Our sexuality and our spirituality are connected. Our sexuality is made in the image of the most spiritual being in the universe. Genesis 1:27 Complete Jewish Bible says, "So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them."
Spirituality and sexuality are not meant to be separated in God's design. One of God's qualities is faithfulness. Faithfulness is spiritual and sexual for both singles and married people.
Denzel and Pauletta Washington are faithful Christians. They have also been faithfully married to each other for more than 30 years and have parented four children. Denzel Washington says, "Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life."
God designed spouses to be friends because He is our friend. Good friends seek to make each other better. A good friend does not want to betray us. Joyce Meyer and Dave Meyer have been married for more than 40 years. Joyce says in her teaching "Faithfulness" that neither she nor Dave have been sexually unfaithful to each other throughout their marriage.
A Tsonga African proverb says, "A beautiful person will not be perfect." A faithful Christian will not always be perfectly faithful. A spiritually mature Christian will be habitually faithful.
Life circumstances will arise that test our sexual faithfulness in various ways. In many cultures people are taught to prefer man-on-top sexual intercourse and also taught that something is wild and wicked with a preference for woman-on-top sexual intercourse. Some people teach that Deborah's leadership of the Israelites is inherently inferior because she is a woman! The masculinity of Lappidoth, Deborah's husband, has been questioned. So has the femininity of Deborah.
Some people are afraid of sexuality. China has a one-child policy where boys and girls are routinely killed through forced abortions and people are routinely, involuntarily sterilized. Since the implementation of China's one-child policy more than 330 million people have lost their lives through abortion; that's more people than the combined total number of people in the United States of America and Australia. Those who attempt to defy the one-child policy are severely penalized. Chen Guangcheng and Yuan Weijing are a married couple who suffered house arrest and torture for years because Guangcheng, a blind, self-taught lawyer, brought a 2005 class-action lawsuit against forced abortions and forced sterilizations. The U.S. negotiated a deal with China to get him out of China. However, the Chen family is still being persecuted. Guangcheng's nephew, Chen Kegui, is in jail and is being denied medical treatment for appendicitis. Freedom Now, a human rights group, has written an April 29, 2013, letter to the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on Torture seeking to get Kegui to a hospital and out of jail.
What do you do when a spouse becomes severely sick, imprisoned or something else that hinders and even prevents sexual relations, other contact and conversation? Some commit adultery, the faithful draw closer to God and godly people. Naghmeh Abedini has been separated from her husband, Pastor Saeed Abedini for 224 days. Through http://www.savesaeed.org she wrote him the following letter for his May 7th birthday:
"My dearest friend and soul mate Saeed,
As you turn 33 today, I am reminded of the previous years that we have celebrated this very special day together. Our house was always so full of joy and laughter as we rejoiced the day that you were born.
Yet today, there is a deep piercing pain in my heart knowing that you will spend your birthday in solitary confinement, constrained to a small room, not knowing when it is day or night. Under constant torture and abuse by radicals who are trying to break you and have you deny your faith in Jesus.
With tightness in my throat, pain in my heart, and tears streaming down my face...so very weak, I promise to stand strong in the strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fighting with every strength of my being until you are united to our family again.
I will be a voice, where you are being silenced. I will be hands and feet where you are being bound and in chains. That the whole world would know, that the whole world would hear that Jesus is Lord.
We are so proud of you. Hang in there. Hold on tight to Jesus. You have many brothers and sisters praying for you and standing with you.
Love
Naghmeh"
Be faithful like Naghmeh Abedini and continue to write to Pastor Saeed Abedini and to sign the petition at http://www.savesaeed.org to help free Pastor Abedini from Evin prison in Tehran, Iran.
God the Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us even while we were His enemies, and He never abandons His creyentes (believers). His creyentes are His spouse. He is a faithful Husband for eternity to singles and married people.
George Washington Carver was a single man who never married. He was faithful and showed his love for God and people through relationships and service through his work as an educator, scientist and speaker. He refused to leave his work at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Carver said, "My work is a great publicity asset for the school and for my race." (George Washington Carver by John Perry.)
