Currents

There is a common pattern in the New Testament. It is perfectly  summed up in Ephesians 5.8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” The pattern consists of three parts.

A.    What you were
B.    What you are now
C.    How your behaviour is affected.

This is important.  Many people have an idea that we must alter our behaviour to become ‘good’ people.  Their idea of this verse would be; “You are children of darkness. Live as children of light, then you will be children of light in the Lord.”

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When I was first married I had a college professor tell me to get a “doctorate in Kim-ology”, to become an expert in all that she was so that I could better meet her needs. Discovering the way the opposite sex generally thinks is just the beginning, it is up to you to delve deeper and become a specialist concerning your spouse.

Understanding the way your partner thinks is important, because we often turn what is really a head issue into a heart issue.  Sometimes we interpret an action, not as a result of the way our spouse was created or thinks, but as an attack or as an attitude that needs adjusting.

As a general primer on how your spouse thinks, here is how the Male Brain works and how the Female Brain works. I encourage you to read both if possible as there is useful information for both sexes in both articles.  Also remember, we have more in common as people than we have differences due to gender.

On June 10^th the men of Streams will be wrapping up The 6 Burgers You Have To Try Before The End of The World. In addition to making our official recommendation for the best burger in town we will be stepping up to lead through service.

 We will host a Scarlet Cord  BBQ fundraiser for the entire church immediately following the morning service.  Each man that signs up needs to bring an equal number of burgers to be cooked and buns (At least 6 of each). 

The church will provide fixin’s and condiments.  Before service simply drop off your donation in the kitchen. We will cook ‘em up, sell them and then give the proceeds to Scarlet Cord. If you would like to help with set up and/or BBQing let Jordan or Joel know.

Last Sunday evening the men of Streams Christian Church sat down and tried one more burger in our quest to find the best burger joint in Red Deer.  Thank to all the men who did this for their family, for their community, for their country.  Your bravery is inspiring. Youcan find the detailed results of our highly unscientific results after the break.

You may have noticed that there are only five restaurants while the title implies there are six burgers that have to be tried before the world’s end.  The sixth burger will be available to be tried June 10th.  The men of Streams will be BBQing burgers following the AM service.  All proceeds will go to Scarlet Cord.

Here is what we’ve found:

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In Jeremiah 29:11 God says He has plans to bless us, to give us the future we hope for. So what should we do when God declares there are good things coming our way, things we have hoped for? We start to prepare for it.

Isaiah 54.2 (ESV)

Enlarge the place of your tent,

and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;

do not hold back; lengthen your cords

and strengthen your stakes

Before the blessings and increase comes, He wants you to make room for it.

For example, if you are believing God for a child, buy books on parenting, prepare the baby’s room or pick out a name.

Let’s look at Isaiah 54.1-3a from the NLT:

“Sing, O childless woman,

you who have never given birth!

Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem,

you who have never been in labour.

For the desolate woman now has more children

than the woman who lives with her husband,”

says the LORD.

“Enlarge your house; build an addition.

Spread out your home, and spare no expense!

For you will soon be bursting at the seams.”

Hope is the confident expectation of good from God. He wants you to get ready for favour, increase and blessings in your life.

Jesus had declared war on religion, and he did not hold back. Listen to his words in Matthew from the Message, “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.”
What was Jesus’ problem with religion? Religion is a reliance on rules and rituals as our conduit to God.  The problem is, instead of being a conduit, it ends up being a barrier that keeps people from God.

I often wonder if religion is the enemy of God. It’s almost like religion is what happens when the Spirit has left the building.
-Bono

Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is the proclamation of the end of religion, not of a new religion, or even of the best of all religions. …If the cross is the sign of anything, it’s the sign that God has gone out of the religion business and solved all of the world’s problems without requiring a single human being to do a single religious thing. What the cross is actually a sign of is the fact that religion can’t do a thing about the world’s problems ­ that it never did work and it never will…
-Robert Capon

Remember Israel at Mount Sinai? Moses went up the mountain and encountered God. This is what God wants. Face to face relationship like he had in the garden of Eden. All of Israel could have had this.  But they were afraid and they said “Just give us a spokesman, just tell us what to do, from a distance.” So God gave them the laws and sacrifices and priests. They were to be he conduits but at they same time they were barriers.
In time rules and traditions were added. They thought if they added walls around the laws then nobody would come close to breaking tem. And the walls grew wider and wider. By Jesus day there were so many walls nobody could come close to God. Jesus came to tear down the walls, to tear the veil. He said it’s face to face time again. He said,  come unto me all of you who are weary and weighed down and I will give you rest. He said, if anyone is thirsty, let him come directly to me. He said to the prodigal, come home. There are no walls to climb, no barriers to jump. I am the way. I am the truth. I am life.
Excerpted from the sermon Bewitched: Scandalous Sept. 26th 2010, available for download @ streamschurch.com

Gary Chapman has a New York Times Bestseller, The 5 Love Languages, that is a good read for any couple.  In it Chapman describes how everybody gives and receives love in one of five love languages.  Often we may have a secondary language, but for the most part we have a native love language.
Couples rarely have the same love language.  As often as you say ‘I love you’ in English, if your spouse speaks French, they will not understand.
The Five Love Language are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch.
Each person has a Love Tank.  Like a gas tank in a car it is best not to let it get to empty.  When someone’s love tank is empty pain and resentment result.  Being ‘in love’, that emotional, honeymooner state, can keep our tanks full for a while, but eventually our emotional high will fade and it takes more work for our spouse to keep our tanks filled.
This is why it is crucial to learn to express your love in the language your spouse understands.  When we are able to do this it can vastly improve our marriage.
If your spouse speaks:
Words of Affirmation, compliment them, verbalize your appreciation, encourage them, use kind words and tone.  When it comes to household tasks, request rather than demand.  Use words to express your love, respect and admiration for your spouse and their tank will overflow.
 Quality Time, give them your undivided attention.  Quality time is not the same as parallel time, doing the same thing at the same time. (i.e. watching TV)  Focus on them.  Have quality conversations, where there is a free exchange of thoughts, feelings, ideas and desires.  Often your spouse who speaks this language wants your sympathetic ear rather than your problem solving plan.  Participate in quality activities your spouse enjoys.
Receiving Gifts, pay attention to what gifts in the past have excited them, what kind of objects they keep forever. A gift is a visual, tactile symbol of your love.  It can be a memento, an object that recalls a treasured memory.  It can be a gadget or book or movie that they really desired, giving it can make them feel known and special. Gifts can be found, made, bought, expensive, cheap, big or small.
Acts of Service, do the things your spouse wants done.  Be proactive and preemptive, don’t wait to be asked.  Don’t be a doormat, be a lover who anticipates their needs and takes joy in fulfilling them.
Physical Touch, hold their hand, kiss and hug them.  Physical touch includes sex, but is about so much more.  A simple hand on a knee during a movie, or hand on the shoulder as you pass each other. It can be as easy as sitting closer on the couch.  It is incredible the strength you can impart in a crisis simply through a hug.

Learn to speak your spouse’s love language, and learn to interpret  theirs and your love tanks can be full, leading to a healthier, more vibrant marriage. To learn what your love language is take the online assessment.