It’s not what it looks like

September 18, 2021 Gaspar Anastasi

Marriage, Relationship with God, Success & victory

A great marriage takes a lot of work. Too many people give up when the going gets tough. And by doing so, they miss out on the tremendous blessing that God has designed for them as a couple.

We hear a lot of negative things, especially today, about how bad it is being married. But you don’t hear very much about the good that a godly marriage produces in a person’s life. The problem is: We look at marriage through a wrong lens. It’s really not what it looks like.

What’s happiness got to do with it?

The same erroneous viewpoint that dominates the world today also dominates our marriages. This view tells us that the main goal of marriage is “happiness”. Happiness comes, and happiness goes. Therefore, starting off a marriage with happiness as the goal will ultimately lead to disaster. It’s not that happiness is a bad thing, but it is dependent on so many other factors in the marriage going right.

Starting off a marriage with happiness as the goal will ultimately lead to disaster.

Because we are two different people, we will invariably rub each other the wrong way. Happiness during those times is usually the last thing you will experience. But that doesn’t make your marriage a failure—not unless happiness was your main goal.

Discover a greater love

Call today for marriage counseling or coaching in person or via Zoom.

Working out our differences and resolving conflict in our marriage with the help of the Holy Spirit not only produces a greater love and respect for one another but, in the end, it bears the fruitfulness of happiness.

So happiness can come and go throughout years of marriage. That’s because of the need to develop oneness and spiritual growth in our lives and in our mutual bond. So maybe our definition of happiness needs to change, because it’s not what it looks.

Happiness in God’s eyes is two people learning to put Him in the center of their lives and union. It happens when, as a couple, we put the interest of our mate and our marriage before our own and gain the capacity to be selfless—not selfish.

Happiness is not what it looks like through our natural understanding: Me first and you second. The thinking that goes “As long as I am happy, then and only then do we have a good marriage—no matter how you feel”. That thinking is absolutely wrong. It even sounds kind of ridiculous but, honestly, that’s how most of us live. So how can we turn this around and line ourselves up with God’s concept of happiness?

The beauty of shared values

First of all, we need to decide what our values are and how necessary they are in our ability to enjoy a happy marriage. Understand that happiness isn’t a value, but the result of having defined values that both of us agreement with.

Understand that happiness isn’t a value, but the result of having defined values that both of you agreement with.

Let me list some of the values that are in our marriage.

Value #1: Our relationship with God is our top priority—not only individually but also—as a couple. So Michele and I pray together, study together, teach together, go to church together…. All these shared values produce a lot of happiness in our lives. Can you see how knowing and applying your values create boundaries in your marriage which produce the fruit of happiness?

Let’s talk about another value that Michele and I share that greatly enriches our marriage. It is the value of honoring one another.

Value #2: Honoring each other includes understanding our likes and dislikes, our interests, wants and needs. This value hinges on communication which brings us into a greater oneness with each other. And unity produces the fruit of happiness.

Again, notice how happiness isn’t the main goal, but living together with shared values produces a high level of happiness. Can you see that?

Define your shared values

What are your values? Can you list at least 3 that you and your spouse agree on and are striving to live out? What do you think it would take to change your focus from pursuing “happiness” to pursuing godly values as your road map to a successful marriage? What do you think is the greatest stumbling block to accomplishing that?

Why not take a moment to comment? We love to hear from you.…

Priority number two

September 4, 2021 Gaspar Anastasi

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Marriage, Relationship with God

Marriage should be the second highest priority in our lives as Christians. “What is my first priority?” you ask. That’s simple. It’s found in Mark 12:30: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”

The second highest priority is found in verse 31: “And the second, like it, is this:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” These two commandments—and notice they are commandments—represent the cross.

Geometry of the cross

The perpendicular beam of the cross represents our relationship and intimacy with God. The horizontal part corresponds to our relationship with our mate. Notice that our horizontal relationship between each other depends on our vertical connection to God. Both are important and necessary if we desire to please and serve God acceptably.

