Wife

Enlarged Aorta 2

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Back in February of 2008 I wrote a piece informing the readers of Fire and Hammer of my wife’s diagnosis of an aneurysm   of the aorta of her heart.  Well in the past few months we have learned after her last CT scan that it has grown to the point of needing surgery.

The surgery will be “open heart”, and if that alone is not complicated enough her aorta is behind her thorax (windpipe) area.  According to the surgeon it is normally in the front.  He has told us that he will remove the aneurysm by cutting it away, and bringing it around the way it is supposed to be to her left arm.

Now understand; I am no physician, nor do I understand this whole process, but it is as accurate as I can tell you.

Her surgery is scheduled for the 21st of September.

My wife, Madge and I, have been married now for 37 years and a couple of months.  Thank you all for your prayers.

Tim A. Blankenship

UPDATE FEBRURAY 18, 2012

I apologize to many who were concerned and praying for us in this matter for not letting you know sooner.  The surgery on September 21 of 2010 went well.  It has now been over a year, and now 1.5 years since the surgery and Madge [my wife] is doing well.

We do thank you for your prayers and concern.

 

Just A Thought 12/30/08

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

There are many questions, and at times many accusations, and arguments over the issue of marriage.  Biblically, marriage is between one man, and one woman “until death do we part”.  The issue of same sex or homosexual marriage is playing a large part in that definition today.

As a Christian I take the Biblical view of marriage, and will until the Lord returns to take me home with Him.  A question comes to my mind, however, “Why has marriage been so cheapened, so degraded?”, and I must answer that with this.

The divorce rate is around 50 percent.  That sounds awful to me.  Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce.  Is that what is meant by that statistic?  If so, that is truly terrible, and a shame to be attached to something that God has ordained. 

There is something that makes the matter even worse to me, and that is the divorce rate among those who profess to be “Christian”.  It is at the same rate, and maybe even higher.  It seems that many Christians have bought into the “Me” lie.  They may not admit it, but live as though their living life is all about “Me”, and there is no surrender, no commitment, no loyalty to the spouse (husband or wife).

Let me ask this question, “Who has really cheapened marriage; those who have no commitment, or the issue of same sex marriage?”  I dare say that had we Christians stood firm on faithful marriages, and committed ourselves to our own wife or husband, then there would not be the issue and debate of same sex marriage.

Here is the Biblical idea for marriage.  “Wives, submit to your husbands as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22); and “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her…” (Ephesians 5:25).  When these are followed there will be happiness in the marriage, along with joy and peace.

Just my thoughts for today.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Healing for Backsliding

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Healing for Backsliding

 In the previous writing we find a promise of God given to the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel, and that promise is that they would both return to the land as one. Even in their backslidden condition they were to hear these words, and the prophet was to continue to proclaim their need of repentance, cleansing and healing for their backslidden condition.

How or why does one need healing from a backslidden condition. First of all backslidden as the prophet Jeremiah wants us to understand is referring to the people of God. Backslidden is a departure from a place or person you are supposed to be near; which in our case the person is God whom they have left. To backslide is almost always a slow deliberate departure. Slow because it begins with something that seems so small to begin with. “I am staying home from worship services this morning because I am so tired. I was up half the night enjoying family and friends”. Then, come Wednesday night and Bible Study time, “I am not going to Bible Study and prayer meeting this evening because it has been a long week already, and I can’t be getting home too late.” Or, how about this, “Just one peek at that site online won’t hurt. After all, I do need to be knowledgeable about what’s going on.” Just one little step in the wrong direction leads to a slippery slope which slides you further and further away from God, His Word, and the gentle whispers of His Spirit.

“But I said: ‘How can I put you among the children and give you a pleasant land, a beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’ And I said: ‘You shall call Me, ‘My Father,’ and not turn away from Me.’ Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,’ says the LORD. A voice was heard on the desolate heights, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel. For they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God. ‘Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.’ ‘Indeed we do come to You, for You are the LORD our God. Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth– Their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.” Jeremiah 3:19-25 (NKJV).

God sent forth His Son Jesus Christ to redeem the house of Israel. If you doubt that hear what Jesus has said, “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:6; “But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24; and it was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, “He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was striken.” Isaiah 53:8. Even the high priest at the trial said, “…You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” John 11:49-50, and the verse following says, “Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” (vv.51-52).

It is because of their backsliding that God has scattered them across this world; has hidden them in the world; and called the Gentile nations to believe in the work of the Son of God on the cross.

