Tag Archive: Adam


DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

In the Beginning:

woman handsWsnakeAdam said, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me of the forbidden tree, and I did eat.” Then the LORD God said unto the woman, “What have you done?” And Eve said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” The LORD God said unto the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and every beast of the field; upon your belly you’ll go, and dust you’ll eat all your life:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:12-15

Seed of the Woman:

The angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary as your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.”

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Then Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had said, and made Mary his wife: but, knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called His name JESUS.  Matthew 1:20-25

Bruising the Heel:

The chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death. When they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. When He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He said nothing.

Pilate went out unto the Jews, and said unto them, “I find in Him no fault at all.” John 18:38.

At this time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, “Whom do you want me to release unto you; Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ? They said, “Barabbas” Then Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said, “Let Him be crucified.” And the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified.” Then Pilate took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person…

They crucified Him, and set up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

From the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land unto the 9th hour. And about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me? Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. That very evening, a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple, went to Pilate, and begged for the body of Jesus. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, hewed out of the rock: and he rolled a great stone over the door of the sepulcher, and left. Matthew 27:1-61

Bruising the Head:

The next day, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver, while He was yet alive said, “After 3 days I will rise again.” Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the 3rd day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, “He is risen from the dead…” So they went and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards. Matthew 27: 62-66

At the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the 1st day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel said unto the women, “Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come; see the place where the Lord was laid.” And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there shall you see Him…” The women departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples the news. As they went to tell His disciples, Jesus met them. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshiped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, “Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.” The 11 disciples went into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth… lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:1-20

The End?

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 9:28

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:17-18

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1Corinthians 15:55

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

MirrorGirl

People are always saying that I look like my Aunt and they’re always telling my niece that she looks like me when I was here age. We’re frequently commenting that my nephew looks like his daddy when he was his age. One day my nephew mistook a photo of his granddaddy for his dad.

No doubt someone is always remarking that you are the image of your dad or your mother. At one time or another, we’ve all probably been mistaken for someone else by a stranger.

I ran into a woman at the entrance of a bookstore and mistook her for someone I hadn’t seen in months. She looked so much like her, but when I looked a little closer, it became obvious that I didn’t know her at all. On another occasion, I walked up to an older lady in a grocery store and expressed how happy I was to see her. I proceeded to try to remind her where we had met. She worked with a missionary that ran Summer Bible School where my parents had sent us every year. She was instrumental in my acceptance of Christ as my Savior. Before I could continue to tell her that, the lady smiled and said, “You have mistaken me for my sister, I’m her twin.” She was the mirror and truly spitting image of her sister, who had led a room full of kids to Christ.

According to Genesis 1:27 God (Elohim) created Adam and Eve in His own image; “…in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them…God created man, in the likeness of God made He him (Genesis 5:1).” Obviously, according to the scriptures, God told us once and told us twice that Adam was the spitting image of God. Then it goes on to say that Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and Eve bore him “a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth (Genesis 5:3).” So, conclusively, Adam looked like God and Seth looked like Adam.

Then Immanuel (God with us), Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23), walked this earth and lived among His creation. He gathered to Himself disciples and chose 12 Apostles to whom He gave power to preach, cast out evil spirits and heal the sick. He proceeded to give them instructions on what to carry and how to behave. Then He said unto them “He that receives you receives Me, and he that receives Me receives Him that sent Me (Matthew 10:40 ).”

Just before Christ was to present Himself as the sacrifice for our sin, He washed the feet of them and said, “If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:13, 14, 15). A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you… By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another (John 13:34,35).”

Christ (Immanuel) taught and walked the image of God. He said to Phillip in John 14:9 “He that has seen Me has seen the Father.” In other words Christ was the spitting image of God. Not only that, but Christ, all that time with His disciples, was teaching them, and empowering them so that they might become a spitting image of Himself.

Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 12: 2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5-8). For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).”

Consider your ways and your walk. How diligently do you study His Word and how much do you believe and practice His Word? Every Sabbath you talk a good talk, but your co-workers, Church members, strangers, children, spouse, family, friends and acquaintances; who do they say you are the spitting image of: the world, the devil or the Christ?

We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Corinthians 3:18

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thiefJob 24:14

These are the days of frequent reports of: uncovered terrorist plots; drug cartel killings; nations warring and killing one another; and government methodically stealing citizens’ rights through unjust laws. There isn’t a neighborhood without some kind of security measure: burglar bars, security systems, security/police patrol or security dogs to protect against thieves who strike at any time day or night. We’ve got deadly domestic violence; endemic divorces; billion dollar baby killing (infanticide) industries; and deadly addictions that put young people behind bars or 6 feet deep, destroying parents’ hope of a great future for their children. That’s the national statistics of ‘steal, kill and destroy’, but there is a more up-close and personal battle that is waging. If we win this battle then hopefully the national statistics should change for the better.

“If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”  1 Corinthians 14:8

Jesus described the adversary (the devil) as a liar, thief, killer and destroyer (John 8:44, John 10:10). The fact is that we are in a personal battle; a spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12); and we need to be equipped for the battle.  We also need to know the weapons and battle strategy of our enemy (Ephesians 6:11-17). In order to fight the good fight, we must be able to recognize him when he appears as a “wolf in sheep clothing (Matthew 7:15).”

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44

One of the devil’s tactics was first displayed in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-7). That is the tactic of altering focus from the commitment to obey God. Also, he changes focus from the grace of God’s manifold blessings to the focus on the one thing that we do not possess, but we think we want. Adam and Eve were conned with deceiving words and the same tactic will be tried on the body of Christ, both individually and collectively.

