Find A Christian Man

Tag: Christian Women Ministry

  • Is There A Formula To Meeting Someone New?

    Is There A Formula To Meeting Someone New?

    Jesus Christ said in John 15:8(NLT), “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” Notice the distinction that Christ made between disciples, and ‘true disciples’. The added adjective ‘true’ makes a big deal. It singles out the fact that there’s an undeniable quality of truth that distinguishes those in the faith that are producing fruit and those that are not. You can’t be in the producing business without knowledge, and this is why this teaching is so incredibly and immensely important to the single Christian woman that is desiring to partner.

    I pray with everything in my being that you will take the time to read this teaching, because the Word of God that it contains can impact your endeavors to partner in such a major way. As you know, knowledge is one of the golden keys to exercising the power of Christ in our lives. The more you know about the Word of God, the more you increase in every way imaginable. The truth, if believed, will always yield positive results. And that’s really what a formula is all about—achieving results.

    Is There a Formula?

    In everyday life, from the workplace to recreation, if we follow protocols, procedures, and directions; ultimately, we will yield the thing of which we’ve sought to achieve. God has blessed us with the wherewithal to comprehend this. Most of us have an expectation that if we do what is required, a result will be achieved. If we expect this in everyday life, why would we expect less from God’s Word.

    God’s Word works with a mathematical precision. He’s exact and so is His Word. We can count on it with razor sharp specificity, and its promises will never fail us; not ever! So with this being said, is there a biblical formula for meeting a solid brother—a good dude in the Lord—and then partnering up?

    Just about any dictionary will tell us that a formula is a concise or exact way of expressing information, to the end that a concise or exact result is achieved. A formula is something that we humans use to break down information so that it makes sense to us, and so that it can then be used as a building block for greater insight and understanding. God doesn’t need formulas. He’s omnisciently perfect and knows everything there is to know. We, on the other hand, need ways to dissect and break down information so that we can take it in bit by bit. Throughout history God has been incredibly patient as we’ve done this with His Word.

    He designed our brains to compute and extract the fundamental components of learning in many, many ways. So, you might not like the word ‘formula’, but it doesn’t matter what you call it, the knowledge of God’s Word activates our faith in Christ to such a degree that we can ask the Father for anything according to His Will, and He will do it. If you’ve asked, and asked, and asked—and you’re still locking lips with toads, at some point you’ve got to deduce that something in your faith arsenal is missing in action.

    These missing pieces are pieces of information that you’ve yet to discover about God’s Word and the person of Jesus Christ. These are missing pieces of the formula that your brain and heart need in order to trigger an avalanche of new revelation and comprehension. Once discovered, learned, and put into practice, these pieces of the formula will stir up the gift within you and elevate your faith to such a degree that you can’t help but to walk with greater vigor and power. This is the place where you are poised to run smack dab in the face of your future honey.

    What It Takes…

    Running in to someone cute and new doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be skipping down that aisle real soon. You’ve got to keep on saturating your mind and heart with truth. Listen, you may cross path with a ton of dudes, and one of them may be Mr. Right—he just may be the one, and that’s wonderful, but you have no idea at this point the amount of spiritual growth, tenacity, love, and faith that it will take. To move things from “Sure like you a lot” to “I LOVE YOU!”, you need the glue of the Holy Ghost, because without it a relationship can turn to dust in less time than a blink of an eye, especially if you make the wrong moves, and make them too quickly.

    The bottom line is that you’ve got to produce! If you haven’t produced fruit for the Kingdom, how can you produce fruit that sustains a marriage? God is a God of order. First things first. Nothing happens without faith, and God requires us to exercise it first on HIS business, then the other things come easy to us. Faith is the stuff God used to create, and He has given it to us to build something wonderful for His kingdom. He wants you to partner so that you and hubby can create something beautiful together. But right now, your faith needs to be strengthened in the Lord.

