NEW LIFE and HEALING after DIVORCE

This article is meant to be a salve to separated Christians and a balm of healing and clarity to divorced Christians.

If you are only here to debate, please know that you are free to hold your own views of Scripture, but you will never win an internet debate on these topics. Trust me I know. You are free to agree or disagree but don't expect others to change their convictions for a stranger on the internet. Just sayin.... If you happen to disagree with my study, that's ok. I just ask that you please be respectful in your comments. No one has the whole understanding of all things, only the Lord Himself. I am simply offering up here some truth, as The Holy Spirit has revealed it to me, to those who have endured the loss of a broken marriage covenant. The goal here is encouragement and healing and hope for the future. Thank you!
:)

Ok so now that I have stated that disclaimer, let's continue:

Rom 8:1-2 KJV
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

There is life after loss. I want you dear Christians who are divorced (but never wanted it to be this way) to drink in these deep truths from Romans 8:1-2.
There is no condemnation on you. You are in the Spirit of God. Not the flesh. Stay close to Jesus and do not let those who throw the law of sin and death at you discourage you. The law has been changed.... and is in perfect harmony with Mosaic Law. The Law of sin and death is satisfied in the Law of the Spirit of Life. You are free and without condemnation in Christ. Let that minister to you. Let the Spirit of God minister these words to you.

 God has given me new healing and life in Christ by His Spirit, after being abandoned/separated, and then later on after the divorce was finalized. There is new freedom for me in Christ. Ten years after divorce, I am a changed, healed and restored single man. I am not tied to my past. I no longer have a wife. I am free in Christ. Free from condemnation. Free to move into a new future in Christ as He leads me.

Divorced Christians, there is no condemnation on you if you are walking daily by the Spirit of God. You are free. Breathe it in. You are not tied to a dead past, a broken covenant. You are free. Even if you did sin, sin is confessed and brought under the blood. Repentance is made, and a new lifestyle is created in Christ. And possibly a new marriage too.

But in order to embrace this freedom we must understand some difficult passages of scripture that some translations do not do justice to.

I feel it is necessary to bring some clarity on this topic.

SO in order to embrace this LIFE after LOSS
There are two different words being used in Matthew ch.19:
1. v9 "put away" meaning physical separation/dismissal  and
2. v7 "writing of divorcement" meaning a legal divorce decree.

Mat 19:7
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

Mat 19:9 KJV
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

WORDS:
"put away" is Strongs# G630: "Apoluo"
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G630&t=KJV
Thayers Dictionary: 
to set free:
to bid depart, send away
to let go free, to release;
used of divorce, to dismiss from the house, to repudiate:

writing of divorcement is defined as
Strongs # G647 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G647&t=KJV
apostásion, ap-os-tas'-ee-on; neuter of a (presumed) adjective from a derivative of G868; properly, something separative, i.e. (specially) divorce:—(writing of) divorcement.

PUT AWAY means separation or dismissal. Please note that this word is used to DISMISS the crowds that were following Jesus at various points.

SEE:
 Mat 14:22
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent G630 ➔ the multitudes away. G630

Now, obviously Jesus did not "divorce" the crowds. He sent them away. So the thrust of this word's meaning is on the physical separation between individuals, whether they be crowds leaving Jesus or a wife leaving the house of her husband.

But when combined with APOSTACION, then APOLUO can also mean divorce. But a person who is unmarried cannot commit adultery - they would require a spouse first before they would be able to cheat on them. Hopefully this never would occur, but the point stands.
 For singles, sexual immorality is the sin of fornication. For married people, adultery is the sin. So note above that Jesus only uses the word for dismissal or separation in verse 9. It is not the complete package.
 If the woman was truly divorced, then she could not be an adulteress! If the man was divorced, then he could not be an adulterer. But because they are not divorced, only "put away" (separated), then their marriage still stands and any external attempts at a new marriage are considered adulterous in that context. In short, Jesus was pointing out that the Jews had forsaken Moses' law.... and that a separation is not final without a divorce. And a woman cannot remarry without that writing of divorcement.
So apoluo refers to the PHYSICAL aspect... the literal, physical separation of husband and wife. This means they are no longer living in the same house together.
And apostacion is the LEGAL aspect, that recognizes and finalizes that the convenant has indeed been broken and the contract has ended.

Note that Jesus does not use this word apostacion in His statement in v9. Some newer translations muddle the two words together and translate "apostacion" and "apoluo" BOTH as "divorce", but this is not accurate. The writer used two DIFFERENT words for a reason. That reason is because both have significance. You NEED both words in order for a divorce to be valid. This is why I am using the old King James Bible for this particular study, because this version properly differentiates between the two words and helps keep the understanding that Moses gave in Deut. 24:1-4.

