doing the work in him that enables a clean heart to exist. Christians all over the world still sing this and offer this prayer. An outsider looking into the church might wonder, why haven’t they got this right yet? Why do they keep asking for a clean heart over and over again? Doesn’t God answer?

Last Sunday, while these thoughts were running through my head after the praise band led us in this very song, my Pastor made a profound statement. She said, “We all struggle to live under the umbrella of God’s expectation.” Oh yes, we do struggle, and God’s definition of a clean heart surely has a more stringent qualification than anything I could dream up.

The human condition is a reflection of the great fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Ever since that ancient example was set, all of mankind has shared the same experience in life from birth to physical death, physically, mentally, and spiritually, we fall down, we get up. The plea to God to create in us a clean heart is our cry for help, and I believe each time we ask, God answers yes, but after a while, we will get it all dirty again.

We must work at keeping a clean heart daily, sometimes even minute by minute.

The important thing to help a non believer understand is that we need God because we are not perfect. We don’t serve Him because we are perfect. Too many generations with a “holier than thou” attitude left the non Christian world with a grave misunderstanding of the Christian walk. We desire a clean heart, but it does not come easy. We resolve to maintain a clean heart, but it often does not last for long. We try very hard to achieve a clean heart, but it is something that we cannot do alone. A clean heart is gift from God that is precious, yet so fragile we are just not equipped to maintain it in a manner that would continue to meet His high standard of purity.

Is it hopeless? Will I ever have a clean heart?

No, it is not hopeless. Yes, you can have a clean heart, because God will continue to say yes, as long as we continue to ask for His help. Just as God gave Solomon unequaled wisdom in response to an earnest and selfless prayer, God will cleanse our hearts when we come before Him asking for a clean heart, not to please others, but rather to please Him, and as long as we keep our gaze firmly focused on Him, we will have a clean heart.

There in lies the catch my friends. How many of us will keep our gaze firmly focused on Him for long? That is why I resolve to pursue a clean heart. I know I will achieve it and lose it many times over, but as long as I remain in pursuit of this elusive connection to the heart of God, I am on the road to becoming the person He wants me to be.

Psalm 51:10-12 (NKJV)

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Create in me a clean heart, O God!

Source :
http://onemonthofwisdom.com/wisdomblog/2012/01/clean-heart/

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Jesus told them another parable: . . 

 Matthew 13:31-32 [NIV], "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches"

 

Lesson:

Have you ever seen a mustard seed? The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. It is so small that if you were holding one in your hand and you dropped it you would have a very hard time finding it because it is so hard to see. Even though the mustard seed is so small when it is planted in the ground, it grows into a tree large enough for birds to stand on its branches and to make their nests in it.

When you look at this little mustard seed, before planting it in the ground, you might think it would be impossible for a seed so tiny to grow into a tree. But our God turns that tiny seed into a wonderful place for birds to come and rest and sing. 

When Jesus told this parable He compared it to loving God. When children, like you, or adults begin to love Jesus, their love is like a tiny mustard seed before it is planted in the ground. It starts out very small at first. Then when you keep on listening to what Jesus says and obeying Him, then the love grows bigger and bigger. Soon it will grow like the big mustard tree. 

 
You can also find this parable in :

Mark 4:30-32 [NIV], "Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we  use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

 Luke 13:18-19 [NIV],  ^"A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone."

MEMORY VERSE

Matthew 17:20 [NIV], "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"

Source :

http://www.just4kidsmagazine.com/rainbowcastle/mustardseed.html