Hello friends. I hope you are well. In this week’s newsletter I am led to share resources with you about making your marriage stronger. If you are single, it’s wise to learn skills and facts now, before marriage. If you are divorced, studies show that the probability of another divorce is higher. So please be prepared and learn how to beat your higher odds before your next marriage.
When I discovered my church 15 years ago, I got involved very quickly. My husband thought I had joined a Christian cult. It’s funny now to say it but it was not funny at that time! It brought a lot of tension into our marriage. Whenever I would pray about scaling down in my church and women’s small group attendance, I always felt that I should go as long as it didn’t interfere with family obligations and plans.
Around this time, someone brought a bunch of Christian books to give away at our women’s group meeting. The book called “Love Dare” stood out to me. When I heard what the book was about, I was like “no, thank you.” But the Holy Spirit would not let me rest at our meeting until I took the book. I remember saying to someone in our group – “I think I’m supposed to do this book on my husband. Please pray for my clarity and peace.” I got several confirmations. (FYI – God always speaks loud and clear when He wants you to do something that you really don’t want to do.)
“Love Dare” is a book on 40 days of ‘love and service’ acts for your spouse. Instead of doing 40 days straight, I took the weekends off. It was my TGIF. And yes, I told my husband about this book and that I’m going to do it for him. Who would say no to that? Long story short, after 40 days of ‘love and service’, my husband no longer thought my church was a Christian cult.
It was very hard to do but today I see this time period as my boot camp. When we say “yes” to following Jesus Christ, it’s like joining a military academy. There’s boot camp training involved in biblical love and service. I didn’t realize how selfish and self-righteous I am. I’ve never been in the military but from the stories I’ve heard; boot camp is very, very hard. It’s supposed to make a soldier out of a civilian.
Here is the Love Dare book link. Read the comments below about the book. Many people commented that it saved their marriage. If you are being led to do it for your spouse, please reach out to me for more details and I’d be happy to assist you.
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Dare-Alex-Kendrick/dp/1433679590
I’m currently reading Tim and Kathy Keller’s book on the ‘Meaning of Marriage’. I love all the academic research and secular studies being reported in the book about successful, long lasting marriages. These secular studies support everything that is already in the Bible about marriage relationships. It reaffirms my faith and belief that God’s word is true and supernatural, and that they work to give us an abundant life – that is if we follow its teachings and walk in obedience.
Stormie O’Martian and her husband have been married for nearly 60 years. She has written many prayer books. What I like about her prayer books is that she also teaches lessons from her own experiences. She is very honest and also reports about the state of marriages in the USA churches from her many years of ministry. Please check out her prayer books. I’ve read and prayed through about 5 of them, and they taught me a lot about prayer and living life in biblical terms. https://www.stormieomartian.com/store/
Recently, I saw an excellent ad that was marketing the Ethiopian Bible as the hidden word that the Church has been hiding from the masses because they contain mysteries and ancient secrets of the universe for your personal benefits and gains. This ad is false. There are no mysteries or ancient secrets being withheld from you to have an abundant life. God has made it available for all seekers in the Holy Bible of 66 books. Please read this good factual article about the Ethiopian Bible.https://www.biblegateway.com/learn/bible-101/about-the-bible/ethiopian-bible-explained/
A few years ago, a friend shared with me about other books that didn’t make it into our current Bible of 66 books. I remember asking the Holy Spirit if I should read some of these extra books that are floating around as a FYI. He told me that I can, once I’m done doing Bible studies on all the 66 books of the Bible. I’ve probably done about 15. I probably won’t get to reading these other books floating around. I’m okay with that.