Did God not see them those many years ago, even before Jesus became man, and give them these exceeding, precious promises? Of course He did. Our God is sovereign, and in control of every situation. He did not cause Israel or Judah to backslide, but in their backslidden condition the will of God was done, is being done, and will continue to be done. Every sinful act of a human being is known by the LORD of hosts, and not one of them will be held against anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ for salvation. Yet every sin which finds no repentance in the heart of the child of God, will be used to work in the sinning heart, mind and soul, to irritate, sting, and stick until that sinning heart finds rest in Christ Jesus.

When I pray for a lost person to be saved here is what I pray: Father, in Your mercy, love and grace touch the heart of this individual (Using their name here). Open their eyes to see their lost condition; that they are condemned by their sin, and for them there is no hope apart from the cross of Jesus Christ. Make them miserable in their sin, until they look upon Jesus Christ who gave His life’s blood so that we might be saved, that He was buried carrying all sin away with its guilt, and that He arose from the grave and is everliving interceding for us all. Save him/her (name) O, LORD, for Your own honor, power and glory. Amen.

Jeremiah admits the sins of the people for the nation in verses 22b through 25. How can God bring them back to the land which has been left desolate and barren? When they can come to the place they will call God “My Father”, and will not turn away from Him. Marriage is meant to be a illustration of God’s intimate relationship with His people, and of Jesus Christ and His relationship with the Church. God uses the idea of marriage to speak of spiritual adultery, of which Israel and Judah were guilty. The whole book of the prophet Hosea is concerning the relationship between that prophet and his wife. Gomer, if not previous to their marriage, then after marriage, became a temple prostitute. God used this to make a very good, and strong point to the nation. In the prophet’s love for his wife, and continually pursuing her; we see God’s wonderful, marvelous love for Israel, and ultimately for the Church.

There are not many men in this current time who would pursue a wife who has deliberately chosen to lie around with other men, profaning and making a mockery out of her marriage, and of her vows to God and her husband. But this was the love which God has shown those who are His. Just as Hosea paid to redeem his wife from the fringes of the debauchery of prostitution, so the LORD our God has paid for our redemption from sin. O, how the heart of Jeremiah must have grieved for the people. Can we see and feel the heart of the prophet as he proclaims the message of Healing for the people’s backslidden condition?. They will not listen to the Word of God.

The tragedy of our day is very similar to those of Jeremiah’s. While some of the so called experts are telling us to tone down our Biblical expository sermons, if not completely stop preaching altogether; no one is wanting to hear the Word of God. We are being told by those experts tune the message to the ears of the hearers. God’s Word still proclaims, “Preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season” 2 Timothy 4:2. Jeremiah didn’t have the ear of the people, as far as it leading them to repentance, but he did wind up in the dungeon. Does the preacher today preach what the people want to hear, or does he preach the very Word of God, what God wants us all to hear. If I ever walk into a church to worship the Lord and all I receive from that “Preacher” is a 10 – 15 minute sermonette, and never mentions the cross of Jesus, never mentions the burial and resurrection of Jesus, or His coming again; that is one church I will never enter again. If I were ever to become a part of a church which adopted such a mentality, and if after much prayer and work could not convince leadership to go back to God’s method, then I would leave it as quickly as I could. People need to repent, quit living in sin, and come out unto the Word and way of God our Savior.

-Tim A. Blankenship

 

Answered Prayer

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

A great illustration of answered prayer:

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the
men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two
survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other
recourse but to pray to God.

However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to
divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first
man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat
its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a
wife.
The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a
woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island,
there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next
day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man
still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could
leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of
the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to
leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man
unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been
answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven
booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,”
the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does
not deserve anything.”

“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer,
which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of
my blessings.”

“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “what did he pray for that I
should owe him anything?”

“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone,
but those of another praying for us.

When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Husbands in Marriage

/ T. A. Blankenship / 1 Comment

What is the role of the husband within the marriage?  We have had an article a couple of weeks ago which dealt with the wife’s submission to her husband, and his to her.  I fear that there are many men who think that the responsibility for keeping the marriage fresh, vital, and romantic is all the wife’s responsibility.

That  could never be more incorrect.  The love in the marriage is the man’s responsibility.  Where do I get that?

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her…”  Ephesians 5:25 (NKJV).

The Bible makes it clearly the husbands place to love the wife.  Some of you over tuned with testosterone males need to realize that this “Love” is not about sex.  It is about genuine love.  The love which Jesus Christ showed by the greatest display of love ever given.  That was His death on the cross for the sins of the world.  There can be nothing more manly, heroic, chivalrous, than sacrificing yourself for your wife.

Now, I am getting where it hits home with myself.  I cannot say that I am this way, but I want to tell you that I am learning and growing.  I want to ask the real men who are reading this to begin doing this today.

My wife has been the picture of submission to me.  When our children were at home we would take our family vacations at times going camping, cooking over an open fire, without the modern day camp provisions, etc., and my wife hated camping this way.  She would go along without complaint, she would cook over that fire, and never complain.  She did it for me and the kids.  I have learned from that

How much should a husband love His wife?  Just as much as Jesus did the church in giving His life for her salvation.

You want to show your wife the love that she needs.  Let her choose where you go to eat next time.  Let her choose the movie you watch.  Let her choose where you go on your next vacation.  When you have that very important football game on, you only have one TV, and there is something on she wants to watch; let her watch, and watch it with her.  She likes that time you take to spend with only her.  The next time you have a hunting trip planned, and something comes up she wants to do with the family; you have the idea, go with her and enjoy her and her joy.

“Husbands, love your wife”  There is no command for the wife to love her husband, but she will when you show that form of sacrificial love which was shown us in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.

Submission

/ T. A. Blankenship / Leave a comment

With our third installment of TWO FOR TUESDAY concerning marriage I want to invite your opinion and ask for your help as well.  This would be much more interesting if we could get some “Good Marriage” articles written by some of our readers.  Just write an article about someone you know who has been married 25 years or more whose marriage has been an inspiration to you.  I will give you credit for the article and a link to your site when I choose to use it.  You may email your article to isaiah4031(at)mo-net(dot)com. and if I choose to use it; it will be posted on the next available Tuesday.  Look forward to hearing from you.

Submission

Many times we hear this phrase using the word “Submission”, and in our society of this day it does sound like a word of bondage.  Is it bondage?  Is there something we have been missing?  In answer to the first question it is bondage when it is perceived the wrong way.  It is freedom for a marriage when it is seen in light of its true meaning.  So, yes, there is something that has also been missing.

From the Bible we see Paul the apostle writing this:

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body.  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”  Ephesians 5:21-24 (KJV).

Submission is a two fold deal.  The husband must submit to his wife in the sense of being his only one.  His only wife.  His only lover.  His only woman.  He submits to her on those grounds.  He submits to her as being equally created in the image of God human being.  He submits to her dreams for their marriage, their home, their children.  To the husband his wife is his chief joy for life, other than Jesus Christ.

Men, that means that cars, boats, guns, football games, baseball games, boxing matches, hunting, fishing, camping – you get the idea – takes a back seat to your wife.  She is more precious than those things.  She wants and needs your love (this does not necessarily include sex), attention, and time.  We represent Jesus Christ and His love for the church.  How does He love His bride [the church]?  He gave His life for her.

Wives submission for you is to cherish your husband, commending him before his peers, encouraging him in his work and ministry, and like Sarah of old even seeing Abraham as lord (Genesis 18:12), even when she believed they would have no children.  It was an endearing term for Sarah, but also a term of respect.  That only means that in submission the wife is to respect her husband, his strengths, abilities, and his person.  In submission to him the wife should also see her husband as an equal of the creation of God’s image.  The wife should see her husband as the chief object of her affection, love, and life; after her love for Jesus Christ.

Both the husband and wife gave vows to one another; something like this;  I promise to love, honor and cherish you; in sickness and in health, in wealth or in poverty…, as long as we both shall live.  Marriage is a picture of Jesus Christ and the church.  Let us who know the Savior be mirror images of Him in our individual lives and in our marriages.

MOTHER’S DAY

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

It is that wonderful day of the year where we are to give honor and show appreciation to our Mothers.
I know that I am very thankful for my mother. My Mom used to say things like, “Love is an itch in your heart you can’t get to to scratch”. I remember over hearing her and one of her sisters talking (before I was born again) about the second coming of Jesus. That really peaked my interest, and as some who read this blog, can tell; it still does. Mom has always been an encouragement to me, and I will always love and appreciate her.
I am also very thankful to the Lord for the mother of my children, my wife. All of our 5 children are great kids. They are great kids, because they have a great mother who has always loved each one dearly, and has given much of her time to teach them and be an encouragement to them. Best of all, to me she is a great wife.
To all the mothers who may come by this BLOG today, HAVE A GREAT AND BLESSED MOTHER’S DAY.