Bumpy Relationship? 7-30-13

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud.” Rom. 12:16

We Cleary’s have been helping out with a marriage conference, recently hosting a “couples adventure night” at the house. What a blessing. ~In talking with different individuals, it’s evident that every significant relationship in our lives is going to have “bumps”. But what appears to separate the good from the sad is in how we handle these bumps and grow (or not) in personal character.

God's ideals vs. the world’s ideals in marriage:

The world tells us marriage is about individual happiness here and now.

God tells us marriage, (the earthly “picture” of Christ and His bride), is about an individual’s holiness now and into eternity.

Pastor Evans says, “Society says marriage is about finding the right person. God tells us marriage is about being the right kind of person.”

Are you currently experiencing a bumpy relational road? Rather than continuing to pursue personal autonomy and rights, which ends with a 50+% divorce statistic, why not give God’s approach a try?

Two practical ideas that have worked for couples (and teens!) in disagreement:

Allow the person requesting “space” to have space (no disrespecting him/her by chasing after him/her just because you want harmony NOW.) ~Yet, with a respectful words and disposition, designate another time to meet to discuss.

Write down thoughts, and some time pass while praying over the situation and persons (self included) before adjusting wording as the Spirit leads. Then discuss written thoughts with the other person at the “agreed to” time.

Why don’t we scrap our egos, lose ourselves in loving and caring for one another, (“submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” Eph. 5:21), and gain the promises that won’t disappoint? (2 Pet. 1:3-4; 2 Cor. 7:1)

In this thing together! Christ’s coming for His bride soon…may we be ready for Him.

Much love, ~Shaun and Betsy

Unequaled Power 7-23-13

“He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Eph. 3:20

Do you want to experience more power in life?

If yes, let’s explore how:

2Pet. 1:3 His divine power (Virtue) hath given unto us all things that (pertain) unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him

that hath called us to glory and virtue.

Virtue: dü'-nä-mēs means strength power, ability, influence and resources residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, which a person or thing exerts and puts forth; moral power and excellence of soul

virtue: ä-re-tā' means a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; moral       goodness; any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity

2Pet. 1:3 tells us that God’s virtue, His power pertaining to all things in life,

has been given to all Believers.

How do we tap into this power?  …Through purposeful intent and training.

2Pet. 2:3-10 tells us that will we experience more and more of His power as we grow   in:

*Godliness (reverence and respect towards God)

*Knowledge (deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge of Jesus)

*Temperance (self-control…the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites)

*Patience (the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith, steadfastness, constancy)

*Brotherly kindness (cherish one another)

*Charity (affection, benevolence: the desire to do good to others)

In short, we will experience more and more of God’s power in direct proportion to

our reverence, respect, and knowledge of Him;

our cherishing others out of our love for Him;

and our mastery of “self-control” out of loyalty to Him.

Furthermore, as we train ourselves to bring every area of our lives into harmony with the Spirit’s life in us, we receive “a bonus”. In addition to increased power and influence, we become the “aroma of Christ”, exhibiting virtues characteristic of Jesus, becoming His loving, healing, tangible hands and feet. (2Cor. 2:15)

His is coming for us so soon. May we be ready!  Much love, ~Shaun and Betsy

Society vs. Almighty 7-8-13

“You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men,

but God knows your hearts.

What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”

Lk. 16:15

What’s “highly valued” in today’s society?

