Do you need to be put to sleep?

"So Adam gave names to all the cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took of one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman..." Genesis 2:20-22 

Have you ever wondered why God when removing one of Adam’s ribs to form Eve; his wife, had to place Adam into a deep sleep?

Was it because he had to be put to sleep to avoid the pain of that first operation ever made

on man? Yes! However, God could have done it without causing him to sleep – right!

Let’s meditate on the above verse!

When God gave authority to Adam to name all the animals, He did not interfere when Adam was naming them. Therefore, Lion was named Lion, Horse – Horse, Eagle – Eagle. God did not say, “Adam, I think this name is incorrect. Why don’t you name this one ‘butter-phant.’” He gave him freedom to name them as he pleased. However, when it came to creating Woman, he caused Adam not to just fall asleep, but a deep sleep – Why?

God, in creating Adam in His likeness and image, perfect in every way, wanted to create someone perfect in nature and form for His creation – without any interference.

Can you imagine if Adam was awake and having been giving the freedom to name all the animals, now wanted to add his ‘50p’ in the creation of woman. What do you think Adam could have said?  He could have said “God, make Woman shorter, a size zero, with thicker lips and longer red hair. While You are doing that, give her another breast make her smile all the time for me”

This is the kind of list that people make in their minds in their search for their Adam or Eve. They don’t want to fall into a deep sleep. They want to ‘meddle’ in whom God chooses for them.

So, they pray for someone who is honest, outgoing, kind and ambitious – the qualities they would like most in a partner, but because the person only has one or two of these characteristics, they say ‘this is not who God has prepared for me.’ Maybe the person has all the characteristics, however, the person's looks was not exactly what they wanted.

And this keeps happening repeatedly. Maybe that person is carrying your rib or you have the one rib that belongs to your ‘Adam’ but you decide to take things into your own hands ‘meddle’ in what God has chosen to be the person for you.

If you keep complaining that there is no one for you, then I have the perfect solution: Fall into a VERY deep sleep... and only wake up when the anaesthetic wakes you up – no sooner.

That way you will see the qualities you have been praying for in that person, (though they may not have all of them) however like you, you will realise that they are a work-in-progress. The other things that need to be changed or added, both of you will work on them – Together.

"...and He brought her to the  man. And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." - Genesis 2:22-23

Goodnight - and have sweet dreams!





PROMO - Can a long distance relationship survive? - www.partners4life.tv

Have you ever considered a long distance relationship?
What are the challenges and benefits a person faces when in such a relationship?
How can you increase your chances of making a long distance relationship work? -

Tues 28th June 2011 | My Sky Ch. 219

You can view this programme and others 1 day after it's first shown on TV, online at www.partners4life.tv

Finding love on the net

Many people have been emailing me asking whether it is OK to start a relationship over the internet. Because of this, I thought it would be appropriate to address this issue now.

While it is a fairly normal thing for non-christians to sign up to a dating website, I wouldn't advise the same for a Christian.
These websites will warn people about the dangers of internet dating, e.g. giving out personal details, meeting alone, etc., which applies to a Christian also. However, a Christian needs to consider a lot more than just saying 'I'm using my faith' and also accepting those words "I am a Christian too." I would even advise against using 'christian' dating websites also.

 I know church-goers who want to find a partner and are prepared to date non-christians because "God is taking too long". I have also heard many times "there is no one in the church for me," as if they dated everyone in the church and then came up with this conclusion.

This person follows what their eyes see in the church and doesn't believe there is anyone eligible for them and yet chooses to believe what that person said in those emails or that profile picture online and the section that says 'Religion, if applicable' which is filled in as - Christian.

Is this person really using their faith as they claim?
 
There are Christians so worried about finding someone that they disregard all the intellect and wisdom they asked God to give them and believe so much that that person is right for them, that they will not even bother meeting up face to face. They have already made the decision to get married. And what is this based on? Emails, letters, a few phone calls - Is that it?

