Category Archives: Sad

What Sexual Health Looks Like

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It’s Not What You Think

Unfortunately, marriage and parenting are the butt of many jokes in our society. We sing countless sad songs about lost love, and it seems that’s one way we manage the pain. Take, for example, the story of a woman whose husband lay dying in bed, drifting in and out of a coma. One day, he briefly awoke and reached out to his wife, drawing her close. As she sat beside him, he began whispering his memories to her: “Honey, you’ve been right there beside me through all the rough times. You were there when I got fired. You were there when my business failed. You were there when we lost the house. And you’ve been right here— by my side the whole time— even as my health declined and I lay dying.” He paused briefly and asked, “You know what?” “What, dearest?” she asked, wiping a tear from her eye. “I think you’re bad luck,” he said—and then slipped back into a coma!

Flawless Marriage Counseling

I’m confident that everyone enters into marriage longing for a partnership that remains strong and healthy! I hope it doesn’t surprise you when I say that God’s Word provides the only flawless counsel for building healthy marriages and raising godly children. If you’re a relatively new follower of Jesus, you may be surprised to discover how much the Bible says about marriage, sex, and family! But think about it—God created marriage! He created sex! He created the family, too! So it only makes sense that we would go to the ultimate source for wisdom and counsel in these areas.

A Foundational Bible Text

A foundational text on the subject of marriage, sex, and family is 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. It’s incredibly practical, and if you commit to obeying the words of Scripture— rather than listening to the foolish, so-called “wisdom” of the world— you will have the strong and happy marriage that everyone longs for. It’s an intriguing passage! What the Apostle Paul says to the church in Corinth— words inspired by God’s Holy Spirit— are completely out of step with the world’s wisdom and societal norms regarding family and human sexuality. So, choose whom you’re going to listen to!

Where Healthy Sex Happens

If you search “A Healthy Sex Life” on Google, you’ll find results like “10 Signs You Have a Healthy Sex Life”— but not one of them is connected to marriage between a man and a woman! Your search results will also include articles on sexual dysfunction and how to maintain an active sex life, yet again, with no reference to marriage. However, according to God, “healthy sex” only happens within a marriage relationship between a man and a woman. Over and over, the Word of God warns us about the consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage. All other sexual practices are spiritually unhealthy, as they reflect disobedience to God’s Word. But they can also prove to be physically and emotionally harmful—creating a ripple effect that negatively impacts others down the line. Next week:  We’ll explore 1 Corinthians 7.

Pure Religion!

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-An Orphan’s Story!

I married the granddaughter of an orphan! When my wife’s grandfather was a young boy, his father died; and, his mother remarried.  Unfortunately, her new husband out NOT to be the kind of man she thought he was.  He held no regard for her children; and, when she died, he considered them disposable; and, had them removed from his home. My wife’s grandfather was a 14-year old boy when the authorities placed him in an orphanage where he was physically abused; until it was discovered and he was removed and placed in a foster-care home where he was loved & cared for. Eventually, he came to faith in Jesus Christ, married my wife’s grandmother & they established a Christian home together. A home that produced a legacy of faith with children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren who’ve grown up loving Jesus. What a great story, right! An “orphan’s story” with a happy ending!

-An Orphan Crisis!

Unfortunately, that’s the exception. There is an orphan crisis in our world! I was shocked to discover that there are more than 153 million orphans worldwide! That’s staggering! If orphans were a country, of their own, their population would rank 9th in the world, ahead of Russia! 100 million of them live or work on the streets. They survive by selling flowers or cigarettes, by watching cars; and, many sell their bodies, for sex, or engage in criminal activity. Many, of these street children, are subjected to abuse, neglect, exploitation; or, in extreme cases, are murdered by “death squads” paid by their governments to “clean up” the image of their cities.

-It’s Easy To Become Hard-Hearted!

So, why am I sharing all this with you? Why should you care? It’s so easy to become hardened to all the images, isn’t it? We’re bombarded with the infomercials! The sad faces. The sad music. The compelling stories. All meant to move us to reach into our wallets ad pay up! And, we can try and rationalize that so many of the agencies out there, who claim to be helping the orphan population, are just siphoning off huge amounts, from the giving, to support elaborate lifestyles for their big-name CEO’s. So, let me tell you why this is important to you! Because we can’t just ignore what God’s Word says about it! God has an opinion & we need to listen!

-Look After Orphans!

It’s a statement inspired by God’s Holy Spirit— “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world” James 1:27.  What was that? “PURE RELIGION” is looking after orphans & widows? Is James supporting a salvation of good deeds? No, he’s not! The book James authored dovetails quite nicely with Paul’s book to the Romans. James is NOT saying that your good deeds, like caring for orphans & widows, will result in salvation! Rather, that the result of genuine, saving faith, in Jesus—or, “pure religion” he calls it—is to love others! Like orphans, widows & the marginalized of society! God gives us a heart to love & serve them!