What Is Our Torch in Life?

Some people are a defender of their political party, their particular belief system, usually Republican or Democrat.  They are carrying a torch for their political party.  Like the Olympic runners carry a torch. 

 

If a couple lost a child to kidnapping, they are carrying the Amber Alert torch to help other couples. If a person lost a person in death to cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, or heart disease they are carrying the torch for research. I’ve lost three family members to cancer so I had people donate to the American Cancer Society when my relatives passed away and for my husband to Heart Disease.  A couple who lost their daughter to Cystic Fibrosis in her 20’s raise money for research for Cystic Fibrosis.  After Brian Piccolo (Chicago Bears running back) passed away, money was raised for cancer. 

There was a couple where I work at IUPUI whose son drowned at 16 years old from sniffing car anti-freeze while swimming.  He went into respiratory arrest so they went around and lectured about the dangers of teen drug abuse. 

Paul was a defender of the faith (Jude 1:3 and 2 Timothy 4:7). 

David was a defender of God’s name in his defeat of Goliath.  David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45

Jesus Christ is our defense attorney before the throne of God for our sins and defends us against the accusations of the enemy:

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25

God is a defender of Israel, widows, orphans and Christians.  When Paul/Saul was killing Christians, he had his vision on the road to Damascus and Jesus told Paul that he was persecuting him when he persecuted Christians.  When Jesus comes back on the white horse to judge the nations, it will be as the defender.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5

,,,,your Redeemer (Defender); he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5

The Lord is the defender of Israel, its Holy One. ... Isaiah 49:7 and Isaiah 47:4

for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. Proverbs 23:11

With the loss of a Christian husband as a widow, I am a defender of marriage and family like James Dobson that is my torch.  James Dobson has helped me on several occasions with his radio broadcasts and he was one of my top “men of God.”  He talked about how he had symptoms of heart problems and checked himself into the hospital and later started eating sprouts and other ill-tasting things so he could “stick around” for his family.

I was listening the other day on the radio news to how many condoms were handed out at the Olympic games, it was astronomical number.  “All the single ladies…all the single ladies…if he likes it he will put a ring on it.”   

It’s going back to what I shared in a previous blog, we can make up our minds to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.  Corrie ten Boom was part of the solution in helping the Jews who they wanted to kill during Hitler’s regime.   Many people who talk about going on the mission field to a third-world country which is marvelous, but they don’t consider that the mission field is their back yard of the people they work with, their subdivision neighbors and their family.  For Corrie ten Boom’s family their mission field were the people in their back yard.  For Americans, it could be all the different nationalities that have moved into our country.  It says to be faithful in little and He will make you ruler over much.  That can be faithful in money, time, resources, to your spouse, work, friends, and family.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

I love being married and I loved companionship. My husband was the joy of my life like the Lord.   I know that is not the case for everyone. The Bible warns in the last days that many will forbid to marry.  The popularity is increasing in people living together in the church besides the poor attitudes towards marriage in church.  The Bible says “marriage is honorable” in all.   Paul told the younger widows (or divorced women) to marry---that was his counsel and one reason is to avoid the temptations of the flesh.  Obviously, Paul knew that the temptations for younger formerly married women to have lust if you have been in a sexual relationship.  Most of the younger widows who have been in a good relationship I’ve spoken to have to deal with this.

So I counsel younger widows (or divorced women) to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 1 Timothy 5:14

But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 1 Cor. 7:9

One of the primarily encouragements I gave right after my husband passed away was to divorced women with children and raising a blended family.  It’s because of God’s grace that lead my husband to me to help me raise four little children.   We gave our children a role model of what a Christian couple is, like a car model.

God gave me a loving Christian husband to help me raise my four daughters.  My youngest was a senior when he passed away.

“..There But For The Grace of God Go I: You can say this to refer to someone who has had bad luck; implies that the person is no less virtuous than you are, but is now miserable purely because of bad luck, which might happen to you as well. I would likely have experienced or done the same bad thing if God had not been watching over me.”

In life you pretty much decide what you want and go for it.  As a divorced woman, it was an active and faithful to his wife/family man that I could have fun with and a person who was not limited in activities.  I’ve not changed my goals in life.  The only thing that has been added with losing a man early to a heart condition, is an active healthy man.  I had a lot of fun with my husband.  Although life is not all fun and games he was there for me in the ups and down like the song below.

For some reason Solomon referred to a wife as a good thing.  Back in Bible days, women were more like cattle or property, but men had to work for them or provide a dowry.  Now, it seems there is little “effort” by many in getting a person.  Although, my father let me drive a family car, he did not actually sign for me to get a car until I was 28 years old, and I was a Christian by that time.  He signed for me to get a car, but I still had to pay it off.  We tend to appreciate something we work for more and Jacob worked for Rachel for 14 years. 

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

Jesus paid a high price on the cross for our salvation and the apostles all paid for it with their life.  Christianity is “freely you have received freely give,” but there was a price for that freedom. Just like our forefathers paid a price for our freedom.  Our freedoms as Christians seem to be gradually going away over time.  I know people have gotten irritated with me for posting Christian blogs on Facebook, but that is my wall and “freedom of religion and freedom of speech to share your religious and political beliefs.”

I have always been an “evangelist.”  An evangelist brings the message of the good news.  Even before I became a Christian, I was recruiting people to smoke dope with me.   It’s not a calling I asked God for, but then I received an anointing at the age of 17, and it was “go and tell what glorious things the Lord has done for you.”  It first started with my high school class.  I’ve been telling the good news for 40 years now.  Then for nine years it was street evangelism, then a juvenile prison, and whatever media that is open, we can share the good news.

God Gave Me You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCf2PoTuh4Q