Remember to pray for our government

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 15, 2014

 

            We as taxpayers shake our heads in disgust when we see evidence of governments wasting money on pet projects instead of using it where it would be most beneficial.  Tax collectors have battled image problems for thousands of years, probably because a few greedy bad apples who abused their power have rotted the reputation of the rest.

            For many of us, the April 15 tax deadline is not a big deal. Some even look forward to it, while others absolutely dread it because they know they’ll have to pay.  For me, I guess I’m somewhere in the middle, where sorting through tax information is more of an inconvenience than anything, but one I believe is well worth living in this great country.  But I do wish those we elect would respect the work it takes to generate all those taxes dollars.

            In the New Testament (Luke 19:1-9), Jesus told the story of a wealthy tax collector named Zacchaeus who had the reputation of living a sinful lifestyle.  He had climbed up a sycamore tree as Jesus was coming by so he could get a better look at him.  People were appalled because as Jesus approached the tree where Zacchaeus was perched, He called the man by name and told him to come down because Jesus needed a place to stay. Evidently Jesus felt the need to spend some time at Zacchaeus’s house in spite of popular opinion which was against Jesus being the guest of a sinner.  After all, Zacchaeus was a Jew collecting taxes for the Roman government. Most of the people around Jesus probably saw Zacchaeus as a dishonest traitor who likely collected more than necessary so he could keep any extra for himself.  This would have also been the popular view of Matthew (aka: Levi), another tax collector who Jesus chose to be an apostle.

            Jesus saw something special in both of these unlikely disciples that compelled Him to offer them something much greater than money, a relationship with God the Father. Both of them repented and gladly received Jesus and continued to follow His teachings for their lives.

            I think sometimes we forget (or at least underestimate) the power of Jesus Christ to change lives and attitudes today just as He did in the first century.  The apostle Paul said that we should pray for all those in authority so that we can have a better quality life here on earth, and so all people will know the truth and be saved (ref: 1 Tim. 2:1-3).  Jesus gave His life for all sinners, even ones like Zacchaeus, and you, and me.  

            2700 years ago, the prophet Isaiah recorded some very encouraging words of God that should give today’s Christians some perspective on our efforts to spread the Gospel story of Jesus:   “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields see for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).” 

            Remember to pray for our government and our elected leaders, and make good use of every opportunity to tell someone about the life we’re all invited to have in Christ.  Have a blessed week!

Spiritual storms deserve our attention, too

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 8, 2014

            My yard is still soaked from the recent rain (and hail).   What a day that was!  The wind blew so hard during Thursday’s storm that water forced its way into our garage.  Debris including limbs, leaves, and dirt was scattered around my back porch, sidewalk, and throughout the yard, and hail shattered a large light in our flowerbed. 

            At least these damages are easy fixes. But I drove through Moore and Shawnee twice last month. Their tornado devastation is still shocking to witness close-up even a year after it hit.  Entire sections of mature trees that once stood tall and strong are mangled messes.  Roofless houses still bear the scars of the killer twister.

            As a society, we pay a lot of well-deserved attention to the effects of serious weather-related storms.  People all over the region were very kind to our area when the ice storm of 2007 hit.  As a nation, volunteers from everywhere rush to help wherever and whenever natural disasters occur.  Even now, long after the May 2013 tornadoes in Oklahoma, there are still groups who travel to the affected areas just to serve in whatever way they can, and brighten someone’s day. And from what I saw last weekend, there are still plenty of ways to help.

            Spiritually, what can we learn from the urgency and attention placed on natural disasters? The first thing that comes to my mind is that if we are willing to pay so much attention to weather-related devastation (and I am glad we do this), why are we not just as urgent and deliberate when it comes to something much more important such as the salvation of souls?  What if everytime we knew someone was going through a spiritual storm, struggling with temptation, we made a deliberate effort to help them avoid falling into sin, just like we would help a vulnerable neighbor get to safety if we saw a threatening storm approaching.

            I would love to see the lead story of the nightly news convey the importance of walking with Jesus, avoiding sin, and being ready for Judgment Day.  On a personal note, I cannot adequately convey just how grateful I am to the Fort Gibson Times and the Muskogee Phoenix for allowing me to write this Fort Faith column for seven years now.  I don’t pay them, and they don’t pay me.  But so far it seems to work out for both of us. 

