What Reformation Day and Remembrance Day have in Common

I have been considering the effects of the Reformation on this day commemorated as Reformation Day (Oct. 31). Also, at work today I wore a poppy. The Royal Canadian Legion's Poppy campaign for Remembrance Day began yesterday, Oct. 30.

Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) is only 11 days away from Reformation Day (Oct 31). So as I think about both of these significant days, I started to see some similarities:

Both Remembrance Day and Reformation Day are held to commemorate the sacrifices of those who gave us our freedoms. Remembrance Day honours our Canadian Soldiers who fought for us in many wars. Reformation Day honours our fore-fathers of the faith who dared go against the papacy to restore free-thinking, literacy, and Biblical truth to the common peoples. Many of the Reformers actually died or went into exile.

Thanks to our soldiers, we have a free country. And thanks to our reformers, we have a readily available Bible in our OWN language. And just think, many of the soldiers who fought in the wars like World War I and World War II were putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. If they died on the battle field, they knew where they would be: in Heaven with Jesus! And how did they come to know Jesus? By reading the Bible in their own language!




Canadian Soldiers in World War I-  They were Nicknamed "Storm Troopers" by the German forces. 

William Tyndale was burned at the stake for Translating the Bible into English in England.

To this day, the Canadian Parliament building in Ottawa has a tower called the Peace Tower. There are many Bible verses found on that tower, in plain sight, in English. These verses are from Psalms, Proverbs and Ephesians, among other books of the Bible. They are many found inside the tower, in a room called the Memorial Chamber, where the Book of Remembrance is kept. This room gives honour to our fallen soldiers and all the names of all the Canadians who fought in each war are listed in that chamber, in books. I have been there. On the walls of the chamber are Bible verses, like Psalm 139.

Just think, without the sacrifices of the Reformers like Wycliffe and Tyndale, we would not likely have Bibles in English. And if we did not have them in English, then most likely all the Bibles would have remained in Latin, a language that very few people can actually read. I am so grateful for Bibles in the English language, for this is what enabled our soldiers to put their trust in Jesus. They fought bravely, and conquered their fears to face the enemy. They had read that Jesus already overcame death and the grave. The Bible says so.  

Revelation 1:18 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

¹⁸ And am alive, but I was dead: and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen: and I have the keys of hell and of death.

 

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Three Things Permanently Changed By The Reformation

3 Things That were Permanently changed by the Reformation

In honour of Reformation Day (Oct 31), the day when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany, I am going to share with you three important things we gained because of the whole reformation movement.
Now I know this is not an exhaustive list by any means, but I want to stress how important the Reformation is to us as Protestant Christians.

Three major things that came about due to the Reformation:
1) Bibles that are NOT in Latin. We can actually read them in our own spoken language.
2) The Biblical Doctrine of Justification by Grace Through Faith was brought back to light.
3) As a result, Literacy, free thinking, and salvation flourished in the world.

1) We have Bibles in English, French, German, and many other languages. Back in the 1500's, Latin was the only language used for the Bible, and only Roman Catholic Priests or language scholars could read that language. And the people were taught to listen to the Priest more than the actual Scripture. The Reformers brought back the truth of trusting the Scripture itself as the final authority from God.
Many of the Reformers were martyered for translating the Bible into the common languages of Europe.
Some were excommunicated from the church. Some went into exile. Never underestimate the worth of the Bible you have in your home today. I own and use a Geneva Bible with modernized spelling and it has the original footnotes of the reformers inside.

I purchased my Geneva Bible (shown above) in 2011.

The editon I have is from 1599 but the first Geneva Bible was translated into English in 1587. It did wonders to boost literacy in Europe and also to enable people to actually read the Bible for themselves. I use this translation because not only is it superb (it inspired the King James Version later on) but it reminds me of the price that was paid, in blood, so that I can read the Bible in English. The Latin barrier was removed.
To this day, Bible translations continue to expand into new languages and it began with Wycliffe in the 1300's, daring to translate the Latin Scriptures into English.