Let’s look at a few societal ideals and contrast them with what God values:

Society: outward beauty and youth   

God: inward beauty and maturity (1Pet. 3:3; Matt. 23:27-28; Eph. 4:13-14)

Society: personal power

God: Spirit’s power and influence  (1Cor. 2:14; Acts 1:18; Rom. 15:13; Jn. 16:12-15)

Society: tolerance for anything and everything

God: love the person; hate the sin  (Rom. 12:9; 1 Cor. 13:6; 1Jn. 2:3-6; Mk. 12:30-31)

Society: calling evil good and good evil

God: good is good, evil is evil   (Is. 5:20-21; Jn. 3:20-21; Rom. 12:9; 3Jn. 1:11)

Society: ends justify the means

God: the “means matters” and we will give an account  (Heb. 4:13; Phil. 3:18)

Society: self-promotion and exaltation

God: a humble self-prospective (Lk. 18:14; Gal. 6:4-5; Jms. 4:6; Ps. 147:6; Is. 66:2)

Society: love of money

God: love of God and His perspectives regarding this world  (1 Tim. 6:10; Matt. 6:24)

Society: pleasure at all cost

God: following Jesus at all cost, trusting in His promises of blessing both today and through eternity (Phil. 2:21; Dt. 28; Jn. 10:10)

“A message from God concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.” Ps. 36:1-4

Dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. (Ps. 22:28; Ps. 33:12)

Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Pour out Your unfailing love on those who love You; give justice to those with honest hearts. (Ps. 36: 5 & 10)              Amen.  ~Shaun and Betsy

Witch to Christ 7-1-13

"How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked?” Ps. 82:2

“Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice.”

Is. 59:15

The deception is upon us. (2 Thess. 2: 11-12)

In a culture that embraces and honors relativism, there is this absolute: Jn. 3:16-21

“God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the Light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the Light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

A friend who is searching for God recently wrote us this:

“I've always believe there is truth in All religions and that spiritual contentment,

in whatever form, is whatever feeds our soul.”

In this particular situation, our response had to be short and to the point.

We answered:

“There is truth in all religions. This is because there is only ONE God; the devil knows this fact, and so he mixes truth with lie, making "it" palatable to the human psyche. ~Just as the devil deceived Eve by slightly misquoting God causing her to question God (Genesis 3), he continues to use partial truths to deceive man today. There are only 2 religions: man reaching to God and God reaching to man.

Jesus says, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.’” (Jn. 4: 6)

This week, after a more lengthy discussion, we were privileged to lead

this person, a present-day witch, to Christ's joyous freedom. Praise You Jesus!

The deception is upon us. “With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching. … May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.” 2 Thess. 2: 11-17

May God bless and protect us as we “live and love” this week.  ~Shaun and Betsy

Is Everything Negotiable? 6-24-13

“You are in error because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.”  Matt. 22:29

The Bible is full of black, white and grey areas (the plumb line to a blessed LIFE here and eternity). If we truly seek truth and the power of God, then we’re prudent NOT to do the blacks, to DO the whites, and to use great discernment with the greys.

The tragic flaw in society today is there is no plumb line, everything is negotiable, and the term “love” is a cheap imitation of the real thing. (E.g.: If we allow our child to do anything he or she wants anytime he or she wants, any way he or she wants, is this real love? Some would argue yes...but what’s evidenced in real life results?)

We propose this: If I call something that is not loving, loving, I do a disservice to my affected friend(s)… And in reality, I’m not truly loving this other(s) at all.

Example of biblical love in action:

When Shaun and Betsy were dating, an unwed couple came to us for advice.

They were pregnant; she wanted to abort the baby, he wanted to keep the baby. After she left our get-together, this “manly man” was moved to a lake of tears. In between sobs, he described himself as a Believer who had “saved himself”… until “this once”, and now… he had a baby on the way. Then he proceeded to explain his torment and tears:

He was “a surprise pregnancy that was kept”, then raised alone by his teenage mom. His very life was a miracle. …And now, his girlfriend was facing the same decision his mom did, but his girlfriend was about to make a dreadfully different choice.

Shaun and Betsy’s response? We loved them before, and we loved them after, but during the abortion and few days following, we could not “love on” the girl the way she sought to be loved on. ~She wanted us to agree with and support her decision. We could not. But this did NOT mean that we did not love her.

Proof of genuine love?  She was a bridesmaid in our wedding party, and a couple years later, Betsy was one of her bridesmaids.