God refuses to give up on creyentes when we die, divorce, engage in same-sex relations, living together and other sexual relationships outside of marriage. God's faithfulness is stronger than death and sin. The faithful diligently seek love no matter life circumstances. Booker Taliaferro Washington was born an African American slave who became a Christian, a speaker, an author, an educator and a leader. He also married twice and both wives died. Washington's desire for love did not die. He married a third time. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela also married two times before his marriage to his current sweetheart, Graca Machel, who he married on his 80th birthday. It is possible to have same-sex attraction and not engage in same-sex sexual relationships. Christopher Yuan, a professor at Moody Bible Institute, speaker and author, says, "I left homosexuality because I found something better, and His name is Jesus."
Showing posts with label Booker T. Washington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Booker T. Washington. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Money and Friends
"In James 4:3, the Bible says we pray for blessings and don't get them because we've asked with evil, selfish motives. We want the blessing to be for ourselves exclusively. Instead, let's ask God to bless us so we can be a greater blessing. We might say, "God, bless me. Do something amazing in my finances. Get me to the point where I can buy somebody a car. Get me to the point, God, where if need be, I could rent an apartment for someone who doesn't have one and pay the rent for a year until she gets on her feet." Wouldn't that be wonderful? Or you might pray, "Help me, God, to be able to buy furniture for a family who doesn't have any. Help me be able to take them to a furniture store and just say, 'Here's your budget; pick out a house full of furniture.'" writes international, practical Bible teacher Joyce Meyer in her book Joy Redefined Loving Others.
God is not against people having pleasure. God desires that creyentes (believers) give and receive pleasure. George Washington Carver worked for Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee Institute. They were both committed to helping people, especially African Americans. Washington died before Carver. Carver gave one year's salary to Booker T. Washington's memorial fund. Carver says about this generous gift, "It was a sacrifice in one way but a blessed privilege in another."
Unbelievers recognize the pleasure of giving. Meng was the prime minister of King Qin in ancient China. Meng sent his advisor Feng out to collect debts. Feng forgave all the loans of villagers saying he was doing it on orders from Meng. At first Meng was mad, but one year later Meng was merry for Meng had trouble on the job and had to return to his home village. People were glad to see him and welcomed him. Meng praised Feng.
Use money to make friends. Jesus Christ says in Luke 16:9 Biblia Bilingue Version Reina-Valera 1960, "Y yo os digo: Ganad amigos por medio de las riquezas injustas, para que cuando estas falten, os reciban en las moradas eternas." "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (Bilingual Bible New King James Version.) Luke 16:9 New Living Translation Bible says, "Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home."
What are some compassionate, creative and committed ways you have used money to make friends?
God is not against people having pleasure. God desires that creyentes (believers) give and receive pleasure. George Washington Carver worked for Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee Institute. They were both committed to helping people, especially African Americans. Washington died before Carver. Carver gave one year's salary to Booker T. Washington's memorial fund. Carver says about this generous gift, "It was a sacrifice in one way but a blessed privilege in another."
Unbelievers recognize the pleasure of giving. Meng was the prime minister of King Qin in ancient China. Meng sent his advisor Feng out to collect debts. Feng forgave all the loans of villagers saying he was doing it on orders from Meng. At first Meng was mad, but one year later Meng was merry for Meng had trouble on the job and had to return to his home village. People were glad to see him and welcomed him. Meng praised Feng.
Use money to make friends. Jesus Christ says in Luke 16:9 Biblia Bilingue Version Reina-Valera 1960, "Y yo os digo: Ganad amigos por medio de las riquezas injustas, para que cuando estas falten, os reciban en las moradas eternas." "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (Bilingual Bible New King James Version.) Luke 16:9 New Living Translation Bible says, "Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home."
What are some compassionate, creative and committed ways you have used money to make friends?
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Estas loco! (Are You Crazy!)
A Chinese proverb says, "Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes." One great soul, George Washington Carver said, ". . . It has always been the one great ideal of my life . . . to be of the greatest good to the greatest number of my people."
