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“Divorce Is Vacating Our Redeemer's Creational Earmark! (D.I.V.O.R.C.E)”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

“But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:6-9 NIV)

APPROACH QUESTION:
"What is your personal view on divorce?"

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what are cause-effect relationships I see in this passage?
BECAUSE at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female', the EFFECT should be 3 fold:
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother.
For this reason a man will be united to his wife.
For this reason the two will become one flesh.

BECAUSE they are no longer two, but one, the EFFECT should be therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself what are Jesus' statements in reference to and the significance of that?
Jesus' statements are in regards to the Pharisees questioning Jesus regarding divorce after a marriage according to ref Mark 10:2-5.  Jesus wanted the Pharisees to know that marriage should be for a lifetime because it is God who has joined male and female together therefore man should not separate the joining of male and female together. In other words, this puts a dent in the whole concept of  wanting to get a divorce even though divorce is permitted according to man. Jesus wanted the Pharisees to know that the sanctity of marriage is not about what a man or woman wants to do but what God has already done in the marriage of bringing two together to make them one flesh. What God has joined together, Jesus wants it to remain that way.

APPLICATION:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life here?
The implications for my own life are that when I am married in the Lord's timing, I am married because it is the Lord that joined me and her together. It is the Lord's doing and not mine because when God created male and female, He created them for that purpose, to be united in one and have fellowship with one another becoming one flesh. The sanctity of marriage between man and woman is because God has ordained marriage from the beginning of creation and we are to be good stewards of it. Being a good steward for me means letting marriage be how the Lord wants it to be which is for a lifetime. This also means loving my significant other when married as much as I love myself. But more than that remembering that God should be the center of the marriage and relationship forever because He is the initiator. Making God the center of a marriage will avoid questions such as what if adultery is committed, what if there is abuse in the marriage, etc. In Scripture, there are only very rare reasons for getting a divorce that is approved by the Lord because of humanity's wicked heart and that has to do with infidelity but even then that should be a last, last, resort as forgiveness is emphasized a lot. So when I am about to marry, I need to be very careful who I marry because once the marriage happens, God wants it to be for a lifetime. There is no turning back.....

To be continued.....

I ask you now dear friend, why D.I.V.O.R.C.E the one you marry in life?
Dear friend, if there was any time a divorce should have happened, it should have happened in the Garden of Eden when Eve ate the forbidden fruit and then encouraged Adam to eat it. Because of Eve and Adam's actions, both suffered and sin came into this world. Adam blamed Eve for all the consequences stating if it were not for Eve this never would have happened without taking personal responsibility. After that, all kinds of problems developed within the marriage where they realized their own shame and nakedness and tried to hide from God, where they were banished from the Garden of Eden, where they had to toil to make a living, where Eve bore children in pain, where Eve lost one of her son's to a sibling murder. Eventually, all humanity faced death. And yet, we do not hear about Adam and Eve divorcing each other.

But, what we learn from the fall is that God established the sanctity of marriage from the beginning without any strings attached. Even sin was not a reason for divorce. God did not see Adam and Eve's actions to be a cause for at-fault divorce to be separated from one another. God joined them together and God was not going to separate them even though they brought sin into this world. Instead of separating them in their sinfulness for their actions, God did something so profound.

Because of their actions, when they saw their nakedness, they felt shame for the first time and hid from God. But, God found them, had a dialogue with them, told them the consequences they & humanity would face, and then clothed them with garments of skin. God did not divorce Adam & Eve from Himself.

For the first time, God had sacrificed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve from their nakedness. This was the first sacrifice recorded. This would foreshadow what God would do for humanity when Jesus Christ came into this world and became the sacrificial Lamb of God. Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God without any blemish sacrificed Himself on the cross, shedding His precious cleansing blood so that we could be clothed in His righteousness when we turn our lives over to Him as He came back on the 3rd day to save. Jesus did that to cover our shame and nakedness of sin with His clothing of Righteousness, covering us with His precious blood as we yield to Him. Now when God looks at us, we will never be divorced from God but His judgment will Passover us when we accept what Jesus Christ did for us because when God sees us now He sees Christ's righteousness covering over us. So, we will never be divorced from God.

If Adam and Eve, stayed together with everything they went through, and God ordained their staying together instead of letting them have a divorce, what gives us the right to fight for divorce or promote it. It should not!

Yet, divorces happen and they happen so frequently breaking the sanctity of marriage and family. This is so sad! To those who are contemplating divorce, do not do it because it is not of God and there are painful consequences. To those who have already divorced, if you can get back together, take that opportunity to do it. To those who it is not possible to be remarried with the same person, there is grace available even through the consequences.

