This document summarizes a 1969 sermon about preparing for marriage according to biblical principles. It discusses how God created marriage to bring joy and instituted the first marriage between Adam and Eve. It notes that Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding in Cana to show his support for marriage. However, it laments that few follow God's plan for marriage today, resulting in unhappiness. The sermon encourages preparing for marriage by studying God's original design and not following the practices of the world.
This document is a transcript of a sermon about preparing for marriage. It discusses how God uses marriage to represent His love for His people. The sermon encourages viewing courtship through the lens of Jesus seeking His bride, the church. It warns against worldly ideas of romance and fun, saying if Jesus is invited to the wedding, He should be part of all relationship stages. The presence of Jesus can turn any situation, like a wedding, into joy, while worldly traditions come from outside God's will. True ideas of marriage help establish proper courtship.
This document provides a summary of a study on Revelation 14 and guarding the home. It discusses the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 14 as those who have been cleansed from false doctrines and have a pure faith. It emphasizes the need to crucify the flesh and bring thoughts, affections, and passions into subjection to God. Quotes from scripture and the book Adventist Home encourage guarding the heart, controlling thoughts and affections, and allowing the higher powers of the soul to reign over animal propensities. The goal is to develop purity of heart in order to see God and be part of the 144,000.
This document is a summary of a 1969 sermon about preparing for marriage. It discusses how the foundation for a successful Christian home is built from infancy through the teenage years by teaching the dual lessons of love and self-control. Parents have a responsibility to model these virtues and establish homes where children learn obedience, cooperation, and faithfulness to duty so they can successfully manage their own homes as adults.
This document discusses the importance of preparation before marriage and finding the right partner. It argues that God has a specific person planned as the right marriage partner for each individual. It encourages taking early steps like self-examination, education, work experience, and social development to ensure being ready for marriage and to avoid wasting time courting the wrong person. The goal of these early steps and any courtship is to determine God's will for the relationship and whether an engagement and marriage should follow.
This document summarizes a sermon about preparing for marriage. It discusses that:
1) God wants people to find happiness and joy by following His narrow path, but few actually do according to scripture.
2) Successful marriages are built on a foundation established in one's parental home through developing love, obedience, service, responsibility and self-control from a young age.
3) Young people need to develop control over their appetites, affections, and passions to prepare for marriage and finding life's path, which Jesus says is narrow and leads to few.
This document is a summary of a talk given to encourage young people to seek God's will in marriage and courtship. It discusses several Bible verses about pleasing God rather than oneself. It emphasizes finding what best pleases the Lord in all areas of life, including marriage. The speaker encourages letting God choose one's spouse rather than choosing for oneself. While love is important, fancy and emotions can lead to ruin if allowed to guide courtship before practical guidance. The goal is for the whole heart to belong to God.
This document is a sermon by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome discussing the concept of faith and possibility. The key points are:
1. Attending Christ Embassy church teaches followers about living according to the spirit of God's word, which allows His vision to be manifested in their lives and influence others.
2. True faith, even in small amounts, allows believers to accomplish anything according to God's word. Having faith means acting on God's promises without seeing results.
3. Words have power and believers must be careful with their speech, as confessing difficulties can manifest them. Speaking God's promises over one's life aligns it with His vision of blessings and success.
This document provides a summary of Derek Prince's background and credentials for writing about marriage. It discusses how Prince was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University and pursued a career in philosophy before having a life-changing encounter with God. Prince then married Lydia in 1946 and raised a family with her for 30 years until her death. The document establishes that marriage is a mystery or secret that can be understood by meeting certain biblical conditions. It suggests the Bible holds the key to building a successful marriage.
This document is a transcript of a sermon about preparing for marriage. It discusses how God uses marriage to represent His love for His people. The sermon encourages viewing courtship through the lens of Jesus seeking His bride, the church. It warns against worldly ideas of romance and fun, saying if Jesus is invited to the wedding, He should be part of all relationship stages. The presence of Jesus can turn any situation, like a wedding, into joy, while worldly traditions come from outside God's will. True ideas of marriage help establish proper courtship.
This document provides a summary of a study on Revelation 14 and guarding the home. It discusses the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 14 as those who have been cleansed from false doctrines and have a pure faith. It emphasizes the need to crucify the flesh and bring thoughts, affections, and passions into subjection to God. Quotes from scripture and the book Adventist Home encourage guarding the heart, controlling thoughts and affections, and allowing the higher powers of the soul to reign over animal propensities. The goal is to develop purity of heart in order to see God and be part of the 144,000.
This document is a summary of a 1969 sermon about preparing for marriage. It discusses how the foundation for a successful Christian home is built from infancy through the teenage years by teaching the dual lessons of love and self-control. Parents have a responsibility to model these virtues and establish homes where children learn obedience, cooperation, and faithfulness to duty so they can successfully manage their own homes as adults.
This document discusses the importance of preparation before marriage and finding the right partner. It argues that God has a specific person planned as the right marriage partner for each individual. It encourages taking early steps like self-examination, education, work experience, and social development to ensure being ready for marriage and to avoid wasting time courting the wrong person. The goal of these early steps and any courtship is to determine God's will for the relationship and whether an engagement and marriage should follow.
This document summarizes a sermon about preparing for marriage. It discusses that:
1) God wants people to find happiness and joy by following His narrow path, but few actually do according to scripture.
2) Successful marriages are built on a foundation established in one's parental home through developing love, obedience, service, responsibility and self-control from a young age.
3) Young people need to develop control over their appetites, affections, and passions to prepare for marriage and finding life's path, which Jesus says is narrow and leads to few.
This document is a summary of a talk given to encourage young people to seek God's will in marriage and courtship. It discusses several Bible verses about pleasing God rather than oneself. It emphasizes finding what best pleases the Lord in all areas of life, including marriage. The speaker encourages letting God choose one's spouse rather than choosing for oneself. While love is important, fancy and emotions can lead to ruin if allowed to guide courtship before practical guidance. The goal is for the whole heart to belong to God.
This document is a sermon by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome discussing the concept of faith and possibility. The key points are:
1. Attending Christ Embassy church teaches followers about living according to the spirit of God's word, which allows His vision to be manifested in their lives and influence others.
2. True faith, even in small amounts, allows believers to accomplish anything according to God's word. Having faith means acting on God's promises without seeing results.
3. Words have power and believers must be careful with their speech, as confessing difficulties can manifest them. Speaking God's promises over one's life aligns it with His vision of blessings and success.
This document provides a summary of Derek Prince's background and credentials for writing about marriage. It discusses how Prince was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University and pursued a career in philosophy before having a life-changing encounter with God. Prince then married Lydia in 1946 and raised a family with her for 30 years until her death. The document establishes that marriage is a mystery or secret that can be understood by meeting certain biblical conditions. It suggests the Bible holds the key to building a successful marriage.
This document is a summary of chapter 1 from Jerry Savelle's book "Walking in Divine Favor". It discusses how we are all somebody special to God, having been crowned with glory and honor. It aims to build self-esteem by revealing our high value and favor in God's sight, despite any past failures or mistakes. We are loved objects of God's affection, and with this revelation, we can expect to walk in continual victory.
This document is the introduction to a book written by Jerry Savelle about living a blessed life. It summarizes Jerry Savelle's childhood experiences growing up in a family affected by the Great Depression and his transformation to developing a "blessing mindset" after learning in 1969 that God wants believers to live debt-free and blessed lives every day. It describes how Savelle now teaches his grandchildren the principle of blessing others when they sneeze and the importance of cultivating an expectancy that every day can be a blessing day, especially in challenging times. The introduction sets up the aim of the book to teach readers about appropriating God's blessing in their own lives through understanding its biblical principles.
This document is a chapter from the book "Take Charge of Your Financial Destiny" by Jerry Savelle. The chapter discusses protecting your seed, which refers to money or resources intended for sowing or investing. It describes how Satan tries to consume people's seed through unexpected expenses or convincing them they can't afford to give. It highlights the story of Abram driving away birds that tried to consume his sacrifice before he could present it to God. The chapter teaches that seed is meant for sowing, not consuming, and that sowing seed determines your future through the law of sowing and reaping.