Carver was born of slave parents in the 1860's on a plantation in Missouri. Carver taught himself to read. Although he won a scholarship to attend Highland University, when he showed up for school, Highland refused Carver admission because he was black. This set-back did not stop Carver from furthering his educating.
Another black man, Booker Taliaferro Washington, saw the bounteous ability in Carver who had been doing research at Iowa Agricultural College after 1891.
Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, sent Carver a letter in 1896 asking Carver to work at the Tuskegee Institute as the head of its Agriculture Department. Susan Altman writes in her book, Extraordinary Black Americans From Colonial To Contemporary Times, "At Tuskegee, Carver developed a system of crop rotation. He planted a legume crop (such as peanuts, which replenish minerals in the soil) one year, followed by a crop of cotton the next year. Its purpose was to keep the soil rich and improve the harvest. This system became so successful that an oversupply of peanuts resulted. Carver responded by coming up with more than two dozen uses for them. Soon, farmers were making more money raising peanuts than harvesting cotton."
"Whatever you are, be a good one," said former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, encouraging border states to outlaw slavery, helped push through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which finally freed all the slaves nationwide in December 1865, led the United States through the American Civil War preserving the Union and battled periods of depression. In addition to his crop-rotation system Carver invented more than 300 products from the peanut and more than 100 products from the sweet potato.
Carver received job offers from famous and accomplished people like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford says Altman. Carver rejected these offers. Some may have told Carver something like, "Estas loco!" (You are crazy!)."
Money was not the primary motivator of Carver's life. Carver is a Christian who was committed to God and the advancement of people, especially African Americans.
Carver worked 47 years for Washington, who was freed from African-American slavery as a boy and rose to becoming an educator, speaker, author and to the top of African-American leadership during Jim Crow segregation.
"Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible," said Carver.
"The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge," says Proverbs 18:15 Amplified Bible.
Carver prized and practiced seeking and sharing education all his life. God makes each person unique. Everyone has something to share. Romans 12:13 Complete Jewish Bible says, "Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality."
Carver was born of slave parents in the 1860's on a plantation in Missouri. Carver taught himself to read. Although he won a scholarship to attend Highland University, when he showed up for school, Highland refused Carver admission because he was black. This set-back did not stop Carver from furthering his educating.
Another black man, Booker Taliaferro Washington, saw the bounteous ability in Carver who had been doing research at Iowa Agricultural College after 1891.
Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, sent Carver a letter in 1896 asking Carver to work at the Tuskegee Institute as the head of its Agriculture Department. Susan Altman writes in her book, Extraordinary Black Americans From Colonial To Contemporary Times, "At Tuskegee, Carver developed a system of crop rotation. He planted a legume crop (such as peanuts, which replenish minerals in the soil) one year, followed by a crop of cotton the next year. Its purpose was to keep the soil rich and improve the harvest. This system became so successful that an oversupply of peanuts resulted. Carver responded by coming up with more than two dozen uses for them. Soon, farmers were making more money raising peanuts than harvesting cotton."
"Whatever you are, be a good one," said former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, encouraging border states to outlaw slavery, helped push through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which finally freed all the slaves nationwide in December 1865, led the United States through the American Civil War preserving the Union and battled periods of depression. In addition to his crop-rotation system Carver invented more than 300 products from the peanut and more than 100 products from the sweet potato.
Carver received job offers from famous and accomplished people like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford says Altman. Carver rejected these offers. Some may have told Carver something like, "Estas loco!" (You are crazy!)."
Money was not the primary motivator of Carver's life. Carver is a Christian who was committed to God and the advancement of people, especially African Americans.
Carver worked 47 years for Washington, who was freed from African-American slavery as a boy and rose to becoming an educator, speaker, author and to the top of African-American leadership during Jim Crow segregation.
"Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible," said Carver.
"The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge," says Proverbs 18:15 Amplified Bible.
Carver prized and practiced seeking and sharing education all his life. God makes each person unique. Everyone has something to share. Romans 12:13 Complete Jewish Bible says, "Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality."
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