Refuse to marry just any believer

by Al Sabado


[I have originally posted this message via Google+, and reposting it here.]

Al Sabado
Shared publicly  -  Sep 14, 2015

At a time I was still attending church I was tasked to handle a Bible study group for adult women. (Oh dear, of all people, why me…) My preparation for the study was crucial, because the occasion was also an evening bridal shower for the group’s lady member—a believer who’s about to marry an unbeliever.

I don’t sugarcoat or mince words when I speak, especially to people I so deeply care about. So you may have guessed the Bible verse that’s vividly etched in my head. That verse was among my first lessons in my walk with God as a young believer in 1991, and I pass it on to every believer crossing similar path of considering to marry an unbeliever. With that burden in my heart, I prayed for the evening. My hands were cold. My heart thumped as I finally read aloud in the room the verse we all could have avoided and ignored, but one the bride-to-be had to hear, probably the last time:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Hearing that verse, however, didn’t change the woman’s decision; she proceeded with her wedding. I regret that’s her choice...

As for you, my dear fellow believer, take your time. I pray you won’t settle for anything less, but God’s best, which can mean not marrying at all. Ready for that? By God’s grace, yes. But if you consider marrying someone, refuse to marry just any believer. Choose the one who, like King David, is after God’s own heart. A strong believer who stands by God’s Word no matter what, someone who’s able to discern that which is Biblical from that which is not. And listen also to what your parents and people closest to you will have to say. Oftentimes, they see issues you may be unaware of.

Disclaimer: I link to the article below as I share the author’s views (except for churchgoing, as many churches of this day lead the flock astray) on the subject matter, but I do not necessarily endorse the author or his church. Magandang araw (Good day)! :)

10 MEN CHRISTIAN WOMEN SHOULD NOT MARRY

nycpastor.com

"Why believers should not attend church"

by Al Sabado

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27)

~~~~~~~

"Physical church, no. Spiritual church, yes." Whenever I'm asked if I already attend a physical church on Sundays, I just give a brief response about this because no matter how much I talk about it, multitudes are convinced that believers who do not attend a physical church are in the wrong path, and that's not surprising.

Very recently, I came across an article entitled, "Why believers should not attend church" and I agree with what the fellow believer has written there. I encourage you to take the time to read it as well. It's up to you to believe or reject the Biblical perspective it has carefully presented on why as believers we should not attend church. But God has already said in His Word:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

God-fearing men like Abraham and Noah are just a few Biblical examples whose lives attest that, as believers even in our time, we too can walk with God faithfully only because of God's enabling, that is, free from the "ifs" and "buts" of attending a physical church. But the subtly dangerous part is that church members believe they're "helping" fulfill what God has commissioned the believers to do (Matthew 28:19-20) by attending and by becoming members of a physical church. The intention is noble, but the act of striving to do that can lead to endangering the flock. The ambiguous concept of becoming "committed followers" of the Lord Jesus Christ has been attached to the task that churches refer to as the "great commission." (I've intentionally written the words in small letters, for everything that we're assigned to do under the sun ought to be treated with similar importance. God's Word says, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" [Colossians 3:23].)

Pride creeping in, the power of God's Word missing. We've seen numbing examples of church members pursuing excellence as they give their best in accomplishing church activities. We've seen burnout among the brethren who exert enormous efforts to complete the tasks within church premises. We've seen pride creeping in the hearts of church leaders, workers, and members upon witnessing "their" great accomplishments. We've seen hardworking church members who project strength of character but are actually void of a truthful and meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and with people in general. The list goes on:

The great commission popularized by churches thus gives them the reason to build expensive church structures in which church members are somewhat charismatically manipulated to impart their monetary contribution. But is that part of God's plan?

A megachurch I once attended had the great commission in mind, but after getting busy with raising funds and building an expensive church structure, it's now doing things apart from God's Word. Another megachurch I'd been to is pursuing the same goal of fulfilling the great commission, and it's also following the pattern of raising funds and erecting a huge and similarly expensive church building--in the name of the Lord Jesus and for the glory of God! But in the process, this megachurch has already been blinded by following false teachings, false trends, false array of so-called Christian literature, and especially, false teachers and church leaders promoting man-made plans and non-Biblical principles that mislead church members to become busy with "doing good works" and some, to collaborate with unbelievers, when God's Word commands us not to be equally yoke with such entities (2 Corinthians 6:14). But the Lord Jesus says,

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)

Not every growth is from God. Many churches follow this pattern of building church structures and growing church memberships to move in that one direction of making disciples of all nations. But any wonder why churches split despite such noble intention? Church workers usually liken the situation to the separation of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:39). That's possible. But haven’t we thought about church divisions taking place because of God's disapproval? Haven't we thought of church divisions similar to that time when thousands of years ago, people planned to build the Tower of Babel and God confounded and scattered its builders (Genesis 11:1-9)? God destroys vain, man-made movements like that, doesn’t He?

We can't be pursuing great things and say we're doing them for God because we're not indispensable, not in a condescending way, but in the realization that God can do things with or without us because He is the sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing God. His hands are never too short, and that assures us that He works according to His plans. God's Word says,

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. 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. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:26-31)

As believers, we thus understand that even if we don't go to a physical church, we are the very church of the Lord Jesus Christ--and that is our church membership.

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33)

Related posts:

• Among the emergent churches in the Philippines and the reasons I left them (Revised Edition)
• Yes, I've stopped tithing and attending a physical church
• Is Hebrews 10:25 a command?
• HEBREWS 10:25 -- What Does The Passage Mean?
• Unlearning Calvinism after 22 years . . . and other things that go with it

Updated: May 2015

Who are you when no one's looking?

by Al Sabado


Stories of backsliders abound when they seemed to be strong Christians all along. Pastors committing adultery. Worship leaders entering into illicit affairs. Intercessors engaging in fornication. Single women in ministry getting pregnant. Young adult church workers marrying unbelievers or ‘toddlers’ in the faith. Or never-been-marrieds choosing to marry second bests. (That last one isn't necessarily a backslider's story, but it can be a triggering factor based on human history.) The list goes on. What happened?

Now, we shouldn't point fingers on backsliders when we could be candidates for backsliding. So, let's carefully ponder in our hearts these questions as well:

Who am I as a believer when no one’s looking? What choices do I make when I'm alone? Am I a believer who finds strength in the daily reading of God’s Word? Or do I only read the Bible when I feel like reading and just resort to a so-called devotional? Is the Lord Jesus Christ the reason for my faith, or am I only a believer because I'm surrounded by church people/friends and immersed in ministry anyway? As a believer, where do I draw my confidence? Is it in the Lord Jesus Christ or in circumstances that tend to blend with my plans?

Indeed, just like King David, may our trust remain in the LORD.

Psalm 71
1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

God's design: Women should not preach in the churches

by Al Sabado


To this day, however, we find women pastors and preachers in the churches. And so we wonder, how are they in line with God's Word instructing that women keep silence in the churches? God's Word is clear:

34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

That is God's design, which does not say that the woman is an inferior being. But the man--by God's design--is the leader. So again, we find the following verses in the Bible:

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:11-12)

The woman, whose unique tasks complement the role of the man, may share God's Word to another. But to preach God's Word to a congregation or a public assembly contradicts God's instruction for her to "keep silence in the churches" (1 Corinthians 14:34).

Should we then leave churches that ordain women to be pastors to preach in the pulpit? God's Word commands us to let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no,' 'no' (Mt. 5:37). So the answer to that question is 'yes.'

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Romans 11:18

... [R]emember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. (Rom. 11:18)

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (KJV)

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (KJV)

Matthew 16:15-16

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 13:45-46

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Proverbs 15:16

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.