This document is an introduction to a book about the author's experiences visiting heaven. It provides background on the author's life before becoming a Christian, including being raised Catholic but straying from faith in college. It then details how the author was selected for a special training course at his job where he was seated next to a Christian coworker, John Keen. Over the weeks, the author comes to see John is not strange as presumed but rather likable. The book is divided into chapters covering the author's life before faith, two visits to heaven, supernatural guidance, and rescue by an angel.
This document provides a summary of the CHEC Homeschool Update newsletter. It discusses upcoming events being held by CHEC, including the Day at the Capitol and the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference. It also features several articles on homeschooling topics such as tools for homeschooling, serving the Lord together as a family, encouragement for struggling learners, and balancing homework. The newsletter aims to provide resources and community for homeschooling families.
This presentation showcases the divine perspective on marriage and alchemical union of souls.
The time has come for the collective to be made aware of the concept of Twin Flames; who they are, where they come from and what they are here to do.
Twin souls are part of one original consciousness, that had been separated to manifest as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine. These divine lovers literally share the same soul.
They are here to assist humanity in their evolution of consciousness and to teach them the important lesson of unconditional love. Through the reunion with their divine counterpart, they close the spiritual circle of life. They reestablish the template of divine love that originates from the ancients of the Golden Age. They belong to the resurrected saints that according to Utiger (2013) will initiate the Era of the Millennium.
They exemplify what Holy Matrimony truly is, why it is important and why it had been established in the first place. The spiritual intimacy between partners precedes emotional and physical intimacy. Friendship leads into courtship, which leads into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
Worldly love and marriage had been completely put upside down. It is essentially based on physical lust and egoistic desires. We must give love a chance. Once the physical contact is initiated it is very unlikely if not impossible to achieve emotional or even spiritual intimacy.
Major histocompatibility complexes are immune system cells, manifested in body odors, that are automatically picked up by the unconscious mind in the quest of a romantic partner. They allow the determination of genetic compatibility through chemosensory communication, without any kind of physical or intimate interaction (Wedekind, 1995). We automatically choose a mating partner with a very high percentage of genetic compatibility or complementarity, to make sure that our offspring disposes of an optimal immune system diversity and functioning and this complementarity enhances sexual desire and satisfaction and the wish to procreate (Kromer et al. 2016). Artificial perfumes change or mask our natural body odor and the birth control pill interferes with our ability to recognize genetic compatibility through olfactory cues (Roberts et al., 2008). Both are better to be avoided in the quest of the optimal genetic match.
Beyond all this, God chooses a partner for us that is compatible in all imaginable senses, on the physical, emotional and ethereal level, which makes all these mating theories obsolete. The challenge is to pray to God for the perfect partner and to wait for this person to come into your life and not to beg for His approval when truly our personal choice is already made. It demands great spiritual maturity and advancement in the transformation process for the perfect partner to be sent into our lives.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/divine-partnerships-sanctification-humanity-dr-christiane-kirsch/
This document provides an introduction to a book about three supernatural visitations the author received from God over the course of his ministry career. In each visitation, God gave the author keys and instructions to teach God's people how to overcome financial issues like famine, survive in survival mode, and overcome financial attacks. Each time the visitations were unexpected and caught the author off guard. After receiving revelation from God, the author was told to teach what he learned to others, which he did to great effect, seeing financial miracles and breakthroughs. The book will share in detail what the author received from God in each of the three visitations.
Dorenthea Nemeth tells her story of the worst time in her life, being married to a man who has just been sentenced to 16 years in prison and suddenly finding herself alone, with two small children to care for. She lost her home and everything she had. However, in spite of it all, her faith in God helped her to endure this horrific storm in her life.
In this book she encourages readers that no matter what, God is in control and He will bring you through. Dorenthea went from tragedy to triumph and she lets her readers know that they can do the same, as long as they don't give up--no matter what.
The document discusses life in a fallen world and the book of Ecclesiastes. It provides various perspectives on how Ecclesiastes speaks to the disappointment people feel with life and how the only meaningful response is to live day by day fearing God and cherishing life's gifts. It also discusses how Ecclesiastes teaches that without God, pursuits of knowledge, pleasure and wisdom will not bring fulfillment, and one must honor God with all aspects of life.
The greatest call for Christian moms is to know God and help others know Him, too. The readings in this 8-day plan are selected from the Mom's Bible: God's Wisdom for Mothers offering encouragement and a wise perspective as you seek to grow in the area of patience and godly character.
Going Home To Be With Jesus Sister JanisSister Lara
Sister Janis delivers a message about death and going home to be with the Lord. She discusses that while we feel sorrow at the loss of loved ones, death is precious in God's sight. She provides comfort that there is hope in the resurrection, when we will receive new, eternal bodies and be forever with the Lord with no more tears. Prophetess Barbara and Prophet Ronald affirm that it was a timely message offering encouragement during the holiday season when many experience loss.
Life o repentantance and purity by h.h pope shenoda 3 the coptic orthodox popeislam is terrorism realy
This document is an introduction to a book about repentance written by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. It discusses what repentance is in three main points:
1. Repentance is returning to God after separating from Him through sin. It is reconciling with God after disputing with Him.
2. Repentance is a spiritual awakening, where the sinful person becomes aware of their state and returns to their original sensitivity and fervor.
3. Repentance transforms the human heart so that God can dwell in it, as light cannot dwell with darkness. It requires reconciling with God and transforming away from sin.
This document introduces a prophecy given to the author in 1998 that extraordinary things would become the norm in their life beginning in 1999. The prophecy is meant to encourage believers to expect the extraordinary and uncommon in every area of their lives. The author defines what biblical prophecy is, emphasizes the importance of taking prophecy seriously and acting upon it, and discusses some principles for receiving prophecy, including standing in faith and believing for the fulfillment of prophecies even when circumstances appear contrary. The rest of the book will explore what it means to expect the extraordinary and how readers can position themselves to receive the extraordinary blessings and works of God in their own lives.
Our little Church is using a Chronological Bible Reading Schedule by Skip Andrews. It can be found here: http://www.churchofchristduluthga.org
Each Sunday a lesson is given from some of that week's reading. This lesson covers Oct 19-25
The document outlines a presentation by Janice M. Payoyo discussing how she has found success and meaning through building her life on a foundation of faith in God. She describes personal struggles from 10 years ago and how studying the Bible helped her overcome difficulties. Payoyo emphasizes finding purpose and strength through trusting in God during both prosperity and poverty.
This document is the preface and first chapter of a book titled "Strangers to Failure" by Archbishop Benson Idahosa.
The chapter discusses facing difficulties in life, referred to as "zero hours." It provides examples of zero hours, such as financial problems, family illness, and academic failure. The author shares a personal story of when his wife suddenly collapsed and appeared to have died, which was a zero hour for him. Through prayer and having faith in God's word, he was able to breathe life back into his wife.
The chapter encourages readers to approach life's hardships with confidence in God's power and mercy. It teaches that Christianity provides strength to overcome trials, not avoid them. Having faith
This document is a collection of stories about ordinary people experiencing extraordinary miracles from God after obeying Him and giving generously. The introduction tells the story of the widow of Zarephath who gave her last meal to Elijah and received perpetual provision from God during a famine. The author then shares that he will describe many miracles he has witnessed through people's obedience and faith in God, such as a man receiving a new lung and ribs replaced, and a crippled woman being healed and able to walk. He promises the stories will inspire readers to sow their own seeds faithfully into God's work.
1) Song of Songs is a biblical book about romantic love between a man and woman that is rarely discussed in church due to its intimate imagery.
2) While the book does not explicitly mention God, it can be understood as representing God's love for His people, as God is described elsewhere as the husband of Israel.
3) Experiencing romantic love through marriage and family helps people understand aspects of God's nature and love for humanity that are difficult to grasp otherwise, such as selflessness, commitment through good and bad times, and unconditional love even when not reciprocated.
This document provides an introduction to biblical principles of seed sowing and reaping harvest. It explains that our universe was created by God's words and commands, and in order to understand how it works we must consult the creator. It then discusses the power of seed sowing, explaining that sowing is one of the most powerful weapons available to Christians. The document outlines biblical examples of sowing and reaping harvest using increasing amounts over time. It encourages readers to label their seeds, sow daily even in small amounts, and be faithful in order to eventually reap larger harvests in response to their prayers.