You’ve heard the expression; “all that glitters ain’t gold.” Just because it looks good, doesn’t mean that it is good. Have you ever had a Lexus driver try to sell you a Pacer? Has a stallion rider ever tried to sell you a donkey? If these things are so good then why isn’t the seller investing in it himself? It’s like the President trying to sell you an economy car and He rides in a limousine or a jet plane every day. If it’s all that great, then why is the seller not an owner too?  We must be careful to remember that our lifestyle is a faith walk not an emotional walk. Get back in focus! Don’t let the adversary’s lies steal your joy and destroy your confidence in God’s faithfulness to supply all your needs and not deny you any good thing. Focus on the abundance God has already given you. Delight yourself in Him (Psalm 37:4) and He will give you the desires of your heart and more!

Don’t be deceived! Colossians 2:8

The deceiving spirit will use tactics such as trouble on your job: the boss treating you unfairly; co-workers lying and/or spying on you; etc. You begin to focus on the unfairness of it all: how you should have gotten that promotion or how you can get even; how you can quit… “Danger, Danger!” The deceiver will speak cunning and enticing words to get your concentration on one closed-door while they steal all that you possess in your many open doors. Your focus is being destroyed. You have lost focus on the fact that God supplies all your needs and that you are an ambassador for Christ whose goal is to cause others to seek Christ as their personal Savior.

Don’t lose focus!! (Philippians 3:14)

You may be happy at your job: coworkers are praising you, enticing you; and you are making a lot of money, and the more overtime you work, the more money you can make. Now you are too tired to go to Midweek Bible Study and Prayer Meeting or even too tired to go to Sunday Morning Worship. You are never home in time for family breakfast or dinner; and you don’t make PTA meeting, etc. “Danger, Danger!” Your focus is being destroyed! You have lost focus on the fact that you wanted a good job to provide for your family the way God would have you do in the way God would have you to. Your job is your resource to provide for your family as you do the work God has called you to.

Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

lieKillStealDivorce is rampant. The adversary is killing the family network which eventually leads to ultimate destruction of a nation. Like shooting ducks at an amusement park, men are succumbing to temptation and walking away from wife and children. In Tyler Perry’s movie ‘Why Did I Get Married Too?’ the marriage counselor announced that she and her husband were divorcing. As they talked with their divorce lawyers, she kept saying over and over “It’s going to be okay. We love each other.” Huh! Isn’t that an oxymoron? There’s got to be a lie in there somewhere! Their close friend commented; “14 years you’ve been with this woman, there’s gotta be something in them 14 years’ that’s worth fighting for! It’s baffling how we reconcile our differences in order to stay on a job for 30 years despite the difficult issues: awful boss; low wages; and backstabbing co-workers; etc.  We refuse to allow the devil to steal our job, but we give up and allow him to deceive, steal, kill and destroy a family we’ve invested in and committed to for so many years…

God reconciled with us who were wretched sinners unworthy of anyone’s mercy, don’t you think that He can help reconcile differences with your family? Perhaps your focus has been so deceptively altered that you are willingly “throwing the fight.”

There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.           Proverbs 14:12

This is indeed an adulterous generation (Mark 8:38). Recently it was reported that 48% of first births are outside of marriage. Sometimes the parents live together without making wedding vows, but eventually sever the relationship.  I worked with a single lady who constantly complained that her physical clock was running out. She was focused on world standards and not the awesome ability and sovereignty of God. The Christian life is not based on earthly varying ‘politically-correct’ absolutes, but on God’s immutable truth, omniscience and ability to do exceedingly more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Get back to the basics of Bible Study and Prayer so that you are equipped for the battle.  Search the scriptures and see how the adversary consistently attacks and tempts the saints. Be on guard. Pray, and again I say, “PRAY (1 Timothy 5:17)!” Study and pray so that you can discern both good and evil. Remind yourself often of what your focus should be. Remind yourself of the will and work of God (John 4:34). Let God help you fight. Let God exalt you. God is the source of your victory: physically, financially and relational.

Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body … Matthew 10:28

Life is a ‘spiritual battle’ that gets physical. The enemy is so cunning and cleverly deceptive, how can we win this heated battle???

God already made preparation for His own to win. In a Garden, late in the night, while He wept and anguished (sweat like blood upon His brow), they plotted the betrayal, capture and killing of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. As the hour grew near, He momentarily wished that the ‘bitter cup’ be removed (Mark 14:36), but His whole being was about the ‘will of the Father’. He also knew that if He did not go the distance, we would be defeated and we would be perpetually killed and destroyed as the adversary would have stolen our right to receive eternal life and right relationship with the Father and deny us victory. They stole Him away from the Garden and took Him secretly from court to court, falsely accusing Him, and then they stripped Him, ridiculed Him and beat Him, destroying His priestly appearance (Isaiah 53:2). Then they unjustly led Him, bruised and bleeding, up to Golgotha Hill, nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. After He died, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a borrowed tomb. No one is buried in a borrowed tomb, but Jesus Christ was not ordinary, because on the third day angels set upon the stone, which had covered the tomb, and reported to the women disciples that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. Over 500 witnesses saw Him before He ascended into Heaven on a cloud. Now He is seated on the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf and ‘ALL’ things are under His feet (Ephesians 1:22). Jesus Christ has the victory waiting to give it to all who would receive it!

Thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

Surely Christ would not willingly go through all that agony only to allow us to be defeated and destroyed! There isn’t a sin that He cannot forgive. There isn’t a theft that He cannot recover. There isn’t a death that He cannot resurrect. There isn’t a battle that He cannot win. Whatever you’re going through, Jesus Christ will equip you to win. If you make Him LORD of your life, He will even fight your battle. Read His word. You will find that someone in the Bible has already walked a path like yours and God gave them the victory. He will give you victory also, if you are willing. Trust in God (John 14). As Apostle Paul said, “Put on your armor and then STAND…” (Ephesians 6:13-14).

