Virtuous

When we speak of how to naturally prepare ourselves, we do that by making sure our affairs are in order. My motto is this, I need to develop and maintain my finances, my home and my "self" the same I would expect my perspective spouse to do. I can't expect him to come rolling with money or "things" and I don't know how to maintain the little that I have. It's going to take good stewardship over the little things before God can trust us with much. Oh, help me Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is true. HELP ME LORD...HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, Ima try this again. I don't know what happened to my earlier post...NTway... A wife is: Submissive to her husband and respects him. I think the ideal wife will exhibit the characteristics of the Virtuous Woman described in Proverbs 31. I think in preparing ourselves to be married (God's way) we must be holy, clean, pure... as it is mentioned in Ephesians 6. As I thought of this statement, "A woman's heart should be so well hidden in God, a man (her husband) will have to seek Him to find her"; God dropped a nugget in my spirit. Before I share it, I must touch bases on the Proverbs 18:22 scripture reference because it ties in to what God spoke to my spirit. "When a man findeth a wife, he findeth a good thing and favor in the sight of the Lord" - To find a wife, whose heart is hidden in God, a man has to seek God first. If he's seeking God, he's only going to receive the best (a good thing) that God has to offer...God's favor is upon him in that respect to allow him to "find" the heart of a woman who has hidden herself in Him. A relative of mine once told me that if I can trust God with MY heart, I will be able to trust God with my husbands heart. Just as our hearts should be well hidden in God for a man to find us, a man's heart should also be well hidden in God that God can direct Him to us when the time comes. I think the commitment we should have in our relationship with God is a reflection on the commitment we will have with our spouses.

If you feel there is a problem with your pastor; you need to take it to God and only God. He is the only person who can do anything with your Pastor...the only ONE. Things are not as simplistic in dealing with Pastors as we may think or would like them to be. You have to be very cautious regardless of if you feel you're right about whatever is going on. Please...take it to God...all of it. We all can tell you that you should leave because of what you've shared. Only God can tell you that. I would say it myself. But from experience; I'm advising you to make sure and settle it with God before you leave. Get authorization and a release from God before you leave.

I'll have to come back to this one. Wheew!!!!! I'm about late for an appointment but you can believe I'll be back with my thoughts. It'll be tomorrow, though!

I guess it's different for everybody. There are some marriages that work hand in hand in ministry and then there are some that don't. I think my husband and my ministries will work hand in hand. I have a cousin, and if I didn't know better, I'd think you were her by your last post. She said she knew (know even to this day) that it was God who put her and her husband together. She said she didn't even like him when they met even though he pursued her. She said it wasn't until she saw him ministering to the youth group that she fell in love. She said she fell in love with his spirit..with his love and passion for God. Now, she's still on fire for the Lord and he's not. But she loves him and prays for him all the more. No one knows the trials we'll have to face in any decision we make and even those we don't make for ourselves. But just as you said...God is not going to break any promises he's made to any of us. He is faithful and just and He will not lie. He promises us household salvation. Just like you, she is still responsible for what God has called and chosen her to do. Just like you, I am still responsible for what God has called and chosen me to do regardless of what is going on or not going on in my life. I will tell you one thing, though. I went through something for an entire year-last year as a matter of fact. It was painful, lonely, and just plain out undescribable to say the least. God hasn't released me to go into full detail about it but I feel enough release from within to share with you that God is about to do a new thing in marriages. I can see it unfolding in my own church family. You just keep holding on and standing in the gap for your husband...you'll see!!!!

My apologies if you feel as if I'm judging you because that's not my intent.

sunshine2, I think you misunderstood our comments. There is no way I (we) meant a couple who are married before being saved should get divorced afterwards. That's totally off-base and I'm sorry if that's how you interpreted our post. I have a co-worker who has a story just like your parents. She was saved...backslid...met her husband...they got married and now they both are saved. She told me she believes if she had not backslid, she would have never met and married her husband. I think in one of Cholette's earlier posts on this thread; she mentioned the same thing about how things are done in our human efforts but she honestly belives that God works ALL things...wait here is her exact post - Well, here are my thoughts on this. We need to give God a little more credit for knowing ALL things...even before the foundation of this world was created. I believe he already knows the wrong or right decisions we will make and has a plan for it. Just like it says in Romans 8...ALL THINGS work together for the good to those who love the Lord and who are CALLED according to HIS PURPOSE. We are just brainstorming and thinking about things that may seem as if we're the only person who have these thoughts but in all actuality, we are NOT alone in thinking certain ways. Just plain and simple fellowship...not to make things complicated...just fellowship.