This document outlines a 7-week study on Christianity called "One to One Exploring God's Story and Our Place in It". It begins with asking the reader about their experience with faith and religion. The study then discusses the "big story" of Christianity, which is called the Gospel. It summarizes the key points of the Gospel story, including God creating the world good, humanity's fall into sin, God's plan to rescue humanity through Jesus' death and resurrection, and the promise that Jesus will one day restore all of creation. The document closes by previewing the 7 Bible lessons that will be covered each week and includes a closing prayer.
This document is a summary of chapter 1 from Jerry Savelle's book "Walking in Divine Favor". It discusses how we are all somebody special to God, having been crowned with glory and honor. It aims to build self-esteem by revealing our high value and favor in God's sight, despite any past failures or mistakes. We are loved objects of God's affection, and with this revelation, we can expect to walk in continual victory.
This document is the introduction to a book written by Jerry Savelle about living a blessed life. It summarizes Jerry Savelle's childhood experiences growing up in a family affected by the Great Depression and his transformation to developing a "blessing mindset" after learning in 1969 that God wants believers to live debt-free and blessed lives every day. It describes how Savelle now teaches his grandchildren the principle of blessing others when they sneeze and the importance of cultivating an expectancy that every day can be a blessing day, especially in challenging times. The introduction sets up the aim of the book to teach readers about appropriating God's blessing in their own lives through understanding its biblical principles.
This document is a chapter from the book "Take Charge of Your Financial Destiny" by Jerry Savelle. The chapter discusses protecting your seed, which refers to money or resources intended for sowing or investing. It describes how Satan tries to consume people's seed through unexpected expenses or convincing them they can't afford to give. It highlights the story of Abram driving away birds that tried to consume his sacrifice before he could present it to God. The chapter teaches that seed is meant for sowing, not consuming, and that sowing seed determines your future through the law of sowing and reaping.
This document is an introduction to a book about the author's experiences visiting heaven. It provides background on the author's life before becoming a Christian, including being raised Catholic but straying from faith in college. It then details how the author was selected for a special training course at his job where he was seated next to a Christian coworker, John Keen. Over the weeks, the author comes to see John is not strange as presumed but rather likable. The book is divided into chapters covering the author's life before faith, two visits to heaven, supernatural guidance, and rescue by an angel.
This document provides a summary of the CHEC Homeschool Update newsletter. It discusses upcoming events being held by CHEC, including the Day at the Capitol and the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference. It also features several articles on homeschooling topics such as tools for homeschooling, serving the Lord together as a family, encouragement for struggling learners, and balancing homework. The newsletter aims to provide resources and community for homeschooling families.
This presentation showcases the divine perspective on marriage and alchemical union of souls.
The time has come for the collective to be made aware of the concept of Twin Flames; who they are, where they come from and what they are here to do.
Twin souls are part of one original consciousness, that had been separated to manifest as the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine. These divine lovers literally share the same soul.
They are here to assist humanity in their evolution of consciousness and to teach them the important lesson of unconditional love. Through the reunion with their divine counterpart, they close the spiritual circle of life. They reestablish the template of divine love that originates from the ancients of the Golden Age. They belong to the resurrected saints that according to Utiger (2013) will initiate the Era of the Millennium.
They exemplify what Holy Matrimony truly is, why it is important and why it had been established in the first place. The spiritual intimacy between partners precedes emotional and physical intimacy. Friendship leads into courtship, which leads into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
Worldly love and marriage had been completely put upside down. It is essentially based on physical lust and egoistic desires. We must give love a chance. Once the physical contact is initiated it is very unlikely if not impossible to achieve emotional or even spiritual intimacy.
Major histocompatibility complexes are immune system cells, manifested in body odors, that are automatically picked up by the unconscious mind in the quest of a romantic partner. They allow the determination of genetic compatibility through chemosensory communication, without any kind of physical or intimate interaction (Wedekind, 1995). We automatically choose a mating partner with a very high percentage of genetic compatibility or complementarity, to make sure that our offspring disposes of an optimal immune system diversity and functioning and this complementarity enhances sexual desire and satisfaction and the wish to procreate (Kromer et al. 2016). Artificial perfumes change or mask our natural body odor and the birth control pill interferes with our ability to recognize genetic compatibility through olfactory cues (Roberts et al., 2008). Both are better to be avoided in the quest of the optimal genetic match.
Beyond all this, God chooses a partner for us that is compatible in all imaginable senses, on the physical, emotional and ethereal level, which makes all these mating theories obsolete. The challenge is to pray to God for the perfect partner and to wait for this person to come into your life and not to beg for His approval when truly our personal choice is already made. It demands great spiritual maturity and advancement in the transformation process for the perfect partner to be sent into our lives.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/divine-partnerships-sanctification-humanity-dr-christiane-kirsch/
This document provides an introduction to a book about three supernatural visitations the author received from God over the course of his ministry career. In each visitation, God gave the author keys and instructions to teach God's people how to overcome financial issues like famine, survive in survival mode, and overcome financial attacks. Each time the visitations were unexpected and caught the author off guard. After receiving revelation from God, the author was told to teach what he learned to others, which he did to great effect, seeing financial miracles and breakthroughs. The book will share in detail what the author received from God in each of the three visitations.
Dorenthea Nemeth tells her story of the worst time in her life, being married to a man who has just been sentenced to 16 years in prison and suddenly finding herself alone, with two small children to care for. She lost her home and everything she had. However, in spite of it all, her faith in God helped her to endure this horrific storm in her life.
In this book she encourages readers that no matter what, God is in control and He will bring you through. Dorenthea went from tragedy to triumph and she lets her readers know that they can do the same, as long as they don't give up--no matter what.
The document discusses life in a fallen world and the book of Ecclesiastes. It provides various perspectives on how Ecclesiastes speaks to the disappointment people feel with life and how the only meaningful response is to live day by day fearing God and cherishing life's gifts. It also discusses how Ecclesiastes teaches that without God, pursuits of knowledge, pleasure and wisdom will not bring fulfillment, and one must honor God with all aspects of life.
The greatest call for Christian moms is to know God and help others know Him, too. The readings in this 8-day plan are selected from the Mom's Bible: God's Wisdom for Mothers offering encouragement and a wise perspective as you seek to grow in the area of patience and godly character.
Going Home To Be With Jesus Sister JanisSister Lara
Sister Janis delivers a message about death and going home to be with the Lord. She discusses that while we feel sorrow at the loss of loved ones, death is precious in God's sight. She provides comfort that there is hope in the resurrection, when we will receive new, eternal bodies and be forever with the Lord with no more tears. Prophetess Barbara and Prophet Ronald affirm that it was a timely message offering encouragement during the holiday season when many experience loss.
Life o repentantance and purity by h.h pope shenoda 3 the coptic orthodox popeislam is terrorism realy
This document is an introduction to a book about repentance written by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. It discusses what repentance is in three main points:
1. Repentance is returning to God after separating from Him through sin. It is reconciling with God after disputing with Him.
2. Repentance is a spiritual awakening, where the sinful person becomes aware of their state and returns to their original sensitivity and fervor.
3. Repentance transforms the human heart so that God can dwell in it, as light cannot dwell with darkness. It requires reconciling with God and transforming away from sin.
This document introduces a prophecy given to the author in 1998 that extraordinary things would become the norm in their life beginning in 1999. The prophecy is meant to encourage believers to expect the extraordinary and uncommon in every area of their lives. The author defines what biblical prophecy is, emphasizes the importance of taking prophecy seriously and acting upon it, and discusses some principles for receiving prophecy, including standing in faith and believing for the fulfillment of prophecies even when circumstances appear contrary. The rest of the book will explore what it means to expect the extraordinary and how readers can position themselves to receive the extraordinary blessings and works of God in their own lives.
Our little Church is using a Chronological Bible Reading Schedule by Skip Andrews. It can be found here: http://www.churchofchristduluthga.org
Each Sunday a lesson is given from some of that week's reading. This lesson covers Oct 19-25
The document outlines a presentation by Janice M. Payoyo discussing how she has found success and meaning through building her life on a foundation of faith in God. She describes personal struggles from 10 years ago and how studying the Bible helped her overcome difficulties. Payoyo emphasizes finding purpose and strength through trusting in God during both prosperity and poverty.
This document is the preface and first chapter of a book titled "Strangers to Failure" by Archbishop Benson Idahosa.