 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  Jesus Christ (John 10:10)

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Late one night I made the mistake of going to a popular Drug Store on the eve of Valentine’s Day. When I got there I decided that there must be a great sale going on because, the parking lot was unusually packed.  I had done my Valentine shopping earlier in the month; therefore, it didn’t dawn on me until I got into the store and saw the long lines; “Valentine’s Day!” The crowd was there to buy Valentine gifts and cards. These were the ‘True Love’ procrastinators.  I turned around and walked out, because it was obvious that I should wait and make my purchase on another day.

Can ‘True Love wait’? Think about it. How thespian it is to see God’s creation running even sprinting to ‘Love’; desperately clinging with emotional tongs to someone (anyone) while musing, “Could this be True Love?” They are not sure, but they will not let go. They will do whatever it requires to keep this ‘True Love’ in their grasp.  The problem is, however, that they don’t resemble the ‘Love’ that movies are made of. Like ‘nickel plated silver’, the ‘Love’ begins to expose its deficiency. The sparkle begins to fizzle. They begin to wonder, how this can be ‘True Love’ when there is no Disney magic; there is very little “happy ever…”  Is this the ‘True Love’ that movies are made of?  Who is directing; who wrote the script? Is it improvised? Has your ‘True Love’ story turned into a nightmarish comedy; absent of humor?

lftChristLuvIn order to make a beautiful compelling ‘True Love’ movie, you’ve got to have outstanding actors.  The problem is that ‘True Love’ is not a movie, but too many desperate idealists have subconsciously blurred the lines between realism and fiction. Therefore they cling to the illusion that they saw the actors perform in the movies. When they face reality they discover that life is not a movie and the ones sticking to the script are really actors who are ‘True Loves’ only until the credits begin to roll. Then they go on to the next movie set. You are simply one of the stars that they were in a movie with.

 Can ‘True Love’ wait? Are you tired of waiting? Perhaps that’s why you are clinging to anyone who is needed to complete your fantasy. Are you so anxious for ‘True Love’ that you have settled; anybody breathing will do? Are you like that ‘State Farm Commercial’ where the woman picked a boyfriend from the internet who claims to be a Parisian model, but obviously is neither French nor a model? If you’re at that stage, perhaps’ True Love’ can wait.

With divorce at epidemic levels; ‘shacking’ as an expected norm; teenage promiscuity spurring the surge of transmitted diseases; infanticide (abortion) as a billion dollar business; and domestic violence alarming frequency; it is evident that there needs to be a curriculum course, at all education levels, on ‘True Love’. However, mankind has so ‘devolved’ that they refuse to teach ‘True Love’ in the public schools. As a matter of fact government actively tries to discourage its very mention in any public arena and the psychologist, divorce lawyers and undertakers are reaping the benefits.  Oh, they will teach about sex education; how to use condoms; and how to tolerate perversion (governmentally sponsored). That’s because educators and government officials are intellectually deficient on the knowledge of what ‘True Love’ really is.

‘True Love’ is when you have disobeyed the One who created you, but that Creator has mercy on you and sacrifices another of His created being to cover you. Adam and Eve didn’t follow the script, but their Author loved them in their weakness.  They didn’t measure up to His standards, but He loved them anyway.

‘True Love’ is when you were given a promise, but though you could not wait and decided to make your own fulfillment of the promise, God loves you anyway. Though your “promise come true” was artificial or fake, God loves you and gives you the promise anyway.

‘True Love’ is when you’ve been an adulterer and/or an idolater, but God loves you so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son to pay the bond for your crimes; for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

‘True Love’ is when you’ve been willingly imprisoned by deadly habits like substance abuse and sexual immorality, but Christ loves you enough to come and break your chains and set you free.

‘True Love’ is when you’ve made bad choices and your sins are like crimson, Christ willingly comes down off His throne to take your sins upon Himself and is beaten, mocked, and crucified to cover you and your sins; past, present and future (“love covers a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

‘True Love’ is though you reject Him and deny Him; Christ is willing to forgive you and sit down to eat with you. He still stands at the door of your heart and invites you to come unto Him and walk with Him (Revelation 3:20).

‘True Love’ is God relentlessly seeking your good and seeking to assure you of eternal life thru Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:16).

‘True Love’ is not a movie nor is it a fairy tale. ‘True Love’ is real and not based upon a man-made script.

‘True Love’ is written by the Holy Spirit on the hearts of all who are willing.

‘True Love’ can be experienced by all who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

You may not be married or you may have been married 50 plus years, but until you’ve met Jesus Christ; until you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will never know ‘True Love’.

‘True Love’ waits for you…

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us… (NIV)” 1 John 3:16

 “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“God is love.1 John 4:8

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

I would venture to answer, “Impossible!” It is impossible for any creation of God to have no purpose! Unfortunately it is possible to not be operating in that purpose. Admittedly, there are men who misconceive or limit their purpose and neither do they pursue that purpose. They tend to think that going to work everyday is the totality of their purpose to the point of becoming a workaholic. There are many reasons for this mindset. One may be that they don’t spend time with Christian men in church or informally at lunch or dinner. With all these books on knowing your purpose, you would think that it would be impossible that any human being would lack the knowledge of their purpose. Is your husband a Christian? Well, let’s assume he is. Because irregardless, many men define their purpose according to what the world dictates. They get a sermon during the commercial when they watch Sports on TV; they get a sermon during lunch talks at the job; and their boss gives them a sermon. By the time they get home to you, their wife, they express negatively what they think their purpose is. They think that their purpose is to go to work, come home and read the newspaper or watch TV. They might express that their purpose is to eat the dinner you have hot and ready when they get home from work; or to support their hobby with their overtime money! They might behave as if they think their purpose is to dictate to you what your purpose is relative to making them happy. They may express that your purpose is to be under their authority. You would assist him in his purpose, but once a car is parked, there really isn’t a need for assistance to a parked car (I wonder if this is one of those irreconcilable differences that they put on divorce papers)… But then there are the husbands that go to church and have lunch with men of God and they think the same way as afore-mentioned. They may never mention the word ‘purpose’. You love him, but his lack or misunderstanding of purpose is making your marriage like a ship on a stormy sea. Because you spend time in Bible study with women of God, you believe that you know your purpose. You have a dream, but your spouse does not or if he does, he hasn’t expressed it nor is he working on it.

