Does Your Husband Love God More Than You?

 ...to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

 Dear Sisters,
 I woke up with some inspiration to address this idea of a Husband Loving God more than His wife. How did it make you feel when you first read the title? Did it bring a positive or negative internal response? Maybe some of us just don't know how to think of this idea?

In the modern age we live in women are being raised with an understanding that they deserve many things from life. "The Wordly Ideal Husband" allows his wife to: have her own bank account, work her own job, hires a nanny for her, she can go where she wants, when she wants, compliments her wearing new fashion trends, is happy to spend large sums of money to make her comfortable (buying the newest in appliances, cars, etc), is happy to entertain & accept all her friends, gives her his full attention when she wants it & pampers her with physical attention & affection.

How many of the ideas listed above do you agree with, & wish your husband did too?

What kind of Husband does God want us to have?
Will the ways of the "Wordly Ideal Husband" lead us to eternity with Christ?
If we truly desire eternity with Christ then we will be able to discern that the "Wordly Ideal Husband" with all his desires to please us, is simply going to spoil us rotten by allowing us to be entertained & distracted by a life that will never bring us into a life of eternity with Christ.

When we find ourselves wishing our husband was more like the "Worldly Ideal Husband" we must  honestly examine our state...is my purpose in this life to be happy, or is it to fulfill the will of God?  Hmm..many believe God's earnest desire is to make us feel happy & loved in this life. If this were so we'd be more like the Master & God our servant. I see that these thoughts are opening doors to bigger & greater thoughts of interest...so, how to stay on the topic...

Ask for the Old Paths,

Jeremiah 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

I just read this interesting post on my friends blog. It is a really good reminder & clarification as to how far society has strayed from "simple wisdom". It hasn't taken long; less than a hundred years for generations to be totally ignorant of proper conduct. As Christians we must do what we can to keep simple truths from falling in the streets & being trampled & forgotten. We must re-establish morals in the hearts of the youth, & if you notice in this article the rules the teachers were asked to follow was to cause them to be a living example to the children. Proverbs 11:9a  "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour:..." Children need living examples; they need to see examples of how living a godly life is profitable, & not only profitable, but it's the will of God.  Society in large may never return to the old paths, but each individual that does will make a lasting impact.
 It's sad that professing Christians these days are lacking these basic virtues. Things have become so clouded the present generations can't even discern the lack of wisdom in having young women mingle with men. And not only mingle with them, but be out in the dark of night alone or with other young women in public places. When you read the words I  just wrote, it may sound extreme; but when you read the article about how people used to think & behave then you can see clearly how we have lost our way. I know that if I had been raised 100 yrs ago, I would not have had the convenient opportunities to sin that I had growing up in this age that has forsaken the Old Path. Forsaking the Old Path has not bettered mankind.
Cick on link below to read article:
http://fewtherebethatfindit.blogspot.com/2013/08/rules-to-live-by-one-room-school-house.html

Let us restore the good way for our children & future generations.
Isaiah 58:12  And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. 

Peace in Subjection

Notice the delicate petals of this poppy flower yielding to the wind that directs it's every move.

Many people do not understand the love of God. Many people believe that God loves them so much He looks the other way when they sin. And after they sin He simply smiles and draws them into His arms, because He understands their weakness to sin. He never hates them or what they do, He just simply understands & will go on loving them no matter what they do. Even if He wants them to do certain things, & tells them to do certain things, --if they don't obey Him, He simply forgives & covers over their disobedience, & seeks to pour out His blessings upon them.

 Many women expect their husbands to be the same way. They don't find it needful to really do what he says; and when they don't do what he says, they expect him to continue to pour out blessings upon them. Many women have been defiled by the modern world & it's influence on marriage. True Biblical marriage the way God intended is nothing like what we hear & see today in the media, in Psychology, etc. I think it's even difficult for women who were raised with somewhat good examples to really accept & stay in their place as a meek & humble, help meet to their husband. There is a strong influence in our time to be a SELF-Seeker. The definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 says that love, "seeketh not her own". There is a true joy & blessing that comes when we remember & labor to seek the good of others before our own; especially the good of our husband & children.

 We all need correction & reproof, without it we will go on in error.