    Your relationship with God must be tighter. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:33 that seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness must be first on our priority lists. This must always be our first action-step in any formula. God’s Will comes first! You need to see Him greater and you may also need a greater revelation concerning the person of Jesus Christ. So the formula for meeting Mr. Right is the same formula for spiritual growth. You’ve got to stay in the Word, understand what you read and study, believe it with your whole heart, and then act upon it! That’s a formula that never fails. ■

    “Is There A Formula To Meeting Someone New?”written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • The Lord Sees It Differently

    The Lord Sees It Differently

    1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
    “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

    There are varying opinions with biblical scholars over whether Jesse had seven or eight sons, as one record in 1 Samuel 16 in the Old Testament mentions eight, and the other record in 1 Chronicles 2:13-15 mentions seven. It is entirely possible that one son passed away, but there is no contradiction in God’s Word; of this we must be sure. The record in 1Samuel 16 tells us that God sent Samuel, the prophet, to anoint David as the King of Israel. By all outward appearances, Jesse thought that any one of his seven sons would be the one that Samuel might choose. They were older, taller, and muscular looking men, but thank goodness God doesn’t look at us in the way that we look at each other. He looks at our hearts.

    I can’t help but think of the many single women that are holding out for a man that fits their image of how he ought to look. They have it down to complexion, height, build, and level of facial attractiveness. If a man shows up, and he looks significantly different than the image they have in their minds, he’s relegated to the ‘not a possibility’ column with all due haste.

    We often talk about this being a tough one, because physical attraction is important in a marital relationship, but it’s not the principal thing. Some of us make it so. It boils down to a matter of priorities, and God sets those. He values your spiritual growth and the spiritual growth of your future spouse more than any other thing. And He tells us very straightforwardly in Matthew 6:33(NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” If we don’t hold what God thinks is important at the top of our lists, we will continue to attract the very opposite of what is best for the path God has laid before us.

    Heavenly Father looks at the heart, because Proverbs 4:23 tells us that the issues of life spring forth from the heart. If our hearts are out of alignment with the Will of God for us, we run the risk of not being satisfied with the choices we make. It’s just that simple. We’ll be in a constant state of discomfort because our real self, the spirit ‘you’, has been betrayed by our wrong choice. We must be fully persuaded that the only way to honor the Christ in us is to be guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we please God and live through Christ. God wants us to be pleased with the person that is to be our partner, but our faith that He will not disappoint us with His presentation is a must. ■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “The Lord Sees It Differently”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • On My Own Terms

    On My Own Terms

    Proverbs 13:12(NLT) says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” This is one of those yummies of truth that every single woman who desires to be married should digest completely. It will require us to ponder this wisdom very carefully. It is necessary that we begin by examining the word ‘hope’; it ought to be one of every Christian’s favorite words. Hope is a joyful expectation, and if we’re being honest, a lot of us single sisters don’t have it. We have an expectation when it comes to the type of partner we desire. We may even have an expectation about the details of the wedding, but for many of us the joy is missing in action. It is imperative that we get on the case pronto with this one, because if our hope is in Christ, joy must be its defining characteristic.

    Many of us that have been praying to cross paths with our future marital partners would say we know a little bit about ‘hope deferred’. We may even go so far as to say we’ve kissed our fair share of toads, and none of them have turned into a prince. In our estimation, the elusive Mr. Right is our hope deferred, and we can attest that after a few years of waiting, it can make the heart sick. There’s very little worse than having your expectations raised, only to have them doused. This is what makes many of our sisters in Christ reluctant about putting themselves out there, as they might have in the past.

    Here’s the thing that our Precious Heavenly Father wants us to chew on, when our hope is in Christ, the desire of our hearts is never indefinitely deferred. If what you and I desire is according to the Will and Word of God, it WILL come to pass. Some of us are not sure it’s the Will of God for us to be married, and this is the hurdle that we have to get over in order to cultivate faith in our quests.

    Marriage is God’s institution. He ordained it. Heavenly Father could have left Adam by his lonesome, but God didn’t do this. In Genesis 2:18(NKJV), He said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” It is very important that Christians learn the deep connection of a union, and one of the reasons God set up marriage is to teach us the greatest lessons about unity in Christ. For those who desire to marry, God desires it for them more than they can ever desire it for themselves.