Well, we have to work in order to eat, especially the man of the house with a family to take care of. After all God did put Adam to work, immediately. Of course after their sin, work would become a burden (Genesis 3:19). As we clearly see, work has become burdensome in more ways than one. It can become a resource or weapon in the cunning hands of the adversary (1 Peter 5:8). Your husband has a job, yet you say he has no purpose. We all must understand that purpose is given by the Ultimate Authority, which is the True and Living God. Is he interested in knowing his purpose, which is beyond going to work everyday? If he is, then he should be asking the Ultimate Authority. You have to seek wisdom from God. Whatever you do, you don’t want to get worldly advice on what his purpose is. Your girlfriends don’t live with him or you, so they don’t know. You don’t want to make the mistake that Eve did (Genesis 3:4); taking the advice of a snake. Because, then not only your husband, but you also will be living out of the purpose and will of God.

Let me ask you, “Do you really know your purpose?” Do you really understand purpose? Does your spouse understand purpose? Every human being is a product and is created to be a conduit of one purpose and that’s God’s good pleasure. It could be that you and your spouse have mistaken ‘purpose’ for ‘ambition’. Your question may really be, “suppose my husband has no dream?”, because, we all have the same purpose. Perhaps you have a passion for using your gift to accomplish that purpose and your husband shows no passion or signs of using any kind of gift to reach that God-given purpose. So let’s identify purpose and you will see that your husband does indeed have purpose, but we must pray and encourage him to use his gift to carry out that purpose. Look at Genesis 1:26. God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Then He gave them purpose in Genesis 1:28;“Be fruitful and multiply.” God charged mankind to multiply His physical image throughout the world. In Genesis 2:24 He designed the way this purpose would be accomplished; “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Growing the population was ordained to be done in the context of marriage. Multiplying the image of God or growing the population is the purpose God gave to man. The world leaders and politicians need to make note of that as they spread this demonic doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1) of abortion on demand and complaints about world population growth. They are very much on the wrong side of God’s purpose and will. Look at creation. God said, “Let there be” and vegetation, seas, stars, animals, etc suddenly appeared and was in existence at His word. However, with His hands, He personally shaped Adam and then this Great and Powerful God, bent down and breathed into his nostrils and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). God is not only physical (John 1:14), but He is also Spirit. Our purpose, your spouse and your purpose is to be fruitful and multiply the image of God, both physically*through marriage and spiritually through the word of your testimony. Multiplying His physical image is easy; it’s the spiritual image that is tricky. This is where ‘passionately using the gifts’ comes in. Conclusively, your spouse has purpose, he just doesn’t exhibit the ‘passionately use of gifts’ in order to accomplish that purpose. Are you passionately using your gift to carry out that purpose?

It may boil down to the fact that neither of you see the true purpose. Your purpose is not to open a Bookstore or cut a Gospel CD. This is just the method by which you are to accomplish your purpose. Agreeably your husband can’t achieve the purpose by watching TV or be worldly logical by trying to stop you from pursuing your God-given passion. If you both clearly understood purpose, then you both would pursue everyday life with passion. Actually going to the job everyday would become a mission. Going to the job everyday would become a spiritual passion. Not to just get paid, but to touch lives so that the spiritual image of God would be multiplied. The struggle is getting your spouse to comprehend that. This will necessitate much prayer.

Your life, his life, all our lives is about the Glory of God. How can you know your gift and use your gifts? How can you develop a passion to grow the kingdom? The first thing God did after establishing their purpose was to develop a relationship with Adam and Eve. Apparently God customarily walked with them in the cool of the day. This is where developing a passion, being gifted and given a dream starts; with a relationship with God. I’m not talking about a simple believe in your heart and confessing with your mouth, “Sunday go meeting” faith. I’m talking about being full of the spirit, consistently walking with, talking with God, and ‘feeling His embrace’ kind of relationship (John 3:7). The kind of personal relationship that discerns His righteousness, hates what He hates, and passionately seeks His glory and will! Just think about the conversations God and Adam had in their walks through the garden. Not only did God give Adam direction but He spent time with him. Adam spent time in His presence.

I guarantee that as soon as that personal relationship develops you will clearly understand purpose and God will reveal to you how to use your gift to achieve the purpose (Ephesians 4:1-12). He will give you a dream and a passionate pursuit of that dream by using your gift for the Glory of God (Matthew 4:19)! You will then discover that ‘Purpose’ is more than a pursuit. It is a walk; a lifestyle; the air we breathe.