There were no meetings face to face where you could get a much better impression of the person's reactions to questions that you ask them. How can you find this out by words in an email? There is no getting to know about their surroundings; their family, types of places they visit, friends they keep, if they really go to church, how they pray - nothing!
 
Unfortunately those that didn't use their intelligent faith are the ones emailing in and telling us about the consequences of their bad choices and decisions they made. And this will continue to happen to Christians who choose to ignore this advice, not from me, but from others who now have a terrible tale to tell. 

Look out for the warnings signs!
 
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" -2 Corinthians 6:14,15. 

There is no association with someone whom you do not know properly yet, let alone an unbeliever.
 
So my advice is: Don't go down that road. If you say you have faith, then remember that the time it took for you to change, get serious with God and eventually start praying for someone for your love life, the same is also true for that person who you want to be with. And that person God has prepared for you may only have started attending the church - this week!
 
Think about this!

Attend the Love Therapy Meetings every Saturday at 6pm and learn how to find the right person - God's way

PROMO - Are you being used? - www.partners4life.tv

Watch 'Partners4life.tv' - Thursday 23rd June
My TV, Sky Ch. 219



The Pact of Love II

Last week I wrote about the wedding vows and how people are quick to break them should things hit a bad patch. When making your vows to one another, you are making an agreement or pact to be with this person for life; there should be no going back on your word.

As promised, I am going to share with you an example in the Bible of someone who made and kept his vow towards God.

Jephthah was called "a mighty man of valor". However, he was also the son of a prostitute. His brothers who were born to another woman drove him away because of this, and therefore he would not receive any of his father's inheritance. Therefore, he fled and went to live in Tob where he joined thieves and robbers. Then, one day the people of Ammon fought against the people of Israel, and guess who his brothers turned to for help? - Jephthah.
 
When they approached him and said "Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon" (Judges 11:6), Jephthah replied, "If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?" They agreed.
 
The king of Ammon refused to accept Jephthah's words through his messengers not to fight against Israel for allegedly taking away their land when Israel came out of Egypt. Jephthah decided to make a pact with God by saying "If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." (Judges 11:30,31)
 
To cut a long story short, Jephthah was victorious in battle and on returning home guess what ‘animal’ came out of the doors of his house that he vowed to sacrifice? A bull..., a goat..., a lamb..., - His only daughter!
 
Look what this man did! Did he tell God he made a mistake? Did he go back on his word? Did he say, "God, you understand now that I can't give my only daughter as a burnt offering?" No! He went ahead and fulfilled his promise to God.
 
Because of his pact with God, not only was he victorious in battle, he remained a judge over Israel for 6 years and was buried amongst his people. His only daughter’s blood that was shed caused God to honour Jephthah – though he was the son of a harlot!

It is not physical blood, or someone’s life that God requires from you today. ‘Our blood’ today symbolises our own lives being lived every day as a sacrifice to God; constantly denying our own will.
 
The moral of this story: Do what Jephthah did and keep the ‘blood’ flowing through the pact you’ve made with God, no matter how hard it may be: doubts, loneliness, anxiety, the past creeping back to haunt you, negative thoughts about your partner, arguments, etc.
 
God will no doubt complete his part in this agreement you have made with Him, and will continue doing so, for as long as you continue doing yours. Remember that only you can keep this up. By doing so, you are keeping your relationship with God alive.

Where there is no blood, there is no life!

PROMO - The Signs You Saw But Chose to Ignore

Watch 'Partners4life.tv' - Tuesday 14th & Thursday 16th June
My TV, Sky Ch. 219

The Pact of Love

 

“ I, take you, to be my (wife/husband),
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better or for worse,

for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love and to cherish;

from this day forward until death do us part.”

Are you familiar with the above words? If you are married or have been married before, you will have repeated the above or similar vows on your wedding day. If you are not yet married and hope to be one day, then you will, no doubt, be repeating these or something similar.

However, what do these words actually mean?