The chapter discusses facing difficulties in life, referred to as "zero hours." It provides examples of zero hours, such as financial problems, family illness, and academic failure. The author shares a personal story of when his wife suddenly collapsed and appeared to have died, which was a zero hour for him. Through prayer and having faith in God's word, he was able to breathe life back into his wife.
The chapter encourages readers to approach life's hardships with confidence in God's power and mercy. It teaches that Christianity provides strength to overcome trials, not avoid them. Having faith
This document is a collection of stories about ordinary people experiencing extraordinary miracles from God after obeying Him and giving generously. The introduction tells the story of the widow of Zarephath who gave her last meal to Elijah and received perpetual provision from God during a famine. The author then shares that he will describe many miracles he has witnessed through people's obedience and faith in God, such as a man receiving a new lung and ribs replaced, and a crippled woman being healed and able to walk. He promises the stories will inspire readers to sow their own seeds faithfully into God's work.
1) Song of Songs is a biblical book about romantic love between a man and woman that is rarely discussed in church due to its intimate imagery.
2) While the book does not explicitly mention God, it can be understood as representing God's love for His people, as God is described elsewhere as the husband of Israel.
3) Experiencing romantic love through marriage and family helps people understand aspects of God's nature and love for humanity that are difficult to grasp otherwise, such as selflessness, commitment through good and bad times, and unconditional love even when not reciprocated.
This document provides an introduction to biblical principles of seed sowing and reaping harvest. It explains that our universe was created by God's words and commands, and in order to understand how it works we must consult the creator. It then discusses the power of seed sowing, explaining that sowing is one of the most powerful weapons available to Christians. The document outlines biblical examples of sowing and reaping harvest using increasing amounts over time. It encourages readers to label their seeds, sow daily even in small amounts, and be faithful in order to eventually reap larger harvests in response to their prayers.
This document outlines a 7-week study on Christianity called "One to One Exploring God's Story and Our Place in It". It begins with asking the reader about their experience with faith and religion. The study then discusses the "big story" of Christianity, which is called the Gospel. It summarizes the key points of the Gospel story, including God creating the world good, humanity's fall into sin, God's plan to rescue humanity through Jesus' death and resurrection, and the promise that Jesus will one day restore all of creation. The document closes by previewing the 7 Bible lessons that will be covered each week and includes a closing prayer.
CHRISTIAN SUPERNATURAL TEACHINGS, BIBLE CLASS LESSONS, GOSPELS BY LEADER OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU, THE SUPERNATURAL TEACHER AND SOLE SPIRITUAL HEAD, BROTHERHOOD OF THE CROSS AND STAR
The type of man that can represent God
-Zac Poonen
INDEX
1. Principles of Serving God
2. God Needs Men
3. Some Important Truths That I have Learnt
CFC, Christian Fellowship Church, Christian Fellowship Center, Christian Fellowship Centre
This document is a chapter from a book titled "Increase God's Way" by Jerry Savelle. The chapter discusses how the author was originally lied to by well-meaning Christians who told him things like God causes sickness and loves poverty. However, after studying the Bible himself, he discovered God's original intent was for people to live blessed lives with health, increase, and success. The chapter argues that financial increase should be expected by Christians as a covenant right, and encourages readers to declare war on any lack or poverty in their lives by standing on their rights in God.
Pastor Paul McCart goes into great detail the importance of attending church beyond just showing up. Through humor and pastoral experience, you'll find this extremely helpful in your walk of faith.
- The parable describes a landowner hiring workers throughout the day for his vineyard. Those hired early in the morning agree to a fair daily wage. Those hired later are promised a fair wage for their time worked.
- At the end of the day, all workers receive a full day's wage regardless of how long they worked. This angers those hired early who see it as unfair.
- The parable illustrates that salvation is by God's grace, not by works or what one deserves. All who respond to God's call will receive eternal life as a gift, not a reward earned by works.
This document provides information about a six-book series of children's Bible devotionals. Each book in the series presents Bible verses with explanations and activities to teach Christian values to children ages 4 and up. The devotionals encourage children to explore lessons through complementary actions, discussions, or activities. The series aims to connect Bible themes and verses in an easy-to-use format that will appeal to both children and parents.
I am Catholic So What! 10 Steps to be an Authentic Christian - Martín ZavalaJasterRogueII
This document outlines 10 steps to being an authentic Christian according to Martin Zavala. It begins by discussing the importance of choosing to be part of the "group of two" rather than the crowd, referencing the biblical story of Jesus healing two blind men while a crowd was present but did not receive healing. The first step is to make a decision to be part of the "group of two" who actively seek blessings rather than passively being part of the crowd. The second step discussed is to listen to God, as the blind men listened and were able to learn that Jesus was nearby and call out to him.
Enlarge Your Tent with Pastor Jennifer Tuttle-MorrisSister Lara
How do we go forth into ministry? How does God want to enlarge our ministry? This is an audio message that was translated into text for our listening audience in our Live Voice Conferences in Beyond the Veil Prophetic Ministries. I pray it is a blessing to you, today!
Jeffery Anselmi kindly allowed me to use this sermon. I found this lesson at: http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=94959&Sermon%20Keys%20To%20Effective%20Evangelism%20by%20Jeffery%20Anselmi
The document discusses how salvation through Jesus Christ can bring about real life change and a "new birth." It explains that while some experience an immediate transformation, for most it is a gradual process of learning and growing through trials as they follow Christ. True and lasting change only comes from accepting Jesus, who forgives sins and gives believers a new heart and character, enabling them to overcome sinful habits and live righteously. Salvation is a free gift of God's grace through faith in Christ alone.
1. THE BEGINNING OF THE END Based on Rev. 1:1-2
2. THE BLESSED LIFE Based on Rev. 1:3
3. THE SEVEN CHURCHES Based on Rev. 1:4
4. THE KING IS COMING Based on Rev. 1:7
5. THE PRIORITY OF LOVE Based on Rev. 2:1-7
6. RETURN TO FIRST LOVE Based on Rev. 2:1f
7. RICH IN POVERTY Based on Rev. 2:8-11
8. THE CAPITAL OF HELL Based on Rev. 2:12-17
9. THE ROAD OF REPENTANCE. Based on Rev. 2:18-29
10. GETTING IN Based on Rev. 3:20 and 21:23-27
11. RELATIVELY IMPOSSIBLE Based on Rev. 4:1-11
12. PROGRESS IN HEAVEN Based on Rev. 7:13-17
13. THE ULTIMATE WEDDING Based on Rev. 19:1-9
14. A PAIN FREE PARADISE Based on Rev. 21:1-8
15. THE JOY OF HEAVEN
16. THE MOTIVATION OF HEAVEN
17. NO COWARDS IN HEAVEN Based on Rev. 21:7-8
18. THE MOUNTAIN PERSPECTIVE Based on Rev. 21:9-14
19. THE PRESENCE OF GOD Based on Rev. 21:3
Our Walk In This World, 2 John, Adapted from a Steve Shepherd sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/our-walk-in-this-world-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-christian-values-150915.asp
This document provides a summary and analysis of Ephesians 5:15-21. It discusses walking wisely and understandingly as a Christian in an evil world. Some key points:
- Christians should "look carefully how you walk", putting off the old nature and putting on the new continually.
- Evil days present opportunities to demonstrate faith, not obstacles. Trials allow Christians to show God's sufficiency and make demands on Him.
- Walk understandingly by recognizing evil days create opportunities and not feeling unique in facing difficulties. Walk overflowingly by being filled with the Spirit.
- The will of God is less about guidance and more about what pleases Him - having faith in what He says about
This document discusses living in divine prosperity through commitment to God over the world. It argues that many Christians try to live by both God's and the world's systems, but this does not work as you cannot serve two masters. The world is suffering financially but God has a higher way for his people above the struggles of the world. To receive God's blessings of prosperity, one must fully commit to God and his word over listening to the ways of the world. God wants his people to be free from financial bondage and hardship.
5.SANITATION VS VACCINATION- Vaccines Did Not Save Us- Charts and StatisticsAntonio Bernard
1) The document presents data showing that major declines in infectious diseases like measles, pertussis, and tuberculosis occurred before widespread vaccination efforts. This provides evidence that vaccines were not solely responsible for disease elimination.
