Keith Moore Marriage Enrichment Pt 1 Tears on the Altar

sounding good are you standing on a firm foundation come on is there somebody in your life that will never leave you never forsake you never let you down always be with you thank you lord if you would stand up on your feet once again and let's come into agreement in prayer about this evening and the rest of the evenings I so pleased to see you here and know that you value the word in your marriage I believe it's a wise man and woman that'll invest their time into their marriage you know faith comes by hearing and hearing the word on healing doesn't necessarily give you faith for marriage you need to hear the word on that subject in that area and the Lord's directed us to have a special time well that's what we do so release your faith with me let's believe together right now father in the name of Jesus we're believing you and asking you for everybody every one of us ears that can hear clearly eyes that can see distinctly and hearts and minds that can understand Lord we're asking for utterance precise complete exactly Lord if you were here in the flesh whatever you would say we want it to come out just like that and we're asking for it and agreeing together is touching this thing and we're saying Lord how free course in our midst by your wonderful precious Holy Spirit Oh Lord let him move in hearts and minds and bodies and lives and Families let him manifest your power and grace and goodness and get glory to yourself and for every good thing that comes out we'll give you the praise we'll give you the thanks and whatever you show us to do with purpose in our hearts not to be hearers only but to receive it and do it and we know as we do we will be blessed because you are faithful to watch over your word and perform it when we do in Jesus name Amen thank you lord praise God you can be seated I see several of our friends from out of town and other states and fellow ministers sure glad to see you it's a blessing to see you how many came from Ida I don't mean your your local family here at the church but out of town out of state you traveled in to come to the meeting would you raise your hand okay wonderful wonderful wonderful and Phyllis and I both have had the sense that a lot of people are joining us by internet and we're glad you're with us and those that hunger and thirst will not be disappointed they will be filled they will get answers hallelujah would you go with me in the scripture this evening to the book of Malachi the second chapter of Malachi Malakai - second chapter malachi if you don't know where Malachi is just go to Matthew and start backing up won't beat won't take long you'll be there Malachi - and we'll begin reading in verse 13 and I'm reading from the NIV NIV he said another thing you do you flood the Lord's altar with tears you weep and well because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands verse 14 you ask why why it is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth because you have broken faith with her though she is your partner the wife of your marriage covenant everybody say marriage covenant verse 15 has not the Lord made them one in flesh and spirit they're his and why one because he was seeking godly offspring so guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth verse 16 I hate divorce since the Lord God of Israel you believe that well if he hates it how should you feel about it I hate divorce since the God of Israel and and hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with this garment says the Lord Almighty so guards yourself in your spirit that you do not break faith owner heed the amplified translation of this amplified and would start again at verse 13 he said this you do with double guilt you cover the altar of the Lord with tears shed by your unoffending wives divorced by you that you might take heathen wives and with your own weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering anymore or accept it with favor at your hand now believe the amplified touches on something that may not be as obvious reading some other translations he's really talking about two sets of tears on the altar two people crying and their tears falling on the altar and that implies praying to God and while they're praying crying because of their distress and their pain one is that of a marriage a partner who's been hurt who's been betrayed and the other of the tears of the one that did the betraying or treachery that now their offerings are not being received and their prayers are not being heard can you see this - two sets of Tears verse 14 he says yet you ask why does he reject it somebody they're offering because the Lord was witness to the Covenant made at your marriage everybody say covenant made at your marriage the Lord sees marriage as covenant and we have not been strong enough on this you'll hear it referred to at times talked about and kind of said lightly or in passing covenant marriage covenant of marriage marriage covenant but no friend we need put heavy emphasis on the Covenant part of marriage as far as God is concerned marriage is covenant and he went on to say he was witness that the Covenant made it your marriage between you and the wife or your youth against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant made made by your marriage vows again covenant emphasized did not God make you and your wife one flesh did not one make you and preserve your spirit of life and why did God make you to one because he saw the godly offspring from your union therefore take heed to yourselves and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth for the Lord the God of Israel says I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment with violence therefore keep a watch upon your spirit that you may deal not treacherously and faithless Lee these word treacherously and faithless Lee are ways of saying you have broken the covenant the new century version I want to read this as well new century version in CV verse 13 says this is another thing you do you cover the Lord's altar with tears you cry and moan because he does not accept your offerings and is not pleased with what you bring you ask why this my lord won't you receive my offerings why won't you receive my prayers he said it's because the Lord sees how you treated the wife you married when you were young you broke your promise to her even though she was your partner and you had an agreement with her God made husbands and wives to become one body and once spirit for his purpose so that have children who are true to God so be careful do not break your promise to the life you married when you were young the Lord God of Israel says I hate divorce and then the NCV brings out some of the main reasons why he does and I hate people who do cruel things as easily as they put on clothes as the Lord all-powerful so be careful to do not break your trust why does the Lord hate divorce because of the pain because of the damage because of the cruelty you know people talk about so and so you know got