hillobeans18, you said everything I wanted to post yesterday but didn't know how to word it. That was one of the reasons I asked lovetoworshipjesus if those were the actual responses she gave to her director. The advice you gave was blunt, direct and very well written. lovetoworshipjesus, I don't think you received what hillobeans18 posted because of your response. However I need to go before te LOrd and pray about this. I mean I showed this in the beginning and I being burned out here. My focus point is on the last sentence when you stated all you did in the beginning. In almost all we do, the beginning is the best. We do our best and go far and beyond the call of duty. The beginning of a job is somewhat like the beginning of a marriage...it's the honeymoon. But what happens to our performance/attitude when we're rubbed the wrong way? What happens to our performance/attitude when things are not being done the way we think they should be done? What happens to our performance/attitude when our work seems to go unnoticed/unappreciated? Just as in times of testing. Trials don't come to make us bitter. They come to make us better. Sometimes when we're in situations like this, we want God to change the situation but God has allowed it because He wants the situation to change us...revealing to us what is really on the inside of us. There is a time to be strong-minded and there is a time to humble yourself...especially when dealing with leadership. Your character is on the line. You have a gift. Don't allow your gift to take you places where your character can't keep you. I love you as well. But I really think you need to take deeper consideration at what hillobeans18 had to say. I totally agree with what was said. If I had the words to tell you that yesterday, I would've. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Responding by saying " No, I dont know how to do that, you will have to find a specialist to perform those tasks". Your response was "I dont know". I asked if it took you five minutes. Again your response was "I dont know I dont keep track of time" Were these your actual responses?

Another thing... A friend of mine called me, just this morning, and asked what I thought about a person being married for ten years to a man and then recently telling her husband she wants a divorce. Reason being? She has realized that she's been in love with her "soul-mate" the entire time. She is leaving her husband to marry her "soul-mate".

Wow, Cholette. Those are things that make you say, ! I have absolutely no clue as to how to even fanthom up an answer to these questions. I'm speechless. I wonder the same thing though about a few couples who were married before either of them were saved. Now, the wives are saved and the husbands aren't. Ooh, Cholette...your inquiries have sparked way more curiosity than I thought would ever come out of this thread... :crazy:

In times of famine are exactly what He uses to show up and show out. There is no denying His power. Who else could make it happen? I tell yall...the best is yet to come!!!!!!!!!!

There it is again. God you are just amazing!!!! You guys are the best! You all are repeating everything I listened to last week on cd's and during our revival at church! Wow!...Talk about confirmation!!!!

Thanks sunshine2! Oh, my God! In my dream, I did marry the wrong man. Here's the dream: The man and I had just gotten married. We were walking and I kind of made a little gesture towards him (to test if he really loved me or not - I wrapped my arms around him from behind and kissed him on his neck). His reaction to my gesture made me think to myself, "He really does love me". Next we were in this building and we were talking to a few people. We were sitting across from each other in chairs. We were asked what are future plans were going to be now that we were married. He said something to the effect of us having children and starting a family (at this point I want to say he turned into a she). I was like, "Oh, my God. I married the wrong person. I don't want anymore kids. Lord, I didn't even talk to Pastor about getting married. What's going to happen to our ministry together? For some reason I felt as if we were about to get a divorce and needless to say I was soooo relieved that we hadn't had sex yet. In MY experience the people who are sooo concerned about doing God's will are NOT going to miss it My mentor keeps asking me why I think I'm going to miss it and I don't have a clue why I think that way. I've made so many mistakes that I just don't want to make any more.

Yea, you're right. I was listening to a teaching cd from one of my favorite televangelist and he was speaking along those same lines (in so many words). He was saying that God's purpose never changes but sometimes His direction and instructions do. He went on to say that our actions to things will cause God's direction and instructions to change in order for His purpose to remain the same. I never thought of it as to apply Romans 8 to it though. I was so wrapped up in wondering what would happen to my minisry - our ministry if I married the wrong man. I just don't want to marry the wrong person. God can still get the glory once married to the wrong person, but I do believe that the ministry cannot be GOD'S BEST if we take the "lower road" and marry the wrong person. I like the way you brought that out! It makes a lot of sense. Let's just hope and pray I HEAR from God concerning my husband.

I'm glad I misunderstood because we usually see eye to eye on some stuff... :snicker: : So do I. Actually, I think it's safe to say we've had to endure some of the same things!