2) Graphs and studies show artificial immunization is often ineffective or inconsequential for diseases like influenza, tuberculosis, measles and pertussis. In some cases, vaccination appeared to increase risks of disease or other health issues.
3) Data indicates increases in vaccine doses mandated for US children under 5 correlated with rising rates of infant mortality and deaths in children under 5. Studies also link vaccination to sudden infant death syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes and recent rises in autism diagnoses.
2.SANITATION VS VACCINATION -Immigration, Inhuman Conditions in the Cities an...Antonio Bernard
The document discusses how improved sanitation and hygiene, rather than vaccines, were primarily responsible for the eradication of infectious diseases in developed nations in the 19th-20th centuries. It provides numerous examples of how overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions in the 1700-1900s were breeding grounds for diseases, while the introduction of clean water, sewage systems, and modern amenities led to decreased disease rates. The document argues that vaccines are often credited excessively and that disease rates were already in decline before most vaccines due to improvements in standards of living.
1.SANITATION VS VACCINATION- The History of Infectious DiseasesAntonio Bernard
The document discusses the origins of many infectious diseases in humans. It notes that 60% of human infectious diseases originated in animals, and that diseases emerged as early humans increasingly domesticated animals like cows, pigs, chickens, and camels. Close contact between humans and domesticated, disease-carrying animals allowed pathogens to jump species. For example, measles likely emerged from cattle viruses, smallpox from camel viruses, influenza from duck viruses, and whooping cough and typhoid from pig bacteria. It was not until the domestication of these animals that humans were exposed to these diseases.
120 EXPERT Opinions on Coronavirus (COVID-19)- How the Mass Media Exaggerated...Antonio Bernard
This document provides over 120 expert opinions from scientists, doctors, and other professionals criticizing the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Many experts argue that the virus poses a relatively low risk and that measures like lockdowns and business closures are an overreaction that will cause more harm than the virus itself. Other opinions expressed include that the infection fatality rate is much lower than estimates from the WHO, that social distancing has not been shown to be effective, and that the media coverage has caused unnecessary panic.
The document discusses coronaviruses, including their origins and characteristics. It provides background on coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Key points include:
- Coronaviruses are large, enveloped RNA viruses that infect a wide range of animals and cause respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.
- They get their name from crown-like spikes on their surface. Their genomes contain genes that encode structural and accessory proteins.
- Bats are considered natural reservoirs for coronaviruses. The SARS outbreak in 2003 was believed to have originated from bats and spread to humans via civets.
- The Wuhan coronavirus originated at an animal market in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
13. TRANSGENDER MEDICINE - Gender Identity and Sex Reassignment HistoryAntonio Bernard
The document discusses how Satan uses sciences related to the human mind like psychology, phrenology, and mesmerism to deceive people and lead them away from God. It warns that Satan presents these subjects in an appealing, scientific way that leads to erroneous conclusions. Satan's goal is to obscure heaven's light and God's word, and instead promote the opinions of men. True principles of psychology are found in scripture. Satan hopes to confuse people's minds so that only his voice is heard. Christians must be guarded on all sides and resist Satan's insinuations and devices in these fields of science.
17. The TRANSGENDER Movement- Gender Revolution and Religious Liberty Threate...Antonio Bernard
The document discusses the concepts of tolerance and truth in the end times. It argues that tolerance is being used to suppress open discussion of differing views, especially religious or moral views. It cites biblical passages warning of strong delusions and false doctrines that will arise when people reject biblical truth. The document suggests society is becoming increasingly intolerant of dissent from secular ideologies around sexuality and gender. It argues for opposing federal policies enforcing secular conceptions of tolerance, orientation and identity to preserve freedom of religion and conscience.
13. TRANSGENDER MEDICINE- Gender Identity and Sex Reassignment HistoryAntonio Bernard
The document discusses the transgender movement and its relationship to feminism and secular ideology. It argues that the transgender movement takes the feminist concept that gender is separate from biology to its logical conclusion, asserting that one's true gender is defined by inner feelings rather than physical traits. It further argues that this view promotes a radical dualism that separates mind and body, seeing the body as irrelevant to one's true self. The document critiques this perspective from a biblical worldview that sees the biological differences between male and female as part of God's good creation.
12. THE GAY GENES -Are Persons born Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered ? Antonio Bernard
The document discusses research that has attempted to find genetic or biological causes for homosexuality. It summarizes several studies from the 1990s and 2000s that claimed to find biological factors but which were later disproven or could not be replicated. It notes that twin studies show that identical twins often do not both exhibit homosexual behavior if one does. Overall, it concludes that there is no conclusive scientific evidence that anyone is inherently "born gay" due to biological or genetic factors.
9. The LGBT Movements Health Issues- Higher Rates of HIV/AIDS and Other STDs ...Antonio Bernard
This document discusses various health risks associated with homosexuality and same-sex relationships. It notes that homosexuals have higher rates of HIV/AIDS, other STDs, anal cancer, and Kaposi's sarcoma. The document cites studies that show homosexual behavior, such as anal sex and multiple partners, increases risk of contracting infectious diseases. It also argues diseases are on the rise within the LGBT community despite education, and that syphilis in particular can have serious long-term effects if untreated.
8. The LGBT Movement Health Issues - The Dangers of Anal SexAntonio Bernard
This document discusses several health risks associated with homosexual behaviors like anal sex, including increased risk of disease transmission, physical damage to the anus and rectum, mental and emotional impacts, and conditions like "Gay Bowel Syndrome." It cites studies and medical sources linking anal sex to higher rates of various infections and diseases. The document argues that the body is not designed for anal intercourse and that it can damage tissues and weaken the immune system.
7. The LGBT Movement Health Issues - Oral Sex DangersAntonio Bernard
This document discusses the health risks associated with oral sex and homosexual behaviors. It presents findings from several medical and scientific studies that have found oral sex can transmit diseases like HPV, herpes, gonorrhea, and hepatitis. Studies cited found homosexual men have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract from oral-anal contact. The document also discusses how lesbians can transmit infections through oral-genital contact and menstrual blood exchange. Overall, it argues behaviors like oral and anal sex are unnatural and pose dangers to physical and mental health.
5. The LGBT Movement- SameSex Relationships Fidelity , Domestic Violence and ...Antonio Bernard
This document discusses the rise of feminism and LGBT movements and their impact on traditional concepts of family and gender roles. It notes that second wave feminism from the 1960s rejected differences between genders and the nuclear family model. Fourth wave feminism further rejects the idea that one's identity is linked to their biology. Several quotes provide arguments that were used to promote feminism and LGBT rights, such as rejecting the role of women as mothers and wives, seeking to abolish the traditional family unit, and presenting same-sex relationships and non-binary gender identities as alternatives to traditional family structures. Concerns are also raised that these social changes have contributed to higher rates of family breakdown and relationship violence.
Comparing Stability and Sustainability in Agile SystemsRob Healy
Copy of the presentation given at XP2024 based on a research paper.
In this paper we explain wat overwork is and the physical and mental health risks associated with it.
We then explore how overwork relates to system stability and inventory.
Finally there is a call to action for Team Leads / Scrum Masters / Managers to measure and monitor excess work for individual teams.
A presentation on mastering key management concepts across projects, products, programs, and portfolios. Whether you're an aspiring manager or looking to enhance your skills, this session will provide you with the knowledge and tools to succeed in various management roles. Learn about the distinct lifecycles, methodologies, and essential skillsets needed to thrive in today's dynamic business environment.
Colby Hobson: Residential Construction Leader Building a Solid Reputation Thr...dsnow9802
Colby Hobson stands out as a dynamic leader in the residential construction industry. With a solid reputation built on his exceptional communication and presentation skills, Colby has proven himself to be an excellent team player, fostering a collaborative and efficient work environment.
Sethurathnam Ravi: A Legacy in Finance and LeadershipAnjana Josie
Sethurathnam Ravi, also known as S Ravi, is a distinguished Chartered Accountant and former Chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). As the Founder and Managing Partner of Ravi Rajan & Co. LLP, he has made significant contributions to the fields of finance, banking, and corporate governance. His extensive career includes directorships in over 45 major organizations, including LIC, BHEL, and ONGC. With a passion for financial consulting and social issues, S Ravi continues to influence the industry and inspire future leaders.
