Unequal Yoke Part IV.

'A bit of subject changing, but it’s necessary. Do you know what is the main purpose of religion? 

Frame. 

Yes-yes. 

Okay. 

The main purpose of religion is to help to 'avoid' the meeting with God. It gives a series of activities which if I do properly then I had the catharsis, I can happily nod, everything is amazing, Mr Mike has spoken with God, and he told what God has said to him, and because of that I don’t have to speak with HIM. 

This is the thing, that to open our hearts could be dangerous, therefore to go to God, ask from him something,  is holding within itself the risk that HE will answer. We can ruin it, in double ways. In one hand we can ruin it by telling HIM that this and that is happening and then running away, not waiting to HIS answer. The other way is when HE IS saying unpleasant things and I say that ’the device’ wasn’t working properly and I heard it incorrectly. It’s a huge failure and a great loss, but Paul is saying „(I am talking as to my children), let your hearts be wide open to me.” And don’t be in unequal yoke with unbelievers that’s how it continues. So from the aspect of the tense it’s not saying to ’not be with’, instead ’to not get into’ unequal yoke with unbeliever. That’s the correct translation. Therefore before that, you had the yoke which gave you ’inner rest, peace, stability’. Don’t get in something which removes you from it, okay? That’s the important thing.

I declare the following thing, coming back to marriages. You can live in unequal yoke if you are, as a believer, married to another believer. It’s easily possible to be in unequal yoke within a believer – unbeliever marriage, but the unequal yoke is inside the heart of the believer. Exact question, real situation. Someone is saying that ’she has got a very good relationship with her husband’, ’they love each other’ and ’everything is cool’ but he cannot stand the Christians. Yes, yes, yes! From one hand „They think it strange that you don’t plunge with them.” But if, he loves his wife, then I’m sure that he loves all of her soul, including that part which is in relationship with God. No, the problem is not there! The problem is with, from my own experience it happens a thousand times, when accidentally he  - the poor guy - goes to a church, and then he is surrounded by six hundred people who’s asking that ’Oh, you are not converted, right?’ and well ’It would be better if you would be a believer, because that way the children could grow up in unity.’. And I don’t know what else. They cover you with all of this, I call it ’saint-sauce’, from that I would run out from church as well. Right?

And I can tell you where is the unequal yoke. Within the believers heart there’s a commitment towards God. But there’s a compulsion for conformity within the church. Good night to everyone! We should decide it, okay, obviously it’s important to be the part of The Body of Christ, to fit in, but in the Heaven they won’t ask you about ’Miss Maggie’s opinion about your marriage from the last row. Forgive me, but God is not interested in ’Miss Maggie’s opinion. The fellowship is very interested in her opinion, because ’Miss Maggie’ has got a loud voice and she speaks a lot. But, but, can you understand the meaning of it?! So the conclusion of the story is that don’t give up THAT inner peace, stability, calmness, yoke that you have taken up, just because what they are thinking about you. That’s true in your workplace, within the church, in your ministration with other Christians and with your relatives.

The problem is when you start to do these kind of compromises in your life, then to undo them or turn back from there will be very-very difficult. For example, if once in your working place either in your family you denied Christ like that, so you didn’t admit Him, you left Him out. I can always imagine this as the following, that the Lord is there, but the only one who can see Him, is you, not the others, so then when you do it, it is like saying that He is not there, inside you. So just once you pushed Jesus to the background, then there is a problem and to return from that point is a long period. It could be months, in terms of credibility and in terms of your own inner peace. Start it, if it takes long, doesn’t matter, because it’s worth to do! Start to admit Christ in your life, in your personal life, in your family and in your working place. If you once admit it, then it will be much more easier to admit Him in another time, in another situation.'

Unequal Yoke Part III.

"We closed Paul, we closed the discussion about getting married. Let’s go back to the unequal yoke, if you’re willing to come with me. This is in 2 Corinthians 6. To be honest all the 2 Corinthians is about how Paul caused some confusions and problems in Corinthia because of his first letter, and after that he tries to solve the misunderstanding. Obviously lot of people was converted, lot of things had changed, but unresolved, hurtful things are stayed, and he tries to solve them. So he’s putting into the right contest every misunderstanding which he caused in the letters of 1 Corinthians. Starting from the first chapter of 2 Corinthians till the ending, he speaks about the believer’s rights in this world and their place within the spiritual- and this world.

