Aligned

Hello All,
This is a theme that is reverberating through my wife's heart right now. She wrote this out and wanted to share with all. We hope it blesses you and your marriage.
God Bless
J.E. and family

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March 2012

I believe this is a Now Word for Women that The Lord has given me as we come into very crucial times.

As I watch the 2 beautiful, soon-to-be mom and dad Canadian geese that have adopted the back of our lake property, I am struck not only by their beauty, but also by their bond to each other.  She eats to her heart’s content while he stands at attention, watching over her.

Is this how your relationship to Jesus is? How about your marriage? Can it really be that simple?

As a woman, if you have come to the Father through his Son Jesus, he promises to watch over you while  you in turn profess to love and obey him.

Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:24

If you are not right with the Lord then this is the time to get there! Dangerous times are coming for people that are not right with the Lord.           

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:32

As a woman, wife and mother,  your first responsibility is to The Lord, then to your husband

But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.  1 Corinthians 11:13

Before you start conjuring up images of doormats and what you think “submission” means, give me a chance to show you what I have learned over the years about the freedom that comes from a Christ- Aligned marriage.
I came to the Lord and subsequently became my husband’s wife in a very supernatural way. If you know our story, there is no denying that the lord brought us together.

I had been a single mom for 9 years, did not know the Lord and was very accustomed to making my own decisions and running the ship by myself. Much of the time things were poorly guided yet in hindsight I can tell you the Lord was right there with me even though I denied him . Months before I met my husband to be, I started noticing a change in my heart and a desire to want to be married again and have a whole family.  I wanted a good husband! Over the next few months, as the Lord was wooing me in and working on my heart, I came to the Lord  through the ministry of my husband,  J.E.

My heart was fully ready to let someone else run that ship. I can’t tell you the freedom I felt, the relief of burden in my life to finally have the Lord and a Godly man to guide me. It felt like a huge weight came off my shoulders.

Is that how your marriage feels to you?

Oh I know what you are thinking now. Of course it has not all been a bed of roses. In the last part of 1 Corinthians 7:28, Paul says, “But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this”.

Even when Godly people marry, they stilll need to run the race which includes a need for deliverance from our past, character defects, generational curses, pride,  and all of the sin still in our lives. The person closest to you can sometimes feel like sandpaper on your skin. Then the Lord comes in and throws a few curve balls to see how committed you are to Him and your husband. Oh, and don’t forget about the ways of the evil one and how much Satan would love to see you divorce like many professing Christians have chosen.

I once looked over that stress test. You know, the one  where you check off all the things you have gone through in your marriage. I believe our total points told me that most people have gotten divorced if they have gone through what we have.  Death of our daughter, moving 10 times in 14 years, loss of income, loss of job, loss of house, loss of friends and family for what you believe.

Are you truly committed? Do you want to finish this race?

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24

If you are struggling with what I have already said here because of things in your marriage, go here first before continuing to read further.

Be devoted and give preference to one another. (Romans 12:10)

• Accept one another. (Romans 15:7)
• Care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)
• Carry each other’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)
• Forgive one another. (Ephesians 4:32)
• Encourage, build up one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• Spur one another on to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)
• Confess your sins to one another. (James 5:16)
• Pray for one another. (James 5:16)

“Get to the point!”….. My husband will sometimes say this when he wants to hear the end from the beginning of my long story.

Here is my point. What I mainly see in the “Church” these days among married couples, young and old, is usually the same: Christian Wives not recognizing the freedom of yielding to their husbands natural desire to be the protector and leader of their family in Christ. Hopefully he married you because he loves you and God showed him to marry you.

1 Corinthians 13:7 says this about love; “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Do you let your husband lead with Christ’s authority in your home? Or, do you get in the way?

I know many women that do not know the Lord. I have watched them over the years lead their families and watched their husbands cower behind them. The shocking part to me, however, is that I see the same things in many Christian marriages. In Christ, our lives should reflect something different from the marriages of the world.

Now this does not mean that you do not have any say in your life or marriage. Good, Godly marriages have a place in them for mutual discussion and prayer. It also does not mean that you will not ever have anything of your own to manage. Feel free to read Proverbs 31 again. The Lord gave me the beginnings of a business in 2004 to build and manage on my own. The Lord has prospered us in this business!  Periodically I ask my husband for advice or to pray with me about something, but he encourages me in my work and acknowledges what the Lord has done through me while my husband continues in his full time Ministry.

My Husband has made many very difficult decisions for our family, including a move to a 3^rd world Country. I have been blessed to see how the Lord speaks to my husband in supernatural ways. I had once been told by a elder in a Church that the reason I was so prophetic was due to the covering of my husband and my natural desire to have that and submit to that covering.

How many Ishmael’s have you created in your marriage?

You see it a few times in scripture, women getting impatient for something to happen so they take matters into their own hands and create an Ishmael in their marriage. Sarah finally got her Isaac and then recognized the significance of what she had done with Hagar, so she told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.  Women have not changed; after all we still have a sinful nature.  Eve convinced Adam to taste of the fruit.

Why do Christian wives want to get in the way sometimes? In my observations, in part based on fellowship and conversations with other women, it is usually because they feel a need to control their environment. They do not trust the Lord and they do not trust their husbands to make the right decisions and think they can do a better job.  This is usually done through manipulation. This is what the Bible says about manipulation which is rebellion.

In 1 Samuel 15:23 it is said “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.

Ouch! Did that hurt for some of you? I hope so, because it is time to get it right ladies!! Time is short and having a godly, prayerful husband that wants to lead is a blessing that should be encouraged by all wives.  A blessing to behold!

So now what do you do? Repent! Ask the Lord and your husband to forgive you. Tell him you want him to be the Godly husband and leader of your household.

What is the significance of the story of Esther? Jesus is coming back for a spotless Bride! Esther could not go to the King until she had gone through much cleansing. Are you going to be that spotless bride when Jesus shows up?

Now back to your husband. What if he does not seem to respond? You have probably emasculated him through your desire to control and manipulate.  Or it may be deeper than that; you can read about the Jezebel Spirit. http://knowingthelord.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-is-she.html

Have you emasculated your husband?

Did your husband talk a lot more when you first got married?.... And now he just tends to go along with what you say?

Do you talk down to him in front of other people? Do you correct him in front of other people?....or do you speak life giving words over him privately and publicly?

Does he agree with pretty much everything you say so he won’t have to deal with you anymore?

Pray to the Lord for your husband’s restoration to his rightful place. Show your husband through your repentance and godly behavior that you mean it!

In these end days, having a godly protector in the spiritual and the natural is very important! Count your blessings!

I pray this message will open eyes and be a blessing to you

Christine Blackshear
http://knowingthelord.blogspot.com/