I
will try to get into the apostle Paul’s head during his times. As a
believer with the danger of being fed to lions, my children fed to lions,
and my spouse fed to lions for my faith in Christ, I may too say that it is better
to be single, because of the current situation in life. The
temptation to deny Christ would be higher if they were threatening to kill my
spouse or children. All the apostles were killed except John who was
banned to the isle of Patmos.
What I mean, brothers, is that the time
is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 1
Cor. 7:29
I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
Many
times when it comes to friends and family, people get offended when we become
a believer. In some countries, family can ostracize you. I have had
friends here in America that switched churches or religions where they were
raised as children experienced persecution by their families. My son had
a friend who was from Iran who experienced persecution for his race during
problems with Iran, and Japanese people in America experienced persecution
during war with Japan.
We
are in a war spiritually, and part of this persecution we know as believers is
coming from the enemy!
Even
Jesus home town were offended at him and a majority of the religious leaders
except a few like Nicodemus who only would come to him at night for fear of
persecution. We are not above Jesus, if family and friends were
offended at Jesus, they will be offended at us too.
Then they scoffed, "He's just a
carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon.
And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and
refused to believe in him. Mark 6:3
I
was driving through Starbucks one day and a the man who waited on me asked
where I was going and I was too ashamed (embarrassed) to say I was going to a
Bible study. As soon as I drove away immediately, I heard in my spirit. “But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which
is in heaven.” Matthew 10:33.
I
don’t believe it was the “Cat That Got My Tongue.”
I
asked the Lord to forgive me for being ashamed of him and the next time I drove
through Starbucks and the same man asked me where I was going, I told him I was
going to a Bible study. When John the Baptist was going through his trial
with being put in jail by Herod, he had his disciples ask Jesus if he truly was
the Messiah or if they should look for another? Matthew 11:3
Jesus
replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: “The blind
receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is he
that does not take offense in me.” Matthew 11:6
Blessed
is he that does not take the Christ out of Christmas.
No
one is “born” a Christian. To be a Christian/believer you have to become
as a little child and be born again. I know when I placed a single’s ad
for a Christian to date at 36 years old before I met my spouse, some men I
talked to thought they were just born a Christian, or become a Christian from
going to church with their parents.
And he said: "I tell you the truth,
unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
There
seems to be a several contradictions in the Bible. The Bible says: “he
that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 16:22. To find you have to be seeking, but then Paul said, “if
you are loosed from a wife, do not seek a wife. (Are you married?
Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 1 Cor. 6:27)
Then
Paul counsels younger widows to marry because some had already turned aside
after Satan in satisfying their earthly pleasures.
So I counsel younger widows to marry, to
have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for
slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. 1 Timothy
5:14-15
Those that are living in pleasure are
dead while they still live (1Ti 5:6)
The
Islam religion wants to take over the world by having five children per family,
and then churches are cutting single ministries and pastors, and preaching like
Paul “do not seek to get married.’ Who is trying to wipe out the
seed of the Christian population and marriage? Who tried to wipe out the Jewish
population in Hitler’s day? Paul said, “marriage is honorable in all,
Hebrews 13:4” God’s command to Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful and
multiply.” Before Eve was created God said it’s not good for man to be
alone” and it talks about a man who has his quiver full of arrows/children is
blessed (five male children constitute a quiver) Psalm 127:5
God
said that he hates divorce (present tense) and he was seeking
godly seed (children of believers).
Has not [the LORD] made them one? In
flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly
offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with
the wife of your youth. I hate divorce," says the LORD God of
Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with
his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit,
and do not break faith Malachi 2:-15-16
What
is comes down to is our love and zeal for God should be above all others
and all things in our life. Jesus said that our love for him in
comparison to our love for others should be like hate. It is the first
commandment.
He answered: "'Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and
with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27
"If anyone comes to me and does
not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and
sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26
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