Christ Community Church of Mooresville

I am reading through the book of Hosea right now in my quiet times with the Lord. It is a fantastic book with so many parallels to our culture today.

Hosea was one of God’s last messengers to the northern kingdom of Israel to warn them of the upcoming punishment of God that would be doled out by the nation of Assyria. The people of Israel were at a time of peace, comfort, and relative prosperity. This condition made them lax in their relationship with God so gradually the began to worship idols and the created things of life rather than the Creator.

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute that would continue in her ways even after her marriage to show Israel that He still wanted to redeem them even after their spiritual adultery.

But one thing is central to this book that is brought up in every study written about it. It is the idea that “God loves His people so much, He will allow no rivals!”.

Today take a few minutes like I was prompted to by the Holy Spirit and ask yourself, “Are there any rivals to the importance and preeminnce of my relationship with God?”. As I listened here were a few of my rivals the Lord revealed to me that needed to be surrendered…my wife, kids, church, even tv. What rivals do you hve today? Surrender them and thank God for His love that is so encompassing it won’t allow any rivals!

Fear can be a funny thing.  It seems to me that these days, people are afraid of almost anything. I was watching a tv show a while back and they had guests on with irrational fears.  One person was terrified of mustard.  Every time they brought a bottle on stage, the person nearly passed out.  Take a few minutes as a family and talk about what some of the funniest, non-scary things are that someone could be afraid of.

 I bet you came up with some funny things about which people could be afraid.  Some of the things people are afraid of just doesn’t make sense.  But did you know that Jesus looks at all fear the same way?

 Read Matthew 8:23-27 as a family.

 ”23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

 Did you see Jesus’ reaction?  Here are the disciples and their boat is about to sink.  If there was ever a time where it looked ok to be fearful it was then.  But Jesus asked them why they were so afraid. The disciples had just seen Jesus heal people and cure them from their diseases, feed over 5000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, and perform numerous miracles.  They knew Jesus was in charge and that He had ultimate power.  Jesus basically said, why in the world would you be afraid of anything when you know how strong I am and how much you can trust Me.

 Take a minute and talk as a family about some real fears that you have.  Mom and Dad, maybe share what you were afraid of when you were your kids ages.  Then, take a moment to pray together to tell Jesus you won’t be afraid anymore because you trust He is stronger than your fears!

I was made aware of this video just a few moments ago and I wanted to share it with all of you in place of a love tip today.

All of you know of the devestation in Haiti after the most recent earthquake. Our church like so many others responded through a special offering for Haiti to meet both physical and spiritual needs.

I wanted you to hear and see some of what the Lord is doing as a result of a country being shaken to her knees and see how God can move in the midst of an sometimes because of a tragedy.

Take two minutes to watch this clip about a national fast in Haiti and imagine if you would see the leadership of our nation respond in the same way. I was blown away! Pray for the Haitian people and that revival would continue to spread, and remember in whatever circumstance you find yourself today, “God works all things together for good to those that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)”

3 Days of Haitian Fasting & Prayer

There is a great country song about young love and the words are fantastic. It says, “living on love, buying on time, without somebody nothing ain’t worth a dime…”. Isn’t that a great use of grammar and the English language?

His point steps up where the songwriter’s grammar steps out. He is saying that without someone to share your life with, even the “great and prosperous” times can seem desert-like.

I look back at my life with Katie, and I can’t believe how far we have come together. We were married when I was 21 and Katie was 20. She was still in college and I had just graduated. Times were tough financially and tough in a lot of other ways, but I would never change a minute of it. Those times brought us to a great point today and made us appreciate the gift of each other.

The Bible says that a great wife is hard to find, more valuable than precious stones (Proverbs 31:1-31).

So today, if you are seriously dating, engaged, or married, realize how blessed you are that God has placed someone in your life with whom you can share it. Whether it is a great or difficult time, be thankful today that you can “live on love”.

Today, think back about some tough times and some great ones in your relationship and spend some time praying to thank God for your partner. Commit to no longer take this precious relationship for granted. Then if your spouse agrees, take some time to pray for your single friends and your divorced friends together that the Lord in His timing would bring a “precious jewel” of a person to their lives.