Oh may we remember, “It is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2Cor. 10:18) May we be continually alert, for just as Eve was deceived (Gen. 3), our minds may too be corrupted or led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ to “what’s politically popular” today. (Eph. 6:18; 1Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 11:3).

May we be found like Daniel who although he lived and loved others amidst a pagan society, he resolved not to defile himself with their ways or their philosophies. (Dan. 1:8) Why does this matter? Because God tells us that this is how it will be at the end of the age when the angels come and separate the wicked from the righteous. (Matt. 13:49)

Living for Him this crazy week. Much love, ~Shaun and Betsy

Loving and Living Boldly in Jesus 6-17-13

The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love Me.

I will protect those who trust in My Name. When they call on Me,

 I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.

 I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life

and give them My salvation." Ps. 91:14-16

This world is so very full of angst and anxiety…and so unnecessarily!

Uncertainty is part of the reality of this fallen world, yet our response to this uncertainty need not be fear, worry or an anxious heart.

If we truly believe and trust in Jesus and His promises to us, then we will own a radically different response to unavoidable adversities in life. Whether it be facing a deadly enemy, trying to “make the team” or “pass the test”, uncertainty about ability to pay the rent, a predicament with a loved one, or a cataclysmic event,

Jesus commands us not to fret…not be anxious about anything. (Phil. 4:6)

How are we doing?

Despite the storms in life, Jesus tells us be of good cheer (Mk. 6:50)

How’s it going with this one?

If we truly trust Jesus, then we can rejoice in the confidence that our Heavenly Daddy ever looks upon us and personally confronts each of our uncertainties. (Ps. 91:14-16)

Remember, God’s joy is based on His character, His hope, and His promise, through His Spirit living in us, not our human emotion.

Is our behavior reflecting trust or distrust?

God views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. Jb. 28:24

Rest assured, as our world grows darker and darker, nothing is catching God off-guard.

So when tempted to worry, allow the Spirit to govern your mind,

and experience life and peace. Rom. 8:6

Loving and living boldly in Jesus this week, He is so worthy.

Shaun and Betsy

Overcome Evil with Good 6-3-13

“Rend your heart.” Joel 2:13

A year from now, our youngest leaves for college. In some ways, because of her maturity, it seems she’s moving onward tomorrow, which makes the whole process feel like a big bandage slowly being pulled off hair by hair. ~Even though we parents recognize this progression as healthy and necessary, at times we want to say, “Enough already, we know what’s coming, just pull it off in one tug!”

This is a similar sentiment so many of us are experiencing with our beloved USA. We’ve cherished “our God-centered nation”, and unlike our budding daughter, she’s disastrously being altered; an evolution that is neither healthy nor necessary.

God has clearly articulated what is going to ensue on the world’s stage in the final days. **Physically, morally and spiritually, all is happening according to plan (e.g.: Is.17; Ps. 83; Matt. 24). **The birth pains are getting closer together and more intense. **We’re fast approaching similarities of Hosea’s day, where, “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds.” Hs. 4:1-2

Amidst the pain of “this” bandage being pulled off hair by hair, many Believers are saying, “Enough already, we know what’s coming, just pull it off in one tug!”

But God says...  “To every thing there is a season,

 And a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Eccl. 3:1

So, let’s take comfort knowing that God is batting 1000, meaning:

To date, God has a PERFECT prophetic record and He’s in COMPLETE control.

What to do when overwhelmed? God gives us this advice:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:21

“Good” meaning that which is upright, honorable, excellent, joyful, pleasant, of good constitution or nature (e.g.: Abide in Jesus, then, in what could appear “internal and external righteous rebellion”, obey Jesus. In love, stand against this world’s life-sucking philosophies, powers, and propaganda).

For, similar to an age gone by, God says:  

“Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!

On the Day of Reckoning they will all be destroyed…God is no idol!

He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, His own special possession.

The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is His name!

…Pack your bags and prepare to leave; the siege is about to begin.” Jer. 10:15-17

He’s coming for us soon. May we rend our hearts today!

Much love, ~Shaun and Betsy