    God is not withholding the blessing of a spouse. So, we have to ask ourselves a hard question that requires a brutally honest answer. Are we deferring our hopes because we want everything on our own terms? One of my sister-friends said this to me the other day. She said that she’s been willing to accept so much and make so many concessions for men in the past, and it still doesn’t work out. Now, because of the disappointments in her past relationships, she believes she’s entitled to have things on her terms, and has adopted an approach of inflexibility. This is certainly understandable, given that we sometimes exhaust a lot of emotional energy and time into the wrong situation. But it could be that she is backing herself further in a corner and putting more separation between her and the blessing she expects.

    Isaiah said in Isaiah 64:8(NLT), “And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter.” When our hopes are in OUR dreams, and not in the dream God has for us, disappointments are likely to happen. The dream Heavenly Father has for us is a tree of life that keeps on giving. It’s a dream that we ought to be joyful, excited, and fully invested, because God is going to make it happen. Proverbs 23:17-18 tells us that when our hearts are anchored in obeying His Word and honoring Him, He will reward us and our hope will not be disappointed.

    The psalmist wrote in Psalm 25:11-12(NLT), “11 For the honor of your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins. 12 Who are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they should choose.” God knows best when it comes to your future, and He requires that Jesus Christ is at the center of your desire to marry, so that you will follow the path that He has laid before you. When Christ is our focus, it means that our desire is based on the call to be a loving example of his love. The Holy Spirit will produce joy within because our hope is in Christ, and because our heart is to please God by being the kind of wife He desires us to be. Sign over your quest for marriage to God’s terms, and let your terms take a backseat; then your hope will change from deferred to fulfilled, because Jesus Christ will make your dream a tree of life.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “On My Own Terms” written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Building Love and Keeping It Strong

    Building Love and Keeping It Strong

    One of the most sound pieces of advice that I can give to single women is to be as discreet and private as possible when it comes to your personal life; especially at the very beginning of a new relationship. I’ve counseled many women in this area, many of them have lived to regret being so open and candid to their friends about the new man in their life. If you heed my advice, it’s very possible that you may come across as secretive to some. That’s ok! Discretion is very important to God. We know this because there’s a lot He has placed in His Word for us to know, but there are many more mysteries that He hasn’t revealed; and He has good reason.

    Jesus Christ gave us a warning in Mathew 6:1-4(NLT). This passage tells us, “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

    The context of this passage is about giving, sharing, and being of service. That sounds a whole lot like marriage, doesn’t it?!! Our Master Jesus cuts right down to the meat of the matter as he warns us about our motives for putting our kind deeds on blast. We’re very often motivated out of a need to be admired by others. We want them to be impressed with what we’ve got going on. Jesus has stamped this practice with a serious “NO!”

    Marriage is increase! It’s the most substantial investment in another’s life that a person can make. As a good steward, we should endeavor to show ourselves worthy. Part of this good practice is keeping quiet about certain details regarding what God is doing in this area of our lives. Jesus tells us that if we’re continually spilling the beans and showboating, that’s all the reward we’ll get. This is not what we want, Sisters. We should want God to reward us by preserving our relationships and causing them to flourish in every way.

    Jesus instructs us not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. The wisdom of this is breathtaking. Jesus knows that the enemy can’t steal what he can’t see. As Godly women partnering with the Lord to protect our unions, we should not let our business slip out in the open; then we won’t let the devil see what is unspoken. A person can give the enemy eyes to see and ears to hear if they’re always speaking about their hidden treasures. The longer you keep it quiet, the more chance you give yourself and the relationship to grow.

    We also have to make sure that what we’re dealing with is truly a presentation of the Lord. There’s always a possibility that the person we think is Mr. Right is actually Mr. Right for Now, but not for the future. We need time to access and test.