2) The core Biblical doctrine of "Justification by Grace through Faith" is now widely understood and accepted in the Protestant world. This doctrine was previously lost during the rise of the Roman Catholic Church. But the Reformers helped people to read and hear the Bible in their own language, and to learn this from the pages of Scripture:

Ephesians 2:8 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,

If you go back even earlier, to the 1300's, the Oxford Professor and Scholar from England named John Wycliffe dared to translate the Bible from Latin into English for the very first time.
His translation of Eph 2:8 reads:

Ephesians 2:8 Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
8 For by grace ye be saved by faith, and this not of you [and that not of you]; for it is the gift of God,

So for the first time in about 1000 years, people could read and hear for themselves from Scripture itself... that they don't and can't EARN God's salvation... it is a free GIFT of GRACE to be recieved through faith ONLY. Just believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. You cannot work or earn your way to heaven.
Many of the reformers suffered excommunication or martyrdom for reviving this Biblical truth. We should not take that lightly. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. Many of His saints died for Him too, during the reformation. There was great tribulation for them to bring truth to light.
This passage out of Revelation describes the history of the Reformers well:

Revelation 7:13-15 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
13 And one of the Elders spake, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in long white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their long robes, and have made their long robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell among them.

3) Literacy and salvation began to flourish like never before. With the invention of the Printing press by Gutenberg in the mid 1400's and the publication of affordable Bibles like the Geneva Bible in the 1500's, people began to read and think for themselves like never before.
Martin Luther published his writings, along with John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Tyndale and John Huss. People didn't have to rely on the Pope or the priests to interpret everything for them anymore, because the doors were now open for them to read, study, and think for themselves. Because of this, many new souls were saved by faith, because they were able to read the Word and call on Jesus directly, without any priest! To this day, we understand that we can call on Jesus directly and be saved!
Romans 10:13 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord, shall be saved.

So this October 31st, remember to thank the Lord for the Reformation. God used that move to restore VERY vital things to the church, things which we might sometimes take for granted!

God Bless you!
Pastor Curtis
Sat Oct 31 9:00pm EST

The Forgotten Ornament

"The Forgotten Ornament"

A Personal Story By Curtis Alexander

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It's garbage pick up day tomorrow in my neighbourhood. I have developed a habit: on the night before pick up, I go into my rather full walk-in hall closet and make myself throw something in there out along with the garbage. Stuff has just been sitting around and is no longer needed. But I tend to hang on to things "just in case". So in recognition of this, I made myself "downsize" ... a little each pick up.

So I chip away at this closet on every pick up (once every two weeks). Tonight I went in and found a mangled box. Inside the box were a bunch of decorations I never use. So I determined to throw them out, decrepit box and all. But before I did, I thought I should look for any decorations of personal value that I should save ( deep down, part of me is a softie.... I think!?) Anyway, I found a handful of Christmas ornaments given to me by my mom over the years, and she even wrote my name on them (in small print on the backs)! So I kept those ones... 7 or 8. I had well over 100 decorations so I am doing good to let go of most of them. Most of them were generic bobbles and little themed shapes that I will never need again (as a single, childless, divorced man, I don't bother decorating for the holidays anymore.)

 Then.... I came across this one ornament.... buried inside the box (see picture). I had almost forgotten I even had it! 

 

 

 

It was a Christmas ornament my former wife and I had somehow acquired when in our first year of marriage. I stared at it. In small letters was a phrase inscribed: our first Christmas 2005. Below the inscription was a large metal outline of a heart. Inside the metallic heart was a stylized couple in romantic embrace- husband and wife. As a married couple, we used to hang it on our Christmas tree every year. 

Upon seeing it, and remembering what it was, I knew what had to be done with this ornament. It had to go. I must not hang on to it any longer. It's been ten years since marriage and I am in my seventh year now of divorce.

So I determined to toss it along with 100+ generic ornaments . Yet I decided.... to take this picture of it first, to commemorate what it once meant to me. This dated anniversary ornament is now out by the side of the road, with the generic ones, waiting for tomorrow's pickup. This photo represents my ability to let go of the past, in a tangible way. For someone who likes to keep sentimental objects, this was a significant step in the right direction! 

 

Now, I still have many pictures and reminders of the old days hidden someplace. I have forgotten what most of them are now, because I have moved on in my heart and mind. 

 

 But it felt good to release this one relic of the past and thus free myself of its presence. Praise God. Sometimes, decluttering your closet also helps you to declutter your mind and heart. This is a good example of that. God is so good to me and has been faithful. 

God bless and thanks for reading! 

 

Tue Oct 27 2015 11:49 PM EST

One Lonely Flower - Prospering in Fall

2 Timothy 4:2 Geneva Version
"Preach the word: be instant, in season, and out of season: improve, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

It's currently Autumn here in  Central-southern Ontario. The trees are changing colour. The air is fresh and crisp. It's a lovely season in God's natural order of things. I love walking and praying in this type of weather.
Included in this post is a photo of a flower. I saw this little flower on the side of the street as I was walking, so I took the picture.

Single Flower growing amidst fallen leaves in Autumn. Photo (c) By Curtis J. Alexander Oct. 15 2015. Location: Newmarket, ON, Canada.

That little flower is currently in blossom, in the middle of October. In the midst of the fall season, here is one lonely flower, springing forth in splendor. I have seen other hardy flowers around town like this one too. They just won't quit til the very end. And then suddenly, halfway through the day as I am writing this, I just remembered. TODAY marks the sixth anniversary of my divorce. I was abandoned over 7 years ago, and my divorce was made official this very day, October 15th 2009.

And God has faithfully PRESERVED ME. I am like this flower. I am growing when it looks like I should not be able to. I am pushing through the dead leaves, and still looking to Heaven. I thank JESUS for this awesome privilege. Glory goes to Him.

You might be like this little flower too. Maybe you are growing at a time when everything seems wrong and nothing seems to be conducive to growth. Yet here you are, growing in Jesus. Jesus is King. He is sovereign over ALL. All nations, seasons, and elements of the universe are in His control. You are in His care.  
Everything may be falling like leaves around you. But consider this: I believe it is God's time for you to bloom and grow. Be instant in season and OUT of season. The time to grow and prosper in the Spirit is RIGHT NOW, even in the midst of the world's failings and fallings.

Prosper in the spiritual gifts and in the ministry.

Prosper in prayer and in reading and understanding the Word.

Prosper in the hope God has given you.

Prosper in fellowship with other believers in the local church.

God may bring that hope you possess to pass this very season. It is a spiritual season and God is sovereign over all seasons.
Just because everything in the world is pointing to the Fall (spiritually and naturally), that does not mean God cannot sovereignly make you GROW and BLOOM today! Live for Jesus (not yourself), submit to God, endure any persecution, flee the temptations that come, and resist the devil.
This is GOD's season for YOU to BLOOM for Jesus, in the midst of the fall!
God bless you,
~Pastor Curtis
Thu Oct 15 2015 2:28PM EST
www.churchonthego.ca
www.facebook.com/christiansinglesonthego

Singleness of Heart VS Superhero Syndrome

At last night's meeting, one of our attendees asked me if I could post last night's Bible study notes, so here they are. This is the basic outline of what I shared with the Christian Singles On The GO group last night!
God bless,
Pastor Curtis
For more info:
WEBSITE: www.churchonthego.ca/christiansingles.html

SOCIAL MEDIA: www.facebook.com/christiansinglesonthego

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Christian Singles On The GO
Assistant Pastor Curtis Alexander
Sun Aug 30 2015 PM SERVICE
"Singleness - Not Just A Relationship Status!"

Singleness- it is NOT JUST A MARITAL STATUS! Singleness is a term referring to the condition of your Heart:
Acts 2:46 GNV
And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread at home, did eat their meat together with gladness and singleness of heart,

"Singleness" according to the BlueLetterBible .org is: "simplicity, smoothness, singleness" G858. The Greek word is "Afelotes".

"Heart" in BLB is Kardia G2588
I.the heart
A.that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life
B.denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life
i.the vigour and sense of physical life
ii.the centre and seat of spiritual life
a.the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours
b.of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence
c.of the will and character
d.of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions
C.of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate

Is your will, your desire, your mind and your affections and purpose SINGULAR, or DIVIDED?

Ephesians 6:5 GNV
Servants, be obedient unto them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in singleness of your hearts, as unto Christ,

Singleness in this passage is a different Greek word: "Haplotes" G572

I.singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty
A.the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy
II.not self seeking, openness of heart manifesting itself by generousity

Colossians 3:22
¶ Servants, be obedient unto them that are your masters according to the flesh, in all things, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.


---------SUPERHERO SYNDROME-----------

Christians sometimes fall for the following myth, which I call "Superhero Syndrome". This is the opposite to singleness of heart.
This is the false idea that one can live two lives, one is morally upright and righteous, the other life is "average" and blends in with the world.
One with this syndrome always covers their true identity with a mask of heroism and actually behaves quite differently outside of their
church or Christian circles. They believe they can blend in with the world as long as they aren't in church, or with Christians.

THE TRUTH is:
You only have one identity, and it is not based on your marital status or your ability to date or not date. It is based on Christ and His sacrifice for you.
Are we able to live a single-minded life, rather than a double life? Are we willing to submit ourselves to God and  practice righteousness, even in private? Are we willing to remove private sin, even if it temporarily creates inconvenience? Are we willing to distance ourselves from calling haters of God our "friends"?

KEY TEXT:
James 1:5-8 ESV
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Paul, a single (unmarried) man and an evangelist and Apostle exemplified this Singleness of Heart. He did not suffer from "SUPERHERO SYNDROME". He was able to say the following when he was being tried before Roman authorities:
-----------------
Acts 25:6-12 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

6 ¶ Now when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day sat in the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

7 And when he was come, the Jews which were come from Jerusalem, stood about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, whereof they could make no plain proof,

8 Forasmuch as he answered, that he had neither offended anything against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor against Caesar.

9 Yet Festus willing to get favor of the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.

11 For if I have done wrong, or committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things, whereof they accuse me, no man, to pleasure them, can deliver me to them: I appeal unto Caesar.

12 Then when Festus had spoken with the Council, he answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
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Three things Paul was upstanding in, to demonstrate his singleness of heart (honesty, lack of pretense), not just with the church, but also in his private life and his life as a citizen:
1) He did not offend in the "law of the Jews" which is really Mosaic Law. Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses. We are in Christ, therefore we are not in violation of the Law any longer.

2) He did not offend against "the temple" (meaning the physical building in Jerusalem.) Christ made US the temple! In Biblical terms, in Paul's own writings, the temple NOW refers to the Body of Christ (both on earth and in heaven), and also to the physical body of each believer. What kind of lifestyle are we living with our body? Is it pleasing God?

3) He did not offend against Caesar. For us this refers to government in general and their various institutions. It refers to being a peaceful, law-abiding citizen.
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1) Christ fulfilled the Law, we are under grace. But do not abuse such grace.
John 1:17 GNV
 For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:13-15 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
13 Neither give ye your members, as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin: but give yourselves unto God, as they that are alive from the dead, and give your members as weapons of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the Law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace? God forbid.
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2) We are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God, so we need to act in our bodies as honourable saints and even in private. This is singleness of heart. That is why we must not work hard at putting on a "good show" at Sunday service, but rather, we must be honest with God and ask Him to remove any pretense and hypocrisy and the double mind from our private and civic life.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote this: 1 Cor 6:19-20
--------------
3) We behave like good citizens in normal affairs of life. We cannot see this as "secular" because God gave all governments their authority. He gives and takes away, but it is His prerogative.
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote all of his epistles, including this portion: Romans 13:1-8
These three areas help us to see that Paul lived his WHOLE life with a singular focus on holiness and being joined to Christ. He did not see his life in compartments, such as "secular" or "sacred". To Paul, all he did was sacred, and he saw sedition (words against public order, rebellion), carousing, drunkenness, and rioting as examples of wickedness.

Let us live our lives with SINGLENESS OF HEART!

MORE VERSES TO DO WITH SINGLENESS OF HEART.

Several different English words are used in the Geneva Bible when translating the word "Haplotes" G572. Those words include "simplicity", liberality", "liberal", "bountifulness". And in each case, it is the same Greek word meaning "mental honesty, without pretense, without hypocisy, openness of heart, generosity".

 Rom 12:8
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; G572 he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

 2Co 1:12
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity G572 and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

 2Co 8:2
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. G572

 2Co 9:11
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, G572 which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

 2Co 9:13
Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal G572 distribution unto them, and unto all men;

 2Co 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity G572 that is in Christ.

 Eph 6:5
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness G572 of your heart, as unto Christ;

 Col 3:22
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness G572 of heart, fearing God:

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Divorce and Remarriage: Is It a Sin?

