Angry

My wife informed me that a couple in our church, who had just recently celebrated 25 years of marriage, are divorcing. Why? The husband had been having an affair for years and couldn't stand being married any longer.

I also learned recently that another couple from our church were getting a divorce. He was depressed and took his disappointment out on his successful wife. They are in their 40's with two teenage sons.

I don't want this letter to turn in to a 'male bashing' of any kind. However, something's got to change. We have come to a point in our soceity where divorce doesn't emotionally affect us anymore. Just look at the National Enquirer and there's a high profile divorce on it's cover every other day. Divorce has become commonplace. It doesn't shock us anymore.

The same holds true for Christians. Go ahead, tell me it doesn't and I'll call you a bold faced liar. The divorce rates among Christian marriages are nearly the same. Why? Because we're living according to organized, petty Christianity and not Christ himself.

Want a news flash? Today's organized, structured, and committee laden Christianity is full of 'posers' - people who want to be seen or heard but don't want to live the servant life of Christ. Bring up the words "struggle" or "suffering" in church and you'll probably get puzzled looks. Ask any church-going man if he would fight for his wife and many would have to think about it. Heck, they probably would want you to clarify the question. What a joke!

It's time to end the charades and time to defend our marriages. It's time to pick up the sword and tell Satan to back off. It's time we rescue our wives and promise to fight for them.

The Jagged Edge

My hands are desparately clinging to the edge of a cliff wall. My feet are dangling. My mind is racing. Then God says in a calm voice, "Let go."

Yeah, right! I can't let go into the unknown. No way! Uh-uh...it ain't gonna happen. Then I'm reminded of Peter.

“Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said. (Matthew 14:28-29 NIV)

Let's think about this scene for a minute. It's almost dawn. The disciples are dead-beat tired from fighting a storm all night. Suddenly, they see this image on the water. They believe it's a ghost. Jesus knows full well what is happening. He says to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." He could've come right up to the boat and calmed the storm. He could've put his arms around his disciples and comforted them. But...he didn't.

Notice in these verses that the storm is still going. Nowhere, from verses 25-31, does the Gospel say the storm ceased upon the mere presence of Jesus. No, this was a test of faith. This test wasn't just for the disciples or for Peter, but for all of us. Look at the first part of verse 29 again. Jesus says, "Come." He doesn't speak harshly or with anger. He speaks attractively as if he's inviting us.

Imagine the Christ standing in the middle of your storm saying, "Come." That's all He says, very simply, "Come." How many of us are already thinking, "Where? To you? But I... You don't understand..." Jesus knows what's in our hearts and minds. He knows if we long to be his servants - His faithful followers.

End your doubting. Put away your fears. Go to the One who calls us.