Marriage, Divorce, & Remarriage

If you read last month's post on Marriage, Husbands, and Wives, then you are either really curious or fuming! But God has an opinion on how things are suppose to be, and if you were upset by last month's post then you're really gonna be upset about this one!

There are a lot of different views going around about divorce. Some people are totally for it, while some are adamantly against it.Some people will say, "This spiritual person told me..."  But, as with all topics, I like to find out what the Bible says.

Marriage

Genesis 2:21-24- And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

God made one man and one woman. They were to marry and leave to start a family of their own. They were considered one- Mr. and Mrs. Adam.

You don't read about polygamy until later when men had corrupted their way on the earth. And divorce isn't mentioned until Moses tells them about it after their 400 years in Egypt. 

Well, my pastor said it was okay for me to divorce them. 

My parents are really godly and they said that it wasn't God's will for me to marry that person and I should divorce and try again.

They weren't God's will for my life, but I married them anyways. So, now I'm going to divorce them and find God's will for my life.

Two wrongs don't make a right! You married them and now they are God's will for your life- suck it up and do right! It's funny people say "I do" and then a few years later they say "I didn't really mean it". What if God did that? 

Divorce isn't the answer. I don't care how "spiritual" you think someone is, you should find out what God says. Some people go to marriage counselors not to find out what God has to say, but to find someone to justify and back them up in their rebellion. 

Divorce

What did Christ say about it?

Matthew 5:31-32-  It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

The Jews were giving out divorce papers whenever they were no longer pleased with their wives. It was a nice change from the pagans who could just kill their wives for any reason! The Pharisees even thought they could cause Jesus to trip up on this.

Matthew 19:3-9- The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Christ told them that God had made marriage to be "until death do us part". The only reason He gave that would be lawful was fornication. If you slept around while you were married, the offended party had the right to divorce you. But, He also says that whoever was sleeping around was guilty of adultery even after the divorce!

So, if you were seeping around after you got divorced and then you decided to get married again, you and the person you married are living in an adulterous relationship. Why? Because you weren't suppose to leave your first spouse!

Well, that is before Christ died, so it is still Old Testament law. 

Nope! Paul also says it in Romans 7:2-3- For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Paul says if your husband dies, you can remarry. But, if you get married to another man while your husband is still alive you are an adulterer, and the person you married is committing adultery being with you. 

Don't get mad at me! Read the scripture again. It's God's Word, is it not? You believe what God says, right?

When a man's relationship with his wife is messed up, God won't listen to his prayers- I Peter 3:7- Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

You want God to hear your prayers, right? Especially when you need him! 

These people who go around saying "irreconcilable differences" are destroying their relationship with Christ, their spouse's relationship with Christ, and the person they get involved with next relationship with Christ. You better fix your marriage, and not with a divorce paper. Why?

I Corinthians 6:15-19- Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

I married the wrong person, so I divorced him to find God's will for my life.

They changed and were no longer the same. So I found someone I could love again.

Well, we slept together before we were married, but we got right and married. 

Um, you are an adulterer. You say you are a Christian and yet you pulled Christ into a very grievous sin. This is the only sin that a person commits where it effects not only his body, but also his relationship with Christ. Getting married didn't fix the problem! 

What about the people you were "with" before you remarried? What about the people your ex gets with? Where in the Bible does it say that "trying out the relationship" before you get married is okay? What verse backs up you leaving your spouse to make your life what you want it to be?

Too many people go around sleeping with whomever and think that their relationship with Christ is fine. It's not! You're so far gone that you can't even hear him speaking to you anymore!

So, what about divorce?

I Corinthians 7:10-11, 39- And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. ...  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

So, legal ground for divorce are death and fornication. Some people interject desertion into this equation, but I would make sure that the deserting party was committing fornication before I accepted that since Paul doesn't mention it.

Well, you don't know the person I'm married to! They seemed nice enough when I met them, but they aren't the same person I married. 