“Give me one friend, just one, that can meet the needs of my varying moods.” by Esther M. Clark

One of the greatest ways we can model being a servant-lover is to follow the example of Jesus in meeting people’s needs. Jesus met people’s felt needs and also their spiritual needs!

What does your spouse or the person you are dating really need today? Are they having a tough day and could use some verses of encouragment? Is she tired and needing a break from the kids or a day away? Does he need your encouragement through some physical touch? Do you need to go grocery shopping or tackle that project you’ve been putting off? Does she need someone to pray with and help her through a worry or anxiety?

Today I want to challenge you to be a servant-lover and meet your partner’s felt needs and lead them to Jesus to meet their spiritual needs.

“Variety is the spice of life!”

Nothing kills a relationship quicker than apathy. When both partners stop trying, stop growing, stop pursuing, stop pleasing, stop serving, you find yourself in a rut where you’ve become more like roommates than helpmates!

Today, get your relationship out of the same old rut and back onto the highway of growth. Kick apathy out of your way and be a servant-lover today by bringing some variety. Show your partner you still care and want to grow by praying together, do a household chore your spouse hates, sit beside each other at dinner, snuggle and hold hands while you watch tv, write a sexy email to your husband telling him you can’t wait for tonight when you can share God’s gift of intimacy (after all God made sex for marriage). Bring some variety today and spice up your life!

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” – Sir Winston Churchill

Every battle has casualties becase every battle has an enemy. The problem in relationship conflicts occurs when we forget the true identity of our enemy which causes us to inflict casualties on the wrong person.

Paul said that we “fight and wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities…”. Our war and battle isn’t against our spouse or the person we are dating! We need to war against Satan and make sure any casualties of war through the arena of conflict are against him.

Today, or the next time you have a conflict, make sure you don’t say anything that attacks or wounds the other person. Battle Satan by warring as a team agaisnt the problem. Attack the problem and Satan rather than each other. When you work things out without wounding each other, you thwart our real enemy and go on the offensive against him.

“7 For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice.8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” – Jeremiah 11:7-8

Jeremiah was God’s messenger to tell the nation of Judah to examine their lives and turn back to God. He wanted them to learn from the nation of Israel’s punishment and avoid the same mistakes. More than anything, God wanted His people to interact with Him personally and let Him lead and orchestrate their lives instead of allowing circumstances and other gods to steal their worship.

Do you see in the verses above, God’s heart’s desire is that we hear, we listen, and we obey. That is what Him being Lord means. It is ignoring our own selfish ways, thoughts, and desires, and being led by the Spirit to in every moment.

Today I want to challenge you to listen for God’s voice about your dating relationship or marriage. What is He trying to say to you about your relationship? What needs to grow? What needs to change? How do you need to encourage today? What act of love or words or time do you need to excercise today as you listen and obey His voice instead of your normal way? Today, after you have heard from Him what you need to say or do, go for it with all you have!

“9 What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?
10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.11 His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool.13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.14 His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires.15 His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.16 His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” – Song of Solomon 5:9-16

One of the greatest ways to neutralize an argument when you are fearful, hurt, or wronged is to switch your focus off of the issue and onto what you love about your partner. This is an awesome perspective builder when you are caught up in the moment.

So don’t wait! Today, make a list of the things you love about your partner and why you are glad God gave him/her to you. Then, you will be prepared with ammo the next time you are in a conflict. You will be able to take a minute, reflect on that list, get perspective of your whole relationship and not just the immediate conflict, and address your concerns in a healthy way!

“15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” – Song of Solomon 2:15

The future bride in this relationship is looking at their current and future life together and she has some concerns.
The word fox there is imagery of something that would come in and cause hurt, wrong, fear, and if unchecked, ruin in their bidding relationship.

She is challenging him to examine their relationship and see problems when they are small and to reject passivity to address them head-on. This way the small foxes don’t turn into big foxes.

In your relationship today, are there any foxes you need to address? Maybe they are small, but they can turn into big things. Address them head-on in a spirit of love today with your partner, having the goal of reconciliation, not just to get an apology. Then be on the lookout, ready to spot conflicts before they start so you can catch foxes like Solomon.

I missed yesterday’s tip! I was cleaning out the old storage shed with some church members and ran out of time. I hope today’s makes up for it by bringing a big result.