    Being discreet about our new relationships has nothing to do with fear. God tells us in 1John 4:18(NLT) that “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”  Love obliterates fear, but we have a responsibility to walk in a spiritually mature Christ-kind-of-love. This means we must comprehend that being discreet is a discipline that goes with love. Again, being discreet helps us to build a relationship, and keep it strong. If you’ll pray about this, the indwelling Holy Spirit will help you stay on the right path. So make a conscious effort to have self-control in this area. Let the Spirit guide you regarding what you can, can’t or shouldn’t say regarding your new relationship. If the Spirit doesn’t release you to speak it forth, keep it quiet.■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Building Love and Keeping it Strong” written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

     

  • Red Flags and Flashing Lights

    Red Flags and Flashing Lights

    It isn’t enough to tell you not to do something that will adversely impact your quest to get married. In order to provide you with substantive tools that will greatly aid your quest, you have to know WHY you should or should not do something. The right knowledge is power, and the source of all right knowledge is God’s Word. It is the definitive authority on everything that there is. Heavenly Father tells us in 2Peter 1:3 that through His divine power, He’s given us everything we need for living a good and Godly life. He’s provided us access to this kind of life through the knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. So, everything that you and I could possibly need to be fulfilled, accomplished, and happy can be obtained by living our lives by the example of Jesus Christ. Whenever we veer away from living our Christ reality, red flags go up and flashing lights appear. When it comes to your quest for marriage, you have to ask yourself if you’re ignoring the warnings.

    In Romans 12:1(NIV), God tells us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” God wants to live through us so that we are more effective in introducing His Kingdom on earth, and so that our experience of life on earth is more fulfilling and abundant. He desires to work in us to will and do of His good pleasure. He never takes from us, but gives continually; and in Romans 12:1, He’s asking us to give Him greater space in which to work in our lives. He’s asking that we present ourselves before Him as a living sacrifice. This informs us right off the bat that sacrifice is a very important piece to living through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also a very essential component to preparing for and maintaining a marriage.

    In order to rescue believers from the pit of hell and purchase us back from the ruler of darkness, Jesus had to offer his life as a sacrifice for our sins. He had to die the most horrific death imaginable. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that this was a price he paid gladly because of the joy that was set before him—the joy of having us, you and me, in God’s family. He did it to please the Father, and because of his great love for us all. You and I were not capable of ransoming ourselves from the devil. Our sinful nature kept us locked in his dungeon of darkness and despair. But although we could never have paid the price that Jesus paid, we should understand the pattern that he’s set. Through his example, Jesus Christ has demonstrated pure faith. He showed us that sacrifice is endured gladly when the joy of the reward is believed wholeheartedly.

    Do you believe God will bless you with a good and Godly husband?
    Have you sacrificed fleshly pleasures because of the conviction of your faith?

    There can be no question that there are going to be some things we have to give up in order to gain more and go higher. Some of those are things we find pleasurable. Everything in life, and when I say ‘everything’, I mean EVERYTHING in life is spiritual. If you want to understand the ‘why’ of things, you must put them in the context of spiritual. God is a Spirit. He created everything there is, and everything that He created was intended to flow harmoniously with His divine Will, which is good and perfect in every way. Whenever the intention of our minds and hearts seeks to step outside the Will of God, we will experience in life what amounts to red flags and flashing lights. These come in the form of interrupted peace, mistakes, missteps, and hiccups. We would do ourselves the greatest favor by taking corrective spiritual action before things become worse.

    In Matthew 16:19, Jesus Christ declared that He’s given us the keys to the Kingdom, which means whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven; whatever we bind on earth, will be bound in heaven. When it comes to the choices and decisions we make daily, we have only these two buckets of which to cast our energy and resources. We either bind or loose. SIN binds, OBEDIENCE loosens.

    It’s important to understand this because we don’t always make the best choices when it comes to honoring our temples. We can’t partner with sin and expect a Godly result. Heavenly Father is a God of order, and obedience to Him requires that we follow His Word. Women hold the keys to a happy and fulfilling marriage through being obedient to God’s Word. You represent the greatest asset in your own quest to partner in marriage, but understand that God can’t help you partner in sin. He’s helping you prepare for what you’ve been about by loosening the walls around your heart, so that you love freely and unconditionally, through HIM! Red flags and flashing lights in your circumstances are queuing you in that disobedience has reared its ugly head. Don’t ignore the signs. Line up your actions and decisions with God’s Word.■

    Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

    “Red Flags and Flashing Lights” written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Dust It off and Keep It Moving

    Dust It off and Keep It Moving

    facm-keep-it-moving

    John 3:20-21(NLT)
    “All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

    I had a conversation with my nephew a couple of weeks ago, and he said something that was really astounding to me. It was a revelation, and immediately drew my attention to John 3:20-21 like a lightning rod. For a while, he noticed something about some of his friends. Whenever they’d stop by, they would only go as far as the front steps of his home. He was kind and courteous, and of course invited them in, but they always decline and say they’ll catch up with him later. He mentioned that although he’d spoken to them about Jesus Christ, they never really had an interest, and didn’t care to know more about our Lord and Savior.