God who clothed Adam and Eve in their shame and nakedness is the same God who loves you and cares for you even though you have been involved in a divorce where you are the initiator. If it already happened, ask the Lord for forgiveness, for He will forgive you and put you on the right path. Repent before the Lord acknowledging that you have broken His covenant that you were supposed to keep and let Him bring healing and restoration to your life.

Adam and Eve were living in guilt-ridden shame in their nakedness because of their actions but God did not leave them there to suffer forever. He still interacted with them, making them see the consequences of their actions which is the LAW & JUSTICE part but also let them experience HIS GRACE when He clothed them with skin from  sacrificing an animal.

God wants to clothe you right now whatever shame and nakedness you are dealing with. Yes, He does friend. He wants to clothe you with His love and grace despite your guilt. You may not even be dealing with the issue of divorce but it maybe some other issue that has brought you shame and guilt.

As long as you hide from the One who alone can restore you and give you new life and a new beginning you will live in that shame and guilt. It will rule your life and make you joyless as Pastor Ed likes to emphasize. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about living a guilt-ridden life because the One who was nailed to the cross was nailed there so He can take all our guilt no matter what we have done or where we have been.

Taking divorce as an example, if you were the initiator of the divorce, let the Lord's grace restore you to a new beginning in Him. If you are a child of divorced parents and blame yourself somehow for what happened, let His grace free you again. His grace is available for all reasons and it is not based on what good we have done because grace is not something anyone can buy. His grace is given because of His love for us.

Imagine that friend that even though Adam and Eve sinned and realized their shame and nakedness, God did not leave them like that but in His love and grace for them, He clothed them with skin. He wants to clothe you too but with Christ's cleansing blood to cover over your shame and guilt. Jesus paid the price that you and I can never repay. It is in Him we have redemption and grace not because of what we can ever do but because of how much He loves us. Jesus died for our sins and then came back to life on the 3rd day to save to all who would come to Him. He has offered His free gift of grace for our eternal Salvation but also for our sanctified living here and now.

Yes friend, no matter what you have done or where you have been, you are never out of His love and never out of His reach. He loves you as you are and will accept you not for what you will bring Him but what He brings to you: His Abundant Grace to sanctify your life daily by His transforming grace.

As Pastor Ed preached at Oakland International Fellowship yesterday, when we are surrounded by God's grace and experience that grace in the light of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really about, we will get away from the performance treadmill and guilt-ridden life. Instead in Christ alone and turning to Him alone, we will experience His Holy Spirit in our lives which will yield the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, meekness, faithfulness, and self-control in its season.

That can only happen when you and I realize our own worthlessness before the Lord and see the shame and guilt of our lives that He alone can fix, for Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. We cannot ever fix ourselves for no matter how much perfection we strive for, we will fail. That's the reason for many divorces too.

People use the excuse, 'that our marriage is not perfect anymore'. How true that is! We are imperfect beings who will have an imperfect marriage who are in need of a Savior who can work in us and through us as we make Him the Lord and Savior of our lives. He wants to be our Master. Let us yield to Him so our marriages, our careers, etc can be lived in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

To know how to live a Gospel centered life can be found in God's instruction manual the Bible but to live it we need His sanctifying grace to make it a reality in our daily living. We need to ask His help daily and make Him the center of our lives.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus and what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really about, we will find joy, humility, and courage to move on in life as Pastor Ed time after time reminded me. We can only be moving on with those characteristics because we will experience the One who knows all about joy, humility, and courage.

So friend, as we reflect on physical divorce and spiritual divorce, whoever you will marry in life, should be someone that the Lord has ordained and approved because the sanctity of marriage is for a lifetime and should involve the Lord Himself since He is the One who created male and female and He is the One that takes credit for joining man and woman together to make them one. If God is the One who joins man and woman together as Scripture states then He alone has the right to break that covenant not man and woman.

So, the sanctity of marriage is not something to be taken lightly at all and done on a whim. The word DIVORCE should never ever enter as an option when you are about to marry thinking, 'Oh, if it does not work out, I can always divorce the person' HOGWASH!

Only marry the one you can make a covenant before God and your significant other that it will really be UNTIL DEATH DO US APART.

Don't break that covenant what come may. It was made before God for a lifetime and it should remain that way through the think and the thin. If you think you did not involve God in the process and got married, then that still is no excuse for initiating a divorce on your part. Don't let that be a loophole.