divorced what about it oh it was ugly what does that mean that means people got cruel they begin to do things on purpose to hurt each other doing what they could to damage and take away from the other person this is cruelty and this is hate and this is total selfishness when people when folks get into these modes and just you know trial you know day and night trying to figure up how they can get them and how they can get them back how many understand this has got nothing to do with God and nothing to do with love and God hates it because people are so hurt wives are hurt husbands are hurt children are hurt grandchildren are hurt co-workers are hurt friends at church are hurt hmm the pain God hates it and I know that there's a lot of people in the building right now people watching my internet you you've been through a divorce and and you can attest to the pain and some that have been divorced more than once and remarried and some on their second third fourth marriages and don't want you to have any condemnation about the past some folks did some things before they ever got saved and some people did some things after they got saved but the Lord forgives doesn't he he forgives and he cleanses and washes he sent their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more so he doesn't remember you can forget them till you can put them behind you but we're talking about now we're talking about now how we see marriage now and what we're doing now maybe in touch sometimes past you you didn't know what you should have known and you didn't see or you were thinking wrong or believed wrong or but you have come to the Lord and you are getting some word in you and some faith in you and do you want to see this the way God sees it and understand from him how he would have us to handle things and deal with things now the scripture says you don't have to go there but in in 1st Corinthians 7 much they're about marriage in the New Testament but he talks about people married people having trouble in the flesh he said such they'll have trouble in the flesh but I would spare you and flesh and trouble go together the more flesh the more trouble and the more spiritual and the less flesh the less trouble now there's no such thing as becoming spiritual until my godly spiritual no such thing is becoming more spiritual without growing up and no such thing is growing up and becoming more spiritual without growing in love growing in God is growing in love for God is love and the reason he has instructed us with what he has from his word and told us the way to do things is all from love he would spare us the pain I said he would spare us you know as people of God we don't have to have the trouble other people do now where we haven't fully developed and and we're still growing and so there's little things that you'll have to deal with and work through but you don't have to have the knock-down drag-out cuss out furniture breaking stupidity come on are you listening that the world does nor do you have to have the protracted Cold War [Laughter] that so many had we're children of God we got the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit we got faith and the spirit of faith we should be overcomers and we should be growing up becoming more spiritual and having less trouble why because they're just less flesh for the devil to mess with and cause us problems said out loud more flesh more trouble less flesh less trouble you want less trouble huh then what do we need from who yeah me me is the correct answer me do you believe you could grow and develop where there's less flesh domination about in your life yes yes now I want us to to kept on this passage a little bit and the the meaning of this the understanding of it God is a covenant God and he is a covenant-keeping god do you believe it you talk about a faithful covenant keeper God is the ultimate faithful covenant keeper Psalm 89 you'd have to turn there but Psalm 89 34 he says my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips can you count on God to keep his covenant and do what he said he would do Deuteronomy 7:9 Deuteronomy 7:9 says know therefore that the Lord your God He is God the faithful God that keeps covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations covenant means something to God it should mean something to us shouldn't it now I want us to review a little bit how many I want you to hold up your hand and let me know how many went through a marriage ceremony you got married you went through a marriage ceremony and in this marriage ceremony were there vows or promises or commitments hmm I want to read you a traditional one and I'll share the one some of some of what we use around here as well the the traditional says so and so do you take so-and-so to be your wedded wife to live together in marriage do you promise to love comfort honor and keep her for better for worse for richer for poorer in sickness and in health and forsaking all others be faithful only to her so long as you both shall live you even remember the right answer what does I do mean hmm mr. Dhar will okay what does I will mean I will what this in God's eyes is covenant you are entering into a life long covenant with this person and it should be it shouldn't just be done hurriedly in a corner somewhere it should be done in front of God's people in front of the families without embarrassment or hesitation why because it has far-reaching ramifications we're talking about the joining of families we're talking about one flesh we're talking about possibly depending on how long the Lord tarries generations of people to come out of this unions possibly know you with me and God is so invested and committed to his babies having the right home environment had growing up with love and stability and nurture and admonition that he wants there to be something rock-solid between these two people and between these two families covenant everybody say covenant covenant and you can see while the devil has just to focus so much attention on destroying every marriage that he can because every marriage you could he can destroy he destroys all that is connected to that marriage or disrupts it in some way if the devil could he would destroy every marriage represented in this building and watching my in every every marriage but he came he would have already done it if he could and a lot of folks know he's tried but he can't unless we allow him to and greater is He that's in us then he that's in the world if you won't quit there's hope I know it can be bad I know folks can endure hellish situations but don't give up with the Lord nothing's too hard nothing is impossible do you believe you're God's big enough that nothing yeah but you don't know charlie nothing it's too high up but you don't know hurt nothing nothing it's too hard including that do you have faith in God friends do you have faith in God well he can heal a body he can raise the dead he can restore a marriage he can resurrect as I said it's dead yeah but we serve the god of Resurrection there's nothing left