In the first chapter he immediately starts with referring back to the previous chapters. „When therefore I was thus minded, did I decide lightly? Or the things which I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be “yea, yea” and “nay, nay”? But as God is true, our word toward you was not “yea” and “nay.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “yea” and “nay,” but in Him was “yea.” For all the promises of God in Him are “yea”; and in Him “amen” unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Cor 1:17-20) This is also similar to the unequal yoke. I will tell some examples for „yes yes” - „no no”, in case someone doesn't know the meaning of it! The Urim and Thummim casting lots worked like that, it was two cards, stones or something which had got a „Yes” and „No” side on it. For instance when Saul is asking God in different ways, he is not responding with prophecy, neither with dream vision, nor by Urim and Thummim. It could only happen if one of the stone says „Yes” and the others says „No”. Paul says that „we are not like that, therefore we are yes-yes.”

Consequently we are representing the whole. Essentially he says to the Corinthians that „Sorry guys for being so harsh with you before, but I haven’t got an other option, but to speak straight forward, sincerely and to represent God’s message in 100 per cent. So my speech was a clear yes, namely ’yes-yes’ and I wasn't unsure, namely ’yes-no’ ”. He is continuing this reasoning in the 5th chapter when he’s saying; „And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a human point of view. Even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh]. Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”(2Cor 5:15-17)

So in the 6th chapter comes the practical conclusion from all of this. He says that „We then, working together with God,” co-workers „make our request to you not to take the grace of God to no purpose.” So it has to be possible, if Paul wrote it down, that the man „take upon the yoke”, but it didn't work out for some reason. This is the situation, which I mentioned at the beginning, „that this and that’s the problem, one thing or another are not working, I don’t know what to do now, Help me”. My ’favorite’ question is; ’Shall I stay with him/her or shall I divorce?’. Of course, I will 'definitely' tell you the right answer! Ouch!! Well, if I tell to him/her, then what? Otherwise I don’t like to tell people what to do. I try not to let myself into the position where I have to tell them what is the right thing to do. When it occurs I usually tell them that, ’alright, I will help, but Will I be the one who has to live together with him/her, or you?’. It’s better, if you don’t answer to these kind of questions at all.

Old Paul says, „to no purpose”, don’t let it happen, to take the grace of God with no intention. Now, he set out a couple of things in verse 3; „Giving no cause for trouble in anything, so that no one may be able to say anything against our work; But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength”. In an inner „quiet strength”. It is again the same, which I mentioned before, that I am IN the yoke and THAT gives me an inner, insistent, stable peace. And yes, it could be irritating, but to have this yoke is WORTH, no matter what. Therefore to move out from the yoke is foolishness.

Then he continues, after the specification of all sorts of difficulties which can happen in a Christian’s life, with the 11th verse saying; „Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians, our heart is wide. It is not our feelings to you which are narrow, but yours to us.” That’s what he says to the Corinthians; „O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels”. In simple words the problem is not in our/my, but in your ’device’. He says; „Now to give me back payment of the same sort (I am talking as to my children), let your hearts be wide open to me.” Well, after a trust ’trial’ and ’half –confidence’ losing, he’s trying to regain their trust."

Unequal Yoke Part II.

"So let’s talk about the 'usual' interpretation of the unequal yoke. We all know that it means that; „we mustn't give our daughters to non-believers” so in general as a classical version it means -let's say- I’m a catholic.  Then I mustn't let my daughter to marry a protestant, because it will cause unequal yoke. If I am an Adventist then I shouldn't let her to marry a Pentecostal. Someone asked me with a really serious question considering the unequal yoke, what if an Adventist marries a baptist, ’cause when their children will be bigger, when shall they go to church, on Saturdays or on Sundays? No, well, but you understand it, these are real, serious problems.

However, I will be a little cheeky and I will put this into the right place. Instead of telling you about the unequal yoke, I will read out from 1 Corinthians 7. The real thing which Paul says about the marriage, because the 2 Corinthians 6, where there is the scripture about the unequal yoke, in reality it’s not about marriage. Now I’ll put 1 Corinthians 7:29-39 on the table with a quite provocative Amplified translation. „I mean, brethren, the appointed time has been winding down and it has grown very short. From now on, let even those who have wives be as if they had none, And those who weep and mourn as though they were not weeping and mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not possess anything, And those who deal with this world [overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away. My desire is to have you free from all anxiety and distressing care. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord; But the married man is anxious about worldly matters—how he may please his wife— And he is drawn in diverging directions [his interests are divided and he is distracted from his devotion to God]. And the unmarried woman or girl is concerned and anxious about the matters of the Lord, how to be wholly separated and set apart in body and spirit; but the married woman has her cares [centered] in earthly affairs—how she may please her husband.” 

