“Divorce is Predictable!”
| This wall is full of good bricks and bad bricks. Likewise, our character (soul) is comprised of good decisions and bad decisions. Where will these walls fail? At the weak spots… those decisions. (Watch Video “Sex and Our Souls”) |
| While recently teaching a series on Sanctified Sexuality – Divine Design for Sex, I proposed that to a large degree, divorce is predictable. I stated plainly that a close and honest examination of your soul, i.e., your character/record of decisions you’ve made, can be highly revealing. For example, just on the topic of sex, what does your entire record show? Cleanliness or compromise? Purity or pollution? Patience or impatience? Strength or weakness? And, out of your entire sexual history, what percentage of it was God-approved? If we’re honest the answers are quite illuminating, although quite painful. For optics, I began to build a wall with various types of bricks. I submitted that our soul is like a brick wall being formed, and every single decision we make is like a brick getting placed in that wall (our character). Note that good decisions (righteous and God-honoring) create solid, immovable, strong concrete bricks. Bad decisions (unrighteous and sinful) create weak, unstable bricks like wood, foam, and sponge. I asked, “Just where your sexual history is concerned, what does your wall look like?” (Yikes!) Typically, there’s a blend of a few strong bricks, but many, many weak bricks. Why does this matter? Because when the storms, tests, and temptations come – and they will come – where will this wall (our character) fail? At the weak bricks, i.e., those ungodly decisions. So what are the consequences? Doctor Ravi Zacharias taught that “All pleasure costs!” He said that for legitimate pleasure, you pay first, then you’ve earned the pleasure. But for illegitimate pleasure, you get the pleasure first, but you pay later. I personally refer to this as the “Now or Later Principle.” (Pay now or pay later.) For many people, their records show indulgence, impatience, ignorance, concessions, and compromise. So, if I demonstrated little or no restraint in my sexual activities before marriage, I’ve already proven that I have little self-control. And, I’m in gross denial if I believe that once I get married my sexuality will come under control. To further illustrate, I presented a hypothetical: Two couples meet and date for six months before marriage. Couple A: no hanky-panky (sexual activity) during their six-month dating period. Their record shows they demonstrated patience, discipline, and self-control. They can be trusted because they were strong and they honored God and each other. As a result, they planted trust and security in their marital foundation. Couple B: unrestrained hanky-panky during the six-month dating period. Their record shows they demonstrated impatience, lack of discipline, and no self-control. They cannot be trusted because they were weak and they dishonored God and each other. As a result, they planted mistrust and insecurity in their marital foundation. They literally have sin laced throughout their relationship… and the wages (something you earn) of sin is some form of death (Rom 6:23; Gal 6:7-8). Couple A paid first for the pleasure. They exercised patience, obedience, restraint, and self-control. These are fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Their record shows that they are strong and can be trusted. They will have a fraction of problems in marriage that Couple B will have. Couple B got the pleasure first. They exercised impatience, impurity, lasciviousness, fornication, no self-control, no restraint, lack of discipline, weakness. These are works of the flesh (Gal 5:19). So now they will pay for the pleasure through their distrust, insecurities, guilt, shame, and regret. I asked the group, “Seriously after seeing this brick illustration, should we really be surprised by how many marriages fail due to an extra-marital affair?!! Just look at their record! It’s literally a reflection of their character, and they’ve already proven they can’t be trusted sexually!” When they yielded to their fleshly desires, i.e., fornication and lust, they poisoned and cursed their foundations. The failure was predictable because they’ve already demonstrated their destructive patterns and habits (weakness, compromise, rationalization, impatience, ignorance). And now we’re supposed to astonished and confused when adultery or some other form of infidelity occurs in the relationship?!!!Where the fruits of sin are concerned, the Bible says: – Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Gal 6:7-8 Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. (vs.8) Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. – Jas 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (vs.15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. – Rom 6:13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. – Rom 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. I summarized with, “Everyone wants ‘happily ever after,’ but they’re not planting happily-ever-after seeds! Instead, they’re planting seeds of sin and whoredoms! It’s kind of like planting corn seeds, but expecting apples. That’s literally insane! Who does that?!!” The Bible says whatever we plant – good or bad – we put into motion the law of sowing and reaping. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Gal 6:7) Today is the day to begin pulling the weeds out of our garden. For every couple, unmarried or married, an honest examination of their wall (decisions) will reveal the quality of their character and their relationship. So ask yourself, what does your wall look like? ▪My YouTube videos addressing a wide range of topics ▪Make a Donation ▪Remember to Share this Newsletter |
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| a. For reinstatement of Brig ministries (Wednesday night Bible Study and Friday morning Sexual Integrity & Restoration (SIR) classes. Pray for the dissolution of confusion and that ungodly strongholds be broken over the Brig. I continue to ask the Lord to either super-naturally reopen these doors or to help me let it go. b. Pray for mature, Qualified Families and Permanent Personnel to co-labor with us in this northern-most, remote area of Okinawa. Henoko/Schwab outreach carries a constant rebuilding nature due its high turnover rate and operational tempo. As we’ve just graduated another class, we literally have to labor and rebuild a new congregation. This rebuilding occurs practically every six months. Pray for our strength, wisdom, and resources as we gather more sheep and convert more goats. c. Pray for our current schedule, i.e. finances, resources, wisdom, strategies, and strength: ▪ Sun: Share/Report Christians In Action ministries ▪ Mon: Radical & Relevant (R&R) @7pm ▪ Wed: Pray for Reinstatement of Brig Christian Fellowship (BCF) @7pm ▪ Thu: Publish Think On These Things newsletters ▪ Thu: Publish YouTube Videos (Channel: YahwehHasASon) ▪ Fri: Pray for Reinstatement of Sexual Integrity & Restoration (SIR) @9am ▪ Sat: Zebulun Christian Discipleship Center (ZCDC) @6pm ▪Make a Donation ▪My YouTube videos |
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In closing…
| Saints, thank you for your personal prayers. Sandy and I covet them and are encouraged by them. Please forgive me for the lapse in newsletters. Although ministry and outreach has not let up, lately I’ve also had to deal with multiple Japanese requirements, i.e., resubmission of our immigration packages, transfer a vehicle from American plates to Japanese plates, convert auto insurance to Japanese coverage, Japanese Police parking certification, Housing parking approval, City Hall registration, Japanese income tax certifications, passport renewal, and keeping abreast of fast-changing Japanese Covid travel restrictions. As you may know, Sandy and I are long overdue for a sabbatical and travel to the US. We’re trying to fly to the US by mid-June. Two things:1.Any time I leave island I have ministry gaps to fill here. Pray for qualified, mature people to fill those gaps.2.Travel to the US is extremely expensive and is not in our missionary budget. Just roundtrip air for two, car rentals, and food is approximately $8k. (This doesn’t even include entertainment and miscellaneous.) Please consider supporting this travel with your prayers and financial donations. Again, being full-time missionaries in Japan is quite expensive and quite taxing. Compound that with the nature and location of our outreaches (remote and northernmost), and the dynamic of constant rebuilding every six months, it makes for a special calling and anointing. Few ministries can do what we do, go where we go, and say what we say, but God has equipped us for this work. And, I can assure you that genuine Kingdom fruit is harvested every week. Please consider partnering with us through your monetary gifts and contributions. Financial offerings can be made online through Christians In Action. Or, you can mail contributions to the address listed below. I declare that you let your roots grow down into Him, and let your life be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness! (Col 2:7) <*{{{{>< In the Life of Christ! Nick & Sandy, Bond-servants of Christ Contributions can be sent to: Dominic Guerra (Acct# 426) c/o Christians In Action, Missions International 1300 E. Shaw Ave., Suite 135 Fresno, CA 93710-7904 ▪Please ensure Acct #426 is annotated on your contribution so the funds can be allocated correctly. ▪Please share/forward these newsletters at your discretion. ▪Make a Donation |
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