When someone says their wedding vows to their husband/wife to-be, they are not only making a vow; they are in fact entering a ‘pact’ with that person – for life!  These are not just words you say as part of the wedding ceremony. For many however, they are just words, and only time will tell – Why?

When times are good, then all is fine. When they have money, all is well. But how about when the ‘worse’ times arrive? What happens when they can’t afford to cover the bills, debts pile up and there is a strain on the relationship (that’s why many arguments are over finances), they are quick to ‘pack it all in’... you get the idea!

They forget the ‘pact’ they once openly declared to each other in front of sometimes hundreds of people, and even before God, the reason being because they were not ready to go all the way, until death, to fulfil their part of the pact.

 

When I got married, I lost my rights as a single person. I was and still am obliged to be with my wife, putting her first before family members, friends, and even certain personal things related to me. I also have rights to demand from my wife that she also put me first before family members, friends, and her own personal things. We both entered a pact together and the words similar to the ones above were our signature ‘on the dotted line’. There is no going back, only looking forward – together with God leading our way. The moment one of us decides to break this pact we made, then it is no longer binding.

That is what marriage is about – a lifelong commitment! I did not sign a long-term prison sentence but I am committed; all of me to my wife and vice versa, knowing there will be no third parties involved, no cheating, but there is trust on both sides, an agreement, a pact between us, that whether near or far, in good and bad times, we will always be by each other’s side, faithful and committed to the end.

It’s about giving and taking – ‘I scratch your back and you scratch mine’.

Next week I will tell you some examples whose backs God scratched and vice versa when they made a pact with God, and like them, you will have your chance to enter into a pact with God or renew your pact you once made with Him on Sunday 5^th June.

Get ready to sign on the dotted line – there’s no turning back!

PROMO - A multicultural relationship that beat all the odds!

Watch 'Partners4life.tv' - Thursday 9th June | My TV, Sky Ch. 219

What now – for you?

Where were you on Friday April 29th?

The long-awaited ‘Royal Wedding of the Year’ of Prince William and Kate Middleton – now The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – was viewed by over 24.5 million people on UK terrestrial TV; over 3 billion worldwide. The UK came together in patriotism, reclaimed the Union Jack and marked the event by holding over 5000 street parties. People started camping 3 days before the day outside Westminster Abbey and along the Mall to see the wedding dress, the couple and of course – that famous royal kiss on the balcony. To top it all off, the UK has another Bank Holiday for April.

Now that all the hype is over, everyone has returned to their normal lives, the royal wedding now seems a distant memory.

What does this mean for you, especially you who are still single?

I remember watching the news and seeing people so happy, getting ‘merry’, crying, even seeing the odd street party myself on the way home, but has this really helped those who are single, in failing relationships or longing one day to find their ‘prince’.

It’s all well-and-good celebrating someone else’s wedding day, but what about preparing for your own one day? How many weddings will you be attending as a guest, a bridesmaid, the best man, The Master of Ceremonies even, but will still have that bitter taste in your mouth wondering whether you will one day be exchanging vows?

If you do not *revolt against your failing love life and take the relevant action needed, you will continue and will always be unhappy.

So what’s the cure? – Simply attend the ‘Love Therapy’ meetings every Saturday – revolted. If you missed last night’s ‘Love Therapy Nite’ Special, then don’t wait for the next one that will take place on the 25^th June - Join me next Saturday at 6pm at The Rainbow. You can also tune in to the ‘Love Therapy’ radio programmes, weeknights at 11pm on Liberty Radio for inspirational messages on love, dating and marriage.

Don’t fall into the trap of feeling a false sense of security or happiness; like the whole nation did, just because there was another wedding taking place, when hundreds of thousands of people are themselves still unhappy in love.

Remember: One action of REVOLT is all that is needed to start the ball rolling.

* revolt:-  to refuse to obey the constraints imposed by another

Pastor Michael Boodram

Email me: love@uckg.org
http://michaelboodram.blogspot.com