Guess what! You aren't the same person they married! Paul doesn't say it's okay if they change. Both of you are going to change over the years. That's no excuse. You chose them in the first place (and I've got to wonder if it was against the Lord's wishes and you just ignored him) and now you are suppose to live for Christ as best you can without compromising truth and accept the consequences for your actions.

The divorce was filed for, but I just met this person and I fell in love and we decided we couldn't wait for the divorce to be finalized.

Nope. That doesn't fly either. It's still fornication until you are married to that person, which you can't legally do if the divorce isn't finalized. And let me just say- if you were "messing around" before you got married and the Lord convicted you and you decided to marry them against the Lord's wishes because you thought that would make everything better you were wrong. Now, you are suppose to live for Christ as best you can without compromising truth and accept the consequences for your actions.

Well, I said I don't love you anymore and I want a divorce, but they filed for it. So I'm not guilty and my remarriage is okay with God.

You are the instigator. Would they have filed if you hadn't said that? I guess you'll never know. You are to blame! You're not suppose to go on feelings. You're suppose to love them because you married them (Ephesians 5:22-33). You are suppose to live for Christ as best you can without compromising truth and accept the consequences for your actions.

Paul is picking on women!

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Paul may be talking about the woman because in the Jewish law men filed for the divorce, but both men and women are held to this standard-Galatians 3:28- There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are having marital problems. What should we do then?

I Corinthians 7:10-11- And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

Paul gives those who are having marriage problems a solution. You can separate while you work things out. But you aren't suppose to divorce- you remain unmarried (unmarried meaning living as if you are single, but you're really still married to your spouse) or be reconciled (get back with your spouse). There's nowhere in the Bible where you are told to find someone else.

What if I'm married to an unsaved person?

I Corinthians 7:13-16-  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

An unsaved person is not bound under Christ's law. If the unsaved spouse wants to leave, then you can let them leave- you aren't sinning. But, if they want to remain married to you and you divorce them using them being unsaved as an excuse, you are sinning. Paul said let her not leave him because you could ultimately lead them to the Lord!

I would like to mention children here. I've heard too many divorced people talking about how terrible their ex is and how horrible their children have it when they have to go stay with the ex during visitation. If you had never divorced, you'd be there to protect your children! 

If you are the one that was divorced and you did everything you could to save your marriage, then God will protect your children because you put Him first.

Okay, well what about remarriage?

Taking into consideration that your spouse is either dead, or is committing adultery and your divorce is finalized- you are free to remarry. But, Paul states a few conditions.

I Corinthians 7:39- The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

Paul stated above you could remarry "in the Lord". That means that you remarry a saved person.

II Corinthians 6:14- Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

I would caution you to make sure that they are really Christian. Not in name, but in works. There are plenty of people who walk the walk and talk the talk until you have a ring on your finger. Then you see just how worldly they are. They may be saved, but they certainly aren't a Christian! In that case, you are having fellowship with unrighteousness.

Do you really want to live the rest of your life fighting your spouse just to do the things that are right? Do you really want to argue about whether you should spend money on going to church instead of going to a family movie? Is it going to be edifying to your Christian walk to constantly battle which friends, what music, modest apparel, or even drinking and dancing and other worldly party favors?

Sometimes the devil doesn't tempt us with evil. Sometimes he allures us with something that sees good, just to keep us from God's best!

It's a hard thought. Perhaps some of you have never thought of this. I dare say many of you have had your own preset ideas of how it should work and what would be okay. But, you should always find out what they Bible says, for you never know when someone "godly" would lead you into sin. 

If you are in one of these scenarios, I suggest you do some serious praying and Bible reading to find out what God wants you to do!