Dear old Paul. This cannot be really challenged. „Now I say this for your own welfare and profit, not to put [a halter of] restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly and in good order and to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord.”  Enchanting! „But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward and in regard to his virgin [that he is preparing disgrace for her or incurring reproach], in case she is passing the bloom of her youth.” That’s how it’s written down within the Amplified version! „and if there is need for it, let him do what to him seems right; he does not sin; let them marry. But whoever is firmly established in his heart [strong in mind and purpose], not being forced by necessity but having control over his own will and desire, and has resolved this in his heart to keep his own virginity, he is doing well. So also then, he who gives his virgin (his daughter) in marriage does well, and he [the father] who does not give in marriage does better. A wife is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord.” That’s all which is about the unequal yoke. This unequal yoke theory is based on this tiny little sentence. It’s obvious that everybody tries to find a suitable match, someone who thinks like the same way, but this inequality means something totally different. I would like to go through this, to show you how does it works in the reality. I would like to read Paul’s postscript from the scriptures. „But in my opinion [a widow] is happier if she does not remarry. And also I think I have the Spirit of God.”

Unfortunately Paul was not the first priest who lived in celibacy, but there is an unpleasant fact. He was part of the Sanhedrin when they voted about the fate of Stephen. Well regrettably only married men were able to be part of the Sanhedrin. Therefore it’s possible that it’s a very likeable thing that Paul said that it’s better for the man to be unmarried in all his life. No, instead of that he says that if the husband or wife dies, it’s better to stay alone, just like I do. That’s what Paul said."

Unequal Yoke Part I.

The author of this post is Mr Tamas Mike, a Hungarian preacher. With his permission the ReThinkers blogger's translated it into English. This preaching is available to listen through the H.E.V. church's homepage, but of course just in Hungarian language.

"Hi Everybody,

I would like to start with a musical concept, then we will start the preaching. The word symphony, how the Greek use it, συμφωνία /sumphonia/, means resonance, jingle, cooperation. This is my favorite spiritual experience, confirmation. You know when Paul says that "As the scripture say, 'The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses'." Therefore an unmentioned, (but he's in the corner of my eyes), person has 'pushed' me into one particular topic for tonight’s preaching. =)

One huge argument, brain-storming started to form on the subject of marriage, divorce, unequal yoke and things like that on a forum, which is unfortunately not ours, but I try to guide the people to that direction. So in this context now, the Holy Spirit brought forth a topic which is many time spoken, and so many times misunderstood. What good is that the confirmation in the subject has happened, the symphony.

Now I will start with the fundamental verse of the „Yoke”  : „At that time” it’s in Matthew 11 (Mat 11:25-30) „At that time Jesus began to say, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [and I acknowledge openly and joyfully to Your honor], that You have hidden these things from the wise and clever and learned, and revealed them to babies [to the childish, untaught, and unskilled]. Yes, Father, [I praise You that] such was Your gracious will and good pleasure. All things have been entrusted and delivered to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son deliberately wills to make Him known. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]”

As you can see „ All things have been entrusted and delivered to Me by My Father…No one fully knows the Son except the Father…No one fully knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son deliberately wills”. And from that comes „ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]” And how does it continues? Here comes the „Yoke”: „ Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me,” I just love this translation! „ for I am gentle and humble in heart,” It’s not a behavior, it comes from inside! „for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” I love it so much it’s so heart warming and so many times it goes opposite to the reality.

Cause usually I don’t meet with people when everything goes well in their life. Thanks to God, Yesterday we had got an opportunity to relocate Kristy in Pecs, and that way we could meet up with Emoke and with her husband Szabi, who are well and they are happy and everything is fine with them. And it was so good to be „needless”, but usually that’s not the case. Instead the situation is that I always met with people when there’s a problem in their life. And here Jesus says „Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome, and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” And therefore the Christians are coming, that this and that’s the problem, one thing or another are not working, I don’t know what to do now, Help me! and then it looks like that this Verse is just not true. No, the Verse IS true. The problem is that we know everything perfectly in theory, and we 'use it', and yes „we take on the Yoke” and everything is 'amazing, and cool'.