Unfortunately in today’s church, working at our marriages is given lower priority. Meanwhile church involvement, our careers and our own self-interests are encouraged moreso. No wonder there are so many troubled marriages today!

Yes, marriage is made in heaven—meaning, ordained by God—but it must be worked out here on earth. Notice I used the word “work” because that’s what it takes (and a lot of it) to not only have a good marriage, but just to stay married. So let’s talk about what kind of effort it will take once you decide to make your marriage priority #2. Below I list a few things that will improve your marriage, and you can both start as soon as you finish reading this blog.

How to build a better marriage

Realize that you are not each other’s enemy. When you fight your mate, you are fighting the wrong battle. You should be fighting for and not against each other. Often the Goliaths we need to confront are inside of us—not outside. Fear of rejection, anger, unforgiveness or even feeling put down and condemned—these are the real enemies that God is exposing. Once exposed, you can fight the right battle in Jesus. Notice that I didn’t mention satan. Even though he is our enemy he isn’t directly attacking us but through some of the open doors that i mentioned above.
Give and receive forgiveness. You have both made mistakes. But more than anything, humbling yourself in this way gives God permission to enter your relationship. Meanwhile, unforgiveness blocks His presence and gives satan greater access to create turmoil.
Pray for your marriage. Set aside time every day to agree together, even for just a few minutes. “Where two or three are gathered together God is in the midst of you”. What a great promise that is!
Lastly, hold each other in your arms. Embrace for just 30 seconds at various times during each day without saying anything. This simple act allows your spirit and your mate’s to connect in a very special way. Walls will come down, and God’s love will begin to flow supernaturally.

Now the challenge is to take these simple but profound steps, and put them into action—whether you feel like it or not. I am telling you that miracles will start happening in your marriage—even after just one week! Send me your testimonies and I will announce them in my next blog.…

There’s no victory without a battle.

April 10, 2021 Gaspar Anastasi

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God's love, Relationship with God, Success & victory

Who doesn’t like to be comfortable? Nobody. While most of us believe God will comfort us, the question is “How?” I have noticed that most of us have a misconception about that. We think that God’s comfort means that we can totally avoid uncomfortable issues we face. Or that He will remove us when we find ourselves in trouble.

The God of comfort

Second Corinthians 1:3 & 4 says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

The root of the word for comfort (parakaleo) in this New Testament scripture means “to call to one’s side; to encourage and to strengthen.” It never means to make it easy, take care of things for us or remove us from the struggle.

When we read “God of all comfort”, it means that God wants to see a number of things accomplished in our life. He is committed to walk with us. And He encourages us in and through tests just like He did for Meshach, Shadrach, and Abed-Nego. When they went into the fiery furnace, they didn’t get burned. But they did get a greater revelation of who God is!

The goal of trials

1. God wants us to know Him better and trust Him more. He uses the struggles we go through to accomplish that. Can you relate to that? I certainly can.

2. Godly character is developed in our lives to increase our influence in the world we live in….many more people would be drawn to Jesus because of us. John 12:32, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

3. When we go through our fiery furnaces with God, we will be prepared to glorify Him as overcomers and be equipped to face our future struggles and battles…leading to future greater victories.

So we need to settle in our hearts that something great will be accomplished in and through the daily struggles we face. It’s time to stop asking God to comfort us according to our misconceived notion of comfort. Instead of asking Him to take us out of our struggles we will pray that He comfort us by being with us in the struggles.

Oh yes. I almost forgot to mention another thing.

4. One way God promotes us in His kingdom is through the victories we win in battle.

Promotion on the way!

In other words, the struggle you face is proof that God is getting ready to promote you in His kingdom! The greater the struggle, the greater the promotion. Wow! That means some of us are on the verge of great promotions in God’s kingdom!

David proves my point. After he faced and killed his Goliath, he was promoted from shepherd boy to king over God’s people.