Healthy Minute- Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is an amazing, versatile product. It is anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. It is used outside the body, topically. Do Not Ingest!
It is extracted from the tea tree, or Melaleuca Alternifolia. This tree is from Australia, and is known as a cure all.
Over the years it has been used to treat infections, acne, fungus, warts, and even to repel insects.
I, personally, have used it to remove warts from my son's foot. Soak your foot in white vinegar for around 30 minutes to open the pores. Dry foot. Apply straight, undiluted tea tree oil to the wart. Cover with a bandaide. Repeat daily until wart falls off. I have used it to keep staff at bay. Put a few drops of undiluted tea tree oil into your bathing soap and laundry detergent to kill any MRSA that may have been transfered to your clothes. This works amazingly well! My son got a staph infection when he was 2. I started putting tea tree oil on it directly with a bandaide (I didn't know exactly what it was then). The tea tree oil actually did so well at keeping it at bay that it was misdiagnosed the first time I took him to the doctor. No one else in the family contracted it. That's just 2 of my stories.
You can add tea tree oil to shampoo to repel lice when kids are in school. Put it on acne to dry up the blemish. Use it on athlete's foot to kill the fungus. It can even be added to a home-made insect repellent to ward off ticks and other bugs. There are so many more uses for tea tree oil.
For more information, watch the video below:

Chili recipe

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp paprika
3 1/2 TBS chili powder
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp corn flour (optional)
salt to taste
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can V8
1 can pinto beans

Cook the meat with the onion and garlic. Add the other seasonings and stir in well. Pour the  tomatoes, V8, and beans in and cover until hot. Can be eaten with cornbread, crackers, or over rice.

This is a great meal to add pureed liver to. You get the goodness of the organ meat without really tasting the liver.

The Love that Never Fails (song)

The Modernist Preacher (poem)

The Modernist Preacher Entering Hell

He was an ordained minister, but modern in his views.

He preached his twisted doctrines to people in the pews.

He would not hurt their feelings, whate'er the cost would be,

But for their smiles and friendship and compliments sought he.

His church was filled with lost souls that should be saved from sin,

But never once he showed the way or tried a soul to win.

He preached about the lovely birds that twitter in the trees,

The babl'ing of the running brooks, the murm'ring of the seas.

He quoted fancy poetry that tickled list'ning ears

When sorrow came to some, he tried to laugh away their tears.

His smooth and slipp'ry sermons made the people slide to hell.

The harm he did by preaching goes beyond what we can tell.

He took our Holy Bible, and preached it full of holes,

The Virgin Birth, said he can't be believed by honest souls,

The miracles of Jesus and the resurrection tale

For educated ones like us, today, cannot avail.

We're living in an age, said he, when wisdom rules and reigns,

When man's intelligence is great and superstition wanes.

He said, we're all God's children who live upon this earth,

No message of salvation, no need of second birth.

His coat was bought with money that he had wrongly gained,

For through his twisted sermons his wealth he had obtained.

He was just like the Roman soldiers that watched at Jesus' grave,

For money in abundance, to them, the people gave;

It all was theirs by telling what was a sinful lie -

A resurrected Savior, they, too, were to deny.

The day at last had come for the minister to die,

When to his congregation, he had to say good-bye.

His form lay cold and lifeless, his ministry was past,

His tongue with all its poison was hushed and stilled at last.

His funeral was grand; he was lauded to the skies-

They preached him into heaven where there are no good-byes.

Upon the lonely hill, underneath the shady trees,

His form was laid to rest in the whisp'ring of the breeze.

A tombstone was erected with words: "He is at rest,

He's gone to heaven's glories to live among the blest."

His body now is lifeless, but Ah! His soul lives on,

He failed to enter in where they thought that he had gone.

The letters on the tombstone or that sermon some had heard,

Could not decide his destiny, 'twas not the final word.

He still had God to deal with, the one who knows the heart;

While others entered heaven, he heard the word, "Depart."

He pauses for a moment upon the brink of hell;

He stares into a depth where he evermore will dwell.

He hears the cries and groanings of souls he had misled,

He recognizes faces among the screaming dead.

He sees departed deacons which he had highly praised.

Their fingers pointing at him as they their voices raised:

"You stood behind the pulpit, and lived in awful sin,

We took you for a saint, but a liar you have been."

