Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Love After Marriage

Although every married couple hopes for lifelong happiness together, the current statistics still show that 40% to 50% of modern marriages fall apart.  But one couple believes that God can create a miracle out of a marriage.  Barry and Lori Byrne have released a new book entitled Love After Marriage, and through it share principles that have shaped their marriage as well as those that they have counseled.  To listen to my interview with them click here.

In Love After Marriage, the Byrne's share their 30-year marriage testimony and struggles and breakthroughs of other couples that have miraculously resolved marital barriers and discovered a more intimate relationship with each other and God.  Those couples who have struggled with conflict, infidelity, shame, addiction, sexual dysfunction, financial hardship and loss of intimacy are now experiencing deeper spiritual, emotional, and physical oneness.

Some of the principles featured in Love After Marriage include:
  • How to create a relationship of deep intimacy through openness and honesty.
  • Spiritual strategies that break barriers that can destroy a marriage.
  • Inviting the Holy Spirit and His power into your marriage.
  • Establishing and maintaining deeper communication
  • Having a powerful prayer time with your spouse
  • Overcoming the Enemies strategies that will destroy your lives by destroying your marriage.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

When Helping Hurts

While 40 percent of the world's inhabitants struggle each day to find nourishment, North American Christians are presented with an enormous responsibility to demonstrate compassion to the poor.  John's first letter states, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (I John 3:17).  We need to have a deeper awareness regarding the poor and desire to do something to alleviate it.

I had the chance to talk with Brian Fikkert, founder and executive director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development, who has released a revised edition of his book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself about the need to go beyond just helping meet immediate needs and move to bringing the poor back into a right relationship with Jesus.  To listen click here.

Churches and Christians have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty and many times those wrong assumptions lead to ministry strategies that do more harm than good.  This powerful book addresses these assumptions and moves the reader to a better understanding of the causes of poverty.  As Brian as said the church is need of "welfare reform."