It is the "writing of divorcement" which ends a marriage contact and allows the wife to marry someone new, according to Moses. Jesus never disputes this. Jesus instead takes the Jews to task on separating from their wives (putting away) without divorcing them... and then marrying a new wife. Jesus said that is adultery. He does not promote divorce, but He also does not deny its validity in ending a marriage covenant. He is in complete agreement with Moses on this. All Scripture is inspired by God from the Old Testament to the New. There are no contradictions of doctrine between Moses and Jesus.
But Jesus does emphasize the original intent of God for marriage in Gen ch. 1 and 2 for the husband and wife to be joined together and to be one flesh. Jesus was brilliant in explaining Moses without contradicting him. This whole discussion with the pharisees was meant to be a trap for Jesus, but Jesus handles it with wisdom. But today I am afraid many divorced Christians are being held in bondage by legalists who want us to believe that divorce does not end a marriage. But Scripture tells us that this just isn't the case.

Deuteronomy 24:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)
1“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,
2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife,

So note here that Moses says the same thing.... the putting away must be accompanied by a legal document declaring the end of the first marriage BEFORE the woman can remarry. Remarriage is never forbidden by Jesus  OR Moses... only the idea of marrying a separated, NON-divorced wife.

So back to Matthew 19.

Separation= apoluo - and is translated as "put away" or "dismiss" in the KJV Bible.

Divorce = apostacion - and is translated as a "writing of divorcement". This is what completes and ends a marriage contract in Mosaic law, and it also protected women who were dismissed by their husbands. The Bill of Divorce protected the woman from false claims of her being an adulteress. In the Old Testament, adultery was punishable by death.... that means a divorce would have been UNNECESSARY!
So that bill of divorce proved the wife was not an adultress, and thus not worthy of death. She was then free and marry someone new. See Deut. ch. 24:1-4 for details.

Mat 19:9 KJV (with comments by Pastor Curtis)
"And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away ("put away" = "apoluo" meaning primarily to separate or to dismiss) his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery (Adultery is a sin committed only when it involves married persons, thus this couple has not been legally divorced yet, they are merely separated!): and whoso marrieth her which is put away (Separated) doth commit adultery (because she is not divorced [Greek word "apostacion"], only separated.)".

Please note that Jesus does not use the word for "writing of Divorcement" in this statement. That word is only used by the Pharisees to try and trick Jesus. But Jesus does not fall for the bait. Instead He targets their sinful practice of separating from their current wife to go date and marry some other woman. It is a sin because there is no writing of divorcement... the current marriage contract was never ended, and thus they were ignoring Moses!

See word used in Mat 19:7
"They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement (apostacion), and to put her away (separate)?" 

So I want to encourage you divorced Christians.... you have a new day, a new start from the Lord, whether you remain single for now, as I am, or whether you remarry. Just know there is no condemnation of those who follow the Spirit of God instead of the flesh (Rom 8:1.)

And to all you dear Christians who are separated, I was there. I know the heartache. I understand the confusion, the desire to be with someone new. But I urge you, please do not date or attempt to plan a new marriage when you are still just "apoluo", separated. For Jesus' sake, and only if the marriage is truly unsaveable, then please obtain a legal "apostacion" writing of divorce from your local government. Divorce is not a nice thing or a thing to be taken lightly, or a thing to be performed on a whim. It is a necessary tool sometimes, when a serious problem occurs and one spouse breaks the covenant through adultery or abandonment or abuse. Even the Lord Himself has had to use divorce when dealing with an unfaithful spouse (The Ancient Nation of Israel became an adultress whom God promised to redeem- Jer. 3:8; Isa 50; Hos 1.).

Jesus emphasized that the ideal of Genesis ch. 1 and ch.2 still stands as the Christ-honouring standard between one man and one woman, for life!

Mat 19:5
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

To all those who are separated who were abandoned or cheated on... I understand you. I felt the same kinds of feelings since I was also abandoned by my exwife, who had rejected God's Word. God healed me from brokenness and abandonment. I pray He will heal you as well. But running into someone else's arms while separated is confusion, and harmful. Only God can detangle your situation, not a new lover.  Be patient and let the Lord work His perfect will in your life. Wait on the Lord. Receive the HONEY of the SPIRIT's LAW in your life... the law of the Spirit of Life (Rom 8:2)! God breaths new LIFE into you!!!! After the divorce, you have new freedom to HEAL and spend time with JESUS. And if someone new happens to appear in your life, down the road, you have a chance at a NEW marriage in Christ! Why? Because your divorce ended the previous contract and you are no longer just "separated".