No creation is without purpose. True purpose is the product of a personal relationship with the True and Living God.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1(KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

A Book that might be helpful is: ‘The Kingdom Agenda’ by Dr. Tony Evans
'What A way To Live'

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=singl01f-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0802451233&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

dmartinpub’s Store at Zazzle

A Great Hoax

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Now, after God had created man from the dust and given him authority and then fashioned Eve to be a helpmate to Adam, which means that she also had authority, the sly snake (the devil in disguise) challenged the word of God and promised Adam and Eve that not only would they have authority, but if they followed his word rather than the word of their Creator God, they would be gods (Gen 3:1-5). Now, the Creator, by the word of His mouth, provided them a place to stay, abundant food to eat and water to drink.  God appointed a mist to come over the garden to nourish the plants (God’s supernatural sprinkler system). All they had to do was name the animals and smell the flowers, have leisurely walks and talks with God, and admire the beauty of Gods handy work; and have as many babies as possible and enjoy the process as much as they wanted.  After they ate the forbidden fruit, at the swaying of the devil, their life took a decidedly disconcerting turn. They no longer had authority. If they wanted a nice place to stay, they had to build it themselves by the toil of their hands, because the only true God, their Creator, evicted them from the garden. If they wanted flowers to smell or food to eat, they had to plant the gardens themselves by the sweat of their brow and the toil of their hands.  If they wanted to water their garden or water to drink they had to find water and figure out a way to get the water to the garden.  They could have as many babies as they wanted, but the process would not always be pleasant and the love for one another would not always be a pleasant experience.  Adam and Eve… some “gods”! Needless to say, listening to the devil was a horribly bad move (Genesis 3:16-19).

Undeniably their cunning advisor, the sly snake (a.k.a. the devil), did not merely misspeak; he knew all too well what the result would be, if one of God’s creation decided that he would be god (Isaiah 14:12).  He suffered a similar fate, but on a grander scale and awaits an even more ghastly fate. The results of his rebellion has yet to reach its final outcome (Isaiah 14:16, Revelation 20:10). Maybe he is the author of pride and arrogance. I don’t know, but I know that he is the first recorded con on earth.  He is the master of great hoaxes’ and cons. I’m sure that he is proud, but it has placed gullible men and women in position of devastating eviction and spiritual bankruptcy with eternal grievous consequences.  Cons tell you a story sprinkled with truth and overloaded with an appeal to your preferences: those things that look, sound and smell good to you. They appeal to your self-adoration, selfishness and your lust for power, position and wealth.  Take the “Prosperity Preachers” as an example.  They meet in a church and sprinkle a few words directly from the bible and tell you that you are supposed to be wealthy. Take a survey.  What percentage of their church membership is wealthy? Regardless of the percentage, I am sure that no one in that church is wealthier than that pastor.

Assuredly demonic proud and arrogant cons are in the world always spinning a great hoax; however, it used to be that the notable ones were countable on our hands. There was Hitler who said all the right things when running for office, but carried out a decidedly demonic agenda when he assumed power and position.  The word of God declared that the children of Israel are his chosen people and He has a covenant with His people. Hitler convinced the people that the Jews were the cause of their problem (real or imaginary). Though the word of God says that He made man and woman and said it was good, Hitler said that there was a better race of people: everybody that looked like himself. There was Karl Marx who taught that wealth should be equally distributed, though God has said that He gives power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and the poor will be with us always (Mark 14:7). You see, the common thread among deceptive cons is that they always challenge the word of God.

I could go on, but I never thought that I would see the gregarious level of people buying into a con like I’m seeing in the last of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.  I’ve seen the removing of God from the schools which were established so that young kids could read the bible for themselves. I’ve seen the judicial system challenged to remove the display of the Ten Commandments which our laws are based upon.  I’ve seen school systems and its teachers bully and degrade young students, if they bow their heads to say grace or make any reference to God in their school paper. I’ve worked in the same office with people who say there is no God when even the demons tremble at His name. How foolish, if there was no God, why would the devil challenge His word? But just the other day, at the Democratic convention, as they announced their platform, there was no acknowledgement of God at all. There was a lot of mention of the government which is now become an idol.  It was when they recognized their error that I was most grieved. I was shocked and troubled when I watched them bring to their delegates the opportunity to acknowledge God, at least once, in their platform by a voice vote. They had to take the vote three times and when it was declared that the ‘Yes’ had the vote, the Almighty, Creator of the heaven and earth, the true and living God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was ‘booed’ by His created (“God is no joke (Galatians 6:7)”). To make things worse, in the days thereafter, the feeble attempt to explain their position on why God should be left out was foolish regurgitation of the words fed to them by the great con, the devil. I can’t say that we were not warned, because Paul told us that a day like this would come (2 Timothy 3:4); but I never thought that I would ever actually see a group of people in this country where there is a church or two on almost every corner, stand up and ‘boo’ the name of God. I just thought that this would never happen in my life time!

After I read their platform, decidedly they might as well have left God out, because the platform tremendously challenges the word of God.  Their platform challenges God’s definition of marriage, His value on life from the womb to the grave, His intolerance  of immorality, His provision, His appointed role for Government and His ability to keep and preserve all that He has created (Nehemiah 9:6). I mean this is a master con being played on people of a nation which God established to be a vision of hope for those who are oppressed all over the earth. But to cap it off, I was tremendously sadden to hear the national leader infer that he could harness the sun and the winds and the soil; (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28text-obama.html); roll back the specter of a warming planet and slow the rise of  (www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/03/obamas-nomination-victory_n_105028.html) the oceans and heal our planet.  And then he reiterated, just the other night, saying that global warming was something he could prevent. It was then that I saw a man who has fallen for the same con Adam and Eve fell for: “you can become as gods”.  And we know what happened to them…

It’s not so much that he and others have fallen for a great hoax. As noted; it’s the same old con. I dare say that we all fall for some kind of con, but this con and hoax is on such a grand scale that it could break a great nation which has been shaped with purpose and tremendously benefited from the grace and mercy of God. It’s about the individuals who, because of pride and arrogance, refuse to admit that they have been conned by the devil. Because of their pride and arrogance, they won’t reach out and take the nail scarred hand of the one who can save and deliver us from the depths of our sin, because they are blinded by their selfish desires and cannot see His stretched out hand nor the quicksand that they are standing on. It is He who can give us a redeemed life and wash us from our sins in His own blood and make us kings and priests unto God and His Father (Revelation 1:5-6).  So, I pray for them and I pray for all men and women who have fallen for the con of that “sly snake”.  I pray for this nation and the church, because in that auditorium at the convention were preachers and evangelist, deacons and deaconesses, and  lay men and women of God. Have you noticed who the devil started working his con on? It was Adam and Eve, a man and woman who before the fall were close to God, second only to Christ. Think about it. It’s the Theistic ones who are called by His name who have to be conned, because the ungodly world is already narcissistic.

I don’t know about you, but when I realize that I’ve been conned by the devil, I get upset with myself, for falling for it.  But thanks to the grace of God, I fall to my knees and beg His forgiveness, and I declare that God’s word is true: if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)! Consequentially, somehow, my relationship with Him grows closer and stronger. This is my prayer for each person.

Oh how He loves us and gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified, buried and resurrected for such a time as this; so that, if we confess our sins and turn from our wicked ways, God will hear our prayers, and forgive us of our sins, and He will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14)!

Alleluia, Salvation and glory; honor and power to the Lord our God, the only true and living God! The omnipotent Lord God Reigns (Revelation 19:6)…     And that’s no con!

 

“…For thou [art] great, and doest wondrous things: thou [art] God alone.”  Psalm 86:10

 

That’s Todays’ Single Focus…

see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Keys

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Have you noticed that you really don’t appreciate the value of keys until you need them and don’t have them or you’ve lost them?

Take Adam, in the Garden of Eden, for example. Adam was in charge.  He ruled the world. He held the keys! He walked and talked with the Creator God who said that whatever Adam called it, that’s what it would be (Genesis 2:19). He was free to enjoy everything in the world except the fruit of one tree (Genesis 2:16).  But, when he and Eve, his wife, fell for the cunning deceit of the devil (Genesis 3:1), that one tree became his downfall.  He traded ruling the world; enjoying all the richest and fullness thereof; and close relationship with the powerful creator of the world for the fulfillment of a desire for the fruit of one tree. He allowed the word of God to become debatable (Genesis 3:1-4)…As a result; he gave up his authority and turned the keys over to the devil. All because he ate from the one and only tree he was cautioned against. One tree…!

Esau, the oldest of parental twins, held the keys of the blessings of Isaac, his father; he had the birthright. After his father’s demise, Esau would become the lord over Jacob, his brother; everyone and everything that Isaac had. He would also enjoy all the richest and pleasures that came with it.  Jacob and Esau were the classic example of sibling rivalry.  Jacob was a serious-minded con who had a great appreciation for the value of things, like the birthright…but he didn’t have the keys! Esau was a macho man.  He was rugged, outdoorsy and adventurous.  While Jacob stayed around his mother and close to home, Esau would be out challenging the wild kingdom. One day he returned famished from one of his adventures.  Esau was so hungry that he thought he would die!  Jacob, a good cook, was cooking on this particular day.  Esau pleaded with Jacob and bargained with his brother for a bowl of soup.  Recognizing his hunger, Jacob cunningly asked his brother to trade his birthright for one bowl of soup (Genesis 25:31)…and he did.  Esau, who didn’t take it seriously (until he needed it), traded his blessing (Hebrews 12:16), his right to rule and right to enjoy all the pleasures that came with rule for one bowl of soup! Unwittingly, Esau gave Jacob the keys to his birthright, his blessing; for one bowl of soup. One bowl…!

There was a time when ‘Black Americans’ had no keys. They had no rule and were denied a birthright. They have come a long way from the bondage of slavery, because of great men like the ‘White American’ and Republican politician, Abraham Lincoln, who gained position to turn the injustice around…and he did!  Thousands of ‘White Americans’ shed their blood for slaves to be unshackled and given keys of freedom from bondage.  However, after conceding that they should be free, half of the country reserved their privilege of being equal.  Though emancipated and given the keys of freedom, they continued to be treated like they were when they were slaves.  They didn’t make them work for nothing, but they withheld keys of dignity and rule. They couldn’t live in the same neighborhood; they couldn’t vote; or go to the same church. They were no longer slaves by the law of the land, but they were conditioned to live within the slave mentality.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that his dream was that man would be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the depth of his character. The problem was that in half the country, the character of a ‘Black American’ man was shredded. American children of all ethnicity were taught that the ‘Black American’ man was lazy, criminal and deserving of no respect as a fellow human being; unable to rule and undeserving of the keys. Then they positioned and conditioned him to fulfill the caricature.  Like a generational curse, they wouldn’t give him a lucrative job or distinguish position, because of the color of his skin; and then they boxed him in so that he would have to leave his family so that the wife could collect governmental provision, like food stamps and welfare checks. And he always called the White American’ man “Boss”; a reminder that he was free, but not equal…he could not rule!  Rather than give them keys to economic viability, they cunningly tore up the Black American Family and made many of them wards of the state. But the ‘Black American’ Churches and their Pastors, recognizing the value, began to head up the fight to grab hold of the keys…and they did! Brave men and women like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. eventually changed things.  Then visual reminders of the slave mentality, like “Colored only” signs, began to come down and ‘Black Americans’ in all the country were able to vote and be elected without restrictions. They were given the keys of rule.