In conclusion, the struggle you face today is about the destiny of tomorrow. The bigger the struggle the more that’s at stake. The next time you ask God to comfort you, remember there’s no victory without a battle. Don’t circumvent your destiny by giving in to comfort.…

Unmasking the real spirit of Halloween

October 31, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Relationship with God

Why Christians should have no part in Halloween

You may think of Halloween as innocent fun for the kids, but it is also a “high holy day” for modern-day witches. Does that sound innocent? The celebration of Halloween originated with the Druids, an order of priests and sorcerers in ancient Europe. The Druids worshiped the natural and supernatural worlds. According to their Celtic calendar, October 31st was the last day of the year—New Year’s Eve. On this day, they held the festival called Samhain which marked the start of winter and honored Samana, the Lord of Death.

Druids believed that on this one night Samana allowed demons and ghosts and other spirits to wander about freely. In hopes of frightening these creatures, the Druids recited special chants and lit bonfires.

They also made offerings of special foods to appease these evil spirits. Even more significantly, Druids disguised themselves in masks and costumes so the spirits of darkness would not recognize them and do them harm.

You don’t have to look very hard to see many of our own Halloween traditions in these early Druid rites. Even today, satanists celebrate Halloween as one of two high holy days. It has also become one of the four greater sabbats—a Sabbath day for modern day witches and warlocks.

Because we have for so long believed Halloween to be an innocent season of fun, we have unknowingly exposed our children to a spirit of fear and to the occult. Halloween is a day that honors and glorifies Satan.

From the beginning, people have believed that invisible spirits were closer at Halloween than at any other time of the year. Furthermore, they believed that evil spirits could help them predict the future.

Many of the Halloween activities practiced today were originally used as methods of divination, (Jeremiah 27:9; Galatians 5:19-21). In fact, much of our “innocent” Halloween tradition actually comes from satanically inspired rituals.

Bobbing for apples was a method of fortune-telling. The winner of the contest was advised of certain things such as who they would marry, what occupation to pursue, etc.
Broomsticks, according to legend, were used by witches to fly on to meet with the devil on Halloween.
Black cats were thought to be witches themselves as well as being a witch’s constant companion.
Jack-o-lanterns can be traced back to an Irish folk tale of a man named Jack who was not allowed into heaven because of his sins; nor was he let into hell because he had played two tricks on the devil. So Jack was condemned to walk the earth with a lighted coal in a pumpkin.
Simply put, Halloween glorifies everything God has called an abomination. It is a day that honors satan and his forces of darkness. And as a Christian, you have no business celebrating or participating in it!

God’s Word gives us clear instructions

Abstain from all appearance of evil
( I Thessalonians 5:22);

…neither give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27)

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph. 5:11)

The acts of the sinful nature are… idolatry and witchcraft…drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (I John 3:8)

Choose this day whom you will serve. (Josh. 24:15)

Christians should teach their children that…

There is a spiritual world filled with goodness from God and evil from Satan (Eph. 2:1-10);

Life with Christ has power over darkness (I John 4:4); and

Those who celebrate Halloween either are unaware of its roots, or are intentionally promoting a world where evil is lauded and viewed as an ultimate power.

To counter the evil influence of Halloween, we need to celebrate the reality of the heroic efforts of Christian saints over the evil in their day. Many leaders in the past—and present —have fulfilled the mandate of destroying the works of the devil through their sacrificial commitment to Christ and His Kingdom. Even more importantly, teach your children that this power belongs to them as well. Let them know that, as Christians, we are on the winning side.

Teach them to celebrate good over evil and the triumph of God over Satan; to celebrate God’s protection, provision and purpose for our lives—rather than applauding the spirits of death and wickedness which Halloween promotes.…

The Perfect Dad

June 20, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Faith, Finding significance in life, God's love, Relationship with God

This weekend, the world celebrates fathers. But I want to draw your attention to a Dad we seldom connect with Father’s Day. Yet, He’s the world’s only perfect Dad. He is the role model for all fathers.

Our God is the kind of Father Who will never turn His back on you, no matter what you do or don’t do. He’s the kind of Dad who longs to be loved, adored and cherished. He’s the kind of Father that, regardless of the time of day or night, yearns to hear your heart beat.