God bless 
Pastor Curtis
May 21 2019 2:25pm EST

PS The Lord suddenly moved me to write this blog entry today... and it just so happens to be on the day I was married, 14 years ago. God has since healed me after the divorce and made me a whole man, complete in Christ and there IS LIFE after being abandoned. There is life after the loss of divorce. 10 years after divorce, I can truly attest to that. So just cling to Jesus and let Him protect and guide you.

FOR MORE on this topic, listen to this study on Divorce and Remarriage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSctWjChhVA&list=PLcdRbY7K0PbnKabDfglzzBi17TdcZvpvA&index=14&t=0s

The Paradox of Holy Isolation within Christian Community

Discipleship is a journey of being singled out by the Lord. There will always be this reality known as holy isolation - being set apart for the Lord's pleasure and use. Jesus Himself took part in community, yet was isolated by the Spirit of God for the Father's use.

John 16:32
Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
And we follow in Jesus' footsteps.

2 Timothy 2:19-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Note that seal is that the "Lord knows those who are His." This automatically means that God also knows who AREN"T His, at least, not yet. But for those who ARE HIS, they get that seal. That will lead simultaneously to holy community as well as holy isolation. However, in my years I have discovered that holy isolation is a much longer, more nuanced process that we don't recognize right away. As young Christians, we often get involved in holy community right away, one of the Lord's local churches. This is a good thing! Then, within that context, as with what happened to me, the Lord slowly sets you apart for His pleasure. You are not absent from the community. But mysteriously, you begin to sense you are not with anyone other than the Lord. Yet you ARE INDEED with other believers faithfully and consistently. THAT is how I have experienced holy isolation.

This isolation is not a physical or literal isolation, but it is spiritual in nature. You are saved by Grace through Faith in Christ. (Eph 2:8) And He connects you to the Body by joining you in with one of the body parts, (one of the local churches.) (1 Cor.12)
I am well connected in the community as a pastor and a manager (bivocational ministry). I am a son and a friend. Yet there is this sense -this spiritual reality- of holy isolation I have become very well acquainted with. I am with others, in my proper God-given roles. I love them, bless them, work with them in church, work with them in the marketplace. I love my natural family and spend time with them as often as possible.
 Yet I am somehow set apart. And I feel it. This is a good thing.

There was the time I came out of my hermit shell, and finally started attending a church again - Church On The GO. That was almost 19 years ago... I did it alone, when my family had (at the time) fallen into a Christian hermit mindset. By the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, I was the first in my family to emerge from my shell.

There was the time my CLOSE family (we love each other dearly to this day) finally chose to attend a church again (Praise God), yet ultimately chose a different church than the one I was attending... despite the fact that I was already well established in this one. I am at peace with this as I now see multiple reasons why the Lord allowed my natural family to go to a different church. (One of the main reasons is that God is sanctifying me, setting me apart for HIMSELF.)

There was the time I was abandoned by my non-believing ex-wife. Abandonment led to divorce. God worked all things for good and used it as part of my sanctification process.

There were times when I would lose contact with friends who moved away or had removed themselves from the community. Again, the Lord is setting me apart.

There was the time my dad went home to glory last year and left the rest of us behind (He knew Jesus and is now rejoicing with God in heaven!). I am still here, because God set me apart for God's pleasure and work.

There are those who used to talk to me all the time, and now they tend to minimize their interactions with me in person. Again, no one is to blame here, since no one has wronged anyone else. Certainly, if I had done something wrong, no one has brought it to my attention, or else I would have apologized immediately. So what gives? Why not reply to me?
Well, it's just the Lord working holy isolation and discipleship in my life. God is teaching me not to take these avoidances personally. Instead, God is teaching me by His Spirit to see it as SANCTIFICATION. I am at the local church for God's delight and God's will, not for popularity.

There were times in more recent years when some of my friends and colleagues (Christian and non-Christian) in various marketplace spheres have suddenly blocked me on social media after years of pleasant online interactions. I know these dear people and love them in Jesus. But my human mind could not understand such a bizarre twist of events.

I did not discover the blocks until later, but when I did, it hurt my feelings. I didn't understand why I was "blocked" by them on the social media website.... because I had done nothing to deserve it (and those individuals had NEVER told me otherwise). And I didn't want to confront anyone because I prefer to avoid conflict when it is not needed - plus I did not want to make the other persons feel awkward. After all, it is just a silly social media site. Nothing major.