brother Keith it's dead it's over and so was Lazarus Dan stinky dead you understand brother Keith my marriage it's thanks to the high heaven it's been dead 20 years so you telling me God came to it it's just too quiet it may be hard even for God no no no no he is the god of a resurrection he is we've seen it you've got testimony amazing testimonies terrible things that had happened awful things hurt damaged people were twisted and warped and the in the aftermath of what had happened and yet they're happy and serving God together today we've seen it don't tell me it can't happen I know it this is one of our quote from our marriage ceremony we use around here that was the man for the woman so I used other way around asking the lady do you take so and so is God's choice for you to be your lawfully wedded husband to be one flesh with you they say I do do you give your word as a Christian as a woman of honor that you will love him that you'll have respect and submit to him that you'll minister to him in all good things as the Lord enables you do you this day enter into a lasting covenant with this man that you will be a faithful life to him so long as you both shall live that is covenant God sees it as covenant we should see it as covenant now what does it mean in keeping the Covenant and in this passage we read about about the treachery and breaking the Covenant how do people break the Covenant some things may seem apparent but I want you to see that there are two main ways that people are committing in marriage covenant you you'd like the traditional marriage vows the one that I mentioned there oh there are I guess thousands of variations but you'll hear these two things over and over no matter how they say it and how they approach it they are committing to love that person and be faithful to that person now those two words are big and they cover a lot of things but those two things are where the commitment is to love and to be faithful before we go further into this let's go to Matthew the 19th chapter I want us to talk about God's part in this covenant Matthew 19 verse 3 the Pharisees came to Jesus tempting him saying to him is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause they-they were practicing that you you didn't really have to have a good reason if you just went through the paperwork you know and and divorced them for every cause every cause it's kind of like irreconcilable differences what does that mean it can mean anything right it could mean anything and that's what they're saying every cause means any reason is it okay to divorce your spouse for any reason that is the general mentality in today's society that hey it's just not working anymore I'm not having fun they're not either so why write a dead horse I mean life's too short to waste fussing and fighting he so basically any reason is an acceptable reason to divorce and they're asking Jesus isn't that right verse 4 he said have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female verse 5 and for this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain they too shall be one flesh verse six wherefore they're no more two but one flesh what therefore God has joined together let no man put asunder what marriages was he referring to as he's talking to them you think these Pharisees and Sadducees all of them knew much about being led by the spirit as they were courting as they married this is before people could be born again this is before people could be filled with the Spirit is he saying God was involved in their marriages what God has joined what's he referring to what God has joined now the devil uses the same deceptive thoughts on all of us I don't know at the times I have heard Christian people word faith people tongue talking confession making DVD playing say well I think we missed God I think well I think we missed God on getting married and they look at you like it's something new and they just have no clue how many times we've heard that yeah we we miss God because you know there's no way you know this is God and all the trouble we've had no way it can be God if there's trouble now we've already established while there's trouble huh Flint who's got flesh yeah everybody's got flesh which explains why there's so much trouble but this thing about no you know we missed God and so then that seems to cinch it for people that it's okay to quit trying give up start the divorce proceedings why well because you know we missed God we're not even supposed to be together that's mighty convenient I said that's that's convenient I know having been able to minister at Rhema Bible Training Center for years we'd have orientation that introduced us instructors and sometimes would be allowed to say a few things and and sometimes you're looking at a bunch of people and then this they had any started classes yet and they were so excited I was there at one point and I saw a lot of classes come through so excited and more than once I would ask them did the Lord bring you here they go yes are you sure the Lord brought you here oh yes yes yes he's worked miracles to get us here oh it's the glory of God oh I'm gonna do the work of the ministry will serve God oh yes I said are you sure the Lord has brought you here not ask I just asked it too many times until they'd look at you like I said yes I said are you sure they look at you like what yes I'm sure why would I keep asking I said because either in a few days or a few weeks or a few months something or a combination of things will arise to get you to question that because like brother ffs Bosworth said faith begins where the will of God is known that's another way of saying Romans 10:17 faith comes by hearing what he has said faith stands on the known will of God and if the enemy can shake you on whether it's God's will or not you're in trouble you cannot stand anymore the moment you begin questioning whether it's God's will for me to be healed or not you can no longer have faith to be healed the moment you begin questioning well is it God's will to help me pay this bill or is it not Israel you can no longer have faith to get your bills paid the moment you begin questioning well maybe we're not supposed to be together you're done you can no longer have faith to recover and the devil knows this which is when he goes for this again and again and tries to so these these these little thoughts and these little feelings and well if you were supposed together be together how come this and and why this and and if you're supposed to be together why does he do this and didn't do this and why does he like that and and how come if he can get you to just start thinking about and questioning that already the foundation of your faith is eroding and without faith I don't care who you are without being able to believe God for your marriage how you gonna make it no friend God knew you and them too much your spouse before you were born y'all gonna be with me tonight help me he knew you he knew and here's the thing those who are born again they are predestined remember