Just last week, I started to watch the 700 Club shows. I’ve heard good things about this show but just never got around to watching it. It’s all about positive stories and news. I love it! In this episode, there’s a story of a man’s incredible healing. His story starts in minute 16. It’s an amazing testimony about the power of prayer and having a spouse who knows how to fight for you in faith and prayers. He was in a coma. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cbn-com-700-club-interactive-video-podcast/id335163889?i=1000772516333
Since there are so many unsettling and disturbing news, please also watch uplifting news stories like the 700 Club. It’s good for your faith and heart. ❤️
This 700 Club episode was good too. A youth pastor of nearly twenty years talks about the Gen Alpha. My experiences have been with the Gen Z (today this cohort is ages 29-14 by the Pew Research Center). If you have a Gen Alpha, please check out this interview. He called them Gen Revival. I like that name! 🙂
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, disturbing things can happen when Christians focus only on healing and miracles and the supernatural, without love, humility and good character traits being developed. I have researched a lot on Christian cults over the years. The key thing that I’ve found is that Christian cults end relationships, and hate accountability – they remove their people from families and friends who don’t agree with their leaders and beliefs. If church leaders or anyone for that matter produce this kind of fruit in you; please be very, very careful. You might be getting involved with a Christian cult or toxic relationship. The ending will not be good at all in both cases. Here’s a good cheat sheet that I found on recognizing a Christian cult. Please save it as reference:
If you believe that your family member or friend is getting involved with a Christian cult, pray about sharing your concerns. Pray and fast before speaking with them. Ask others in your church community to pray for your meeting too. It’s going to be a very tough talk. Ask the Holy Spirit for a clear green light too. He might just have you pray and intercede until more favorable conditions.
Another way to safeguard yourself from getting caught up in a Christian cult is by knowing your Bible well. It’s imperative that you are always studying your Bible. In the last 15 years I’ve read through the Bible about 8 times, and I’m always doing a Bible study on a specific book or theme too. I really haven’t met anyone in-person who studies the Bible as much as I do. And I can do that because I don’t work for pay and I don’t have any hobbies. (I tried but there are just no hobbies that interest me.)
Currently, I have been thinking a lot about the role of women in pastoral leadership because of the Southern Baptist Convention’s recent decision to bar women from pastoral leadership. My thoughts seem to shift depending upon who I’m learning from at the moment. I think at the end of day, when I’m in spiritual warfare, I don’t care what your title is. In the battlefield, titles don’t matter but what matters most is that they do not run away, can stand and fight back the enemy (aka demons).
Looking back at the last 15 years, whenever I am attacked physically, mentally or spiritually by demonic forces; I would only reach out to my church friends with Pentecostal beliefs for prayers and support. I rarely ask my friends who are Cessationists (basically they don’t believe that the supernatural powers are for today’s church because we have the Bible). I just want to be efficient and effective, and win my battles. And I think I’ve won a good amount of my battles in the past 15 years.
When you say “yes” to Jesus Christ and follow him, he will give you his heart and love for the vulnerable, the lost and suffering ones. It can be heartbreaking. Just remember to breathe and take it one day at a time. Don’t go ahead in your own strength and passion. Wait for Jesus to direct your steps.
For me, the physical and mental sufferings of the people bother me a lot. I just heard an excellent message from this evangelist about healing and miracles. He said healing opens hearts. He gives step-by-step instructions on how to pray for healing. I’ve fallen off this bicycle 🚲 many times, and so I am hesitant to try again. But if it will open hearts for the gospel, I will try again. If you also want to learn how, please give him a listen. He also gives serious warnings so that no one becomes proud and turns into a Christian cult. Please hear the warnings.
https://youtu.be/-Xc_pd0tsl0?is=BvnPK9DgB1L-8tLz
God has placed the needs of human trafficking in my heart since day one. The rescued survivors need healing and miracles, not Bible studies. Of course Bible studies come later but for the immediate moment upon rescue, they need healing and miracles. Please read this brief news article to understand why.
I was able to get a copy of Becky Dvorak’s book on healing, and prayer declaration for oneself. If you are suffering in your body or mind, please read her book which also has many testimonies to increase your faith, and say out loud the healing prayer written by her. These are attached as pdf. Once you are healed, make sure you give Jesus all the credit. And go out and open hearts with your healing testimony.
Lately, my attention has been directed towards my birth country of South Korea. 🇰🇷 When I saw this pastor’s story being featured in the Korea Times news website, I had to check it out. It’s godly men like him who will be richly rewarded in heaven. He’s called the “baby box pastor.”
https://youtu.be/wLDX0cpM864?is=ed2VQkK_egjQA1jX
There’s a scene where he cries describing how much his heart was broken when a young girl that he adopted passed away. It reminded me of this quote from CS Lewis in his book, Four Loves.
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
It’s a good quote to ponder and pray about. With much prayer and in the love of Jesus Christ 🙏❤️
P.S. Wow I didn’t know the USA soccer team was so open about their faith. Praise Jesus! Christian Pulisic speaks about his faith and gives glory to God at the World Cup. 🙂
Journal of Faith 