Christ told the church that he has given them the keys (Matthew 16:19) of the kingdom… However, where the ‘Black American’ Churches took hold of the God-given keys of freedom and rule, too many of them turned over their keys to the politicians who were primarily on ‘one side of the political ticket’.  Forgetting that God gave them the keys, ‘Black American’ Pastors developed and continued the habit of allowing politicians to stand in their pulpits; and every election time, their congregation obediently voted for any and every politician that was allowed in their pulpit. The character of a man and God’s view on the matter began to be less important than their ethnicity, political affiliation and the pleasurable sound of cunning words promising governmental provision for all their wants.  Even though; it was that ‘one side of the political ticket’ politicians who stood on the steps and said they would not integrate their schools and were former KKK leaders and members who withheld the keys, noticeably, national ‘Black American’ politicians, from that ‘one side of the political ticket’ (in general) started speaking their slave mentality language at every election: “Vote for me, the other guy will not give you provision, because of ethnic and social bias.”  Disgracefully, former ‘Civil Rights’ leaders are accepting pay from the ‘Boss’ to say what the ‘Boss’ says to say to the ‘Black American’ constituency…and many call themselves “Reverend.”  When you have once powerful preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ preaching the doctrine of politicians every Sunday morning and at funerals too, apparently somebody traded their keys for a con (Luke 11:52).  Jesus said He knows what you need, but seek His kingdom and righteousness first and all these things will be added to you (Matthew6:33); what you need He will provide! He gave you the keys! Somewhere along the way, too many ‘Black American’ politicians have traded concern for ‘Black Americans’ to not mentally live as slaves for their own personal desire for worldly riches…And you can tell that they are cunning their ‘Black American’ constituency, because every election time, they have that same theme “ethnic and social economic bias” (Genesis 3:5) and God’s view is debatable (Genesis 3:1-4). Unwittingly, too many Pastors and their churches have traded their keys of the kingdom for their bondage to the government(Luke 4:5-8).  They are being conned by the devil, and his cons come in all colors; just like the colorful snake in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1).

Landlords rent out houses or apartments and every once in a while they have to take back the keys and make the tenant vacate the property, because of their property destruction, continuous tardiness or not paying the rent. How long have the same politicians been given the keys, yet instead of building up the Family they are helping the destruction of it and now supporting the redefinition of marriage and the infanticide of ‘Black American’ babies? They have been in office for decades and the issue is still the same…could it be time to take back the keys?  I’m not saying that they shouldn’t participate in the voting process, but I am saying that it’s time to give the keys to those who have a desire to make you economically viable; restore the family; value you as a human being and not as a con’s “mark”; and not consider the word of God debatable! It seems to me, that the same ‘one side of the political ticket’ that institutionalized bigotry and denied their right to rule (withholding the keys) is still exercising bias, boxing them in with cunning and disguised words promising all their provisions while killing their babies and destroying their families; enslaving the minds of ‘Black Americans’…stealing their birthright (Luke 11:52).  Maybe we should take a closer look at the character of a man and not his ethnicity, social economic status and/or political affiliation.  I’m just saying that maybe we need to take back the keys!

Now that they have kept the Black American Family tore up (72 percent of ‘Black American’ children are in a single parent household.*) and unemployed (14.4% of the unemployed are ‘Black Americans’ **); the cunning ‘one side of the political ticket’ politicians are talking class bigotry. I do not resent my neighbors (of all ethnicities) down the street who have keys to million dollar homes and top of the line automobiles.  I try to find out how they did it and seek the glory of God as I follow the process of hard work and faith, because I want keys like that.  Let’s face it; even though the politicians have it, they don’t intend on helping ‘Black American’ ‘wards of the state’ to get it (Beware of holes in fences. People don’t naturally come into America to be enslaved, but to be free…)! Furthermore, we aren’t employed by the poor…I thank God for the rich who have employed me!

Surely (as some already have) all will break away from mental and fiscal governmental dependency, enslavement and idolatry; cease from being conned and recognize the value of the keys; because the Creator created all men to rule and be free… it’s our ‘birthright’!  As truth is revealed, it’s clear that it’s time to take the keys back! Jesus says the truth will set you free (John 8:32). “Whom the Son set’s free is free indeed (John 8:36).”  That’s where you start taking the keys back: knowing the truth and the value of the keys!  Christ is truth and light! Let Christ set you free! That’s why He died on the cross (John 19:18) for you and me. If you know Christ as your personal Savior, consider His point of view as non-debatable (He cannot lie (Titus 1:2 )) and as more valuable than ethnic and political points of views or desire for gain.  Politicians are saying, “vote for me and let me feed and clothe you; let me decide how and whether you live or die according to your ethnicity, social economic status and /or political affiliation.” God says that “I am all that you need. I am your provider (Philippians 4:19); I will give you ‘life’ and life more abundantly (John 10:10)!” Make a decision to value the keys and seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and “all these things will be added to you (Mathew 6:33 )!”  Let God be your governing authority, your source…your provider!

God created and gifted each one of us with a purpose (2 Timothy 1:9). That purpose is not to be beggars or wards of the government, but free to use our gifts and prosper from it and He provides all that we need! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalms 50:10) and all things were made by Him (John 1:3)! Let God be your one source and He will give you abundant life, no matter your ethnicity or social economic status! He has the keys! Which king, president, prime minister, reverend or politician has recently volunteered to be beaten and die to give us the keys…? Christ did (John 3:16)! He loved us so much that He volunteered to be beaten; to be bound to a wooden cross and to die so that we could have the keys of freedom, rule, blessings and everlasting life… no matter our ethnicity, social economic status or political affiliation. He died so that we could have a close relationship with the mighty God and enjoy all the pleasures that come with it!

Before you allow yourself to be conned out of valuable keys for one tree; for one bowl of soup; or one governmental provision; for one bag of richest; or one distinguish position; for one ethnicity; or one desire; for one …think! “Are you trading your close relationship with the Almighty God and all the pleasures and riches that come with it; Are you trading your ‘birthright’, your blessings, your freedom; are you trading your keys…for one (Hebrews 12:16) ?”  Look at what Christ wants to freely put into our hands…the priceless keys of the kingdom…!

You see, with the keys, whatever you call it, that’s what it will be…!