Has anyone ever thought about what happens to the ministry of the husband and wife if married to the wrong person? I mean, say for instance; I get married to a man who is not the man God chose for me. The ministry He purposed for our lives - What will happen with it? A dream I had prompted me to start this thread along with the posts that are in my other thread titled, "Knowing your husband/wife beforehand". In the dream, I got married and immediately felt like I had married the wrong man. One of the thoughts that came to me in the dream was, "Oh, my God. What's going to happen to me and my husband's (the one God has chosen - not the one I married) ministry?" I was really bothered by it in my dream. I was disappointed that maybe I had really messed up the ministry that will come forth after my husband and I are joined together. We all know marriage is a ministry, right? Let's discuss...

Cholette, I think you misunderstood me or I wasn't very clear. The man with the book in my daughters dream; I interpreted him to be God...not a Pastor. I don't think God would put that kind of responsibility in the hands of a Pastor. Only He knows that. Giiiirrrrrrrrrl, don't make me take off running in this place!!!!!! I don't have anything against pastor's and their oversight in our lives, but we most DEFINATELY have to rely on God more than man for our answers and our confirmation. The Bible clearly states to not lean on the arms of flesh. I have been known to put so much stock in the man in the pulpit and when he does something that was against the Word of God then I was devastated. I hate being in that place in my mind because that shows me where I have put a person on a pedistal...higher in my mind then God ever wanted him to be. This happened to me too after I first joined my church. God used a very dear relative of mine to reveal to me that I had put too much trust in my Pastor and put her on a pedestal. God told her to tell me to remove my Pastor from His place in my life. What a huge eye-opener for me. So I totally agree with you on this. I totally agree with everything you said. I will go to my Pastor and seek God about my mate but the ultimate voice I will follow will be God's.

So in other words what God has for you is for you I am a firm believer in that. NOONE can thrawt God's plan for your life...noone! You're not alone because I look for confirmation as well. Also the day the man of GOd comes I will bring this man of God to my pastor. So he has to meet my family and my spirtual family. It's funny you mention that. I had a dream a few months ago. I dreamt I married the wrong man. I remember saying, "Oh, my God. I didn't even talk to Pastor about marrying him." So, I know how important it is to have my Pastor in prayer and we will seek God together to confirm who I'm to marry. In my dream, I was also worried about the ministry my husband and I have. If I marry the wrong person, the ministry...well, let's just say we have to marry the right person... Hey, I'm about to start another thread. I want to see what other's think about that as well!

I always heard, and felt to be true, that there are two people we can't choose on our own...our Pastor and our mate. Those two people should be left up to God. Cases in point...My Pastor: I was attending a church in one city and lived in another. I had been a part of this church every since I was a kid. This church was my home. It had gotten to the point where I could only make the Sunday morning and sometimes Sunday night services. No prayer meeting services. No Wednesday night bible studies. I knew that wasn't enough to carry me through the week. I prayed and talked to God about it. I told Him I wanted Him to either move me back to the city my church was in or place me in the church "He" wanted me to be. The place "He" knew I would be fed and grow. I visited a few churches and they all were Holy Ghost filled. One day I was invited to a Pastoral Appreciation by a friend. I went and as soon as I walked through the door I felt like I was at home. I knew this was where God wanted me to be. I got confirmation as soon as the service was over that God wanted me to plant my feet in this church. There have been trials to come soon after I became a member to the point where I wanted to leave but God told me I wasn't going anywhere. He said that I was going to sit there and I was going to get through it...and I did. I'm still there... My husband: I was wrestling with wanting to be married to a guy for a looooong time. I was praying about it to what seems like forever and just wondering when I would be married and to who. My daughter came to me one morning and told me she had a dream about me and this guy that I was so in love with who I thought was my husband for years. She said we were getting ready to get married. We were in the church and everything. She said we didn't get married. I asked her why. She said, "Yall was going to get married but yall didn't get married because you couldn't marry (?). (?) was crying because you couldn't marry him and he wanted to marry you." I asked her if I got married and she said, "Yes, ma'am. BUT YOU COULDN'T PICK HIM. THAT MAN HAD TO PICK HIM!" I asked her what man. And she said, "That man with that book in his hand." (I think she was seeing a Pastor (that man) with a bible (that book) performing the ceremony and I think the Pastor represented Jesus. I asked her if I tried to pick my husband and she said, "Yes, ma'am but everytime you pointed at one and asked him if you could marry him, he said no. You couldn't pick him. That man had to pick him." Each time I questioned her about my getting married anyway in her dream; she would tell me I did get married but she would make it a point to say, "YOU COULDN'T PICK HIM. THAT MAN HAD TO PICK HIM!" Yes, I believe God gives us free will but I want my will to line up with HIS WILL. When His desires for our lives become our desires is the recipe for Him giving us the desires of our hearts because He's the one who put them there. It would make no sense for Him to cause us to hungar, thirst and desire something that He won't give us. He wouldn't torture us that way. There is a purpose for everything God does and the enemy knows it. That's why he tries to bring division in marriages and churches. He knows if the husband and wife that God has joined together (made for each other...bone of my bone - flesh of my flesh) is united they are going to wage war against him. If this union places God first in their lives there is nothing the devil can do to destroy it and the power of joined prayer between a husband and a wife is a force to be reckon with. They can recognize the enemies plots, plans, and schemes and pray/speak against them and the spirits that come with them together. A three fold cord is not easily broken! If you're in under the leadership (Pastor) that God has placed you under the devil is scared straight. He knows you are going to get what you need, when you need it at whatever season in your life you're in. God knows what Pastor has what you need. The enemy don't want that any more than he want us to be united with the mate God created us to be with.