So there is no one to blame. But my mind still needed answers.

In all these cases, I was initially attempting to make sense of these seemingly senseless situations. I was puzzled. I want to find reasons with my human mind. I kept approaching things from the lower view, the human perspective. THEN..... the Lord called me to HIS perspective, a HIGHER VIEW.

And from this elevated perspective the Lord reminded me of this passage from 2 Timothy... the Lord knows those who are His. He "sanctifies" them (sets them apart). PRAISE GOD that God took these negative or bizzare events and used them to work SANCTIFICATION and DISCIPLESHIP in me!.... It means that I AM HIS! This truly warms my heart and delights my spirit in ways I cannot fully express in words.

PLUS the Holy Spirit has encouraged me to adopt the thinking of Jesus and make it my own statement IN CHRIST:

"Christian friends, colleagues, students, family and spouse may leave me alone, but I am NOT ALONE, for the Heavenly Father is WITH ME through the SPIRIT Christ Jesus!"

And also keep in mind that I do NOT feel lonely because of these things... as I am well connected to the FATHER GOD. And He continues to faithfully connect me to the community both in church and in the marketplace and in my own personal family. This is not a pity party, but a CELEBRATION of sanctification! This sanctification is a life long process and I have only come part way on that journey. The path continues and I know the Lord will continue to lovingly guide me and walk with me and talk with me and sanctify me even more. I look forward to it.

SO.... be encouraged. Ask the Lord to take you to HIS HIGHER perspective. (Read Isa. 55:10-11)

Holy Spirit led Isolation and Holy Spirit-led Community complete each other. It is the seal of Christian discipleship.

It's like the pillars of a building. They are all in one room, yet standing apart from each other.

Rev. 3:12 says:
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

We disciples of Christ on earth are currently in PILLAR TRAINING. We are being taught by the Holy Spirit how to be a reliable, faithful part of God's holy temple, the people of God. We are PILLARS IN TRAINING.

Pillars, by nature, are stable, faithful, and strong, as the Lord has made us to be. But like those pillars, there is still this feeling of isolation that simply comes with the territory of holiness and discipleship. The pillars are needed. But they cannot all be standing in one spot, or else the whole roof falls in. Thus, the pillars are united in purpose, united within community, and yet still isolated individually and set apart for God's purposes. Each pillar must hold up a different part of the same roof.

You cannot stand on your own. One pillar cannot bear the whole load. All the pillars are needed. And you need the power of the Holy Spirit and the direction of the Word of God.

So you cannot stand alone.... But you also cannot do what others are specifically and geographically called to do. Jesus has a special mission for you, a local calling and a ministry hand-picked by the Holy Spirit, for each individual believer. And you carry out this ministry in RELATIONSHIP to Christ. Me, I am a bivocational minister. I am called to Newmarket, ON. with a special anointing to teach the Word of God and to work in local retail as a manager. My passion for the retail workplace is just as strong as my passion to work in the church. They are two equal parts to one holy calling from the Lord. But that's my individual calling. What is yours? How has God called you individually, within the context of holy community?

1 Cor 7:17 says:
"But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches."

When one follows Christ as a disciple, it is an individual journey. Yet you will meet up with others on their journey as well and such meetings will usually happen on a regular basis. There will be congregating, worshiping, prayers together, joint Bible studies, sermons, fellowship, rejoicing, and ministering to others in the Body. There will be friendships and acquaintances. There is love and relationship in the Body.

Yet the isolation remains. And it is a genuine seal or token that you are the Lord's.
Holy isolation within community cannot be faked or forged. It is the Lord alone that causes such a process to develop. Holy isolation does not arise from following rules. It arises from following the Lord by relationship and obedience.

You are one of His chosen vessels. And if any would repent of sin and call on the Name of Jesus, they too can be saved. They can become a vessel of honour. They can experience both Christian community and holy isolation simultaneously. This is my walk with the Lord thus far. And it is beautiful. Every time someone distances themselves from me in person or on facebook, it does hurt a little. BUT then I remind myself that this is what discipleship is like... God forms you into His beautiful and holy image through a LIVING relationship to CHRIST.... in spiritual isolation WITHIN the context of spiritual community in the local churches. Isolation and community are two sides to the same coin. They are the two sides of the scales and balance each other out. They are both holy and both good. Holy isolation is always the product of Christ setting you apart from the world, and even from other family and friends. But it is NOT to be confused with being a hermit who deliberately avoids attending church and never interacts with the world. Holy isolation is not a human endeavour. It's the Lord's hand in your life.