Accusing cries! He hears them, "Ah! You have been to blame,

You led us into darkness when you were seeking fame."

"You preached your deadly doctrine, we thought you knew the way.

We fed you and we clothed you, we even raised your pay.

You've robbed us of a home where no tear-drops ever flow,

Where days are always fair and the heav'nly breezes blow.

Where living streams are flowing, and saints and Angels sing,

Where every one is happy, and Hallelujahs ring.

We're in this place of torment, from which no soul returns;

We hear the cry of lost ones, we feel the sizzling burns;

Give us a drop of water, we're tortured in this flame;

You failed to preach salvation to us through Jesus' Name."

The preacher turns in horror, he tries to leave the scene,

He knows the awful future for every soul unclean,

But there he meets the devil, whom he has served so well,

He feels the demon powers as they drag him into hell.

Throughout eternal ages, his groans, too, must be heard

He, too, must suffer torment, he failed to heed God's Word.

He feels God's wrath upon him, he hears the hot flames roar,

His doctrine now is different, he ridicules no more.

By Oscar C. Eliason

Believer's Heritage- Watchman Nee

In 1903, a Christian Chinese couple had a little boy, and they named him Nee Shu-tsu. His grandfather was the first Chinese pastor in the northern Fukien province. Shu-tsu grew up hearing about the Lord and His work.

Shu-tsu was a very smart boy. He was always first in his class. With his academics he could have been anything he wanted to be. But, when his mother was expecting him she promised the Lord that if the baby was a boy she would give him to the Lord. Shu-tsu was reminded of this promise growing up. When he was 17, he gave his life to the Lord and that set him on a course that would impact many lives.

Shu-tsu had a sweetheart named Charity Chang. She ridiculed Christ in front of him, and he knew that to do God's will for his life, he had to give her up. 

Shu-tsu adopted the name "Watchman" because that is how he saw himself- a watchman in the night. He didn't attend any special theological seminaries. Instead, he immersed himself in the Bible and other theological books. Through these, Watchman grew in Scriptural principles from some of the most noted Christians throughout the past 2 centuries. He learned to pay attention to God's work in him, rather than to look at what God accomplished through him.

Watchman Nee had two burdens during his ministry. The first was to be an example of Christ and the second was to build local churches. He said, "What the Lord revealed to me was extremely clear: Before long He would raise up local churches in various parts of China. Whenever I closed my eyes, the vision of the birth of local churches appeared."

In 1934, Witness Lee, another Chinese Christian, moved to Shanghai to help Watchman Nee in his ministry. He helped in the Shanghai Gospel Bookroom, which Watchman set up for publication of Christian literature. 

Also during this time, Watchman re-encountered Charity Chang. She had since been saved and was now serving Christ. Watchman and Charity were married in 1934 with Witness Lee as his best man.

Throughout his life, Watchman suffered poor health, poverty, imprisonment, and even personal attacks from other believers in Christ. He learned many things about the Christian life, and was always trying to be an example of Christ rather than focusing on how he was mistreated.

During his ministry, Watchman wrote many books, tracts, and hymns. He was even recorded in the 1950's.

He was arrested for his faith, and imprisoned in 1952. Only his wife was allowed to visit him. He died in prison in 1972. Under his pillow they found a paper with this writing- “Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ. Watchman Nee.” 

By the 1950's around 400 churches had been built in China, along with over 30 local churches in the surrounding countries. Through his suffering, many came to know Christ. Through his example, many saw what a Christian should be like. And through his life and death, God would be magnified!

Come Out of Egypt (video sermon)

Egypt is a type of the world. From the book of Exodus, God has been telling His people to get out of Egypt (or get out of the world). Eventually, the Hebrew children left Egypt, but Egypt never really left them. We, today, still suffer this problem- we never leave the world. You can't serve God and Mammon; you can't have a divided heart.
The devil will try to get you to compromise with God. You don't really have to leave; you can serve God here. If that doesn't work, he will try to get you to stay as close to the world as possible; in this way, the devil may not get you, but he has a chance of getting your spouse or your kids. Or he will tempt you to leave your possessions in the world; where your heart is there is where your treasure will be.
You can't serve the Lord if you keep even one toe in Egypt. The minute you compromise the devil has you. God can use you in two ways- you can be his messenger or his example. Moses was God's messenger who told others what God said. Pharaoh was God's example who lost his wealth, his substance, his servants, his son, and eventually his life. Which do you choose to be?