            Whether you agree with me or not, I always try to convey my thoughts in a way that reflects the Bible’s intent on any given subject.  The bottom line is that God’s word is complete, and it gives us everything we need to find our way to heaven if we will follow through with His plan for us.  May God grant each of you the perseverance to deal with life’s trials (ref: James 1:2-4).  Have a great week!

Being a fool for Christ has its rewards!

by Barrett Vanlandingham
April 1, 2014

            Oddly enough, April Fool’s Day brings with it all kinds of interesting thoughts from God’s word.  Some of them stem from stories of Godless people, or from the foolish behavior of God’s children.  Both of whom learned over and over the hard way that God’s way is best.

            King David made some very foolish (and sinful) choices including adultery, lying, and even murder to cover up his sin.  But he is still listed in the Bible as a man after God’s own heart.  Why?  He ultimately he returned to God.  He grew in his understanding and love for God, meditating on His word, and honoring God as the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

            Many of us, me included, have acted foolishly, detouring from God’s righteous path at times. The good news is that God allows His children (just like David) to trade in our foolish and worldly ways, in exchange for His ways.   

            In 1 Corinthians 4:10 Paul says, “We are fools for Christ’s sake”.   He is speaking to Christians in Corinth regarding how the world views the apostles, those called personally by God to spread the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.  So in that sense, April Fool’s Day could also commemorate those Christians over the years who have sacrificed their personal comforts, social standing, and financial gain in exchange for imitating Christ, and living the humble life of a Christian.  Paul learned this firsthand, and wrote about it.

            “¹¹ To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹² We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment (1 Cor. 4:11-13).”

            Although some in this world understand that the life of a Christian is a worthy calling, many more think Christians along with our beliefs are nothing but foolishness.

            In the end, the Bible says most will experience eternal destruction, while those whose lives reflected the belief that Jesus is the Son of God will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master (Matt. 25:23).” 

            Have a blessed week, and make it count!

Jesus brings joy to life and relationships!

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 25, 2014

            We recently sat in the waiting room anticipating some good news from the surgeon.  It finally came.  The doctor walked in and said there is “no more disease” visible in my sister Patti who had just finished undergoing her second surgery related to her diagnosis of colon cancer.

            I went to go see her this past weekend just to give her a hug. Such a great time!   As we visited, I told her I had been trying to think of somewhere to take Lisa for our 25^th wedding anniversary.  She told me that if she has learned anything throughout the ordeal of being sick it is to seize the moment and enjoy life while you feel like it.  Seems like sound advice to me.  How many of us need to do a better job of taking words like those to heart? 

            Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-29 indicate he was a firm believer in living in the moment.  “²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these (NIV).”

            In all fairness, Jesus has personally experienced what it is like to be in the presence of God.  But hey, that’s what faith is all about, not worrying, and instead trusting in God to provide us with everything we need in this life and then bring us home to heaven. The time will come when we will no longer struggle with faith, since we will be able to see our Heavenly Father face to face.

            Until then, God has given us so many blessings to enjoy here on earth if we will only look around us and take the time to be amazed just like those first century disciples. They witnessed Jesus here on earth, saw him die, saw him laid in a tomb, saw him appear to hundreds of people over a forty day period after his resurrection, and saw him disappear again.  His creativity and power really are incredible.

            “¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17, ESV).”

            I am still not sure where Lisa and I will spend our anniversary.  One thing is for sure, everyday of our marriage and everyday of life is a celebration because of our Creator and Savior, the One who gives us hope, Jesus Christ.  Have a blessed week!

Beating Temptation (part 2): Learning to Hate Sin

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 18, 2014

            It’s hard to keep from getting excited about the arrival of spring when I spot Easter flowers popping up in my neighborhood.  But as Lisa and I looked out our kitchen window the other day at what hopefully was final ice storm of the season blanketing our yard, we both groaned at the frosty setback that was occurring right before our eyes.

