The Downfall of Marriage?

There is a growing discontent with the tradional institutional marriage. Depending on what survey you listen to, most people in America today think differently about marriage than previous generations did. Fewer and fewer couples view marriage as a sacred covenant to enter into. Fewer couples today stand behind their commitment to stay married "until death do us part". People are opting out of marriage and are instead entering into relationships of convenience without the strings attached.
Marriage as we have known it is rapidly moving into a very dangerous and deteriating condition. It is so much easier to walk away from one's problems than it is to try and solve them. The stigma of divorce no longer hampers us and society makes getting a divorce so easy.
Yet, there is hope. There are numerous resources available to help troubled marriages and the soon-to-be married. Many churches have outstanding ministries devoted to the married. There are many good magazines and books devoted to showing the way to a better marriage.
If you are in a troubled marriage and want help, I encourage you to take advantage of the help that is out there. Or, if you just want to spice up your marriage and make it what it used to be, check out what is available.
You may find my book, C Through Marriage, helpful as well.

Our Need for Holy Living

I grew up in a holiness church. There was an awareness of God's holy nature and it was preached and taught. I have noticed a switch in what most churches emphasize today. We dwell on God's love and grace and rarely challenge one another to holy living. While I know God's love and grace, I also need to know his holiness. Holiness keeps me aware of my sinfulness and need for Christ to be my Savior and Lord. When we dwell exclusively on God's grace, we lose respect for his holiness.
There is no greater need in the church today than a proper respect for the holiness of God. Without it, we no longer fear God or respect him as our judge. There is no motivation left to submit and obey Him. There is no sense of our need to keep on growing into godliness.
The church is only as strong as her witness to God's holiness. It is the meat and bones of our faith. Nothing much is going to happen as far as reaching people for Christ until we regain our need for holy living.

The Road to Success is Work.

I hate to admit it, but I must. There is no way that I am ever going to exhuast the contacts that can be made on the net. The more I reach out with the message of my book, the more I discover just how big the world we live in is. There are an endless amount of opportunities available for people to connect to the world. There is a seemingly endless supply of information floating around, some helpful and some not. Working the net is one of the most economical and efficiennt ways of making yourself known. But there is a catch.
In order to be successful on the net, you must make a commitment to work. No matter what you do in life, the road to success is called work. The reward of hard work is the satisfaction that you have done your best. It is far better to have tried and failed than it is to fail to try. The world is full of people who fail to try because they are afraid of the work. No matter how many times you try and fail, if you persist and keep on working, you will succeed in your endeavors.
The drive to work is built on the foundation of belief in what you are doing. If you are not sold on the the worth of what you are doing, you will never stay the course until the task is done.
The same truths apply to our walk with God. Maintaining a viable relationship with God takes a lot of work. Successful Christian living only comes to those willing to pay the price of commitment, self-sacrifice, and work. Great is the reward of those willing to work out their salvation.

Daily Devotional Help

If you find it hard to set aside time to reflect on your relationship with God, perhaps I can help. For several years now, I have been sending out daily devotional thoughts I have gleaned from my devotional life over the internet. I call them, Gems from Pastor Jim. I try to send them out daily. I have now also posted them on my webpage: www.cthroughmarriage.com.
I invite you to log on to my site and check them out. I don't want to encourage you to turn to them in place of your personal reading of the Scriptures. It is imperative for a healthy soul that you are into God's Word on a consistent basis for meditation and application. However, I know that there are times in which you will not be into the Word. When those times come, drop in anytime and see what the Lord may have to say to you for that day. Just click on the Gems link.

Why Thanksgiving?

Like so many things we do, Thanksgiving has lost a lot of its luster. It has become something entirely different than what it was when it was created. Two things seem to capture much of our way of celebrating Thanksgiving: too much food and too much football. We get together with family and friends and catch up on things we have missed in each other's lives because we are too busy to stay in touch or close.
For many of us, we give thanks to a God we don't recognize or know. It is something we instinctively know we should do, therefore thanks is given. We often give thanks with little sincere appreciation for how truly blessed we are. There is little awareness of those who won't have family, friends, or even food to eat today.
Thanksgiving Day is a good day. It should be a day in which we remember our blessings and God who gives them. We should remember that we don't deserve to have the lives we have. We did nothing to be born and to have the opportunities in live we have. We who know how to love and what it is like to be loved did nothing to earn it. We who know what it means to live in a relationship with God don't deserve such knowledge or opportunity in life.
Thanksgiving Day is a good day, but greater still is thanks living. Every day should be a day of thanksgiving as we live out our lives with gratitude to God for the blessings we do not deserve.

A New Day

A new day has begun! I am thankful that I have the opportunity for another day to explore and enjoy the life God has given me. I may not know what today will bring, but I know that I will not face whatever comes my way alone. It is so comforting to know that I have Christ in me and that he gives me all that I need to face life.
I invite you to check out my website, www.cthroughmarriage.com. While visiting there if you think you might be interested in getting on the mailing list for my daily devotional thoughts, please sign up.
I was blessed yesterday with some great news from my family. It appears like some huge changes are happening in the lives of some who have made a mess of their lives for many years. I praise the Lord for his great love and faithfulness!

Update

It has been a few weeks since I last posted anything so I thought I would drop in and let you know what is going on in my world. This summer has been a busy time for us as we traveled to TN for a few days of R&R, took in an amusement park, and made a quick trip to see family out of state.

We are busy homeschooling our youngest son, have a foster child, and help babysit our granddaughter. And, I thought I was going to have it easier once I retired!

The Lord has certainly been kept busy watching over us. He has spared us from some very close calls on the road. It is comforting to know that He is there with us as we come and go. We never leave on a trip without first seeking the Lord's protection on our way.

I have a website up and running now. You can check it out at www.cthroughmarriage.com. If you are looking for a wonderful gift for the upcoming holidays, be sure to check out my book. I believe that it will be a blessing to any married couple seeking a godly marriage.