Funny Happenings- Elegance

One of my brothers is 10 years younger than me. He has spent the most time around my husband and myself- living with us for a few years.
The greatest thing about this brother is his usage of nonsensical words. In Louisiana, we eat crawfish and when boiled properly it's really enjoyable to drink the liquid in the top of the shell. A native Louisiana person would call this "sucking the heads". My brother calls it "resuckitation".
Once, he was pretty aggravated with my husband. Trying to think of a response to something my husband said he yelled, "Seth! You're so elegant!"
To which my husband replied, "Thank you!"
This left a look of what-did-I-say on my brother's face. "No wait! I meant ignorant!"

Living With Pain book review

I don't live with much physical pain. I have a slight lower back problem every now and again. But, I do know people who live with pain every waking minute of every day- and sometimes more than that. 

There is also other types of pain that you don't feel in your body. This pain is harder to deal with, easier to overlook, yet just as agonizing.

Dr. Samuel Gipp broke his neck when he was in his twenties. I was 2 months before the problem was found and fixed. This injury has left him with constant pain since 1973. In his book, Living With Pain, Dr Gipp goes over not only how his injury happened, how it effects his life, and what helps him, but also how to live through the daily struggle.

People have different ways of dealing with pain. What might be excruciating to one person may be just an annoyance to another. The problem comes when you allow pain to control your actions and attitude towards other people. We effect those we come in contact with- we can contribute to their lives, or become a burden in constant need of sympathy and special treatment.

Dr Gipp points out some of the problems you, or someone you know, may face. He gives practical advice to the people experiencing the pain, and to the people who love those in pain. Through his suffering and the goodness of God's grace, you can benefit from his experiences, agony, and triumphs.

The Judgement Seat Of Christ

II Corinthians 5:9-11- Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

This is the judgement of saved people who are judged for their service, or lack thereof. Paul, in the above verses, says this is going to be a terror! And, if you think you're not going to be there, guess what?

Romans 14:12- So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Now, our sins are forgiven at Calvary. When we ask God to save us, he does! Our sins are not what we are judged on. We confess our sins to maintain our relationship, not to keep our salvation. But, at the judgement seat we are judged for what and why.

Ephesians 6:8- Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

God is keeping tabs. He said to owe no man anything, and believe you me, he won't! God will pay you back for all you've done for him.

I Corinthians 13:13-15- Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Your works go thru the fire. What's done for Christ comes out in the end. That's what you get to keep. What you do for you gets burned up.

II John 1:8- Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

You can lose your rewards. You serve Christ, and then something distracts you or someone...

Galatians 5:7- Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Don't get mad at me! It's Scripture! Argue with God. If you are worried more about what someone else wants or thinks, you're being hindered by a person and you're losing your rewrds.

Not only do you get rewards, but you can also reign with Christ during the Millenium.

II Timothy 2:12- If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:

Luke 19:13, 15-17- And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

This guy worked for Christ, and he got to rule over 10 cities. Where are these cities? They are cities on earth during the Millenium. That's a thousand years that you get to rule with Christ!

Luke 19:20, 22-23- And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

You know what? A thousand years is a long time to live with regret!

So, what can you do?

Hebrews 12:1-2- Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It's a race- the race of life. And we're suppose to be running it with patience. Things are going to come and distract us, but we're to keep our eyes on Christ!

What if you've already fallen? Get up! It's not how many times your fall; it's how many times you get back up! You've got a race to win. Lay aside the weights (things or people holding you back) and the sins (things stopping you) and get your eyes fixed on him and RUN!