    My nephew concluded that some of his friends were refusing the light and as a result, could not tolerate what the light of Christ exposes. Based on the truth that our Blessed Lord and Savior shared with us in John 3:20-21, my nephew is exactly right. When you love the Lord, and carry His love in your heart, it will either attract the light to you or it will certainly dispel the darkness around you. The truth of this passage in John 3 declares it emphatically, and says that all who do evil hate the light.

    God has given every Christian the responsibility to discern what is of His Kingdom, and what is from the kingdom of darkness. Most of us are able to do this, but we sometimes shut-off our spiritual senses. We want to maintain our associations with darkness, and we enjoy the company of those who do not hunger for righteousness. As single women desiring to be married, we must be incredibly careful about this. The enemy knows our weaknesses, and he knows how to lure us in and trap us. We should not make the dangerous mistake of assuming he will be merciful in his attack. If we have not properly guarded our hearts, and have made an emotional investment in someone who secretly hates the light, the consequences are very painful and last longer than any of us would care to imagine.

    Our Lord and Savior didn’t mince words when it comes to light and darkness. The Pharisees were an extremely arrogant group of people who hated Jesus Christ. They were blinded by satan, and would try and trap Jesus Christ with questions. If he gave an answer against their beliefs and laws, they would attempt to imprison him, but he was so razor-sharp that they were never able to manipulate his wisdom. In John 8:43-45(NLT), he told the Pharisees, “Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!”

    The devil hates the light, and so does his children. God is not telling us to isolate ourselves from those who desperately need to hear the truth, but He has told us in Romans 12:2 that we must never let anything or anyone in the world conform us. Instead, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are beacons of light and love. 1Thessalonians 5:5(NLT) tells us, “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.”  So our responsibility is to share the gospel with those who thirst after it, but for those who deny it or want no parts of it, we’re to dust off any residue of their darkness and keep it moving.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Dust It off and Keep It Moving”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • New Opportunities and Connections, Don’t Let’em Slip by

    New Opportunities and Connections, Don’t Let’em Slip by

    Something pretty wonderful is happening, and although many people are not talking about it yet, they will. A spiritual shift has occurred. In Acts 2:17(NLT), God told us through the Apostle Paul, “In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” We are witnessing this incredible outpouring today. There are some individuals that are still going about business as usual. They haven’t noticed a change because their eyes are blinded to it, but there are others that are right smack in the thick of God’s glory. They are taking His promises by faith, and the Holy Spirit is manifesting in powerful ways. Some of the byproducts of this dynamic move are new commitments, new opportunities, and new connections.

    Make no mistake about it, God has heard the prayers of men and women who desire to be partnered with someone that is truly special. He has not withheld the blessing, and sometimes this is the underlying thought of many people with this prayer request. In their hearts, some people believe that God is in heaven withholding the blessing of a spouse. It is the responsibility of every single person to look under the hood, examine what’s really in their hearts, and begin to chip away ferociously at any blockages in their beliefs.

    We know that God doesn’t violate free-will choice. He’s not going to violate the laws that He’s put into place to govern the universe and everything in it. In Old Testament times, after the Children of Israel were delivered by God through Moses from the tyranny of a hateful pharaoh, they camped out in the wilderness for a while. God promised to give them a land so lush and bountiful that it was called ‘the land of milk and honey’, and is formally known as ‘The Promise Land’. Heavenly Father made this promise to them. He gave them this beautiful land. If Heavenly Father gives you something, then you can trust with everything in your being that its YOURS! But we must also note that God would not pick up the Children of Israel and supernaturally plant them in the Promised Land. Even though they did not have the bible in written form, and they didn’t have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct them internally, they had to take the Promise Land by faith. If they, having access to far less than us, were expected to do this, how much more are we?

