Marriage

I will continue to post the 10 questions that diagnose your spiritual health, the Christian Disciplines, and various others along the way. But I am going to add a new section to the blogs. One that deals with marriage. This is a very important section to me as I firmly believe that my family is my first congregation. I also believe that most marriages are missing out on the excitement and fulfillment that is promised us in Scripture. Some of the blogs are going to sound kinda one sided but understand that all will be written in love and with one purpose in mind, helping everyone build a stronger marriage. This should be our main goal in society!!! Good marriages help raise good kids, they help bring fulfillmen, and hey who doesnt' want to be loved and accepted!!!

http://www.marriagevine.com/?affiliate_mv=chapmandaily

Do You Delight In The Bride Of Christ

The closer you are to the Lord, the closer you will be to other believers.
--Peter Jeffrey

What is the Bride of Christ?

Is it singular or plural?

Who much should we want to be with the Bride?

Proverbs 30:18-19

Genesis 29:20

Not to compare Jesus with Jacob but in a much grander scale Jesus traveled from Heaven to earth and worked for 33 for the delight of His eyes, the church.

Romans 5:25-27

Now suppose that the very Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself were given to dwell, not only in the body of Jesus, but also in another human. (And realize that according to the New Testament, this is what happens to all who belong to Christ—Romans 8:9)

Obviously then, like Christ, the man or woman who has been given the Spirit of Jesus would love what Jesus loves and died for—His bride, the Church.

So one of the best tests of whether we belong to Christ is whether we delight in His delight, namely, the people who comprise His church.

Or as John put it:

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren (I John 3:14).

King David put it this way:

As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
Psalm 16:3 NASB

Saints is one of the terms applied to the people of God

Paul refers to Christians as saints in nearly every New Testament letter he wrote, using the word more than fifty times.

But the saints are not perfect at all.

I Corinthians 1:2

David uses words “majestic ones,” “excellent ones” and “glorious ones.”

The question is do we ever refer to our fellow believer in such magnificent terms?

We must remember that we aren’t part of the majestic ones because of anything that we did or can do, but because of what He did and can do through us.

Delighting in Christ’s people is normal, healthy Christianity.

Do you delight in the bride of Jesus Christ?

We must remember that the church is not just one person but individuals who make up the church.

Do you delight in her willingly?

When God makes a Christian, He changes the person’s heart so dramatically that delighting in the followers of Jesus becomes as easy and natural for the soul as delighting in sunsets and savory food is for the senses.

We shouldn’t come to church because of the ought’s but because of the wants. Although some of the ought’s are good and positive our primary motivation should be because we delight in Jesus and His bride.

Delight in the church is inborn in those who are born again.

Do you delight in her company?

For the Christian, the presence of the saints, by virtue of their being saints, evokes delight. For what makes these people to be saints in the earth is the God in the heavens—the most delightful Being in the universe—living in them and working through them.

You see when authentic Christians assemble in a local church, the omnipresent God dwells in their midst in a special way.

So the reason why growing Christians as readily delight in being with the saints of God is the real presence of God Himself living within ordinary people we know.

Ultimately, you are delighted by Him in them.

Of course this doesn’t mean that growing Christians experience spiritual elation in every encounter with fellow believers. We must remember that the saints are humans.

Do you delight in her activity?

From the first days of his ministry until the end of his ministry decades later, the apostle Paul faced opposition and persecution in his work.

Why did he willing endure so many imprisonments, beatings, and stonings for so long (II Corinthians 11:23-28)

Near the end of Paul’s life he answered this question:
II Timothy 2:10
I endure all things for the sake of the elect, the church.

We are all looking for something of meaning and yet we keep trying to fill it with the temporal and not the permanent.

To delight in anything other than Christ is like watching a video of someone else’s wedding when you could be on your own honeymoon.

Expressing your delight

Grow to see the bride of Christ and her work more as Jesus does.

Demonstrate your delight in the bride of Christ in ways that will make a real difference.

Psalm 149:4
The Lord takes pleasure in His people.

Do you?

Christian Meditation

Two words used for in the Hebrew Old Testament, and they are used some 58 times to mean, listening to God’s word, reflecting on God’s works, rehearsing God’s deeds, ruminating on God’s law and much more.

But in each case there is a huge stress upon a changed behavior as a result of an encounter with the Almighty. Repentance and obedience are essential features in any Biblical understanding of meditation.

Psalm 119:97, 101, 102
97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.

It is this continued focus upon obedience and faithfulness that most clearly distinguishes Christian meditation from its Eastern and secular counterparts.

Those who walked through the Bible knew how to meditate.

Genesis 24:63
63 He(Isaac) went out to the field one evening to meditate,

Psalm 63:6
6 On my bed I remember you; I think(meditate) of you through the watches of the night.

Psalms almost literally sing of meditation:
Psalm 119:148
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

The list goes on and on and on.

In the midst of an exceedingly busy ministry Jesus made a habit of withdrawing to “a lonely place apart” (Matthew 14:13)

Jesus did this not just to be away from people, but also so He could be with the Father.

What did Jesus do time after time in those deserted hills?

He sought out His Heavenly Father; He listened to Him, He communed with Him.

And He beckons us to do the same.

Hearing And Obeying

Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word. It is that simple.
It involves no hidden mysteries, no secret mantras, no mental gymnastics. The truth of the matter is that the great God of the universe, the Creator of all things desires our fellowship.


In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve talked with God and God with them—they were in communion. Then came the Fall, man ran and God still yearned to fellowship with His creation.

We see the same story in Cain, Abel, Noah, and Abraham, we see God speaking and acting, teaching and guiding.

Moses learned:
Exodus 33:11
11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.

You could sense and see the intimate relationship between God and Moses. Israel wasn’t ready for such a relationship with God and in Ch. 20 told Moses, you talk with God and we will just talk with you.
Jesus modeled the life of hearing and obeying:

John 5:19
19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

The Purpose of Meditation

In meditation we are growing into what Thomas a Kempis calls “a familiar friendship with Jesus.”

What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart.

Rev. 3:20
20 “I stand at the door and knock”

That was originally penned for believers and not unbeliever. Meditation opens that door. Inward fellowship of this kind transforms the inner personality.

We must meet with Him in our inner rooms.

Understandable Misconceptions
Whenever the Christian idea of meditation is taken seriously, there are those who assume it is synonymous with the concept or meditation centered in Eastern religions. In reality, the two ideas stand worlds apart. Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind.

Human beings seem to have a perpetual tendency to have somebody else talk to God for them. In this way we do not need to go to God ourselves, for to be in the presence of God is to change.

Sanctifying the Imagination

Romans 1:21
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking(imagination) became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Imagination is very important.

Preparing to Meditate

It is impossible to learn how to meditate from a book or a class we learn how to meditate by meditating.

1) Is there a proper time for meditation?
Both—We need to set aside a special time as Christ did but at the same time once we become proficient with it we can do it almost anywhere.
2) What about a place for meditation?
Quite and free from interruptions
3) What about posture?
Body, mind and spirit are all connected if one is tensed then they all will be tensed.

What do we meditate on

Scripture
Prayer
Silence

Do You Have A Growing Concern For The Spiritual And Temporal Needs Of Others?

There is nothing in which men resemble God more truly than in doing good to others.
--John Calvin

What does this mean to you?

Christianity is a religion of concern for others. Among what are called the “great religions of the world,” Christianity has no parallel.

The Biblical Near-Balance

The Bible clearly teaches Christians to be concerned for both the spiritual and the temporal needs of people. Jesus, our Lord and example, often demonstrated this dual concern by healing bodies and teaching truth on the same occasion.

To End All Wars

Acts 4:33-35
33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
When Peter, James, and John sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey they had this to say according to Paul.

Galatians 2:10
10 All they [Peter, James, and John] asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

James 2:15-16
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Jesus The Need-Meeter

Christ is the ultimate need-meeter.