Impact of Effective Performance Appraisal Systems on Employee Motivation and ...Dr. Nazrul Islam
Healthy economic development requires properly managing the banking industry of any
country. Along with state-owned banks, private banks play a critical role in the country's economy.
Managers in all types of banks now confront the same challenge: how to get the utmost output from
their employees. Therefore, Performance appraisal appears to be inevitable since it set the
standard for comparing actual performance to established objectives and recommending practical
solutions that help the organization achieve sustainable growth. Therefore, the purpose of this
research is to determine the effect of performance appraisal on employee motivation and retention.
Originally presented at XP2024 Bolzano
While agile has entered the post-mainstream age, possibly losing its mojo along the way, the rise of remote working is dealing a more severe blow than its industrialization.
In this talk we'll have a look to the cumulative effect of the constraints of a remote working environment and of the common countermeasures.
Enriching engagement with ethical review processesstrikingabalance
New ethics review processes at the University of Bath. Presented at the 8th World Conference on Research Integrity by Filipa Vance, Head of Research Governance and Compliance at the University of Bath. June 2024, Athens
Specific ServPoints should be tailored for restaurants in all food service segments. Your ServPoints should be the centerpiece of brand delivery training (guest service) and align with your brand position and marketing initiatives, especially in high-labor-cost conditions.
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Foodservice Consulting + Design
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Green Energy Corporation, a leading renewable energy company, faces a dilemma: balancing profitability and sustainability. Pressure to scale rapidly has led to ethical concerns, as the company's commitment to sustainable practices is tested by the need to satisfy shareholders and maintain a competitive edge.
1. Preparing for Marriage 1
“That Your Joy May be Full”
Study by W. D. Frazee - December 27, 1969
Our opening text this evening will be found in John 15:11. I want you to notice what the
purpose of the Lord’s instruction is - why God tells us something:
“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might
remain in you, and that your joy might be full” John 15:11.
Why does God tell us things? So that we will have what? Joy. How much? Full. Isn’t that
wonderful? Well, if we are full of joy then we’re joyful. Isn’t that right?
Oh, I hope that everyone of you in this room as the result of studying these wonderful
principles will have more joy. And you can. No matter how much you have, you can have
more, for your heart can expand and get bigger. If you can hold a quart tonight, the day will
come when you can hold two quarts and on and on.
Now, with this I would like to put this statement in Ministry of Healing, page 363. Just one
short sentence:
“The gospel is a wonderful simplifier of life’s problems”
Ministry of Healing, page 363.
Are there any problems in the world today? Are there? Ah, I run into them all the time. The
world is full of problems. And a lot of them are concerned with this question of marriage
and the home. The fact that one marriage in every four ends in the divorce courts, in some
parts of the country one marriage in every three ends in divorce courts, is eloquent on this
point. That is, that there are not so many happy homes.
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But remember our statement here:
“The gospel is a wonderful simplifier of life’s problems”
Ministry of Healing, page 363.
The wisdom of this world makes things more and more complex. Let me illustrate that.
Some years ago the wisdom of man found out a way to take the wheat berry and separate the
bran, and the shorts, and the middling, and the germ, and give us the beautiful white product -
white flour.
Well, it was only a matter of time until certain problems began to arise, all sorts of symptoms.
What was the answer? Well, the simple answer would be for everybody to go back to doing
2. what? Eating whole wheat bread. That would be the simple answer, but that’s too simple for
this sophisticated modern age. And so, through the decades, all sorts of things have been
invented and prepared to keep adding to, and enriching that white flour.
As, sometimes, I say to audiences when I’m giving a series of health lectures, if a man stole
ten dollars out of your pocket and gave you five or six back, would you say he had enriched
you? The fact is, dear friends, that no matter how many chemicals they add to that white
flour, they never quite get it back to the superior quality of what God put into the wheat berry
when He made it, and they never will.
I might go on with many other illustrations. But remember:
“The gospel is a wonderful simplifier of life’s problems”
Ministry of Healing, page 363.
The way to find the best answer to any problem, the way to find the best plan concerning
anything in life, is to go back to God’s original creation.
Now, when we go back to Genesis the first chapter, we find the home. You know, it’s an
interesting thing that when God had made this world in the six days, filled it with plant and
animal life, and then made man- the last thing He did before He rested and made the Sabbath
- the first thing He did in the life of man was to create the institution of the home. Everything
else was preparatory to that, but when this was done everything was completed. Read the
story there in Genesis one and two. And this is included in that wonderful statement in
Genesis:
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it
was very good” Genesis 1:31.
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Then is the home very good? Oh yes.
To show that the home is a direct and deliberate creation of God, we note in the second
chapter of Genesis that when Adam was created he was given dominion over all the earth.
And then, as he looked upon the whole creation, God arranged for him to feel his need of a
companion. And the record here, Genesis 2:21, 22, is that the Lord caused Adam to sleep,
and took one of his ribs and from it made the woman. Notice the twenty-second verse:
“And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made
he a woman, and brought her unto the man” Genesis 2:22.
Who was it, then, that arranged that first marriage? Why, it was the Lord who made it.
That was the beginning of human history. Let’s come down now four thousand years later,
and turn to the gospel of John, the second chapter of the gospel of John. Here we find the
Lord Jesus beginning His public ministry, and He begins it where? In Cana of Galilee at a
marriage ceremony. There was a divine purpose in this. Jesus had come to this world to
restore man to the original perfection and He began His work by performing a miracle of love
3. 312
and mercy, here at this wedding feast.
I want to notice a comment on this in the book Adventist Home, page 28. This is a beautiful
statement:
“The presence of Christ alone can make men and women
happy” Adventist Home, page 28.
What does it take to make people happy? It takes the presence of Christ.
“All the common waters of life Christ can turn into the wine of
heaven. The home then becomes as a Eden of bliss, the family,
a beautiful symbol of the family in heaven” Adventist Home,
page 28.
Isn’t that beautiful? Ah, but somebody says, “That’s poetry. That is just something to sing
about. But when you get down to the actual living of life it isn’t quite that pretty.”
I want to tell you something, friends, and I know what I am talking about: A Christian home
can be happier than anything that can ever be written about. It can be more wonderful, more
blessed, more a fountain of joy, a haven of rest, a heaven on earth, far more than anything
that can be written about.
Somebody says “Brother Frazee, you’re dreaming.”
No, I have a vision. And it is an inspired vision. It comes from the word of God. The
problem is simply this, friends, that few people are allowing the Architect of the universe to
plan their homes.
Every building needs a blueprint. The better the architect, the better the plan. Do you agree
with me? And let me tell you something, friends, if it weren’t so tragic, it would be plain
laughable how people who have never had a Christian home, never been married, know so
much about what they are going to do and how to do it, so much that they want no one, much
less God, to direct and plan for them. I say, if it weren’t so tragic, it would be plain
laughable.
This is a road that most of us go over only once. And therefore, any planning that is done for
it in advance needs to be done by someone who knows the road. And you and I do not know
the road in advance, only God does. He has promised to guide those who want His guidance.
The problem is, as I say, that so few are seeking divine guidance.
In Volume 4, page 504, I read this challenging statement:
“There is not one marriage in one hundred that results happily,
that bears the sanction of God, and places the parties in a
position better to glorify Him” Testimonies for the Church,
Volume 4, page 504.
4. We started out with a verse where Jesus says that He has told us these things in order that we
may be what? Joyful. Happy. But of course, if we don’t listen, then we won’t be happy.
And there isn’t one marriage in a hundred that results happily.
Then I ask you friends - let’s face reality right here at the beginning of this first class of this
series - if the plan that I give you in this class in the Christian home, preparing for marriage,
is like what most people are following, will it bring you happiness? Not according to this.
Because there isn’t one marriage in a hundred that results happily.
Let’s turn that thing around. If I give you the right plan, the divine plan, God’s plan, then if
you look around you, what percent of people will you find following the plan that I am
presenting to you? If I am giving you the right plan what percentage of the people will you
find following this? Less than one percent.
Now, why do I present that to you? So that when we study these things that we are going to
study, you won’t expect to hear something that is ordinarily done. I will just be honest with
you, friends. You are going to hear some things in this class and you are going to say,
“Whoever heard of such a thing?” Well, a lot of people never have heard. That is the
problem. That is why there are so few happy homes.