Hebrews12:5-9  "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:   For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.   If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?   But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? "

There have been many times when I have not appreciated correction & reproof--at least not at the first. If we really understand & believe that the one correcting us is doing it because they love us, it can be easier to keep our hearts & ears open to it. But in those times we are not persuaded that it is a correction born of love, for Christ's sake we need to learn to bear words of exhortation. A meek heart will have peace in subjecting itself for Christ's sake. 

1Chronicles 16:11  "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually." We must seek His face continually, that we may be ever ready to bear a word of exhortation without taking offense.

Being a Godly Wife isn't about having a white picket fence, baking bread & cookies, sewing your family's clothes & having a handful of children. I believe being a Godly wife has a lot to do with having peace subjecting yourself to your husband no matter what the cost. This takes an earnest seeking of God's face for God's grace---that you may have His grace to be a faithful helpmeet to your husband at all times, especially in times of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16  "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

This requires a labor of love done in secret not something all the neighbors see & praise us for.

 1Peter 3:4  "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

I believe it takes earnest prayer fighting against sin & self to attain unto this meek & quiet spirit.

Remember dear sisters when you feel overwhelmed in your place as a helpmeet, Christ was tempted, yet He kept Himself from sin; He labored in prayer. We too must labor & come boldly to the throne of grace. This is a serious issue. Consider the Holy Women Of Old, search the Scriptures for examples that were set of their obedience & subjection to their husbands.

What a blessing we can be to our husbands & children & future generations if we leave behind an example of a yielded wife. I see a delicate flower arrayed in glorious colors gracefully bending where the wind blows it, yet strongly rooted in it's place. We all love the work of God's hands, it cheers our hearts to see flowers & trees & animals; things that do what they were made to do. Wives embrace the place God has designed for you = & you will have peace being in subjection to your husbands. Amen.     

Cleavage, Bikinis, and Facebook

Just read this today & appreciated Mrs. Shulls efforts to direct women in a better way. I do not know her-this is the first I have heard of her.

Cleavage, Bikinis, and Facebook

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Guest Author

Straight Talk to Young Women

by Alyssa Shull Glad I got your attention. Let’s start by going in order of my title here.

Cleavage

It says in 1 Corinthians 10:32, “Don’t cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God’s church” (GWT). I take that passage to mean this: Do your part to help someone not fall into sin. As a woman I strive to not portray my body in a way that would cause someone to lust. How do I do this? It starts with how I dress.
When a female is wearing a shirt that shows off her cleavage, people usually look. I believe when a woman purposefully shows her cleavage it sends out the message: “Hey, here are my boobs, I want you to notice I have them.”
If our goal is to get men to notice our body then our affection is in the wrong direction. We are not acting in love. We are acting in selfishness and our attempt is to bring attention to ourselves and not to God. As a believer we shouldn’t want to cause our brothers in Christ to lust over us. Especially when the Bible says we shouldn’t.
If you didn’t know this already, men are very visual. It is the way God made them. As women of God, let’s make a conscious choice to not cause our brothers in Christ to stumble. Let’s not show off our breasts. Those are for your husband’s eyes only. Even if you’re not married yet they are for your future husband.
So, if you have a shirt that is low cut, put a tank top on underneath. I have tank tops in a bunch of different colors, and practically wear them with every outfit. I like to be extra careful, so I don’t have to worry if my shirt goes too low, I will already have a tank top on underneath.
I’m not saying to wear turtlenecks, I’m just saying to make sure no crack in the front or the back is showing.

Bikinis

Would you walk into an apartment complex and strip down to your bra and panties? Probably not. So then why do we think it’s okay to wear bikinis in front of people? It shows the same exact amount of skin, it’s just made out of a different material.
Our culture believes bikinis are socially okay and no big deal. It’s simply what we wear to the pool. I disagree with this thought. There are many beliefs in the world that we as the church should not embrace.
Our bodies are not our own; they were bought at a price. It says in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (NIV). This body isn’t something I can just do whatever I want with. I need to be honoring God with everything I do, and that includes the way I dress.
You may be reading this rolling your eyes, and thinking I am totally old-school. But for the first 22 years of my life all I wore were bikinis. It wasn’t until the Holy Spirit convicted me 3 years ago that I started wearing *bathing suits that had more coverage. So, if you are thinking I’m a crazy lady, take it to prayer, and ask God if a bikini is something you should be wearing or not.
The purpose of a bikini is either to look sexy or get a good tan. I don’t think either excuse is a good reason if it keeps men in bondage to lust. Something to meditate on ladies.