the scripture talks about this pre death what does that mean God knows the end from the beginning he knew you'd say yes to him even while you running around acting like a heathen he knew he knew when you were trying to go to hell he knew you would come around you would say yes you would and he knew what you would need and the your spouse your partner he knew them he knew they would say yes he knew what they would need and this is so big not think about how big this is we're talking about possible generations of believers from a union all of their lives and the plan of God for them and you think he's going to stand by and just let it all go topsy-turvy and just roll the dice and see what happens when thousands up to millions of lives and generations and the plan of God is involved mmm-hmm let me ask you a question there are some people I'm sure you know right now trying to convince themselves that we weren't supposed to get married we missed God we were never supposed to get married to start with in the first place okay let let's let's rewind back to the day of your marriage the day you got married and I want to ask you on the day of your marriage do you believe God put you together oh you were you were moon I'd know what moon I'd meet you oh yes oh so wonderful it's amazing yes I don't God divinely ordered us to and now now now you missed God and they're not even supposed to be together the devil has told that to practically every married couple in here do not fall for this life do not believe it well we weren't even trying to serve God then I know isn't it amazing the mercy and grace of God we were saved but we couldn't find the front door didn't know one thing from another I know isn't God merciful and gracious he knew he saw the end from the beginning he knew you would need them they would need you he'd have this she'd have that he knew his plan for you for the family people are interested in of the people and they might have develop a relationship but you don't just you know off the cuff if you got any sense you don't just go yeah let's end into a lifelong covenant today not doing anything else know something why did you click with them why were you so infatuated with them and then with you know God joined you now is it possible for man to separate what God has joined obviously it is and a lot of folks have made such a mess and like we said I mean I know some folks have made some mistakes in time past in this room but we're not looking back we're talking about now we're talking about the future right we told my do it maybe maybe we made some mistakes but you're gonna do it God's Way now right you're gonna close the door to the lives of the enemy you're gonna put us you know you're to put your foot down right now and put a stop to this junk about we're not supposed to be together here you may not have been having any fun but that doesn't prove that you're not supposed to be together look back like I said on the day of your marriage or prior to that when the proposal was made and accepted and all those things if we had asked you then would you have hum hard around no no no God has joined does God join people together Jesus were quoting Jesus does God join people together can you mess up what he has joined you can should you be how foolish there's more going on than how you feel Phyllis and I you know you've heard us talk about it we've had challenges at times especially in times past but we've been in the ministry now for for 30 years and any time that we've been tempted or had challenges one of the first things that comes to our mind is we got to make it through people are counting on us o y'all with me Francis ministry our partners our friends huh we got got babies in the nursery counting on us well then that means I got to be a man and do what needs to be done she's got to be a woman do what needs to be done we we just need to get it together and get rid of some flesh he cuz uh how selfish of me would it be to say forget my partners forget the church forget the future of this and now forget that the thrill is gone [Laughter] the rail is gone and I'm looking for some fun friend in just a few more clicks of the clock and calendar we're out of here do you know that we're out of here we have such a brief window to get in here and do our job let's grow up this could be in such babies it's a week planning and let's do a hardness if we need to that's a good soldier write and report for duty and and stay you post and I skip this thing none cos soon and very soon and it's gonna be over this is the briefest thing we'll ever do it is so brief I I asked the Lord one time some years ago because you just see so much pain in the earth so much so many evil things and so many innocence being hurt and destroyed and and and the love of God in me is bothered by that it bothers me and and and I and one that don't don't mean well what about the Father God that's where I got this love for what and I'm just I discussed him I said how do you endure it I'm sensing a measure of that love you are that totally how do you tolerate the evil and the pain in this planet and just like that he spoke to me he said son it's very brief I thought on that for weeks because he answered me how do you tolerate it from his perspective it's a flash yeah there's some pain there's some discomfort but now you see it and let's go there in the earth or out of the earth it's over and we're told to have a solider mentality hmm can we stay our post can we endure some discomfort huh to get our job done and can we believe God that even if it's bad it can get better and honor the covenants on us a covenant honor the Covenant that we entered into with our spouse does God join people together yes even before they know it before they have a clue about the plan any of that we're predestined go back to this when people are making commitments in covenant I gave you two areas do you remember what they're doing and in this commitment these two main areas you know that you hear all the different phrases to hold to to cherish to to honor forsaking all others that is love and faithfulness you're committing to love that individual now love is not a feeling it affects feelings but it's not a feeling God's not a feeling he's loved when you're committing in the Covenant to love that person you're committing to value them you're committing to value them and to treat them as precious and important and usually when people are getting married the infatuation is there and it's all it's new they don't hesitate have no problem in asserting I will always treasure you I will always value you that that's love somebody say love and the other part is the faithfulness I will always be faithful now that's it takes how long to say that anybody awaken here how long does it take to say I will always be faithful to you but what kind of covenant is this it's a lifelong covenant faithful is a commitment when you say I am committing to love you you're saying I am committing to value you you will always be important to me and I will value you secondly