 Holy isolation happens when you re operating within your communities with other people as the Lord has placed you. You are faithfully operating in church and you are faithfully doing His calling in the marketplace. You aren't trying to hide. But God hides you nevertheless. He hides you in plain sight. This sense of holy isolation is PROOF that God loves you and is ALREADY preparing you and using you for a special purpose.

Holy isolation balances Christian community. The scales are balanced in Christ.

And singleness makes this process even more noticeable. Singleness, when focused on the things of the Lord (1 Cor. 7:32) lends itself beautifully to discipleship. No matter what your marital status is though, you all can be a disciple through FAITH in Christ, and OBEDIENCE to the Word of God and to the SPIRIT of God.
God bless!

Pastor Curtis
May 19 2019 Sunday 3:31PM EST

Evidence for Passion/Enthusiasm

THINKING TIME (Based on Acts 18:24-27)

QUESTIONS:

A. Was Apollos ENTHUSIASTIC/PASSIONATE about his work (Preaching the Gospel), or was he INDIFFERENT? (see v25)

B. Knowing his understanding was incomplete in v25, Can his incomplete understanding be used as evidence against his enthusiasm/passion/conviction? (some people in the world think this way).

C. Would Apollos' growth in understanding and ability benefit more from ENTHUSIASM/PASSION in Jesus or from INDIFFERENCE?

See:
Acts 18:24-27 (NKJV)

Ministry of Apollos

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

The conclusion here is that passionate people are not perfect, but they ARE being perfected over time by grace! We will not reach full perfection until the resurrection, but we are still in the PROCESS of BEING perfected in Christ until that time!

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Be sure to reject the world's lie from the devil that you are not passionate about the work you do just because you are not perfect in it yet. We passionate Christians always try to follow the things of the Lord. And we try to work our best in the jobs we do in the marketplace, following Col. 3:23. Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)

23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

And sometimes we honestly fail. Sometimes we have to learn a lesson more than once. But that is not evidence AGAINST your enthusiasm and passion.... that is evidence FOR it! It's that burning drive to "work unto the Lord" and to "get it right the next time" which reveals a person's level of passion/enthusiasm.

Look at Peter, who denied the Lord Three times. He was about as passionate as they come, yet he totally failed Jesus. But look at how Jesus restores Peter after the resurrection. Jesus rekindles that very same passion for God within Peter using a triple enunciation: John 21:15-17 NKJV 15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs. 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Unpassionate/indifferent people give up after the slightest correction. They stop making mistakes because they stop altogether. They never grow or improve or overcome their own challenges because they don't care enough to do so. Sometimes they just stop and take a path of low resistance. They avoid the path that stimulates, even demands, growth. Peter went on to become a powerful minister of the Gospel but also made some more mistakes along the way, as we all do. But he kept learning from those mistakes, repenting, and pressing onward, accepting the Grace of God which makes us sufficient.

Dear Fellow passionate workers, Some people will hurl that hurtful lie at you and try to discourage you. They will say you are not passionate because you fail at times. And they conveniently forget their own shortcomings or overlook your strengths.

Don't let it phase you. Trust in the Lord with all your might, and keep humbly growing in ministry. Keep growing in the workplace. Keep growing in holy relationships. Be humble enough to accept correction in the workplace and in ministry. THAT'S passion. That is what "loving what you do" looks like. If you love who you serve (Jesus) and also what you do, you'll do anything to improve, and you'll keep trying. Passionate people press past their own honest mistakes until they get it RIGHT!

Some people think "passion" is a show of emotion, or an outward appearance or a set of words they say. But it is not those things. Rather, godly passion/enthusiasm is consistent faithful action/obedience.

And even if no one else is paying attention, or noticing you, God is. He loves you, and APPROVES of your growth in Christ. Let His ability work His will in your life! Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

So resist the urge to justify your passion to the doubters. God already knows that you love Him and care about what you do. Just focus on what He is doing in you to grow you and change you for the best! And resist the urge to shrink away or give up. Even the most passionate workers can feel tremendous discouragement. So spend time in prayer with Jesus. Spend time in the Word of God. Let God speak TRUTH to your spirit and minister ENCOURAGEMENT to you where others sought to kill your godly passion with a lie.

Passionate/enthusiastic humble people WANT to learn the things of God more accurately, like Apollos did. Christ is perfecting us, making us more mature... more like Him! And this growth will be reflected at home, at work, at church, and anywhere else you go.

Eph. 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

God Bless!! Pastor Curtis

1:10 am EST Sun May 5 2019