Facebook

I am constantly seeing cleavage and bikinis in profile pictures on Facebook. Talk about taking “wearing it out in public” to a whole new level.
I am going to say something that may shock you: I fully believe that this is soft porn. Yes, porn. Pornography by definition is: writings, pictures, films, etc, designed to stimulate sexual excitement. Pictures of women showing cleavage, in bikinis and other sexual positions are a form of soft porn since your body is in a position that can stimulate men sexually.
One pose that is very popular right now is “The Ho Shot” or “The Prostitute Shot.” This is when a girl takes a picture of herself from above and you get a good look down her shirt. The reason this is called the prostitute shot is because this is how prostitutes take pictures of themselves. It enhances the look of the breasts and because of the position it is taken in (enough said). I’ve seen even 12-year olds taking pictures like this.
In a study of 1000 girl scouts aged 14-17, 74% said they believe “most girls my age use social networking sites to make themselves look cooler than they really are.” Also, 22% of girls with low self-esteem claim they portray a “sexy” image on social networks; 14% of girls with higher self-esteem said the same.
You will attract what you put out there. If you want someone to honor you and your body then start by honoring and respecting your body. This goes for Facebook as well. Oxford professor Susan Greenfield reminds us, when you are posting information on Facebook, you don’t have the benefit of other people’s immediate reactions. “[It] makes it easier to reveal yourself in a way that you might not be comfortable with,” says Greenfield. “You become less conscious of the individuals involved, less inhibited, less embarrassed and less concerned about how you will be evaluated.”
Be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else. You are a beautiful shining woman of God. You don’t have to try to enhance anything. Just smile and be yourself. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). You are beautiful!
Love you Ladies! Believing for a generation of godly women to rise up and stand for purity!

*Note from P.F. --As far as "bathing suits" go I'm not sure what Mrs.Shull had in mind, but I'm persuaded that a "full suit" instead of a bikini would not be something Avrahams (Abraham's) wife Sarah, or any of the early women disciples would conform to. I have found some full body coverage swim dresses with leggings on Israeli & Muslim swimsuit sites. I bought one from Israel & they sent me a card with it that showed the swim times their beaches have for women only. What a blessing to have beaches free from lustful activities. Thankfully there is still places in Israel upholding modest practices between men & women.

A Godly Woman

 

A Godly Woman

—Written by an anonymous godly woman

Based on the following scriptures: Proverbs 31, Deuteronomy 6:5-7 & 11:19, Titus 2, I Timothy 2, I Peter 3:1-7, I Corinthians 11 & 14:29-40

The Bible speaks to everyone who follows in the Way,
But some parts are specific in the things they have to say.
The fathers are encouraged, and those alone in life,
And there are admonitions for the mother and the wife.

I always linger over these; they speak to my estate.
They offer me direction in the small things and the great.
To be a godly woman is the goal I want to reach,
And so I need to study what the Scriptures have to teach.

A woman who is called to be a mother and a wife,
Who takes the cross and purposes to live a godly life,
Is ever growing in the faith she’s chosen to profess,
And there are certain qualities she covets to possess.

The godly woman stays at home; her duties keep her there.
She rises while it yet is night and gives herself to prayer.
Her days are full of service and her heart is full of love;
Her mind is full of gratitude and praise for God above.

Though not employed outside the home, she has no mind to shirk.
She eats not bread of idleness, but fruit of honest work.
Her brother and her sister, her parents and her neighbor,
Her husband and her children share the blessing of her labor.

The love her husband feels for her is easy to reflect,
And she not only loves him, but she gives him her respect.
In her his heart may safely trust; she does him only good;
When he confides his inner thoughts, he finds them understood.

She’s mindful, too, of Eden, where the woman was deceived.
She knows it’s not her place to teach (as others have believed)
Nor to usurp authority, but listens with subjection,
In meekness and humility, accepting his direction.