            How many times have you been encouraged to hear about a new Christian who was doing so well in their spiritual walk and then you find out their streak of perseverance seemed to have been jerked out from under them.  This scenario is played out way too often when a weaker brother or sister is so full of hope and a bright future in living for the Lord.  And then it’s almost as if the devil says, “Wait, not so fast! See if you can handle one more storm.”  We’ve all seen it happen.  In all likelihood, we’ve all actually been that person who fell back into a temptation that we couldn’t handle, at least on that particular day.  The fall is often especially hard for those who thought they were beyond Satan’s reach.  But the fact is, anytime we step off of God’s lighted path, we put ourselves at risk of going into spiritual battle unprepared.

            Last week, my Fort Faith column focused on trusting in God as the first step in overcoming temptation.  This week, I have one more point to make on this topic.  Hate sin!  We must learn to hate the consequences of sin more than we enjoy the benefits of it.  We must understand how temptation and sin are related.  Temptation is plain and simple a tool of the devil no matter what it looks like, feels like, smells like, or tastes like.  The devil plays dirty.  His lures are creative, deceptive and powerfully aimed at our weaknesses. 

            We would never think of asking to be locked up in a cell with a known serial killer, because we know what things such a person is capable of.  But Satan is capable of a lot worse things than any human can scheme. Spiritually, there are two sides of the fence. We as Christians MUST IDENTIFY the enemy, and KNOW which side he or she is on, and GET on the other side.  James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

            James 1:13-15 reminds us that we can be our own worst enemy in overcoming temptation simply by letting our evil desires run rampant, leading us straight to sin, and ultimately spiritual death.  Matthew 12:43-45 reminds us that one strategy in preventing this is to replace all those temptations with good things.  You know, fill your life with things that will help you get to heaven instead of just stopping at saying no to the devil’s schemes.  If you only say no, but then fail to make any changes for the better, the devil will take advantage of your indecisiveness and less than committed attitude.  Overcoming temptation, it starts with trusting God, and then hating sin with everything you’ve got.  Have a great week!

Beating temptation starts with trusting God

by Barrett Vanlandingham
March 11, 2014

             It’s funny how God can know just what you need even when you thought you needed something else.  Trusting God can be difficult.  But it is a necessary first step in overcoming temptation.  God taught me a lesson on this recently.

            I was sitting in an auditorium of about 1200 people at the CHRISTeens Youth Rally in Russellville a few weeks ago.  It had been a fantastic weekend.  We were getting ready to start another worship session and the singing had been just terrific, and I was really looking forward to some great congregational singing.  The lights were dimmed so none of the teens felt self-conscious about singing their lungs out.  But when the singing started, there was a young lady behind me who I just can’t describe to you how bad she sang. 

            I know we’re supposed to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, but this young lady took the word “noise” and re-defined it to “horrifyingly-bad”, shrill, warbled, cuts-like-a-knife, and on top of that she knew every word to every song. She sang with joy, and began each verse about a split second before the song leader.  I was honestly tempted to move to another row, far away.  But having been through other similar, uncomfortable situations, I thought to myself, “I wonder what God has up His sleeve this time?” So, I decided to stay put and focus on the words of the songs, worship God the best I could, and just see what would happen.

            So I sat there in the dark looking at the words on the big screens, trying to sing in spite of the challenges. As I couldn’t help but hear the voice behind me, it became evident that this young girl was a special needs child who, even though she had not been blessed with a beautiful singing voice, she praised God with everything in her.  Suddenly the songs took on meaning like I had never experienced before. I started thinking about the fact that in this life, no one but God is going to give her the kinds of breaks that most people take for granted.

            And so she sang: “In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.  This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ, I stand.”

            Yes, I was uncomfortable. Yes, I was tempted to have a bad attitude. But as soon as I began trust God and focus on a Savior who is worthy of ALL of our praise, my perspective changed, and my heart changed, and I received a blessing that turned out to be the biggest God moment of the weekend for me.

            Trust God and just see where it leads.  Your temptation will fade. Your faith will grow, and God will be glorified. Have a great week!

Christians and homosexuals can get along

by Barrett Vanlandingham

March 4, 2014

            Whatever happened to the days when gays and straights could just co-exist, you know, before special interest groups, lawyers, judges, and legislatures decided they needed to make everything so complicated? 