    Two Godly people coming together to formalize a union in Christ is ordained of God. You are not capable of desiring this for yourself as much as God desires it for you. So, it cannot be that He is withholding this blessing. And believe it or not, the devil is not the greatest foe in this quest. Internal resistances are more than likely the greatest contributing factors. This will require a person to look inwardly and be incredibly (and sometimes brutally) honest about aspects of the love of God they’ve not allowed to reign in their hearts.

    Galatians 5:6(MSG), tells us, “For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.”  This means that we individually have the privilege and honor to wrap our believing in the love of Jesus Christ. Part of clothing our faith in love is ensuring that we’re not harboring unforgiveness and resentment. When we don’t forgive, we deny others the thing that provided us access to God. This will place a shield over our eyes and block us from accessing opportunities and gateways to marital partnership.

    1John 4:18 tells us that there is no fear in love; absolutely none. The greatest blocker to God’s love is fear. Fear is the root of all sin. There are no exceptions to this truth. Just as faith expressed through love is a magnet that draws blessings, fear expressed through sin is a repellent of blessings.

    Faith works through love. The way to capture the momentum of faith as it brings our hopes into fruition, is to see ourselves and others through the eyes of God’s love. 1 John 4:7-10 (MSG) says, “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.” There is no power greater than God’s love. His outpouring is available to you right this moment. If you will make a greater commitment to seek Him diligently, He will help you bulldoze internal blockers. Your faith will be perfected, and your eyes will be opened to see and make the most of new opportunities and connections.■

    Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

     “New Opportunities and Connections, Don’t Let’tem Slip by”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Centered on Christ

    Centered on Christ

    Relationships between men and women can feel conditional at times. You may feel that if you don’t do something to his or her liking, their level of love and affection for you might decrease. Most of us realize that relationships involve give and take. The optimum balance would be 50/50 between both partners, but if we’re honest, it doesn’t always turn out this way. In fact, you might have been in relationships where you did most of the giving, and he did most of the taking. Not cool. That’s why it’s so invigorating to know that our Heavenly Father’s love isn’t like that. His love is unconditional; He loves us no matter what.

    We don’t have to be perfect, but one of the things that is required of us as God’s children is to have faith and trust in Him. Even when we do things that fall short of His love and grace, He still loves us the same, and it is important that we understand that only He can give us a love like this.

    I’ve witnessed actions of women who have such a desire to be loved that they will forgo all sense of reason for the sake of having the attention of the man in their lives. This is motivated from fear, and not love. Any relationship worth having will require a lot of work, and it can be very challenging, but if we keep our eyes on the Lord, He’ll help us through tough times. We begin to spiral downward in our relationships when we take our focus off God. That’s when our priorities get out of whack.

    Heavenly Father doesn’t stop loving us when our emotions are all over the place. He comforts and teaches us. We see this in Isaiah 43, when Jacob and the Children of Israel got out of hand, and wouldn’t walk in the ways of God. They were stubborn, lost their zeal for Godliness, and treated Heavenly Father horribly. This landed them in a ton of trouble, because their priorities shifted away from God, but He did not abandon them. He told Jacob in Isaiah 43:1(NLT), “But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.””  God continued His love and care for Jacob and Israel. Romans 5:20(NLT) says, “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”

    God looks at our hearts, and they must be anchored in Him. We really have to be careful in our relationships with men, that we recognize they can’t give us the kind of unconditional love that fills the emptiness in our souls. Only God can do this. God loves us all unconditionally, and when our focus is on learning to love as He loves, our relationships with others will blossom, because they will be centered on Christ and not on ourselves.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    Centered on Christ” written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • The Juggling Act

    The Juggling Act

    There’s a constant juggling act concerning exactly who should be doing what when it comes to finding love. Is it the responsibility of the woman, or is it the responsibility of the man? It’s a very important question, particularly now, when it seems there are more women interested in marital partnership than men. Should the woman take the bull by the horn and put herself out there—sign up with multiple dating websites and explore all the options available these days for the dating scene? Should she be actively engaged in the search, or should she be still, know that God has her back, and patiently wait on Heavenly Father’s presentation of a good and Godly man?