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Keys….

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

References:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=keys&t=KJV

*http://newsone.com/1195075/children-single-parents-u-s-american/

**www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/06/news/economy/black-unemployment-rate/

All Rights Reserved

DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

A few weeks ago the Assistant to the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys became interim Head Coach. I’ve heard Sports Commentators express that another Assistant should have been chosen, because they doubt the ability of the one chosen to motivate and discipline. They doubt his abilities as though, all this time, as Wade Phillips’ Assistant has not taught Jason Garrett the qualities necessary to be the Head Coach. Surely he has learned what to do and what not to do, by now! After all, the Head Coach and the Assistant Coach both had the same goal: to win ball games. Each game day will surely show the wisdom or lack there of regarding the choice made.

‘Assistant’…Man didn’t create that word. Oh no! It was first coined in the Garden of Eden. Well… God called it “help meet” or today we would say help or assistant. Man had no human assistance (help) until God created Eve. In Genesis 2:18 God expressed that it was not good that Adam was alone. Therefore He decided to make him a suitable “help meet” (KJV). Then God proceeded to create the woman Eve (Genesis 2:21-22). She was to be Adam’s help or as we would say today, she was created to assist Adam. I know that we all have heard preaching from the pulpit on this matter. Genesis Chapter 2 is preached a majority of times as part of a series on marriage and what the role of the woman and the man is in marriage. So, I’m going to start by acknowledging (as you have heard many times before) that after God created Adam, He gave him a job. In Genesis 2:16-15, He put Adam in the garden and was told to dress and keep it. With all the knowledge and brilliancy of Adam to do the task given him, God decided that he needed help. While Adam worked and named all the animals, God decided that Adam needed an Assistant.

Now, most of the time we women receive that message uncomfortably. Some women hear it as a reason to be submissive to the husband and men tend to use it as a reason for their wives to be subservient to the husband, but look at it a little closer. Genesis Chapter 2 merely establishes the order: 1. God: Ultimate Authority; 2. Man: Head of House; and 3. Woman: Assistant Head of House. Notice God did not say that Adam needed maid service, a dishwasher, babysitter or cook. He created a help meet (assistant). Okay, how is that different from subservience? Look at Genesis 2: 21-24:

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23) And Adam said, “This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24) Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (KJV)

Genesis 2:24 sums up the phrase “help meet (assistant) “they shall be one flesh.” Like Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett had the same goal given by Jerry Jones, the husband and wife were designed, by God, to have the same goal: the fulfillment of Gods purpose and will (1 Corinthians 11: 11-12). The ideal is that they walk lockstep with one another towards the accomplishing of God’s will. When Wade Phillips was the Head Coach, he mainly worked as a defensive specialist as well as the overall spokesman for his team of coaches. One of his Assistants (help), Jason Garrett was the offensive specialist. The other Assistants had their specialties; all different specialists with one goal… to win football games. They are supposedly lockstep with that goal in mind. In the garden, Adam was given the charge and instructions. Eve was brought from his side along side to be lockstep with Adam; to recognize God as Lord; and accomplish what God had instructed Adam to do. Adam was the head and while he operated in his gift or specialty, Eve operated in her specialty or gift to accomplish the same goal.

This is the ultimate goal of marriage. Establishing order and purpose was done by God. Staying in that order is on us. Wade Phillips answered to Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager. The owner established this order. Therefore when the team stopped accomplishing their goal, which was the purpose and will of the owner, the Head Coach was fired. The Assistant, who had a different gift or specialty, could be promoted because he was a part of the team with the same goal as the Head. Moving from Assistant Coach to Head Coach changed his workload, but did not change his goal which has always been to fulfill the purpose and will of the owner to win football games. Uniquely, Jason Garret made the same wages that Wade Phillips made though he was the Assistant, because their goal was the same and only their order was different. As owner, Jerry decided what the goal was. As Head Coach, Wade worked on accomplishing that goal. As Assistant Head Coach, Jason helped Wade to work on accomplishing that goal, but concentrated on the offense. The man, as husband has been given a purpose and goal for his life by God. If he is pursuing the fulfillment of God’s plan and will for his life, God will bring the man help (his wife) and they will both pursue the goal. They may not always have the same gift, but they should have the same goal (1 Corinthians 12). Adam seemed to specialize in the technical aspects of achieving the goal, while Eve seemed to specialize in emotional (“touchy/feely”) and visual aspects of achieving the goal. Though different specialties and different order, God made and expected them to be ‘one’ in their goal, which is to obey and carry out His will and purpose.

In 1 Corinthians 11: 3, Paul put it this way: “I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.”
Cunningly the adversary(Genesis 3) has spouses trying to define each other’s roles instead of first seeking to know their own role & purpose as a team; God being the ultimate authority; the husband being the head; and the wife his assistant. Ideally the man should be working on fulfilling the will of God when Christ brings a wife into his life. So instead of trying to define their roles according to the world, as a couple, the two should be (with the help of the Holy Spirit) establishing how together they can use their individual gift or specialty to accomplish God’s will and purpose. However, spouses are making their ‘order’ and ‘roles’ a subject of arguments and resulting divorce battles. God did not design marriage to be “the battle of the sexes.” He designed marriage to be a team of two as one accomplishing His will and purpose, which He established before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1: 4-8). God created the woman especially to help for the man to carry out what God had called him to do.

Think about it…the Head is held in great accountability by an ultimate authority. Notice that Wade Phillips, the Head Coach, was fired, not the Assistant Coach…

Hmm… maybe ‘Assistant’ isn’t too bad of a position to be in!

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. (Romans 8:28 (KJV)

That’s Today’s SingleFocus…

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

For flight, lodging, car and/or tickets see http://www.ytbtravel.com/2travelnow

See my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts