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March, 2002

Bible Reading Plan 

RECONCILIATION TO RESTORATION
BY PASTOR KEN SAVAGE

Sin Promises That Which It Cannot Produce

In the twilight hours between consciousness and slumber I found myself dreaming. Fraught with the guilt and despair of buried feelings and misplaced anger, my thoughts wandered to the pleasant memories of a calmer time. I recalled the birth of my five children and relived them in the type of detail reminiscent of a Steinbeck novel. The joys, the tears, the laughter, the smells, and the bonding all raced through my mind in a heartbeat of eternity.

I awoke to an empty apartment in a state 1200 miles from my family, alone in my sin. Sin always promises that which it cannot produce. It promised me freedom and gave me chains of bitterness. Sin proclaimed self-fulfillment and fullness; I received a spirit of suicide and emptiness. I longed for acceptance and freedom from condemnation but received self-doubt and assurance of a place in Hell. I had bought a package of lies and found myself in debt to the hater of my soul and the destroyer of my dreams. I left my family in pursuit of greener pastures and now was eating the straw of the wilderness in the barren land of deception.

God was faithful and my bride called forth my name in intercession. I came to my senses and returned to the wife of my youth and the family of my loins. Sin promises that which it cannot produce, but God promises that which He has already given in His Son Jesus Christ. In the restoration process the struggle between the false promises of sin and the active promises of God must be understood. For once one has been deceived with the false claims of sin, the propensity to continue in those sins remains and we must deal with it.

The battle is in the mind, in thought processes that come from deep within your heart. Are you believing lies about your mate? Are you entertaining thoughts counterproductive to the restoration of your marriage? "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any praise, let your minds dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

The first battle for restoration must be fought and won in the mind. God promises that which He has already given in His son. Keep your mind fixed on this fact and deception will have no place in you. The victory has already been paid for; you simply must receive it by faith.

Dr. Ken Savage is pastor of Cornerstone Family Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma and his wife Lauren led a Covenant Keepers Group for 3 1/2 years. They now serve on the Board of Directors of Covenant Keepers.

WILLING TO COMMUNICATE

BY VONNIE HIEBER, NORTHWEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Spring is right around the corner and soon new growth will be evident in nature. The Lord also desires to see new growth in our lives. In the past year we have all faced many challenges and discovered areas that continue to need development. We have also experienced much rewarding personal and spiritual growth.

With the upcoming changes that this season brings it is always good to look at our lives. The Holy Spirit reveals areas that need weeding and pruning. The Lord will remove all the underbrush and prepare the soil of our lives for the new growth that is coming.

One area of focus is truth and integrity. These important areas go hand-in-hand and together are needed if we are to effectively share God's wonderful love. Let us become more translucent with God in our beliefs and thoughts. Communication with the Lord through His Word and prayer is a foundation for learning to communicate more successfully with others. When we have good communication with the Father, we have a basis to pray for open, loving communication with spouses, families, and friends. "That they do good, that they are rich in works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate." (1 Timothy 6:18) In all our relationships we need to be thoroughly honest.

WALK IN CONFIDENCE

Open communication requires Christ-likeness in our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 states, "…as we lean on, trust, and are confident in the Lord with all our heart and mind and not on our own understanding…," we are more likely to draw our families and others to us as they observe and respect our beliefs.

Many mates who return home state that they respected their covenant-keeping spouses, even while they violently opposed their positions. These home-turning prodigals share that it was not any preaching or talking about healing the marriage, but the many evidences of love shown through the steadfast stand of the covenant keeper. Many add that this gave them hope.

LEARN TO COMMUNICATE

Learning how to inoffensively communicate with our spouses and others is imperative. Here are some things we need to know.

• Be aware that Satan interferes in different areas of our lives and uses them to cheat us.

• Recognize that the enemy's intrusion into these areas affects us both emotionally and behaviorally.

• Ask God to reveal these areas to you and to show you how He sees them.

• Ask Him how to change the situations and how to respond.

Remember that forgiveness is essential in communication. Jesus revealed just how important forgiveness was when he was asked how many times someone should forgive. He replied, "I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!" (Matthew 18:22) This would be a good time for all of us to take our spiritual temperatures. "Create in me a right heart, renew a right, persevering and steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

What a blessed opportunity to search ourselves in the areas of truth, responsibility, and commitment. Let Him continue to hone and polish us into the persons He wants us to be; persons that our spouses will delight to love.

God Will Make A Way For You In 2002!