The Morning Conversation

21/11/2023

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21/11/2023

God’s Design for Marriage

A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2:24-25

Marriage is a God-given gift that we have tarnished by our sin. These verses describe a perfectly trusting, perfectly shame-free, perfectly united partnership of love. Sadly, one tangible effect of our living in a fallen world is that outside of the movies no marriage is only and ever like that. The tragedy of human sin is that it is in our very nature to corrupt what God has created for our good and His glory, causing the beauty and enjoyment of marriage as He intended to be lost. But there is hope! For believers, God’s Spirit enables us to consider marriage according to His design.

We must first acknowledge that outside of Christ, men and women are in flat-out rebellion against God’s purposes. It’s not that we are simply confused about the nature of marriage; it’s that our sinful desires are completely opposed even to what we do understand. Marriage as it is given to us in the Bible is often perceived as a cage, a restriction, or a human contrivance put together long ago—a kind of useless vestige left over from previous generations. If we see God’s design for marriage in this light, it’s because we are predisposed to say, “I don’t like God’s plans. I’ll do this my own way.”

When we are united with Christ, however, God enables us to view marriage according to His design. No matter what any government legislates, Scripture is absolutely clear that any relationship other than a monogamous, heterosexual relationship cannot be and is not a marriage before God, because that is what He decided marriage should be in the very beginning. Jesus’ affirmation of the Genesis 2 depiction of marriage demonstrates that nothing between the beginning and now has changed God’s design (Matthew 19:4-6). We must not tamper with or readjust the Bible to accommodate social trends which would define marriage differently. Though God’s pattern for biblical marriage may be looked down upon by our fallen world, if we believe the Bible to be the very word of God, then we will uphold its teaching—in how we choose to order our own lives and in how we speak of and pray for other people’s relationships.

As believers, we must recognize that God’s concern for marriages in all cultures and at all times is that they would reflect Christ’s love for and commitment to His people (Ephesians 5:22-25). And we must remember that all that is broken and distorted as a result of the fall the Lord Jesus came to renew and repair. Only in and through Christ is it possible to view marriage according to God’s pattern and plan. Instead of us living according to our own way, He has graciously invited us to bow our hearts under His design, which is like no other. For some, it will call for great personal sacrifice to obey God’s commands in this area. For all of us living in the 21st century, it will call for courage to stand up for God’s ways in the face of man’s. In your particular context and circumstances, what will it mean for you to think, speak, and act in a way that reflects God’s design for His great gift of marriage?

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28/06/2023

Satan is real. Just under the surface of our everyday interactions, hiding in the shadows, clouded in mystery

28/06/2023

Please be informed from the 3rd of July 2023. The Morning Conversation will resume.

17/11/2022

God Loves A Cheerful Giver

2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 NLT 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."

We all tend to like those similar to us. God is a giver, so it is only natural for Him to especially appreciate people who are givers.

JOHN 3:16 NLT 16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave . . . .

1 TIMOTHY 6:17b NLT 17 Their trust should be in God, who richly gives . . . .

Cheerful givers are not the only people God loves -- God loves the whole world. So the verse probably means God loves for people to give cheerfully.

Let's think about what kind of a person is a cheerful giver.

It takes both faith and love to be a cheerful giver.

If you don't care for others, at best, you might occasionally give reluctantly when it benefits you in some way. So cheerful and continued giving is a sign of love and evidence you care for others.

Faith is also necessary to be a giver. Without confidence that you will have enough in the future, it is unlikely you will give cheerfully.

Faith pleases God. God always encourages faith and tells people not to fear.

God also loves to see people blessed. And according to God's Word, the person who gives has blessings headed their direction. For God says that if we give, it will be given unto us again.

LUKE 6:38 NLT 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full -- pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back."

Because God desires abundance for us all, He is pleased when we give because He knows giving is a key to receiving. It is the law of God: in the measure we sow, we shall also reap.

Giving is love in action. Giving is proof of love. Love is not something we can see. But we can see what love produces: giving.

SAY THIS: Lord, please help me to be a cheerful giver.

16/11/2022

God Is Bigger Than Your Box

PSALM 78:41 KJV 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

God is unlimited (but people can limit what God does for them).

True, God cannot deny Himself. That means He cannot act contrary to who He is and what He has said. But beyond that God has no limits that we know of.

The Bible tells us the people of Israel limited what God could do for them. We should not make the same mistake.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-6 KJV 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

God is very creative. From looking at His creation, you could even guess that sameness might bore Him. Every fingerprint is different. Every eyeball is different. Every ear is different. No two leopards have the same spots.

Yet people think things like:

"God cannot work outside of our denomination."

"Every church has to be just like ours."

"God can only move in this one way."

"God will only do this, if . . ."

But God is bigger than you realize!

God may have a million different ways to do something. Just look at what He created. There is not just one type of bug. No, there are millions. We know of nearly a million types of beetles alone.

So don't limit God in your thinking. He is God!

SAY THIS: I will not limit God. He is bigger than I can think.