I wish I could share nuggets of the messages I've received this week through our revival and teaching cd's I've been listening to. It's amazing how the cd's I've been led to listen to AND the sermons during the revival are one in the same. It's like I'll listen to the cd all day at my desk at work and when I get to church, Pastor is preaching the EXACT same thing...confirmation as to what God is telling me!!!!!!!!!! WHEWWWWWWWWW - It is soooo overwhelming and just unbelievable!!!!!!!!

Amen, Amen, AMEN!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone! I just want to share (especially with those who encouraged me concerning my wanting to step down out of my ministry due to a habit) how God touched me lastnight at our Healing, Deliverance, Miracle Service Revival that started last night at my church. It was so awesome. God gave me another chance to get it right with Him. I went with the expectation of being healed from a broken heart and delivered from this man and the habit I struggled with. I GOT MY BREAKTHROUGH AND IT FEEL SOOOOOO GOOD. God gave me another chance and I can't thank Him enough. He is so merciful and soooooo long suffering that even when I gave up on myself...He didn't. Yall, He gave me another chance to get it right with Him ! The tears are tears of joy and appreciation of His faithfulness to me even during my weakest hour. The rejoicing is because I was able to receive His forgiveness even when I didn't know how to forgive myself for disappointing Him, myself, and my kids! During altar call, it took all I could to walk up to the altar without tears flowing as I thought about what I came for and just trusting and believing that God was going to meet me right where I was. Oil was placed on my head and that was all it took to send me over the edge. I fell to my knees and repented like never before . My Pastor nor the altar workers who pray, even touched me. It was all me and God and I didn't care who was watching me, who heard my cry...Nothing! I needed healing and deliverance and I got it! Thank God. Hallelujah...I got it! I was trying so hard to save myself and to live by the law. I was trying so hard to "be" and "do" good so that God would love me enough to take care of me...deliver me...save me...heal me. But He wants to do that BECAUSE He loves me. Even in my mess...my ignorance...my disobedience...my rebellion...my pride - He loves me inspite of and desires to have a relationship with me....just me and Him! Galatians 3:2-5(NLT) speaks about this. It says, 2)"Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3)Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4)You have suffered so much for the Good news. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away? 5)I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you belive the message you heard about Christ." Glory be to God!!!!!!! All it takes is to believe and have faith that God can and will deliver me from ANYTHING...ANY SITUATION...ANY HABIT! God I praise You for delivering me! I praise You for saving me! I praise You for healing me! I praise You for loving me! God, You are ruler of all things! I aknowledge YOUR Sovereignty, Lord! All creation...bows before you, Oh God :PTL: . You are Holy, Oh Lord! Hallelujah...Hallelujah ! That reminds me of a song that says: You are Holy Lord of Glory Filled with splendor and majesty All creation, bows before you We acknowledge your sovereignty It's you Lord It's you...we worship - worship It's you Lord It's you...we praise!

Oh, okay! It appears that a multitude of us, here on this site, are praying and believing God for our husbands/wives. It's almost as if there is going to be a domino effect of marriages taking place. On the other hand, I have a deep feeling of urgency that God is also about to move mightily in those who are already married. Contrary to what others may think, marriage is VERY important to God and He has a purpose for and in them that He IS NOT going to allow the enemy to keep destroying them. I believe that with all of my heart and soul. You and your husband be blessed in Jesus' name!

I think I would probably do the same thing you're doing if I knew, without a shadow of doubt, who my husband is. Maybe that's why He hasn't revealed him to me! I'll be praying for you as well.