But I know that the things we are going to study in this class will make happy homes, I have
no question about that. In the first place, I know it because it is from the word of God and the
testimonies of His Spirit. In the second place, I have been working with people on these
principles now for over forty years, and I have seen them work out in human lives. And
friends, I know by personal experience, by the observation of the experience of others, as
well as by the Word of the living God, that these principles work when people accept them.
But please don’t expect to bring in some ham stew and then put in a little tenure of soy beans
and call that a good dish. No. New wine must be put into new bottles. If you try to take the
principles we are going to study in this class, and mix them with what is ordinarily done
today, you will have a mixture that will have just enough of reform in it to make you look
ridiculous to a lot of people, and not enough to get the happy results that are the aim of God
in it.
In the book Messages to Young People we have a clear statement of what is happening today.
(I have invited you to bring these two books, Messages to Young People and Adventist Home
to the class, also your Bible and notebook.) If you have Messages to Young People, look at
the bottom of page 450, seven lines up from the bottom:
“Courtship, as carried on in this age, is a scheme of deception
and hypocrisy, with which the enemy of souls has far more to
do than the Lord” Messages to Young People, page 450.
Who is running most of the courtships today? The devil. And if this was true when it was
written in 1886, I don’t think I will need to spend much time proving that it must be even
more so now, for the batting average on happy homes is less today than it has ever been. The
divorce courts statistics show that.
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5. What’s the problem? The problem is that the devil is running most of the courtships in the
world today. What is his purpose in that? You will find the answer to that in page 455, the
bottom of the page:
“Satan is busily engaged in influencing those who are wholly
unsuited to each other to unite their interests. He exults in this
work, for by it he can produce more misery and hopeless woe
to the human family than by exercising his skill in any other
direction” Messages to Young People, page 455.
Why does the devil spend so much time on the courtship and marriage question? Because he
knows that’s the way he can make more people more unhappy than any other way.
But I would like to look at the other side of that coin. Then if you and I will spend some time
on God’s instructions on this, we can get at the plan and the way to make many people
happier than anything else we can do to help them.
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Do you see why I am interested in this?
“Satan is busily engaged in influencing those who are wholly
unsuited to each other to unite their interests” Messages to
Young People, page 455.
Do you know what the devil is doing right now - right this minute while I am reading? The
devil is bending over and whispering in the ear of some married person here, “That is your
problem. You are married to the wrong person.” That is right. That is what the devil is
doing. I am somewhat acquainted with the fellow, and I know how he operates.
But I have covered that in a class that I conducted a few weeks ago for husbands and wives.
And you, married couples who took that class, know that we met that head on. We read a
clear statement from the inspired sources that even though a person’s marriage has been led
by the enemy, when they are married they should do what? Make the best of it.
But this class that I am giving now is not for the purpose of telling married people how to
make a success of what they already have. I have already had that class. Any of you that
missed it, you can get the tapes on it.
Let me tell you a little experience I had over a thousand miles away from here just a few days
ago. A man sat down to talk with me and began to tell me his problems and his story. He
and his wife have been married twenty or twenty-five years. They have three lovely children.
Some in academy and college, but their home is breaking up. It is too common a story these
days.
And the tears were in his eyes and voice as he told me about it. I said, “Brother, I am so
happy I have got something to help you.” I told him about the class that I had just conducted
out here at Eden Valley. I told him how he could get the tapes. I said, “You and your wife
sit down together for eight one hour lessons, and follow that instruction, and you will have a
6. happy home.” And I can tell that to any married couple, friends.
So as we go into these classes on preparing for marriage, how to lay the foundations of a
Christian home, remember, if you are already married, your purpose in listening to these
classes should be twofold. First, so that you can be wise counselors to your own children,
and to others, and help them to do the thing right when it is time for them to engage in
courtship and marriage.
Second, and this is even more important, (And don’t miss this, everyone of you, married
couples!) remember, if you didn’t learn how to spell in the first grade, you had better learn in
the second grade. Is that right? And if there is some word you missed in the second grade,
you surely don’t want to misspell that word all the rest of your life just because you managed
to get out of the second grade into the third grade without learning to spell that word. Am I
correct? No matter how old you are it isn’t too late to learn to spell.
My point is, my dear friends, if your courtship wasn’t carried on in harmony with the word of
God and the testimonies of His Spirit, it is true, it is too late now to go back and do it over
again, but it is not too late to learn how you should have done it.
Let me tell you, God is looking for people who are willing to go back and learn how things
ought to be done. And merely because God, in His mercy, took you where you were and had
pity on you and has given you a Christian home when you didn’t know these principles, I say
merely because He took pity on you, don’t be presumptuous because of that. Don’t say, “Oh
well, we didn’t do so bad, and we didn’t follow all these rules and principles.”
Listen, God has mercy on people who don’t know anything about the Sabbath and break the
seventh-day every week. Doesn’t He, if they don’t know any better? But listen, when they
come to the light, what does God want them to do? Walk in that light, repent of their past
transgressions, and keep the Sabbath holy.
So, these principles that we are going to study in how to get ready to build a successful
Christian home, are just as important for people who are married already to study, to learn
and understand, as for people that aren’t married yet for the reasons that I have given.
Now, back to the original creation. Let me ask you again, who was it that established the
institution of the home? God did. Who was it that united Adam and Eve in marriage? God
did. And that same dear Lord four thousand years later performed His first miracle at the
wedding feast of Cana to show His regard for, and His interest in this very important
institution.
Turn, please, to the book of Proverbs, and we will want to notice a couple of texts here, just
across the page from each other - Proverbs 19:14, Proverbs 18:22. The last part of the
fourteenth verse in Proverbs 19:
“A prudent wife is from the Lord” Proverbs 19:14.
Where does a man get a good wife? From the Lord. Again Proverbs 18:22:
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7. “Whoso findeth a wife” Proverbs 18:22,
As Ministry of Healing puts this, “Whoso findeth such a wife” (that is the right kind):
“Findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD”
Proverbs 18:22.
In each of these verses notice that the right wife, the good wife, comes from whom? From the
Lord.
All right, now I want to ask you a question or two on that, as you look at the text. If a
prudent wife, a good wife, the right wife is from the Lord, who does she belong to?
Wouldn’t she have to belong to the Lord if the Lord gave her away? Wouldn’t she? Could
the Lord give a wife to a man if the wife was not in the hands of the Lord to give away?
Then, if a girl wishes to have a Christian home, who should she give herself to? The Lord.
That is right.
You see, girls, you can’t manage this. The Lord will have to manage this. The Lord is the
only One who knows the one that you can best be happy with.
Somebody says, “Well, I already know.”
No, I don’t know whether you do or not. You may change your mind six weeks from now.
But if you will put yourself in the Lord’s hands fully, completely, then you will be, as it were,
ready for the Lord to give you away when He gets ready.
You know, there is hardly any girl who does that. Most girls today are out hunting a
husband. That is treacherous business, friends. The girl who hunts a husband quite often
gets one worthy of her quest. A true Christian girl who understands these principles that I am
going to study, is not hunting a husband.
Oh, somebody says, “Brother Frazee, what are you talking about?”
Well, I have already warned you that we are going to study things in this class that are clear
out of fashion, and out of custom. But remember, the way things are going today how many
marriages result happily? Less than one percent. So don’t be surprised if we throw most of
what is happening in the garbage can, where it belongs.
No. We are dealing with a way of courtship and marriage in this class which is
fundamentally different from what you see going on in the world today, and even in religious
circles - fundamentally different. We are going to get our principles straight from the Bible
and the Spirit of Prophecy, inspired sources. We are going to build, step by step, a ladder of
success. But every step must be laid solid.
Our first principle that we want to get clear here is that it is God that is running this business
for those that let Him.
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8. “A prudent wife is from” Proverbs 19:14,
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Whom?
“From the Lord” Proverbs 19:14.
“Whoso findeth [such] a wife findeth a good thing and
obtaineth favor of the Lord” Proverbs 18:22.
I have addressed a question to the young women, now I want to address a question to the
young men. My dear young friend, if you want a happy home, a Christian home, a successful
home, where will you go to find your wife? Where will you go, according to these verses?
To the Lord. (That is good. Don’t be afraid to answer. This is a class and not a sermon.)