Is ALL Divorce a sin? And is ALL remarriage a sin?

Let's explore the Word of God.

Jeremiah 3:8 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

8 Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her DIVORCE papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, wasn’t afraid. She also acted like a prostitute.

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Isaiah 50:1 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

50 This is what the Lord says:

Where are your mother’s divorce papers?

Did I give her any to get rid of her?

To which of my creditors did I sell you?

You were sold because of your sins.

I GOT RID your mother because of your rebellion.

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In this next passage, the Lord reveals His plans to remarry unfaithful Israel who is no longer His people, and no longer His wife. The remarriage was to be through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Hosea 2:19-20 GW

19 “Israel, I will make you my wife forever.

I will be honest and faithful to you.

I will show you my love and compassion.

20 I will be true to you, my wife.

Then you will know the Lord 

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Here we see a revelation of Jesus Christ's (God's) new Bride in remarriage.

 

Revelation 21:9-14 GW

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the last seven plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.”

10 He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. 11 It had the glory of God. Its light was like a valuable gem, like gray quartz, as clear as crystal. 12 It had a large, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates. The names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them.  

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Note in the above passage that This is a HEAVENLY Jerusalem, not the earthly one.

 

1 Corinthians 7:15 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

15 But if the unbelieving partners leave, let them go. Under these circumstances a Christian man or Christian woman is not bound by a marriage vow. God has called you to live in peace.

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Acording to Blue Letter Bible: "unbelieving" in 1 Cor 7:15 is "apistos" in Greek

I.unfaithful, faithless, (not to be trusted, perfidious)

II.incredible

A.of things

III.unbelieving, incredulous

A.without trust (in God)

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1 Corinthians 7:27-28a GW

27 Do you have a wife? Don’t seek a divorce. Are you divorced from your wife? Don’t look for another one. 28a But if you do get married, you have not sinned.

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In the Blue Letter Bible the FIRST word used for "divorce" in 1 Cor 7:27-28 is "Loosis":

1. a loosing, setting free
2. of a prisoner
3. of the bond of marriage, divorce

1. release, ransoming, deliverance
   

   1. of liquidating a debt
2. means or power of releasing or loosing

 

According to Blue Letter Bible, the second word used for "divorce" in 1 Cor 7:27-28 is the word "Lyo"

I.to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened

A.bandages of the feet, the shoes,

B.of a husband and wife joined together by the bond of matrimony

C.of a single man, whether he has ALREADY had a wife or has not yet married

II.to loose one bound, i.e. to unbind, release from bonds, set free

A.of one bound up (swathed in bandages)

B.bound with chains (a prisoner), discharge from prison, let go

III.to loosen, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied, or compacted together

A.an assembly, i.e. to dismiss, break up

B.laws, as having a binding force, are likened to bonds

C.to annul, subvert

D.to do away with, to deprive of authority, whether by precept or act

E.to declare unlawful

F.to loose what is compacted or built together, to break up, demolish, destroy

G.to dissolve something coherent into parts, to destroy

H.metaph., to overthrow, to do away with

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So it appears from what Paul is saying, that a Christian can indeed remarry if they have been abandoned in their first marriage. But he discourages remarriage unless one has really set their heart on it. He discourages it, but does not disallow it. He only cautions divorced people not to remarry because if they do, they will have more trouble in the flesh, and he wants to make it as easy as possible for them to serve Jesus. From a ministry perspective, this can make sense. But from a heart perspective, some people really wish to be remarried. So Paul allows it.

 

Jesus was speaking to hypocritical Pharisees when he said the following:

Matthew 19:9 GW

I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman.”

 

The Pharisees, along with Herod and others, were abusing the Mosaic provision of divorce to get rid of wives on a whim. Jesus corrected them from such abuse of divorce. Jesus reminded them that God's original design for man and woman was in the Garden of Eden. One husband and one wife, united together as one flesh, and not to be separated. Jesus never abolished Moses' provision for divorce, only clarified what it is for: unfaithfulness and abandonment (according to Paul).

It exists because of marital unfaithfulness/fornication (sexual perversions), and also because of abandonment. 

 

Matthew 19:7-9 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

⁷ The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?”

⁸ Jesus answered them, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you’re heartless. It was never this way in the beginning. ⁹ I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman.”

