- araratchurch
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
“Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.”
Song of Solomon 1:4 ESV
The breakdown of faithfulness in marital relationships is one of the main causes of the breakdown of the family, and indeed, of society. Strong family units produce a strong society. The truth is, this lack of faithfulness in marital relationships was and is fallout from unfaithfulness toward our Lord.
Unfaithfulness toward the Lord is nothing new. Indeed, all through the Old Testament we see the Lord speaking to His people, Israel, with whom He had made an everlasting covenant, concerning their idolatry and their running after the gods of this world.
One particularly poignant passage illustrating God‘s love and His broken heart concerning Israel’s infidelity, is found in Ezekiel. The Lord sent Ezekiel to speak to Jerusalem concerning her breaking of His covenant with them. In this prophetic word to Jerusalem, the Lord describes His relationship with Jerusalem by speaking of the way He had rescued His people when nobody cared for them. He blessed them, made them beautiful, and then they thanked Him by turning to other gods, being faithless concerning their covenant with the Lord.
“And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. “And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare. “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God. “But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his.”
Ezekiel 16:4-8, 14-15 ESV
Sadly, the story of broken covenants does not stop with Israel and the Lord. Even though the Lord has loved us to a degree our human minds can not begin to understand, many Christians deem Him unworthy of our faithfulness. So many of our personal stories reflect the story told in Ezekiel: We come to the Lord, broken, needing to find hope and a way out of our trouble. Yet, we too soon can forget what He has done for us, and be found in the tent of the world.
Our opening scripture is only a portion of a beautiful love story found in the Song of Solomon. This love story can only begin to express the love and devotion our Savior has shown to us.
Child of God, there is nothing better you could do than to ask the Lord to draw you close to Him and allow His love to envelop you. And—in the moments of that precious union—commit to staying close to Him and to living such that you will reflect the faithfulness due to the One Who has given us EVERYTHING! Why should we fight against a love that was proven on a rugged cross where His death restored us to life? Let’s be faithful to Him. Let’s be His virgin bride waiting for His soon coming with great joy and anticipation. The King is coming! Our King is coming! And He desires that we rule and reign with Him. How can we not seek to please Him only?
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!”
Song of Solomon 2:4-6 ESV
“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.”
Isaiah 54:5-6 ESV
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
““Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’”
Matthew 10:32-36 NLT
For the most part—unless someone has some complex emotional or psychological issues—we all want to be liked and to get along with others.
Additionally, along with the desire to be liked and get along with others, is the desire to fit in with a group. And certainly, as Christians, we must show ourselves friendly. Our dealings with all people must be done in an attitude of love: “Nobody cares how much you know if they don’t know how much you care.” An attitude of love is supposed to be the sign of being a true disciple of Christ (see John 13:35).
All that being said, there comes a time when what you believe as a result of your relationship with God in Jesus Christ, may—by itself—make you offensive to even those who are the closest to you. In our opening scripture, we see Jesus referencing this very dynamic.
Now, some may feel torn to a certain extent, feeling that their relationship with the Lord is somehow alienating them from those they love. As such, this may cause them to want to just keep their convictions to themselves to avoid controversy. They may even come up with some conscience-satisfying rationale that makes their silence palatable, somehow serving “the greater good.”
Sadly, we are entering into a time where there is increasing pressure to conform to a certain way of thinking, or, at least “go along to get along.” In fact, it seems that other faiths are much more ltolerated and defended by the world system than our Christian faith. Even many churches have taken down their crosses, stopped talking about sin and the need for repentance, neglect talking about the soon coming of Jesus Christ, or operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, the list of things churches will no longer do, or things they wouldn’t have done before, but do now, grows longer and longer. Child of God, you cannot find that rationale or doctrine in the Bible.
Indeed, we are supposed to be salt and light. We are not to take part in sinful behavior, but rather expose it by our own example of obedience to God. Unfortunately, some of the behavior in which Christian churches or individuals take part under the guise of being more “inclusive,” actually border on—or have completely slipped into—behavior that denies Christ. And as we see (again referencing our opening scripture), this doesn’t work out well in terms of eternity.
John warns us to not be surprised at the fact that the world hates us.
“We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.”
1 John 3:12-13 ESV
Peter instructs that living a holy lifestyle will cause us to be slandered, but that the day will
come when those who do so, are judged for it.
“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.”
1 Peter 4:4-5 NLT
Remember: Experiencing loss of friends, family, even those we dearly love, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, puts us in good company.
““If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”
John 15:18-21 ESV
Yes, think of it, if they hate Jesus, the God Man who lived a perfect life and died for the sins of the world, it shouldn’t be surprising that there will be those who hate us as well. Yes, we are in very good company.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 10
- 3 min read
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Jesus told a parable about an unjust judge, illustrating the importance of persistence in prayer.
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Luke 18:1 ESV
Jesus went on to say that a widow was finally granted justice because she wouldn’t give the judge any peace until he ruled in her behalf.
“He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”
Luke 18:2-5 ESV
Jesus then made the point that if a judge who didn’t fear God or respect man would do the right thing because of a widow’s persistence, how much more will God bring justice for His people who refuse to relent in prayer.
“And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.”
Luke 18:6-7 ESV
Jesus then added that whereas that is true, it is also true that many people will give up seeking after the Lord, that when He returns, He will find them no longer standing in faith.
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Luke 18:8 ESV
Actually, the fastest way to lose heart, to lose our stand of faith, is to stop seeking after the Lord in prayer. Think about it: Jesus encourages us to be persistent in prayer, and in so doing, persistently receive from the Lord. As well, our faith will stay renewed through whatever we may endure.
Remember, prayer is not hard to understand. Neither is it complicated to do.
Prayer is communicating with our Father. It’s that simple. And when we stay mindful of Him, we set ourselves toward an ongoing attitude of prayer.
When asked by His disciples, how they ought to pray, Jesus gave a very simple prayer.
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
Praying this simple prayer every day, is a good place to start your prayer journey!
Additionally, through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we now have the Lord’s Spirit continually communicating from us to the throne of God.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:26-27 ESV
Child of God, let us humble ourselves before our Father and ask Him to bring us back to the chamber of prayer where wisdom is dispensed, justice is birthed, mercy is received, healing is realized, and circumstances are bent to the will of God.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
James 5:16 NLT
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!