02/11/2022

Faith Is Released Through Words

MATTHEW 17:20 NKJ 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

If you have faith -- you will do something -- according to Jesus. You will speak!

Faith and authority are exercised through words. You must open your mouth and speak in line with what God says. All we receive from God must be received by faith. (See Romans 5:2 & Galatians 3:14.) So, you will only receive God's blessing in line with the words you speak.

What you say is what you believe. Or, we could say, you believe what you say.

If you want to know what someone truly believes, just listen to what they say -- especially when they're under pressure. Then the truth will come out.

MATTHEW 12:34-35 NKJ 34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Your mouth speaks forth what is in your heart. So to bring forth good things in your life, you need to speak good words. To speak good words, they must first be put into your heart in abundance. You know what that means. Get into the Bible and get it into you. SAY THIS: With faith, nothing is impossible. My faith is put into action by the words I speak. The words I speak are determined by what I put into my inner being.

The Morning Conversation is a devotional page or network designed to give everyone an amazing opportunity to have a healthy conversation with the Holy Spirit, before starting each day. This will enable believers, Pray and meet with the Holy Spirit.

01/11/2022

God Is A Father

EPHESIANS 3:15 AMPLIFIED 15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named -- [that Father] from whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name.

I have included these different translations, with the notes from the margin, to show that the Bible says that all fatherhood derives from God. In other words, God is the original Father. Everything good that fathers are, was in God first. All earthly fatherhood is but a replica of what was first in God. EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NIV 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

NIV NOTE: Or whom all fatherhood

EPHESIANS 3:14-15 NRSV 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

NRSV Note: Gk fatherhood

One mission of Jesus on earth was to show us what God was like, to reveal Him to us. Jesus introduced the concept of God as Father. The Jews did not know God as Father because the Old Testament does not teach it. No other religion had looked to God as a Father. Instead God was generally thought of as a judge at best, and often as a despicable character who could only be trusted to let you down; someone who would play tricks on you just for his amusement, and delight in disappointing you.

Concepts of God haven't really changed much, have they! But Jesus revealed to humanity that God was not like they thought -- He was a good Father. Not someone who would do them wrong, but someone who would take care of them with their best interest always at heart. Someone who would love them more than they loved themselves.

How do you think of God?

SAY THIS: God, I am glad to know You are a Father. Please help me to always remember that.

31/10/2022

Giving Money Is One Way To Show Honor

PROVERBS 3:9-10 NKJ 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Giving money is not the only way to show honor, but it is one way.

The word translated honor means to value. Honoring someone is a way of showing them, and others, that they are valuable to you.

Scripture connects giving of money with honor. Specifically included are God, your parents, those who preach or teach the Word of God, and widows. MATTHEW 15:4-6 NLT 4 For instance, God says, Honor your father and mother,' and Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.'" 5 But you say, `You don't need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.' 6 And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God.

1 TIMOTHY 5:17-18 NKJ 17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

The double honor spoken of in verse 17 for those whose work is bringing us insight from God's Word is clearly financial support, as verse 18 explains. The NLT translation makes this clear.

1 TIMOTHY 5:17-18 NLT 17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another place, "Those who work deserve their pay!"

1 TIMOTHY 5:3-4 NKJ 3 Honor widows who are really widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.

Again, to see that honor includes giving support, look at the NLT translation.

1 TIMOTHY 5:3-4 NLT 3 Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. 4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.

ROMANS 13:7 NKJ 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

SAY THIS: I will give honor to whom honor is due.

29/10/2022

Faith And Patience

HEBREWS 6:12 NKJ 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Patience is not just putting up with things.

Patience means to continue, to persevere, to stay steady, to maintain your course, to not grow weary in doing good and quit.

Patience is a fruit of the spirit, so to walk in Bible patience you must keep your spiritual life strong, by feeding on the Word and fellowshiping with God.

We receive from God by faith, but our faith has to be undergirded by patience to possess and enjoy His promises.

It's normal for there to be a time of waiting and testing when we believe the promises of God. But hang on to your faith and it will see you through.

JAMES 5:10-11 NIV 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

God's Word will come to pass in your life. Don't quit believing.

Hang in there!

SAY THIS: I will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God.

28/10/2022

Giving Is Planting Seed

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-8 NLT 6 Remember this -- a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

God is love. Love gives and helps others. God wants you to be like Him -- to be a giver.

God, knowing human nature, gave incentives to encourage us to be givers. Not only does giving make us feel good, but God promises whatever we give will be multiplied back to us -- the same way seed planted by a farmer produces a larger harvest.

LUKE 6:38 NLT 38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving -- large or small -- it will be used to measure what is given back to you."

God's plan is to develop you into a loving, giving person who trusts God.

Faith and love -- the two primary attributes God is working to develop in us -- are both exercised by giving.

It takes faith to give. It seems safer and more prudent to hold on to everything we have, just in case we might need it. But God encourages us to be generous and give to others -- trusting Him to multiply our giving back to us.

Someone has well said that whatever we give does not leave our life, but just enters our future, where it will be multiplied.

SAY THIS: Whenever I give, I am planting seed for a harvest of blessing.