And it’s TRUE in certain areas of our life, in OTHER PARTS it’s not working. Therefore you can see some really 'cute' things, like that „piece of facebook”: Miss Lavinia Goldsmith likes „I love Jesus” and 4 other pages. The 4 other pages are: „Band Depression ”, „No music, no life”, „If a man says maybe then you’re f… my friend” and the forth is „The Bible”. This effectively shows in one picture the situation when people are coming to me, and they are telling me that they've got a problem in their life, and believe me that the problem is not with the Yoke, rather with that we've got two different lives.

I try not to have two, but I can calmly put myself into this as well. For everyone it’s a learning curve until you get there in the everyday life and at the workplace and even in whatever situation to be the same. Well in recently I am getting better with it. For example once, my manager got angry and then later he said that „Alright I know that from your perspective” mainly as a psychologist , „It looks totally different, so please tell me what do you think about it”. So sometimes I get into a situation, where somebody says this kind of stuff, but after he reconsiders, and asks for the outside perspective from where everything looks totally different.

How was it? I love it so much : „for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”. This inner peace radiates out, but it can be irritating. Look at that, Peter says in 1 Peter 4:4 „They think it strange that you don’t plunge with them into the same flood of dissoluteness, and so they heap insults on you.” So from one hand we are emitting some really exotic feelings, but on the other hand it can be really irritating for some people. It’s when they’re asking „Why are you so calm?” I got it so many times, „Why are you not angry?”. I always say that I've got something inside, which separates me from all of this, and no matter what’ll happen, I’ll be safe."

What is Love?!?

Nowadays the description for love is just when you fill the emotions rise inside, the flesh and all the desires. But this is not real Love. These are spontaneous healthy symptoms that you are a human being. These are more the physical elements of Love.

To love someone and to be loved from your beloved one of course you need to have these physical attractions.

But your relationship and your marriage won't live for long IF it is based only on the physical and sexual attraction.

Love means SO MUCH MORE than these. Love means, you CARE for your partner MORE than you care for yourself. It means you are LESS SELFISH. You are ABLE TO COMPROMISE.  Love is when you can PUT someone's need BEFORE YOURS.

Love is when you are FAITHFUL to your loved one, no matter how hard it is sometimes. Love is when you love someone WITHOUT ANY EXPECTATION.

You can love someone more easily, If you find your inner peace. If YOU yourself are OK with YOURSELF, and you have reconciled with your background, with your past. If you find your balance in your everyday life. When you find peace in God!

"Let Love and Faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." /Proverbs 3:3/

Word's of a Catholic Priest

Destructive emotion or love?!

"Imagine, that there is a destructive emotion inside you. You have the feeling that a great injustice had been made against you. What is your desire now? 'To get revenge! S/He must die who caused me this!' Don't stop here! Alright, you wish for them to brake their neck. But is there another desire underneath this surface? 'Of course I have! I am wishing them to brake their necks because then I could have the releasing feeling that there is justice in the World!' So then your inner desire is to make sure there is justice in this World! If you are sure now, let's have a look, is there another inner desire inside you? 'If I think about it, yes there is! Because what is good if there is justice in the World, but there is none who loves me?!' Then, to be loved, is a stronger inner desire! Everyone must try this out once, because you will have a surprising discovery: Our most awful emotions will turn from negative into positive! There isn't a destructive emotion, if you go after it, which would have not turned into positive from negative after self-examination! It happens always! This is a miracle!! It turns out that in the inner inside of the heart of a human being, there isn't ever negative desires, destructive, terrible passions - there is always wonderfully beautiful, positive desires!! In everyone's heart. This is spellbinding, isn't it?!" /Pal Feri/

Fakebook

Less or more

You won't be less or more if you are not receiving enough 'likes' on facebook. It's not your real face you show there and you just rarely find your closest friends. Friends who are there for you, when you totally feel like crap.  They encouraging you, 'Hey you my friend, don't you dare give up! I've been there and I've been through but I'm here to help you to bear!

This society tries to force you and me into this materialistic impersonal World. Where you depend on whether the people like you, but mostly they just pretend they are. And until you won't brake out from your bubble world, you will waste your real deal. No offense but you should live in the real world, and make the best out from what you have! And don't say, 'yes maybe on one day, I will be ready', because man you actually living your life NOW, you have to deal with your life and your decisions, to make responsibilities and to make them right. 

To make the right steps will be just harder. It always will appear that you just scroll it in front of you. The truth is that you just have to let it go and to be brave to say 'Hey it was enough'! 

To say NO is perhaps scares you, but trust me it's worth to do.

To find yourself and find the peace beyond will not come from facebook you know.