 

 

We also know that if the spouse dies, the surviving spouse can remarry. That is in 1 Corinthians 7:39.

 

So the Lord remarried the Bride, the New Jerusalem (the Israelites who came to Christ) and grafted the Gentiles into that tree through faith. And Biblical divorce appears to be a provision in itself, not a sin. Divorce is a provision BECAUSE of sin. Some married people are unfaithful, unbelieving, unbelievable. The Lord does not sin yet He divorced natural Israel for her unfaithfulness. Then He died for her sins, and rose from the dead to take back any into the New Bride, the heavenly New Jerusalem. Any Israelites or Gentiles who come through Christ get to be a part of the New Jerusalem, the WIFE of Jesus the Lamb. This is the second -yet final and eternal- marriage.

 

So according to Moses, Jesus, and Paul, divorce is a negative yet sometimes necessary provision because of fornication/unfaithfulness and hardness of heart in one partner.

But like all provisions in the Bible, mankind can also sin by abusing such provisions. It is never to be taken or used lightly. We must always seek the council of the Lord and His Word first before considering divorce at all. The first option in a troubled marriage should be prayer and counselling. Reconciliation should be considered first if it is possible.

But if your spouse is a non believer, incredible/unbelievable, and they abandon you, or they cheat on you, or violate your vows, you are not required to keep those vows. Legal divorce is sometimes the sad provision we must take in order to continue on with Jesus. Nothing should come between you and Jesus. 

One final Bible verse which I already quoted last time, but it applies here too. Jesus makes it clear how important following Him is. Not even marriage should stop you. Jesus will reward those who forsake their loved ones and spouses for the Gospel's sake:

 

Matthew 19:29 Geneva Version (See also the King James Version)

29 And whosoever shall FORSAKE houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or WIFE, or children, or lands, for my Name’s sake, he shall receive an hundredfold more, and shall inherit everlasting life.

 

I discuss the meaning of the word "forsake" in my in my last blog entry here.

Basically, the scope of this word includes divorce. It means to "let go" or to "allow" or to "divorce". Sometimes we need to let go of unfaithful people, unfaithful spouses. If you gave it all you got, and the spouse still will not return to you, then you are in good company. Jesus was also abandoned in the garden. The LORD God in the old testament was forsaken, cheated on, abandoned. The Lord had to divorce Israel. And now, through His death, and resurrection, Jesus can take a remnant back.... ALL who will call on the name of Jesus as Saviour and Lord and Messiah! All can call on Him, but not all will. That is why it will be a remnant in the second wife, the Heavenly Jerusalem.

 

Not even marriage and divorce concern Jesus as much as discipleship concerns Him. NOTHING should come between you and Jesus. If your spouse is non-believing, let them stay with you. Don't send them away. But if they want a divorce and they abandon you, then divorce is your only Biblical option. And after the divorce is complete, you CAN remarry in the Lord. Paul allowed it in 1 Corinthians 7. He favoured singleness as a personal preference, but upheld marriage and remarriage also. Most people will benefit from the gift of marriage. Some thrive more in the gift of singleness. (1 Cor. 7:7). So if you are legally divorced from an unfaithful spouse who cheated or abandoned you, take time to heal. Take time to recover and grieve the loss. Divorce is loss and takes time to recover from. The Holy Spirit can heal you. Over time, and with plenty of healing, ask the Lord to slowly reintroduce you into a new relationship, if you desire one. You are free to remarry.
 

Stay true to Jesus as His disciple and be faithful to Him! HE will REWARD you for your faith and faithfulness in all areas, even if you had to get divorced in order to stay true to Jesus and His call.

 

The REAL sin is those disobey God's leading and direction. (See Adam, who put his wife above God). I might remind you that Adam is responsible for bringing sin on all of us, because he did not put God above his marriage. He should have listen to God, but he failed to. This is why he sinned and caused all mankind to be sinful after him. This is why Jesus, the Last Adam came as a single/unmarried man... to live a perfect sinless life, and to offer that perfect life as a sin-offering to the Father on our behalf. God is SO GOOD!

 

I am looking forward to receiving a hundred times MORE from Jesus, and life everlasting! Are you?

 

 

Blessings!

 Pastor Curtis
www.facebook.com/christiansinglesonthego