You would readily agree with me that you would hardly expect to go to the dance hall
hunting for her, if you had asked the Lord to give you a wife. You agree with me on that
point, don’t you? There is a lot of other places that you wouldn’t go. The devil has many
variations of the dance hall today. In some places, people are afraid of the dance hall, unless
there are wheels on the shoes of the people that dance. If there are wheels, then it is all right.
So there are many variations of these things.
But now back to our basic point. Who is in the business of guiding people together to
establish a successful Christian home? Who is in that business? The Lord is.
We also found somebody else that is in the business of guiding people together. Who was
that we read about? Satan. He is busily engaged. Now, notice the difference. We read there
in Messages to Young People that the devil is in the business of guiding people together that
don’t fit together. They are not well matched. They don’t make each other happy. They
make each other miserable. I wonder how the devil is so successful at getting ninety-nine out
of one hundred marriages on his plan?
You know if the devil were to walk up to a young man and say, “If you will just follow me, I
will succeed in making you miserable the rest of your life,” if the devil would do that, he
wouldn’t fool people, would he? And if the devil were to walk up to a girl and say, “Now,
listen, if you will just let me, I will so arrange things that you will get married to a man that
you will never be able to be fully happy with,” would she listen? No.
Do you see there must be a deception about this thing? There must be an enchantment, a
bewitching influence. This is exactly what happens in conventional courtship. In
conventional courtship people fall in love.
Somebody says, “Sure, that is what is happening all the time, people are falling in love.”
Indeed it is happening all the time. But I want to tell you something, friends, you can never
fall up, can you?
Oh, somebody says, “I think it is wonderful to fall in love.” But many a person who falls in
love, a few years later, perhaps even a few months, would give so much to get hold of a rope
9. that would drag them up and out of what they fell into. That’s right.
The love we are studying about, people don’t fall into it at all. They climb the steps. Take
your Adventist Home now and turn to page 49 and you will see what I mean:
“Let every step toward a marriage alliance be characterized by
modesty, simplicity, sincerity, and an earnest purpose to please
and honor God” The Adventist Home, page 49.
Here it speaks of steps toward a marriage alliance. I want to study some of those steps with
you. We are beginning tonight and we will have some more tomorrow night, and the next
weekend and so on. In fact, that’s the great purpose of this class - to study these steps. There
are a series of steps which guide the Christian in his advancement toward a successful, happy
home.
Now this says, “let every step toward a marriage alliance be characterized by” these different
things. What does that expression, “every step,” indicate as far as the number of steps?
There is more than one. You see that, don’t you? And indeed there are to be a number of
steps. I want to study with you what some of those steps are.
But each step is to be characterized by, what is the first word? Modesty. The second?
Simplicity. And the third? Sincerity. And the fourth? An earnest purpose to please and
honor God.
Modesty: every step toward marriage is to be characterized by modesty. That is one of the
reasons that I spoke to the young women that they are not to be on the counter out there, to
attract attention. They are not for sale. The Christian girl is not for sale - not at all. She’s
modest, she’s reserved, she has to be sought, she is not out hunting.
“Every step ... be characterized by modesty, simplicity,
sincerity” Adventist Home, page 49.
I want to ask you something, friends, don’t you think that it would save a lot of heartaches
and broken hearts, oh, I know that it would take some of the exciting romance out of life, but
don’t you think that it would prevent a lot of broken hearts if every step toward a marriage
alliance was characterized by simplicity and sincerity?
The way it is carried on in the world, a young woman doesn’t know for sure when a young
man is dating her, whether he has any serious purpose or not. In fact, we hear the expression
every now and then about some couple, “Looks like they’re getting serious.”
I tell you, in this class, the time to get serious is before the first date. That’s right. We’re
going to study it right out of the books. And if this sounds impossible, impractical,
unworkable, don’t forget the statistics. Ninety-nine out of a hundred marriages today result
in what? Unhappiness. We’re studying a plan that will give true success every time. I know
it, no question about it.
But we will never arrive at that goal by the scheming, deceptive hypocrisy so characteristic of
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conventional courtships.
Every step ... [is to] be characterized by modesty, simplicity,
sincerity, and an earnest purpose to please and honor God”
Adventist Home, page 49.
Then, a Christian young man (Watch this point!), before he ever has his first date with any
young woman, is seeking the counsel of whom? Of God. Tell me, if he is seeking the
counsel of God, will he allow himself to even consider a date with a young woman that he
wouldn’t consider marrying? I leave that question with you to think about. It would save a
lot of heartaches.
The same with a Christian girl. Will a Christian girl accept a date from a young man that she
wouldn’t even think of marrying? Why should she? What is the purpose of the date?
“Oh,” somebody says, “That is the way to have a good time.”
That brings me to one of the biggest questions that I want to ask in this class tonight. What is
this whole matter of the relationship between men and women for? Is it for fun or is it for the
sacred institution of marriage? Which is it for?
“Ah,” somebody says, “Both.”
Oh, no, not both, friends, not both, because they lead in different directions. If the purpose of
association of young people in their teens and twenty or at any other age, is merely for fun,
then the world is madly pursuing it’s goal today and giving us a frightening exhibition of
what that philosophy leads to.
I submit to you, my dear friends, the purpose of the ties and attractions between man and
woman are not primary for fun at all. They are not for fun. They are for something very
sacred, very holy.
Let’s go to the nineteenth chapter of Matthew. The pharisees had come asking Jesus some
questions about divorce and marriage. He took them back to the beginning:
“Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning
made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a
man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and
they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more
twain, but one flesh” Matthew 19:4, 5.
What does twain mean? Two. All right. Then God takes two people, one man and one
woman, and joins them in marriage. How many? How many were they? Two. How many
are they now? One.
Then Jesus goes on to say that anything apart from that is a breaking of the seventh
commandment. In the seventh commandment, the law of God declares:
11. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” Exodus 20:14.
Adultery is the bringing in of any third party into this relationship.
Now, somebody says, “Oh, that is talking about married people.”
I want to tell you, friends, the seventh commandment is just as much for single people as it is
for married people.
Until a young man has demonstrated full obedience to the seventh commandment, single, he
is not ready to be married. And so with a young woman.
Let’s face it, the wedding day has come. The bride and the groom stand there before the
minister and the question is put to that young man. “Will you, John Jones take this woman,
Mary Smith to be your wedded wife? To live with her after God’s ordinance in the holiest
state of matrimony? Will you love her, honor her, cherish her, and forsaking all others keep
you only unto her as long as you both shall live?”
There’s many a young man, if he were real honest, would have to say something like this - of
course this has never happened. I just say it would have to happen, if we were dealing with
realities, instead of forms and ceremonies - that young man would have to say to the minister:
“Preacher, what is this you’re asking me? You’re asking me to promise that I am never to
look at another girl again? Never to make love to another girl? That I’m supposed to keep
this one as long as we both shall live and keep myself only unto her - my eyes, my hands, my
thoughts, my heart, my body, all just for her and her alone? Preacher isn’t that asking a lot?”
The preacher would have to say if he stuck with the Word of God, “Yes, it is asking a lot. It
is asking everything.”
Then, the young man, if he were really honest, would have to conclude the dialogue by
saying: “Preacher, to tell you the truth, I don’t know whether or not I could promise that, and
keep it. I’ve never tried. Since I was a teenager and all the way through, I’ve run with
whoever I have felt like, if I could get them. I have put my hands where I pleased, if the other
party permitted it. I’ve run first with this one, and that one, and sometimes with several at
once, and now you’re asking me to leave all that and keep myself only unto this girl? I don’t
know preacher, whether or not I can do it.”
That would be really honest, wouldn’t it? As I say, that never happened. But oh, my dear
friends, if you really want a happy home, a successful home, a Christ home, you will have to
start keeping the seventh commandment when you are a child. You’ll have to start guarding
your affections and controlling your affections and passions and not letting your thoughts run
after this one and that one, and this one and that one, and this one and that one, and your body
follow suit. Oh, no, don’t do it.
Do you see, friends, that there is quiet a bit to this preparation for marriage?
Now, in my lesson tomorrow evening, I’m going to study with you how to make a success of
childhood and adolescence, in order to get ready for a successful marriage.
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Shall we stand and be dismissed.
Heavenly Father, as we study the references that we have looked at this evening, as we read
again these wonderful statements in the Bible and in the Spirit of Prophecy, rightly interpret
to our hearts these beautiful things.