When all the church assembles in a solemn, formal way,
The godly woman listens what the brethren have to say;
And if she hears a statement made that makes her sit up straighter,
The question forming in her mind is asked her husband later.

There is a congregation where her voice is often heard,
And her children are attentive as she teaches them the Word,
When she sits within her house, and when she walks along the way;
When she lays them down at night, and when she rises with the day.

The godly woman is discreet, not seeking others’ praise;
She’s modest in appearance, and she’s modest in her ways.
She isn’t prone to gossip, but her neighbors know she cares,
And any help her hands can give is certain to be theirs.

The godly woman doesn’t follow fashion’s idle whim,
Nor deck herself in gold or gems to draw the eyes of men.
And yet, compared to those who do, she is exceeding fair;
Her meek and quiet spirit is an ornament more rare.

The godly woman isn’t gay; she’s left that all behind.
She’s pleasant and she’s cheerful, but she has a sober mind.
Her covered head, her simple dress, her modest mein are one;
Her singular adornment is the good that she has done.

When years of faithful laboring have bent her body low,
She’ll teach the younger women in the way that they should go.
Her works are their example in the service of the Lord;
And verily, I say to you, she’ll have a rich reward.

Oh, make of me that woman, Lord! And guide me in that way.
Behold, Thou art the potter, and I the softened clay.
Encourage me where I am right; rebuke me where I’m wrong.
I read these Scriptures often and I ponder on them long. ~

This was copied from:

The Heartbeat of The Remnant

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Honour thy father and thy mother

Deuteronomy 5:16  Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

When i asked a friend if there was any topics she had been thinking about that I could do for a blog post she mentioned honoring father & mother. Her request included father & mother who are not of the faith. I am thankful for this requested topic. I believe this is something we all need to be more faithful in--as young or old as we may be. If we have a father & mother, we are commanded by God Himself to honor them. Modern generations have lost much due respect for father & mother. Although this may be partly due to a lack of proper training on father & mother's part; we should never let this hinder us from obeying the commands of God. We cannot blame others for our disobedience when it is in the power of our hands to obey.

Matthew 15:3-8  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?   For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;   And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.   Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,   This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. I looked up this word honour in the Strong's Greek Concordance to get a better understanding of the commandment = G5091 τιμάω timaō  tim-ah'-o
From G5093; to prize, that is, fix a valuation upon; by implication to revere: - honour, value.
Webster's Dictionary said, "...A testimony of esteem; any expression of respect or of high estimation by words or actions;"
These definitions make it more clear in my head. Ok so, we are suppose to value our parents. How do we treat things or people we value. If it is an object that we value we guard it, or try to keep it in a safe place; we do the same with people that we esteem valuable to us. Some people we "prize", they are precious to us, we never want to hurt them or speak unkind to them, we seek to do them good in "words & actions."
Hmm, have we been treating our parents like we honor/ value them?
--Or do we esteem their input of little value because they made mistakes raising us?
--Do we have a lack of value (honor) for them because they are in sin & unbelief?
--If we have parents in the faith we should most certainly value/honor them.
--If we have parents disobedient to the faith, for the sake of the faith we must honor them.
--If we are to love even our enemies, how much more should we love our parents (enemies to our faith or not).
 For many years I lived in a fellowship that believed since our foes (enemies) are those of our own household that we should literally cut ourselves off from them if they show resistance or lack of understanding toward the faith. Meaning we should basically have them cease to exist in our conscience--let them be as the dead. There was a certain amount of power behind these beliefs because it gave you a sense of utter abandonment for Christ. It led you to feel as if you were fulfilling Christ's teaching on hating father & mother. My husband has brought up an interesting point on this. Christ also taught us to hate our own lives in this account:
 Luke 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 
Well, how can we hate our own life & still live, or esteem the present life if we are to live for Christ?
(Wish I had considered this years ago, but I thank God I am able to grow in the knowledge of His will.)
The word hate here (Strong's Concordance) = G3404 μισέω miseō mis-eh'-o
From a primary word μῖσος misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less: - hate (-ful).
As my husband explained it; Christ is simply saying here that we are not to love father or mother MORE THAN HIM. We are to "love less" than Him, our parents, & our own life. This is simply keeping the first commandment = Deuteronomy 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

He is to be honored/valued above all, even our own life.

If Christ meant that we were to utterly forsake & abandon our parents he would be inconsistent in His teachings. He taught us to love our enemies, to do good to those that do evil to us. I do not believe that the majority of a disciple's parents would do "evil" to them purposefully; yet we are to love even our enemies when they are evil towards us. Matthew 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 


How is it that He would have us hate our parents in the sense of forsaking them all together, but then tell us to love our enemies? He didn't--that's a false teaching. He told us to love them less than Him... which is consistent with everything else He taught.

I don't believe we should confuse obedience with honor. Peter bears witness when he says, (Act 5:29)
"We ought to obey God rather than men." We are not to obey anyone when it is contrary to the will of God. Obedience is not the same as honor, although honor can include obedience. Children are taught to obey. Ephesians 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  It is good & right for children/youth to obey their parents who are in the Lord. As adults we are to honor our parents, that does not always include obedience. Obedience is simply conforming to what we are told. As adults we are to be discerning & conforming to the image of Christ. If father or mother would have you conform to the image of the world; of course you would not obey. But this lack of obedience on our part should not effect our honoring of them. In 1Peter 2:17  We are told to "Honour all men." We are taught to honor all. The word men was added to the text. But Peter also made clear that we are not obligated to obey all men.
It has been a help for me to search the Scriptures to see the clear difference between obedience & honor. I think it may be easy for some to think that if we have to honor them we have to obey them also. I do not see this to be the case. Although, by all means, if obedience is not contrary to the will of God, obey, for the sake of doing good/pleasing your neighbor. (Romans 15:2 ) Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

It seems evident young or old, Christ taught us to honor our father & mother. Here is an example of what Christ required of a man = Mat 19:16-20  "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?   And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.   He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,   Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"
He did not specify "only fathers & mothers that believe in Me." nor did He go into detailed circumstances of how to honor them. It is apparent that God values the life of His creatures, & that He would have us do the same to the just & the unjust. Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 

To esteem your parents of little worth & to cut yourself off from ever pleasing them (in things that are not contrary to the will of God) is not what Christ taught. We can see from early Christian writings that those of the faith were known to honor their father & mother. They were not known for forsaking them in their old age & counting them of little worth. Read on to see what was said in days of old...

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

 Luke 9:23-26 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  

 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 

 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."

  My husband & I have been reading through some writings of Origen. It was interesting to me to come across a bit of his history as I was reading in the Martyrs' Mirror.  I also read again about Perpetua & Felicitas. Felicitas response to the jailer stood out to me here so I wanted to share it also. As I read these accounts it stands out to me that these believers in Christ had a faith that worked, a faith that lived, a faith that loved. What I mean by this is that their faith was not only in their heart but manifested in their choices, in their daily life, it was made public for the love that they had for their Lord, who was truly LORD of their desires. They were not restrained by the natural affections of human nature as so many are today. God was apparently their first love as He should be to every one who is named after Him. Many today say they are Christian & moral people but they look, act, & think like the world around them with one exception-they claim to be saved by the blood of Christ. These Martyrs are an example to the modern day "Christian". They show that to claim Christ as your Lord, is to make Him LORD over your entire existence. When we claim Christ we are to take on the mind of Christ: we are to die to the cares, affections & pleasures of this life. That is not to say we can never show affection, never care for things here, or have pleasure here--but rather, we graciously let go of these things rather than have them come between us & our faithfulness to the One who died to give us the true life which is eternal. These Holy Women of Old did not allow their love for father, mother, husband, or children to cause them to waiver when faced with the penalty of temporal earthly torments as a result of their faith in Christ ( Y'shua ha Mashiyach). They did not waiver because they sincerely believed that this life on earth is temporal & that there is an eternal life to come. A life of eternal peace to all who lived faithful to the teachings of Christ; and a life of eternal torment to those who refused to give Him all. To the fearful & unbelieving...-Revelations 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

What does it mean to be fearful & unbelieving? We must examine ourselves (1Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? )
 daily --(Hebrews 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.)  