Also, it is sad to hear people say that 'I prayed about it and have peace about it so I am going through with the divorce.' God will not violate His Word and He does not like divorce. What God has joined together, no man/woman has a right to separate.

Whatever reasons you may have to be tempted to promote divorce in a marriage no matter how much you can rationalize it, it will not compare to when the first divorce should have happened. Yet, in that situation God showed grace from making divorce a reality. He wants you and I to learn from His example. As stated before, if divorce already happened, there is forgiveness and grace still available. If divorce has not happened, don't go that path!

Saving Grace, Transforming Race!
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Jesus is His Name!
Eternally, for us He came!
Saving us is His aim
Using His saving grace
So we run a transforming race!
 

May you come to experience the love of Christ shown through His grace for you to run a transforming race!

"Divorce Is Vacating Our Redeemer's Creational Earmark!(D.I.V.O.R.C.E)"/"Why D.I.V.O.R.C.E the one you marry in life?"

Friend, if you want to give your life to Christ right now and get away from your guilt-ridden feelings, shame, and sin that separates you from God, His forgiveness and grace is available to you right now! Yes, it is friend! Oh yes it is. Friend, you are never out of His love and never out of His reach! Make this your prayer.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I learned about how you are against divorce and want man and woman who are married to be one and let no man separate. I also learned about Adam and Eve and how you helped them deal with their shame and guilt. When they messed up in their marriage, you did not promote divorce. If anything, you helped them deal with their shame and guilt by bringing outside intervention which came from you in the form of animal skin. Oh Lord, then I learned how Jesus became my sacrificial Lamb of God to clothe me in my own shame and nakedness because of things I have done in my own life. Thank you so much God that you love me so much that you have not left me in my sin just as you did not leave Adam and Eve to remain hidden. I know there are consequences for sin because of your justice but I also learned that there is grace available in you and you alone. I thank you for that grace you showed Adam and Eve. Thank you for that same grace you want to show me because of your love for me God. You showed that grace to me through Jesus Christ. So, now I thank you for that and want to experience the grace that can only come from you Jesus. Please Jesus take me as I am and fill me with your forgiveness. Cover me in your precious cleansing blood to clothe me so when God looks at me right now, He will not see my sin but see you covering me with your perfection and righteousness so your righteousness will be imputed to me. Now Oh Lord, I can know that God's judgment will Passover me. I thank you for that. I love you Jesus. Thank you for paying the price that I could not pay. You foreshadowed with Adam and Eve, what you would do for me. Thank you Jesus. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior and am so sorry for all my sin. I confess all my sin filled with shame and guilt to you so you can take it and bury it as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for blotting out my sin. Come into my heart Jesus and please make my heart your home to live in me by your Holy Spirit. When you live in me, please guide me and lead me by your Holy Spirit so I can experience the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sin and for beginning the transformation in my life as you now reside in me. That is so amazing to know. Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Personal Savior. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and have answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May you experience the POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION this day, and give Him the LOCKED areas of your life too so you can experience His PEACE as you become an ACTOR in the film called LIFE being directed by your DIRECTOR, JESUS CHRIST who comes to give JOY and PEACE.

If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart. You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.

Dear Jesus, I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross and shed your blood. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your love using your Blood to redeem all humanity that comes to you. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. I want you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in Your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Thank you for saving me. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation.  In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help! But beware of churches who do believe in the Word of God completely but there is no freedom in Christ but legalism involved.

As a professional, it is not too late to join a church! As a student, it is not too late to join a fellowship on campus this  new year of 2010! May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His love now and forever! Amen!

Friend, if you have prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave you nor forsake you! Amen!

Spend time in His word and let the Lord speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through.  Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in Bible LIVE Eternally!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-641-9426

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Love in Christ,
Ramesh

Express Your View

 2010 DEVOTIONALS:

"What do you do with what is P.E.R.M.I.T.T.E.D in your life?" (Feb 20, 10, 10:08 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

"How will you be someone's V.A.L.E.N.T.I.N.E using 16?" (Feb 13, 10,  12:16 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

"Who do you become an A.T.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N to and why?" (Feb 05, 10, 9:43 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

"How can you be a S.A.L.T in someone's life today?" (Feb 04, 10, 11:27 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

"What do you help your friends E.S.C.A.P.E from?" (Feb 03, 10, 12:30 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

"Why bother with H.E.L.L in life?" (Feb 02, 10, 2:39 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

"When are you planning to cut your hand, foot, or eye to escape Hell?"" (Feb 01, 10, 1:41 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

 "Why heed Jesus' W.A.R.N.I.N.G in your life?" (Jan 30, 10, 12:41 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy