In the same way, if your only source of love and meaning is your spouse, then anytime he or she fails you, it will not just cause grief but a psychological cataclysm. If, however, you know something of the work of the Spirit in your life, you have enough love “in the bank” to be generous to your spouse even when you are not getting much affection or kindness at the moment.
But the gospel, brought home to your heart by the Spirit, can make you happy enough to be humble, giving you an internal fullness that frees you to be generous with the other even when you are not getting the satisfaction you want out of the relationship. Without the help of the Spirit, without a continual refilling of your soul’s tank with the glory and love of the Lord, such submission to the interests of the other is virtually impossible to accomplish for any length of time without becoming resentful.
10 Online Dating "Don'ts" for Men & Women @BoundlessTeam
Lisa Anderson shares Ten Online Dating “Don’ts” for Men:
- Don’t be lazy.
- Don’t post stupid photos.
- Don’t broadcast unrealistic expectations.
- Don’t be vague.
- Don’t preach, judge, share doctrinal treatises or brag about your perceived spiritual maturity.
- Don’t be a downer.
- Don’t ask her for more pictures.
- Don’t “wink.”
- Don’t be impatient.
- Don’t make a lame exit
Read the details in whole article here! Included in the post are also Ten Online Dating “Don’ts” for Women.
Don't Take It from Me: Reasons You Should Not Marry an Unbeliever
Kathy Keller (Tim Keller’s wife) writes:
Over the course of our ministry, the most common pastoral issue that Tim and I have confronted is probably marriages—-either actual or proposed—-between Christians and non-Christians. I have often thought how much simpler it would be if I could remove myself from the conversation and invite those already married to unbelievers do the talking to singles who are desperately trying to find a loophole that would allow them to marry someone who does not share their faith.
That way, I could skip all the Bible passages that urge singles only to “marry in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39 ) and not “be unequally yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14 ) and the Old Testament proscriptions against marrying the foreigner, a worshiper of a god other than the God of Israel (see Numbers 12 where Moses marries a woman of another race but the same faith). You can find those passages in abundance, but when someone has already allowed his or her heart to become engaged with a person outside the faith, I find that the Bible has already been devalued as the non-negotiable rule of faith and practice.
Read the rest here.
We dare not hope to be acceptable with God because of anything good that is in us by nature, or may be infused into us by grace: we are accepted in the Beloved, and apart from him we look not to be found acceptable.
Charles Spurgeon
From a sermon entitled “Salvation By Faith And The Work Of The Spirit,” delivered April 11, 1876.
Source: thedailyspurgeon.com
The gospel that both humbles and lifts us up
That gospel message should both humble and lift the believer up at the same time. It teaches us that we are indeed self-centered sinners. It perforates our illusions about our goodness and superiority. But the gospel also fills us with more love and affirmation than we could ever imagine. It means we don’t need to earn our self-worth through incessant service and work. It means also that we don’t mind so much when we are deprived of some comfort, compliment, or reward. We don’t have to keep records and accounts anymore. We can freely give and freely receive.
Keller, Timothy (2011-11-01). The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 48). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
The AeroPress! I sooo want one of these :).
For the world’s smoothest, richest brews!
It’s only $25.95 @ Amazon!
Source: aerobie.com
And what is that gospel? It is that you are so lost and flawed, so sinful, that Jesus had to die for you, but you are also so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for you. Now you are fully accepted and delighted in by the Father, not because you deserve it but only by free grace.
A "Holy *!&^@#^ $?!*" Quarter for Apple
Remember back in October when after a rare “miss” by Apple (which was only a miss because analysts are stupid and lazy), the early signs pointed to the potential of a $40 billion quarter? Some thought that was insane given that Apple had never even had a $30 billion quarter before. Well, turns out that projection was a little insane — insanely low.
It’s a number so insane that it even destroys the $42.76 billion blow-out “whisper” number.
As for the early projections of 34 million iPhones sold — which again, some people thought were crazy — also low. Try 37 million.
But hey, Android is winning, right?
As for the other numbers. 15.43 million iPads. A record. 5.2 million Macs. A record. 15.4 million iPods. Not a record, but no surprise — this is the age of the iPhone.
Net quarterly profit was $13.06 billion. Again, holy shit.
That stock you were an idiot for selling after aforementioned “miss”? Up 10% now in after-hours trading, well past $460 a share. By far an all-time high, pushing Apple’s market cap well past $400 billion.
Apple now has $97.6 billion in cash.
I’ll be listening to the call at 2PM PT and posting some follow-up thoughts on TechCrunch. Stay tuned.
Source: parislemon
A servant puts someone else’s needs ahead of his or her own. That is how all believers should live with each other. And if all believers are to serve each other in this way, how much more intentionally and intensely should husbands and wives have this attitude toward one another?