We must not let the things of this life become so precious to us that we fear to meet the life hereafter--we must labor now to enter into eternity with confidence. We must labor daily to weed the garden of our heart, diligently keeping out the weeds called "Burdened with Earthly Cares". Lord God who should sit as King of every desire of our heart, have mercy on us, & make us as the Holy Women of Old--fearless of the after life, confidently believing the Promises of Christ, faithfully keeping His commandments, living our lives for Him alone, our first love, not seeking our own but His. That means denying our-self, taking on the divine nature, & forsaking those desires that hinder the kingdom of God on earth. That hinder the Kingdom of God in our homes--the negative responses to our husbands, children, brethren, family members, the lack of meekness & humility in our everyday responses to situations & people must be crucified that we may rise on our last day to be with the Savior of the World.

We must take time to stop & consider: what have I been thinking--are my thoughts profitable to the Kingdom of God?

Has my speech been seasoned--or has it been rash, harsh, irritable?

Am I spending my time to  God's glory?

Am I being a good & sincere example to children, to unbelievers ?

Am I loving my husband as I would Christ?

Am I loving my neighbor as myself?

Am I worshiping God in sincerity & truth; am I truly rejoicing in the Hope of Salvation?

There are many questions like these we should keep in mind so that we can walk worthy & be found of God in peace.

The following are testimonies of those whose sincere faith triumphed over the Cares of this life, & fears of the after-life: 

 PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, OF TUBURBI IN MAURITANIA, AND OTHERS, VIOLENTLY PUT TO DEATH, FOR THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, ABOUT THE YEAR 201 ,

Perpetua and Felicitas were two very pious and honorable Christian women, at Tuburbi, a city in Mauritania, a province of Africa. Both were very untimely apprehended, to suffer for the name of Christ, as Felicitas was very far advanced in pregnancy, and Perpetua had recently given birth to a child, which she was nursing. But this did not make them fainthearted, nor so surprise them that they forsook Christ, nor did it prevent them from going on in the way of godliness; but they remained equally faithful disciples of Christ, and became steadfast martyrs.
According to the Roman laws, they waited with the pregnant woman, until she was delivered, before they sentenced her and put her to death. When the pains of labor seized her in prison, and she cried aloud for fear and anguish, the jailer said to her, "Thou art so much afraid and distressed now, and criest aloud for pain; how then wilt thou behave, when, tomorrow, or the day after, thou wilt be led to death?" Felicitas replied thus, "Now I suffer as a poor woman the punishment which God on account of sin has laid upon the female sex; but tomorrow I shall suffer as a Christian woman for the faith and the confession of Jesus Christ." ,By these words she sufficiently indicated that she had firmly and immovably founded her faith upon Christ, who never forsakes His own, even though they be in the midst of the fire, and are consumed, God also specially strengthened her, that she might be able to endure her sufferings. With reference to this, Tertullian says, "Perpetua, the very strong and steadfast martyr, had a revelation or vision of the heavenly paradise, on the day of her sufferings, in the which she saw none but her fellow martyrs. And why no others? Because the fiery sword which guards the door of paradise gives way to none but those who die for Christ." In the meantime these two pious heroines of Jesus Christ were martyred, that is, they died a violent death, for the name of their Saviour; for which they will afterwards be crowned with the unfading wreath of immortality, as a triumpth over the foes they overcame, namely, the cruelties and pains of death.
The names of their fellow martyrs are Revocatus, Satyrus, Saturninus, and Serundulus. It is supposed that the last-mentioned one of these died in prison from extreme hardship, but that the others were all thrown before the wild beasts, such as, bulls, lions, bears, leopards, etc., to be torn by them. Thus these exchanged their dear lives for death, for Christ's sake. Idem., fol. 26, col. 3, 4, ex August. in Psal. 74, and de Tempore Barbdrieo, cap. 5, Beda Usuard. Ado Martirol. Rom. 7. Martii. Also, 1. Pregnatis de Pen. Also, in Antiquo Lectionario. Also, Tertull. de anima, cap. 5. That the dead bodies of the two afore-mentioned women were brought to Carthage, and were buried there is testified to by Victor Uticensis, Pers. Vandal., lib. 1.