faithful means you can trust me and you can depend on me he mentioned the the man had broken covenant with his wife there in that second chapter of Malachi and he mentioned treachery treachery has to do with betrayal now as we go over these basic things if you've missed it if you've made mistakes if you haven't repented you need to repent but condemnation won't do you or anybody any good even if you have broken covenant if you have been failed to love or failed to be faithful do you believe God can restore you and you instead of a covenant breaker you can become a covenant keeper and you can you can love and you can be faithful is it possible don't let the enemy tell you in through condemnation that you you can't be you can be Israel book covenant with God numerous times how many times did he take him back and restore him and forgive them and give them another opportunity to keep the Covenant this time he's very gracious very merciful very faithful but it should be exciting for us to believe that like God we can be faithful to keep covenant we know he will never stop loving us we will always be valuable and precious to him he will always care about us and that is an anchor to our souls isn't it and we know he is the faithful God that keeps covenant he will never lie to us he will never deceive us he will never betray us Willie never never he is the faithful God who keeps covenant and that is what marriage covenant is supposed to be in a world full of curse and topsy turvy the home can be a rock come on now when when the man knows he can he can trust his wife she no way would she lie to him no way would she take sides against him and betray him and no way is she gonna discard him and say I don't value you anymore see that's part of what he was in Malachi - it was saying the treachery when he said God says I hate divorce literally it's I hate putting away and I can see in that phrase throwing away somebody that you stood up with in front of God and Families and entered into covenant and then they're gonna turn around and say I'm throwing you away you are no longer valuable to me that's cruel I said that's cruel and God hates that cruelty how many would said in your heart you will not be such a cruel individual no reason to ever be and if the wife can know that her husband will never stop valuing her she will always be important to him she will always be precious to him and if she can no he will never lie to her and he will never betray her behind her back if that is there it's rock I said it's a rock no matter what else is going on and the job in the world you can come home and you know you've got something come on are you listening and the children even though they don't know it the infant's the little ones the sucklings the crawling babies they don't know all this stuff but their spirit can sense that stability that love come on are you listening and it keeps them from having all these disorder and problems that so many little ones have nowadays and as they grow up they don't even realize it but even if they say some stupid things or do some stupid things they know there's a rock at the house Christ the rock and dad the rock and mom the rock come on are you listening and they will never stop valuing you never lie to you or betray you if you're going to keep covenant you must love and you must be faithful when you think about faithful so many times people think about affairs and a lot of people have had affairs and messed up God forgives the faithful part involves so much the honest part because if you never ever told your spouse a lie it would be really hard to have an affair huh where were you well I was talking somebody that I shouldn't have been talking to about things that I should have been talking about that's what happens before the bed hmm and if you never ever hid things are concealed or lied it'd be most difficult to go too far people have lied people have deceived but friend you must come to hate it because it's devilish the devil is a liar and he is the father of it and it's devilish to deceive to hide to cover you you can't have a marriage covering hiding in line you just Kate it doesn't come out now it could come out later and so many times it's worse when it comes out later and ask God for mercy ask God for grace and put it on the table are you with me because if you're lying and deceiving you're breaking covenant because that's what you're telling them when you're saying I'll be faithful to you you're saying I will not deceive you I will not betray you behind your back I you can trust me you can count on me this is covenant we've entered into I know it's a little quiet I know these things can be uncomfortable but listen friend if you can't talk about it it's not fixed and we're not talking about if you've messed up you're doomed forever we believe in the power of the blood we believe in God's forgiveness and his cleansing but if you want to be free you have to change don't you the truth will make you free and you have to make up your mind I it will not be a covenant breaker I will not be treacherous I'm going to keep my covenant I'm gonna do what in a few days it's gonna be over I'm gonna keep my covenant I'm gonna love my spouse I'm gonna love my kids I'm gonna love my grandkids I'm gonna love what does that mean that's not always about feelings that means you treasure them you value them and that love prompts you to do all kinds of things to help somebody say thank you lord what is if these are the things that are involved in keeping covenant love and faithfulness what is involved in breaking the Covenant what's the opposite of love well the Bible says if you if you hate your brother you're a murderer it goes back to the roots and the root is selfishness the opposite of love is selfishness I've heard a number of people say well the biggest problem in marriages is lack of communication I disagree you can be communicating perfectly and destroy your marriage you can tell them exactly how you feel find the perfect words and describe it perfectly I hate your guts I can't stand to be in the same room with you did you understand that it's a well I hate you more I can't even stand to look at you must let's be in the same room with you and they they aren't they're communicating and they're being honest and there'll be nothing left they keep going now selfishness is the enemy there's only one law concerning marriage in the New Covenant it is the law of love it is the New Testament commandment now selfishness and flesh are one in the same and such will have trouble why because of the flesh or because of selfishness self my self mindedness is the big culprit in this because without realizing it people follow the the temptations and thoughts and feelings of the enemy so to think on how everything is affecting me how how I'm having to live with this and how I'm not getting this and what I'm feeling and what I'm going through and what I'm needing that I'm not getting and friend this is devilish and there's no excuse for it now people have done it without without realizing what they're doing but the great love chapter first Christy 13 it brings up love suffers long and is kind while it's suffering on and among other things it talks about it does not seek its own if you grow up in God you just less and less think about how anything impacts you are y'all with me friends yeah some years ago I was laying in the floor praying about some stuff and I was quite unhappy and disturbed and I had been for some time and I finally got quiet and I'm just laying there and the Lord spoke to my heart I don't mean to hurt a voice but in something he said Keith if you'll just forget about you most of your problems will just go away Wow and I begin to analyze that and I begin to see what he was talking about because I was upset because of how this affected me and I was upset because of how this made me feel and and I was upset because of how I couldn't do that me i how it affected me he said if you just forget about you about how anything affects you or anything if you just forget about it this will just it'll it just leave you the pressure the the temptation the fear and worry and and to be discouraged depressed you show me anybody depressed discouraged distraught I don't even have to know the details this is what they've been doing they've been thinking about a lot how this affects me how this makes me feel but love thinks night and day about how my actions affect others the impact my presence my words my actions are having on everybody around me selfishness doesn't think about the impact of my words on you it only thinks about your impact on me I know I taught on walking in love some years ago and after a whole week of it a lady came she called me son old brother Keith this is exactly what I've been telling these people for months they're supposed to walk in love with me I said no kid here for them this is for you we're not to judge the other person were to judge ourselves can you take a little more I feel like we need to go further Kenya you know let's let's not be in a rush in this is a special time we've set aside and I believe that the Spirit of God can just soak us can just saturate us with truth and light and love and grace and we can put some junk behind us and we can quit having some problems that we've been having we can grow up tell me two major components of keeping you covenant in marriage love faithfulness to big words when you get your mind off of yourself and focus on valuing them well I just don't feel quit talking about how you feel can you value them as a human being can you value them as a child of God God values them right yeah but no your buts can you that will you value them will you treat them as important as valuable that's the Lord open your eyes and help you see them the way he sees them do you want to do that set out that father God open my eyes help me to see the way you see sees my spouse my family to see people through your eyes thank you thank you lord you know Jesus his own family spoke disparagingly of him people in his own hometown why because they judged him after the flesh they didn't see who he was what he was on the inside this is the carpenter's boy who is he what does he think he's doing because all they could see was the flesh the external shell that's all he could see surely were spiritual enough to see more than the shell hmm there is an amazing made in the likeness of God eternal spirit inside that body hmm and they you you have not seen everything they are and everything they will be you have not seen they're going to shine like a star in glory your spouse shining much right now and how much are you shining come on now we're supposed to be people of faith we don't walk my side we look not the things that are seen value treasure and faithful you said you could take some more right go with me to Hebrews 3 I'm talking about taking a few more minutes is that Alright not just a couple maybe maybe more than that is this important or not it's very important I mean people fuss and fight all night long Oh can't you stay at church feed on the word a little while could save you some of them all-nighters couldn't good really kid the word is the power to do that in us Hebrews 3 and 12 we touched on this but I want to spend a little bit more time Hebrews 3:12 says take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God unbelief is evil in God's eyes unbelief is this hopeless don't believe it can happen don't believe it can be fixed no way no how give up spirit it's evil and you and I know better I said we know better and verse 13 but exhort one another daily while it's called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin say that less phrase out loud hardened through the deceitfulness of sin hardened through the deceitfulness deceitfulness deception now the main tool the devil has to work against us is his deception and do not underestimate it he is very clever he's been doing this for generations and he's so slick at it that most people don't even see in coming don't even realize it's him fee this stuff too but the devil is the father of falseness which also makes him the father of fantasy fantasy this has been a a culprit that has been key in the destruction of many marriages fantasy he said hardened through the deceitfulness of sin yielding to things that are false hardens you doles you anybody that's been in the ministry any length of time you know that it's astounding how otherwise highly intelligent people get so blind and you you can try to talk to them sometimes and they spout some of the most incoherent irrational stuff and otherwise they're smart bright people how did they get so hardened and darkened sin does it to you it deceives you it does you and the devil is the father a fantasies fantasies you know sometimes you hear people use the word in different ways but fantasy and fantasizing is not good it's not real but what the enemy wants you to do everybody is to look on the other side of your pasture how the grass is greener on the other side and what he works to get you to do is to compare a situation you know quite a bit about to a situation you know absolutely nothing about until he can convince you that the fantasy that you imagined about how it might be with this person our how it might be in this situation if you meditate on it long enough he can convince you that that is real and it would really be like that but it's not real I said it's not real it's fantasy and there are so many people of God included that are throwing away something real for something that is not real it's a fantasy I remember one of the first marriage counseling I did back years ago couple came in and through the course of the discussion one was very upset with the other about what their their relationship was not like these other people and I thought well you know I don't know who these people are but I listened to this for 45 minutes and I finally said well who is that well it was the stage names of actors in a soap opera [Music] yeah and he wasn't treating her like Brad was treating Angela on such-and-such drama I just looked at him and I said guys do you not know that's not real this is not the first time I've heard people live you know they were they were so blown away by this movie and and the relationship that he had with her and she had with them and that's and that's what they pictured as the ultimate and they thought they would have that with their spouse and it's just a lot more Monday through Friday then then they saw on the silver screen and wow this is not what I come on we got to be smarter than this huh when leading-man finishes the act with leading lady the director goes cut they go back to their trailers and many of them are absolute basket cases on their 10th marriage and don't even really know who they are or what they are that's reality not the show not the movie it's a food that throws away something real for something that it's not even real fantasy oh it's it's is so easy to look over and your spouse has just been a pain and they have so many faults and they just need to grow so much and you see somebody across the way or somebody you know or somebody that you worked with or whatever and they're just amazing they're amazing why can't my spouse be like them you don't know them you spend 20 years with them changed diapers in the middle of the night and do all the other varied things and see how moon-eyed you are over so the only other alternative is just go from person to person to the new wears off I call it the intoxication of infatuation your flesh not so much your neighbors are so much yours your flesh wants to get high all the time they know brother keep yeah yes it does it wants that high it wants that rush and there are myriad of ways to try to get your fix but the Bible tells us and warns us the eyes of man are not satisfied it doesn't make any difference what you do the new will wear off and it was a joint today but it'll be pills and snorting tomorrow and it was a fifth and then it'll be three and it was fair and then it'll be three and four and you wind up doing stuff you never imagined you would do trying to get that next infatuation fix you me you can't trust this flesh any further than you can throw it it'll do I know I know you born again I know you're talking tongues but your French didn't get born again it's the same flesh you had before you got born again and if you don't keep a tight on this thing come on are you listening it'll do anything you let it do and if you do you can ruin your life you can destroy your relationships ministry in it and be a fool let's have some sense and let's trust God's judgment if he joined us with somebody he knew everything about them and everything about you come on are you listening and if it's his joining there's grace there's grace on that joining for you guys to make it and get along and actually grow and develop how is it going to be any better with somebody else you throw them away and you get somebody new and if you don't have the same grace the new is gonna wear off how many know the new is gonna wear off they can't be brand new and see that's what though the writer in Proverbs was warning his sons about did you notice he keeps warning them about the strange woman strange means unknown unfamiliar and that's what the flesh is vying for something I haven't felt before some drugs some drinks some some relationships some experience looking for that physical flesh hi and it's something how the devil has twisted the sex so that he portrays and people buy into this even Christians mindedness that sex is the ultimate experience in life it is not husbands and wives should enjoy each other but sex is if you think it is it just shows you hadn't gone very far well maybe you don't know what kind of sex we can have it's physical the ultimate experience cannot be six the ultimate experience it's what God can do inside you and if you've never touched it this because you hadn't gone far enough he can thrill you he can take you to such highs such depths such breadth he loves you he wants to express it to you the devil wants you to get so caught up in the flesh that you go year after year and don't pursue the spiritual and one thing after another you can become obsessive and addictive and it will not satisfy you how many know the flesh cannot satisfy you you can't eat enough you can't drink enough you can't have enough Affairs to satisfy the inside of your spirit cannot impossible don't throw away something real for a fantasy for something that's not that way have some sense you don't know these other people I assure you they have flesh and they have faults yeah but they look amazing yeah and they can gain 50 pounds by the end of the month and your spouse could lose weight and shape up so could you or if that's all that's about but I'm telling you if you're fixated on that you could have considered the most amazing physique in the world and and in case they knew forever and everybody ages you keep living you're gonna age the alternative is you're not alive in that right physical so-called perfection does not exist it does not exist because the body has been affected by the fall and by the curse besides that sex cannot be the ultimate experience it is not when so many people are disappointed I've talked to people that messed up that failed that chased the fantasy I've sit across the desk for him crying out from them crying out their eyes think you know man as soon as I did it I thought this is this ain't the fantasy this ain't the devil's counting on that he has given us something real and something wonderful are you with me friends marriage covenant somebody that'll love you forever that's real somebody that will be faithful to you got your back the rest of your life that's real and that's wonderful and that's beautiful and if you you are they are coming up short in an area here or there God can make it up he can give you the grace to overcome to reach this to change this to get you can grow so much they can grow so much it's like you got somebody new this year come on are you with me you can change so much be so much more like the Lord it's like you got a new husband or anyway it's possible can you say glory to God what are you supposed to do with vain imaginations cast them down grab them and say that is a lie I don't got a clue about them or that and throw it down and be smart flicker got one more thing can you take Exodus 15 go over there and I think I'm closing with this how do you keep the Covenant and this covers a lot of ground but it's it's simple to love be faithful be faithful there's a lot of things a whole lot of things about your relationship with your spouse that you should never discuss with anybody else that's being unfaithful and I just like running to my girlfriend I like telling the guys I like doing this no no no you you made a commitment hmm that you would not betray confidence and you want to be them to always know that you got their back right you're on their side you can trust them I don't mean you have to approve of everything that they say you do they can make a mistake but just the general part of it you got their back you're on their side hmm you entered into a covenant yes with that now Exodus 15 tells the story that describes a lot of relationships Exodus 15 the people of God had been delivered out of Egyptian bondage and in verse 23 they came to Mara and they could not drink the waters of Meribah because they were bitter and therefore the name of it was called Mara which means bitterness and the people murmured against Moses and they said what should we drink I'm sure they were convinced then what they needed was another waterhole he wouldn't you think this one waters poisonous it's bitter poisonous I need a new waterhole this was bad this was ruined not only is it taste bad it's poisonous I cannot drink from this water hole anymore so what do you need people think you need a new one you need a new water hole millions including Christians bus noise they think I need a new start I need to move I need a new place I need a new home I need a new man woman I need a new friend I need a new job I need a new start and so people just they throw away their friends they throw their spouses and and everything God gave them and then just launch out and and the problem is not long after they get to their new place they realize they're there and they brought with them their junk and that in not very long period of time the new stuff is new no longer and it has some of the same issues as the old stuff and so you can run the rest of your life and you can jump from person to person and you can be miserable and never reach a potential the proverb says he that chases fantasies is a fool and he that chases fantasies will be poor you can't uproot and go and uproot and go in a route and go you'll never build you'll never accumulate you'll never advance you're supposed to stay to go where the Lord sent you and then stay where you're stationed and you're supposed to accumulate and build upon year after year after year until if the Lord tarries is coming there comes a time when you're old you're biblically old you and your spouse your soul the old people call you old but you're rich you're rich and good you're rich and babies and grandbabies and great grandbabies and they all love you and they all respect you come on who you listening and the people you've done business with you love you and respect you and all your church friends love you and respect you and God has made you a tree of righteousness with big branches and big roots and a lot of people have taken shelter under instead of some little twig that jumps up bounces from pillar to post and never builds anything and never accomplishes anything because they're trying to find who they are and somebody that will fulfill me that's just like an unsaved person just like some men don't even know the Lord it's saying about what you can get it's about what you can give but you can what you can so what you can do and having no the more you sow more it's coming back to you good measure pressed down shaken together and running over they were sure they needed a new water home but Moses cried to the Lord verse 25 and the Lord showed him a tree is there something special happened on the tree oh yeah that tree that cross where he became a curse for us so we could be made the righteousness of God in Christ and so the blessing of Abraham could come on us that blessing has the power to make the bitter sweet come on do you believe it he cried to the Lord the Lord showed him a tree and he cast that tree into the waters and the waters were made sweet that this word sweet is interesting the proverb talks about don't don't go after a strange woman rejoice with the wife of your youth and be ravished with her love that word ravished and the word sweet here has a a comparative meaning sweet means to be relished pleasurable enjoyable what was undrinkable becomes pleasurable and enjoyable is it possible God could move in people's lives where they have just they have destroyed what relationship that they've had and they've had nothing but misery and pain for months or years is it possible is it possible by what happened on the tree come on are you listening but what happened when the one who took our our sins and bore our sicknesses in our pains and the chastisement our vexation he took it I said he took it and by the power of what happened on that tree is God big enough that he can come in and make the bitter [Music] something you relish something you enjoy something that's pleasurable you just did enjoy sitting around with them you enjoy seeing them in the morning you enjoy a bit you know life is short how many days you got left with them Hey life is short time is clicking your smile say good morning enjoy talking to her enjoy being around them enjoy talking about the things of God and making your plans stirring up your faith and in joy and joy and the Lord bless you you got somebody to enjoy with enjoy enjoy enjoy so much they enjoy relish enjoy have pleasure when you stood up and you entered into covenant you made those commitments entering into a lifelong covenant there were not just two people involved [Music] there was somebody else reminds me of the fiery furnace I said it reminds me of the burning fiery furnace Shadrach Meshach Abednego thrown in there fire was so hot it killed the guards that threw him in and the King stooped down and he looked in there and he said hey I thought we threw three men in there in the fire I see there's somebody else in there in the fire with them and because he was in there in the fire with film they did not they weren't destroyed they weren't consumed in that fire even though it was hotter than people had experienced before they were delivered out of the burning fiery furnace and there wasn't even the smell of smoke you may feel like you've been through the flood you may feel like you've been through the fire and you may have been through some stuff but I want you to know the Covenant you entered into with your spouse was not just between two people the god you serve was with you and when you make commitment to each other he made commitment to you come on are you listening that he would be with you and never leave you he would love you come on do you believe it with an ever lasting love he made covenant with you he has a part in your marriage covenant and he will be with you in the fire in the in the challenge in the trial in the test and if you won't give up if you won't quit if you'll just stand up and say we're not alone I know this seems hard but we're not alone somebody's with us and I just believe God is so big that before this is all said and done will not even have a smell of our troubles and failures on us stand up and give God praise Oh let's give Him glory let's give Him praise oh thank you Lord Jesus oh thank you let go ahead go ahead

Channel: Free Word of God

Views: 15,199

Rating: 4.8863635 out of 5

Keywords: Keith, Moore, Marriage, Enrichment, Pt, 1, Tears, on, the, Altar

Id: 3MOkteRbmA4

Length: 101min 13sec (6073 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 12 2011