“This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love the more they give, the more they possess.”

by Rainer Maria Rilke

One of the greatest ways to grow a lifelong love is to display your love for one another. The quote above is so true, “the more you give, the more you will possess”. So today be bold in displaying your love both in public and in private.

Men: Find a way today in public and in private to declare your love for your lady. Maybe you could have your own “I love this woman” screaming moment from the commercials a few years ago. Then find a way to display your love in private. Maybe you write her a note, give a backrub, or bring a little present home with no strings attached.

Women: Find a way to appropriately display your love today. If you are married, nothing is off limits, in fact, the Lord said every physical expression of love between a husband and wife is good! So show him you love him in a way that will speak volumes to him and make the rest of the world and it’s problems fade away. If you are dating, show your love with a hug, a kiss, or some cuddle time. Then do a thoughtful gesture that shows you care deeply and were thinking of a way to make him feel special.

Intimacy is important to men and women! We just interpret intimacy differently. Go back and read Song of Solomon 2:1-14 to see how this couple grew in intimacy.

Men: Today, get to know your lady in a deeper way. Remember that knowing what type of deodorant she wears doesn’t make you intimate, it just makes you familiar. Ask her these questions to build intimacy…

- If we could go on vacation anywhere in the world, money being no object, where would you pick?

- What is a funny story about you that I don’t know?

- What do you feel like is going well in out lives right now? What is an area we can work on?

- Where would you like to see our family five or ten years from now financially, relationally, and spiritually?

Women: Men want a partner with whom they can experience life. We want intimacy through shared adventure. We need a comrad on our team who’s ready to take on life, quench any enemy together, and live life to the fullest.

Today plan an adventure to share with your man. It doesnt have to be something costly. Make it something out of the ordinary that you can look forward to. It doesn’t have to happen today, just plan something today and tell him you did so. You can share the plans with him or keep the a surprise, but let him know you want to spend some time doing something together.

I’ve tried to send this blog post out three times now and it keeps getting shut down. Satan must really not want you to hear this. So make sure you read it and live it out today!

Yesterday we looked at “Love’s Miracle Grow” and some tips to grow a lifelong love. This week my love tips will be broken down into tips for men and tips for women. Remember, these things are ways we can show the love of Jesus by choosing to love in these ways regardless of the other person’s performance. This is how Christ loved us, so we can imitate Him in truest form.

Men: Today, be a shadow of protection to your lady and let her lean on and find rest in you.

If she has been struggling with her body image, tell her how beautiful she is. Pick one of her features and just rave about it.

If she is having a tough day, be there emotionally. Tell her you are ready to listen without distractions and you won’t offer her your “fixes” unless she asks.

Protect her spiritually today by spending intentional time praying for her, then tell her you did so. If you want to take it to the next level, identify areas where she is being attacked spiritually today and help her come against them outloud in Jesus’ name. Be her warrior today.

Women: Nothing makes your guy feel like he can conquer the world than you believing in him.

Find a way to encourage him today. Tell him something he is great at doing or something you admire or appreciate about him.

If he has let you or the family down in the past and not protected you emotionally, spiritually, financially, etc., then purpose in your heart to forgive him today.

If he is helping with the kids or around the house, but it is different than the way you would do it, choose not to start an argument today. Release some control, allow him to lead, and remember different isn’t always wrong.

This Sunday, we said that love, dating, marriage, and even sex is a gift from God to be lavished for a lifetime.

Today, think of a tangible gift you can give to your partner to express your love and say you were thinking about him/her. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It could be their favorite candy bar, or cost nothing at all by giving them a footrub. Lavish your love with a gift today!

Life is full of distractions isn’t it? In our world, instant response is not just appreciated but expected. We are distracted by errands, homework, kids, tv, phone calls, email, etc. While I have been writing this blog post, I’ve had four phone calls and who knows how many emails.

In a world like that, everyone of us appreciates someone who cares enough to put all the distractions away and focus solely on us for a moment. In “Twenty Things I Need To Tell My Wife”, the #8 thing is, “I want to hear what you have to say.”

Today, become an oasis of presence by being wholly present when your spouse is around. Have a five minute conversation today where the other person is the only one in the world at that moment. Ask about work and really listen. Ask how you can pray for him/her. Be at full attention during every conversation and don’t do anything else that might distract you. Show your love and your partner’s importance today by putting away distractions and being present!