    If we check in on what God says on the matter, we all know the scripture in Proverbs 18:22 (NLT) that says, “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.” Some are of the mindset that it doesn’t matter who finds who, as long as they find each other, but divorce rates and relationship dysfunction are at an all-time high. This suggests that something that we’re doing isn’t quite lining up with God’s plan. The one thing we do know with absolute certainty is that God’s Word doesn’t fail. When we trust it wholeheartedly, results are eminent, because God always backs His Word. So, as a woman, dialing back your search efforts until you’re sure God is on board with it is a very wise move.

    God has said that a man who finds a wife, finds a good thing. And not only this, a man that is actively looking for his Mrs. Right will receive favor from the Lord. A good man who’s looking to partner up is a man who probably appreciates the gift of women and the mutual wealth we bring to the table. This man is also looking to expand and increase according to the plan that God has sanctioned for unity and family. Mr. Right may not be someone with a great deal of biblical knowledge, but even unknowingly, he carries the promise of the Father. That’s someone you want in your life.

    Some have disagreed with me when I’ve said that I believe the first real love experience is establishing your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Loving him enough to make him the Lord of your life means that you’re willing to relinquish control and hand over the wheel. Salvation is our first lesson of surrender; it doesn’t stop there. Marriage will continue it. The lessons of humility and obedience to Christ are honed through marriage, so we’ve really got to make sure our quest to get married is in alignment with God’s Word.

    From the passenger side, we should be watching how Jesus Christ drives, how he maneuvers us through our bumpy roads and confusing turns with God’s grace. He’s taking us somewhere, and  1 Corinthians 7:1-6(NLT) gives the road-map for every single man and woman on the quest for marriage. It says, “1 It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.”

    1 Corinthians 7:1-6 contains both the surrender and constraint necessary to navigate with humility in the marital relationship. It doesn’t start when we get married. It starts as you surrender your desire for marriage in faith to Jesus Christ. Trust that he will help you prepare and get in position, so both you and your Mr. Right are at the right place, at the right time for God’s presentation.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “The Juggling Act” written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

     

  • Train Your Mind for Victory

    Train Your Mind for Victory

    Have you ever lost something of value or had it stolen or taken from you? If you have, you’ll probably take measures to ensure it will never happen again. At the very least, you’ll become more appreciative of what you have and be mindful of its care. This is how precious we should regard God’s Word. Heavenly Father tells us to hide His Word in our hearts, and when we need it most, it will be near to us.

    2Corinthians 1:20(NIV) says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” Heavenly Father always keeps His promises to us. He’s always faithful to His Word. We know this, but the enemy will test our allegiance to God’s Word by causing situations in our lives that can potentially make us doubt the Father’s promises.

    Sometimes we feel alone and stressed, and it appears that no one has any answers or can provide the help we need. Many people panic in situations like this, because they don’t have the Word in their hearts and literally don’t know what else to do, but the psalmist said in Psalm 55:16 (NLT), “I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me.” If we’ve hidden the Word in our hearts, when we need it, God’s Word will come to our remembrance and comfort our souls. We’ll have confidence in our times of great trouble and need, because the Holy Spirit within will testify that God’s Word is true, and give us the assurance of God’s faithfulness.

    You work hard, play fair, and do your best in life, but we’ve all been through rough patches where it seems like we take one step forward, only to take two steps backward. You feel as though you’ve overcome one obstacle, only to find yourself confronting another one. Some seasons will feel this way, but don’t allow the enemy to wear you down. The Word teaches us in 1John 4:4 that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are completely equipped to handle any situation.

    Isaiah 40:31(NKJV) tells us, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” No matter what we face, or how many times our faith is tested, we must learn and be committed to speak life into any and every troubling situation. God will continually renew our strength, because He’s the Source of all blessings.

    Do not faint or have doubt. Ephesians 4:23 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Always envision yourself with the things you desire; see yourself living the kind of life you want. Don’t train your mind for defeat; train it for Godliness—train your mind for victory by renewing it to God’s Word. Don’t allow the enemy to steal the Word from your heart and mind. It’s the Word of life, and God will forever and always back it up if we will trust and believe. ■

    Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Train Your Mind for Victory!”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!