God is the kind of Father that, when everybody else has turned you off, waits patiently with open arms and an open heart for you to come to Him — knowing He was your last choice.

He’s a Father into whose lap you can crawl and on whose chest you can lay your head, knowing that His strong, always-willing arms will hold you tight. And with a voice full of strength and compassion He’ll comfort you with: “Everything will be alright.”

He’s the kind of Father that, not only gives sound advice and direction for your life, but much needed correction and gentle, but sure, instruction.

He’s the kind of Father that always has some special little gift for you. He delights in letting you go through His pockets to find that treat He has stored there just for you.

He’s a Father that you can’t help but love and respect as Father; but Whom you can also reach your arms out to and adore as Daddy.

Wow, that almost seems too good to be true! Yet, our God who created each of us, has made Himself to be all those things I just described.

Yes, God is a Father who would never reject His children. Yet He weeps over His many children who have rejected Him.

From the beginning, God has desperately wanted that kind of close Father/child relationship with us, His creation. But beginning with Adam and Eve, we have chosen the fatherhood of a lesser god called satan.

Instead of being lavished with love, compassion and blessings, we’ve been abused, molested and rejected. Satan steals from his own kids and denies them love because he has none to give.

Still others are spiritual orphans. That describes many Christians. They have rejected satan, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but haven’t allowed His Father to be theirs.

God promises in II Corinthians 6:17-18: “… come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Turn your whole heart over to God right now and stop dabbling in sin. Our loving Father has a place on His lap reserved just for you.

He longs for your love. Don’t let anything delay your entering the warm embrace of your loving Father God today.…

Expect God’s glory!

June 1, 2019 Gaspar Anastasi

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Relationship with God

“And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.” (Exodus 33:21, 22). This was God’s response to Moses when he asked to see His glory. Like Moses, you and I need to raise our expectations that God will display all His goodness in the midst of us.

God is looking for a people who are hungry for His presence. Does that describe you? God said, “I will prepare a place for you where you can stand as I show My glory.” That place God prepared for us is the only place where any human being can stand who truly wants to know Him. That place is the Rock of Jesus. No man can come to the Father except by Him.

Stand on the Rock

The devil loves to play with your mind and tell you that you’re too dirty to come into God’s presence. You must recognize it’s not your goodness, but Jesus’. We can’t come to Him on our own merits. We can’t enter His presence based on good works or church membership. The only way is through the cleansing, atoning blood of the Lamb of God. We can never be worthy enough to enter God’s presence (or for God to enter ours). God the Father made Jesus to be sin for us because He longs to be intimate with us. He’s not satisfied with a distant relationship and neither should we be.

The rock God showed Moses to stand on is a gift that He offers just as freely to you and me, so that we too can experience His glory.

God the Father has never been able to reveal His raw glory on earth because it destroys flesh. When Jesus came, He was cloaked in the veil of human flesh. That’s the only reason men could look upon His face and live.

God the Father has shape and form like you and me. He is not cosmic dust floating around in outer space. In this encounter with Moses in Exodus 33 and with the apostle John in Revelation chapters 4 and 5, we see He has a face, hands and back parts.

Stand in right-standing

Because you and I have been elevated to a position of right-standing with God through the blood of Jesus, we have the privilege to stand at His side, hide in the cleft of the Rock, and live. That’s also why we can expect His glory to show up here.

What’s so special about the glory of God? Well, when we enter it, everything will change. Suddenly, strife and contention will be replaced by the desire to lay down our lives for one another. Forgiveness will well up in you and you’ll go make things right with those whom you have ought against. You’ll notice a longing to come into unity and agreement with what God is doing in this body. There will be such an impartation of God’s presence, everyone will know it. You won’t have to announce to anyone that you have been in His presence. It will be obvious.

So please join me in asking Father God as Moses did… “Please show me Your glory.”

If this blog post has been a blessing to you, please leave a comment and let us know!…