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Friday, August 23, 2013

A Sans-Serif Marriage


In my prayer time today, I heard the words, “sans-serif.” I knew this was a type of font, but I thought it was unusual to enter my thoughts so abruptly and clearly. I felt in my Spirit that there must be some sort of hidden message God wanted to speak to me. I started researching about this style of font online. Sans-serif fonts have become the most prevalent for display of texts on computer screens. The French Word “sans” means “without.” The term “serifs” refers to small projecting features at the end of strokes. If you look at the picture, you can see that in sans serif fonts, the ends are smooth and rounded. Serif fonts have line width variation, whereas sans-serif fonts are consistent without much line variation.
God wants our marriages to be read by others in the sans-serif font. If we want the message of Christ to be easily understood by others, our marriages must boldly stand apart from those of the world. Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes did see my substance, being yet unformed; and in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (KJV, 2000). God wants each marriage to tell a story. Our marriages have the capacity to serve as a divine expression of His heart seamlessly knitted to His bride. God wants each marriage to be an earthly type and shadow of a glorious heavenly relationship. He wants us to love consistently, without variation from day to day.
When we purpose in our hearts to impart grace (unmerited, undeserved favor) to our spouse, it is as if all our “serifs” or prominent shortcomings, weaknesses, and mistakes have been effortlessly erased. As we show grace more consistently, the message will become clear and bold to everyone around you. Interestingly, sans serifs are sometimes used as a device for emphasis due to their typically darker, bolder color. When we emphasize grace rather than offense in our marriage, the message of the Gospel is retraced in our own hearts and visible to others. Romans 5:20 says, “Moreover the law entered that offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” When we become rigid and unforgiving toward our spouse, we are in essence, typing out the message of the law.  
One of the tactics the enemy uses to distort the pure message of Christianity is confusion. I believe the world is confused about Christianity because of the conflicting messages that are daily encountered. A good marriage is not characterized by the absence of offense, but rather the presence of grace. Walking in unity is walking in grace. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” God wants the profession of our beliefs to match the demonstration of our lives. If Jesus did not condemn you, then you have no right to condemn your spouse or yourself for that matter.
Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” As our marriage unfolds, it becomes a testimony to others, reflecting the resurrection power of Christ in your relationship. Each word, each kind gesture, each hug, each kiss, each sacrifice takes on such a greater meaning than you can naturally comprehend.
I pray that God will pen each ordained marriage into living epistles that will bring glory to His name. II Corinthians 3:2-3 says, 2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men: 3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart.” One day the earth and all its contents will be destroyed, but the books that God writes will last forever. How will your marriage read?

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Look at the Moon!

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and the Lord showed me a vision of a waxing crescent moon. He told me when believers face night seasons in their Christian walk, they need to ask Him for a “waxing crescent moon” along their journey until day breaks.

One of the most frustrating experiences is when a seemingly bleak reality sharply contrasts the glowing promises arising from His Word. When we are believing God for a very specific promise, the enemy will inevitably lurk in the shadows of the night, spawning confusion to trouble our minds. It is during these night seasons that we must strategically engage in spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (KJV)

I have learned instead of rebuking the enemy, a much more effective strategy is to meditate on the unchanging promises found in God’s Word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” As His Word is illuminated in our hearts, the revelation begins to bulge in our beings like a waxing crescent moon.

As soft moonlight scatters across the water’s surface to create a glistening pearly path, God wants us to walk in expectant hope that is sealed by His tremendous love for us. Romans 5:5 says, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NKJV) The Holy Spirit, like the moonlight, has the beautiful capacity to soften wrinkles of worry and hush our fussy hearts with a gently lullaby. God wants to lead our darkened souls like steady ships that sail triumphantly into the morning hours. God has an appointed time for breakthrough; He is the One who changes the times and the seasons. When we rest in the assurance that the Author and Perfector of our faith is our First Love, Jesus Christ, even the night season can become glorious.


As we meditate on these illuminated promises, we find our faith growing from glory to glory. We may not see the fullness of their manifestation, but we take heart in spiritual progression and begin to embrace the journey.  We must remember to simply receive His love every time we open the Bible. God does not want us to analyze His promises, but rather metabolize them…digesting them entirely through the capsule of love. Think about studying the moon from a distance, dissecting it scientifically versus gazing the moon through a romantic lens. Although we are commanded to love one another, we must receive His love continually for we cannot give what we do not receive. I John 4:19 says, “We love, because He first loved us.” (NAS). It is His perfect love that plucks us from the midnight and plants us in the morning of new beginnings.