John 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Yes, Jesus’ main concern was for our eternal salvation as we are all sinners, but Jesus was also concerned with the physical as well.

Growing From Here

Go to the Great Ophthalmologist

Look for the hurt in every heart and home

Do something for the gospel and the good of others

Lunch Time

Boy I know how he feels!!! Hehe.

Father and Son Discuss a Haircut

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father if they could discuss his use of the family car.

His father took him into his study and said, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study the Bible a little, get your hair cut, and then we'll talk about it."

After about a month, the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. They again went into the father's study where the father said, "Son, I've been very proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied the Bible diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut."

The young man replied, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that. Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair."

"Yes," his father said, "and everywhere they went, they walked."

Dubious Guidance from Scripture

Two old friends met one day after many years. One attended college and now was very successful. The other had not attended college and never had much ambition, yet he still seemed to be doing well.

Curious as to why, the college graduate asked his friend, "How has everything been going with you?"

The less-educated, less ambitious man replied, "Well, one day, I opened my Bible at random, and dropped my finger on a page. The word under my finger was oil. So, I invested in oil, and boy, did the oil wells gush. Then I tried the same method again, and my finger stopped on the word gold. So, I invested in gold, and those mines really produced. Now, I'm as rich as Rockefeller."

The successful friend was so impressed that he rushed to his hotel, grabbed a Gideon Bible, flipped it open, and dropped his finger on a page. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his finger rested on the words, "Chapter Eleven."

Holiness

1) Definition
A) “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” (Lv. 11:44a)
“Holy”=qadash—“The essential nature of that which belongs to the sphere of the sacred and which is thus distinct form the common or profane”
B) “For it is written: Be Holy, because I am Holy” (I Peter 1:16)
“Holy”=agion—“…the proper sphere of the holy in the New Testament is not the cultus but the prophetic. The sacred no longer belongs to things, places or rites, but to the manifestations of life produced by the Spirit….I Peter is particularly significant in the further development of the concept….Thus the dynamic of the outpouring of the Spirit is here restated in terms of the holy functions of the priesthood.”
C) “Holiness means the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. It means being ‘response-able,’ able to respond appropriately to the demands of life”
D) Holiness is responding to the world as God would/does.
E) Holiness means set apart.

2) Holiness is not/is
A) Rules and regulations/sustained attention to the heart
B) otherworldliness/world-affirming
C) Consuming asceticism/bodily spirituality
D) Works-righteousness/striving to enter in- effort not works
E) Perfectionism/progress in purity and sanctity
F) Absorption into God/loving unity with God

3) Foster gives four ways we are fed by The Holiness Tradition
A) Personal transformation
B) Emphasis on purity of heart
C) Assurance of progress in character formation
D) Fosters growth in grace

4) Three Perils/distortions of The Holiness Tradition
A) Legalism—External action is derivative, not primary.
Legalism is countered with Love
B) Pelagianism—attempt to attain righteousness by means of our works
Pelagianism is countered with grace
C) Perfectionism—derivative result of failing to address the first two perils
Perfectionism is countered with growth

5) Foster recommends three things for those who desire to practice Holiness
A) Train—“We undertake activities of body, mind, and spirit that in time will build spiritual resources within us to act appropriately when the situation demands it.”
B) Invite others to travel the journey with us. They help us see when we are overachieving or being slothful. They five us a word of encouragement.
C) Get up and start again when you stumble or fall—Confession/Restitution

6) Three historical figures for insight on the Holiness Tradition
A) Phoebe Palmer—Phoebe longed for entire sanctification and developed her “altar theology” that Christ is the holy altar upon which we rest our all in sacrifice. Hence we are holy and sanctified as we continually give ourselves as a living sacrifice to Christ, our altar
B) James the just—James was the half-brother of Jesus and an early leader of the church in Jerusalem
C) Dietrich Bonhoeffer
1) Bonhoeffer tool Jesus seriously
2) Bonhoeffer took Jesus’ call to discipline seriously—costly grace
3) Bonhoeffer took spiritual discipline seriously
4) Bonhoeffer took free, responsible, obedient action seriously
5) Bonhoeffer took the purity of the Church seriously
6) Bonhoeffer too the world seriously.

4) Are You More Sensitive To God’s Presence?

If the soul of the believer is in a healthy condition, he will take occasion to frequently come into God’s presence on purpose to have communion with Him.
A. W. Pink

God is here?

“Surely The Lord Is In This Place, And I Did Not Know It”

Many Christian’s identify more with the words of Jacob:
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
Genesis 28:20

Than with the promise of Jesus when He said:
“I am with you always” Matthew 28:20

According to one survey:

2 out of every 3 adults 68% (Christian) say that at some time in their lives they felt as if they were in God’s presence.

More than ½, 58% to be precise of non-Christians admitted the same thing.

1 out of 8, 13% (Christian) has felt God’s presence only 1 or 2 times in their life.

32% say that they have never felt His presence.
Born again Christians say 1/3 or 32% have either never felt God’s presence or have sensed it only once or twice in their lives.

What will result from a true Christian’s dullness to God’s company?

1) It necessarily means thinking less on often of God, His Word, and His Will.

2) This is not really that much different than that of the non-believer who rarely thinks of God.

We will more become like Moses in Ex. 2:12
“he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian”

How Do We Discern God’s Presence?

➢ The Universal Presence of God:
God is everywhere, there isn’t a place that He isn’t. Psalm 139:5-12 Jeremiah 23:24

➢ The Christological Presence of God
God was and is present in Jesus
John 1:1, 14 Colossians 2:9
Matthew 1:23—God with us

➢ The Indwelling Presence of God
God is present by His Holy Spirit in a unique way within Christians
John 14:16-17

➢ The Perceptible Presence of God
God’s presence is often perceived through His work or influence
Luke 1:66 Acts 11:21

➢ The Heavenly Presence of God
God’s presence is manifest in Heaven as in no other place
Matthew 6:9 Matthew 18:10

➢ The Eternal Presence of God
God’s presence will either be forever enjoyed in Heaven or forever forfeited in Hell
Revelation 21:3 II Thessalonians 1:9

Three things to do:

1) Seek Him through His Word

2) Seek Him through experiences that are founded on His Word

3) Seek Him through daily life in ways that are informed by His Word

Growing Through God’s Desertions

Opening Your Spiritual Eyes To His Presence

➢ Go often to the place where God has revealed Himself most clearly—the Bible
➢ Acknowledge His presence with you by talking with Him
➢ Seek Him in the manifestation of His presence given only in congregational worship
➢ Continually reaffirm the truth that He is omnipresent

The Discipline of Fasting

1) Donald Whitney initially defines fasting as “a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes”

2) Types of Fast:
a. Normal Fast—Abstain from all food but not from water (e.g. Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, Matt. 4:2)
b. Partial Fast—Limitation of the diet but not abstention from all food (e.g. Shadrach, Meshak, Abednego in Dan. 1:12)
c. Absolute Fast—Avoidance of all food and liquid, even water (e.g. Ezra 10:6; Ester 4:16; Acts 9:9)
d. Supernatural Fast—During Moses’ meeting with God on Mt. Sinai he did not eat or drink for 40 days. Likewise Elijah had a similar experience in I Kings 19:8

3) Groups for Fasting:
a. Private Fast—Jesus says our fasting should be done so as not to be noticed by others (Matt. 6:16-18)
b. Congregational Fast—Churches/religious groups may call for a fast in a time of intense spiritual need for the group (e.g. Joel 2:15-16; Acts 13:2)
c. National Fast—Nations sometimes are called to fast in times f peril (e.g. Jehoshaphat and Israel II Chron. 20:3; Ninevites Jonah 3:4-8)

4) Times for fasting:
a. Regular Fasts—The Old Testament prescribed a regular fast for Israel on Yom Kippur.
b. Occasional Fasts—Fasts done on special occasions as the need arises.

5) Most Christians today practice normal, private, occasional fasts.

6) Fasting is often a disregarded discipline in the modern world.
a. Richard Foster claims fasting developed a bad reputation in the Middle Ages due to excessive ascetic practice of the outward form of fasting which was devoid of spiritual power.
b. Our culture has convinced us we must have three large meals a day with several snacks as well.

7) The Bible and Christian history books, even to modern times, are filled with examples of those who fasted.

8) Purpose of Fasting:
a. Primary Purpose—to center one’s focus upon God.
b. Secondary Purposes:
1. To reveal the things which control us—pride, anger, jealous, fear, etc…
2. To be reminded we are sustained by the Word of God
3. To develop balance in life and to remove nonessentials

9) Fasting must be undertaken with a spiritual purpose
a. to strengthen prayer
b. to seek God’s guidance
c. to express grief
d. to seek deliverance or protection
e. to express repentance and the return to God
f. to humble oneself before God
g. to express concern for the work of God
h. to minister to the needs of others
i. to overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God
j. to express love and worship to God

10) The Practice of Fasting
a. Progression
1) Partial fast of twenty-four hours
a) Drink fruit juices
b) Monitor inner attitude of the heart
c) Do tasks as a sacred ministry of the Lord
d) Break the fast with a light meal of fresh fruits and veggies

2) After 2-3 weeks attempt a normal fast of 24 hours
a) Drink only water in healthy amounts
b) Devote mealtimes to meditation and prayer
c) Don’t call attention to the fact you are fasting

3) Attempt a 3-7 day fast or more
a) First three days are usually most physically uncomfortable
b) Coating on tongue and headaches are due to toxins exiting the body and withdrawal from caffeine
c) Feelings of weakness and dizziness by the fourth day are natural, rest is the best remedy
d) Strength and alertness return by the sixth day, hunger pangs are only a minor irritation by the ninth or tenth day
e) At 21-40 days hunger pangs will return, this is the first stage of starvation, fast should be broken at this time.

b) Advice on Fasting
1) Don’t “stock up” on food before a fast, eat lighter in days preceding the fast
2) Stop drinking caffeine drinks in advance of the fast
3) An extended fast should be broken with fruit or vegetable juice in small amounts at first, second day fruit, milk, and yogurt can be added, next add salads and cooked vegetables.
4) One of the most critical periods spiritually is at the end of the fast when there is a tendency to relax (e.g. Jesus’ temptation by Satan at the end of His 40 day fast)
5) Fasting can bring spiritual breakthroughs that may never happen any other way.

The Discipline of Contemplative Tradition

1) Foster defines the Contemplative Tradition as “the steady gaze of the soul upon the God who loves us”

2) Foster identifies seven fundamental characteristics and movements of the contemplative life

A) Love—a deep, strong, steady love for God

B) Peace—a real peace that passes our ability to
comprehend

C) Delight—pleasure, friendship, deep joy and fun with God

D) Emptiness—intense longing, yearning, search and no finding

E) Fire—intense love becomes a flaming passion. Disobedience toward or neglect of God is painful

F) Wisdom—knowing God intimately and allowing Him to flow through us

G) Transformation—the heart, will, mind, imagination and passions are captured by God until the entire personality is transformed into the likeness of Christ

3) The four major strengths of the Contemplative Tradition

A) It constantly fans the flames of our love for God

B) It forces Christians beyond cerebral religion to personal experience of God

C) It stresses the centrality of prayer—“a wordless and secret conversation between the soul and God which no longer ends” (Brother Lawrence)

D) It emphasizes the solitariness of life with God. Growth in grace requires solitude

4) The four potential perils of the Contemplative Tradition

A) There is a tendency to separate it from ordinary life, which is where prayer and intimacy with God most need to be developed

B) It can lead to consuming asceticism—spiritual gluttony. Disciplines are a means to an end and not an end in themselves

C) There is a tendency toward anti-intellectualism; a devaluation of intellectual efforts at articulating our faith

D) There is an tendency, due to focus on solitude and the inner conversation with God in prater, to neglect the importance of the community of faith.

5) Practicing the Contemplative Tradition

A) Try several settings for solitude (e.g. pre-dawn walk, listening to nature, not speaking, reflectively observing others engaged in life, take a retreat)

B) Pray the scriptures contemplatively by slowly, quietly, prayfully reading and pausing at words or phrases at the Spirit’s leading

C) Don’t be overly intentional about times of holy leisure—just relax

The Discipline of Confession

1) Confession “involves an objective change in our relationship with God and a subjective change in us. It is a means of healing and transforming the inner spirit.”

2) Salvation is both an event and a process (Phil. 2:12). Confession is the discipline that through which we process our sins as we “work out our salvation.”

3) Is confession a discipline or grace? It is both.

A) Grace—“Unless God gives the grace, no genuine confession can be made.”

B) Discipline—“There are things we must do…a consciously chosen course of action…

4) Is confession a private or corporate discipline? It is both

A) Private—“There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2:5)

B) corporate—“confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another…” (James 5:16)

5) As priests under Jesus Christ we are authorized to forgive sins (John 20:23, I Peter 2:9)

6) Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “Our brother…has been given to us to help us. He hears the confession of our sins in Christ’s stead and he forgives our sins in Christ’s name. He keeps the secret of our confession as God keeps it. When I go to my brother to confess, I am going to God”

7) Parts of a Confession or the Sacrament of Penance:

A) When it comes to sin there are no excuses or
extenuating circumstances

B) The word of forgiveness is expected and given in the absolution’

C) Penance is given not as a way of earning forgiveness but as an opportunity to reflect on the seriousness of the sin

8) Counsel in the Giving of a Confession

A) Examination of Conscience—We open ourselves to “the gaze of God” and deal with definite sins

1. Take time but don’t be worried if you can’t
remember every sin. Let God’s Spirit bring them to your mind, and confess them

2. There must be a definite end point to this
process

3. Carefully choose the person to whom you
confess. They should be mature and empathetic, able to keep a confidence, wise, compassionate, with a good common sense; and a wholesome sense of humor.

B) Sorrow—“An Abhorrence at having committed the sin, a deep regret at having offended the heart of the Father”

C) Determination to Avoid Sins—“We ask God to give us a yearning for holy living, a hatred for unholy living”

9) Counsel in the Receiving of a Confession

A) Live under the cross and do not be disturbed at
the sinfulness of humanity

B) Pray for an increase of the light of Christ within so it will radiate to others

C) Keep quiet as the penitent confesses

D) Place the cross by prayer between yourself and the penitent, so everything is done in the divine light of the love of the cross

E) Pray inwardly and silently for the penitent as confession is make

F) At the end pray out loud for the person announcing they are forgiven in Jesus Christ. The prayer is for inner healing of the wounds of sin and is best accompanied by the laying on of hands

10) When someone confesses a wrong done against you personally, you are to forgive them. However there are four fallacies of forgiveness to be avoided:

A) Forgiveness never means pretending an injury didn’t really hurt you

B) Forgiveness does not mean you cease to hurt from the wrong

C) Forgiveness does not mean you forget the wrong. You cannot. The memory remains but the vindictiveness leaves

D) Forgiveness means not pretending the relationship is just the same as it was before the wrong. It has changed, and by God’s grace maybe for the better

Husband Retrieves Wife for Anniversary

Ralph and Janice were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and Pastor Jones decided to take advantage of their longevity by using their story as a sermon illustration. He asked Ralph to come on stage and share some insight into how he managed to live with the same woman all those years.

Ralph turned to the congregation and said, "Well, I treated her with respect and spent money on her—but mostly I took her traveling on special occasions."

The pastor asked, "Trips to where?"

"For our 25th anniversary," Ralph answered, "I took her to Beijing, China."

The crowd nodded and murmured in appreciation. When things quieted down, the pastor winked and said: "What a terrific example you are to husbands, Ralph. So, tell us where you're going now for your 50th anniversary?"

Ralph replied, "I'm going to go back and get her."