            My dad ran a successful restaurant for 36 years.  He served people of all kinds, and hired and worked alongside people of all kinds.  To my knowledge, not a single employee ever pushed my dad to accept their sexual preferences under the threat of a lawsuit.  Not a single customer ever stormed in to divulge their personal business, and then just dare my dad to not serve them.  That is not the case these days.  Everyone thinks they have to tell everything about themselves to everyone. If someone’s conscience won’t let them agree, then it’s off to court! 

            In Oregon, a Christian couple recently had to shut down their bakery because their consciences would not allow them to bake a cake for a lesbian couple’s wedding.  The Christian couple faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

            Laws now even equate your sexual orientation (preference) with race!  Last I heard, you can’t change your race.  However, Chirlane McCray, the wife of New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio, was a self-professed lesbian until she married Bill 19 years ago.  They have two teenage children.      

            The odd thing about our nation right now is that some of the same people who are screaming for everyone to accept diversity are the same people who want there to be no differences among us.  Here is what I mean.  As of January 1, a new transgender law (Assembly Bill 1266) went into effect in California.  It allows K-12 students to enter bathrooms, locker rooms, and be involved in sports teams based on their perceived gender identity. 

            Can you imagine the problems this will cause when a straight teenage boy decides he wants to utilize the law to invade the privacy of a girls’ locker room, bathroom, or set new scoring records in girls’ sports?  What about little children who have always gone to public restrooms with their dad or mom, no matter what sex they are, but when they go to school for the first time, they get confused as to which bathroom they’re supposed to go to, but a teacher can no longer tell them which direction to go because the law says either way is fine, just whatever they feel like.  Boys’ or girls’ bathroom, whichever one you identify with more that day.

            I’ve read that a baby’s sex is determined at conception, even though birth defects like “undetermined genitalia” make it difficult to know the sex of a newborn before testing.  Our genes may be responsible for homosexual tendencies, obesity, alcoholism, and attitude problems.  But that does not mean these tendencies cannot be controlled.  We all have certain temptations that are more appealing to us than others.   But God would not create a person who has no choice but to willfully sin, and then send him to hell because he sinned.  Making mistakes is just part of being human.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”    

            God knows our heart, and He knows the level at which we are committed to obeying Him.  That is what grace is for!  It covers us when we fail in our best attempts to obey God.

            And so, Christians need to employ the love of Christ when dealing with homosexuals or anyone.  We won’t always agree.  But for heaven’s sake, we don’t have to make life miserable for each other. That’s really all I would ask from anyone who disagrees with me. And yes, homosexuals are welcome at my church.  Have a great week!

Proof of Bible's Credibility Is Hard to Get Around

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 25, 2014

            The recent debate between atheist Bill Nye “The Science Guy” and creationist Ken Ham is a very good reminder for Christians to know why we believe what we believe.

            The apostle Peter said it best nearly two-thousand years ago, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15),”

            I was surprised to hear Nye’s statement regarding the Genesis account of the flood, especially since he is known as “The Science Guy”.  He insists that the Biblical flood is not rooted in historical fact.  I find that to be strange considering the vast amounts of evidence in favor of a world-wide flood. 

            For starters, every major culture around the world has reported a world-wide flood.  Apologetics Press reports that most historians say there are at least 200 such legends.  And evolutionary geologist Robert Schoch puts the number of “flood myths” much higher at 500, and says they are “the most widespread of all ancient myths and therefore can be considered among the oldest.”

            More evidence for a world-wide flood comes from an abundance of trilobite fossils.  Trilobites were a small ocean dwelling arthropod creature.  They are thought to be extinct. Their fossils measure between a millimeter to a foot long.  They are segmented and resemble a roly poly or a big centipede.    Their fossils have been found on every continent on Earth.  They have been discovered in deserts, the Grand Canyon, and on mountaintops all over the world.  I wonder how an ocean creature could wind up in all these places, especially on mountaintops?  Hmm. 

            Science says that for something to be believable, you have to be able to measure it and repeat the experiment.  No one has ever witnessed or measured any evolution of one species becoming another.  In fact, there is no fossil evidence that one species or animal ever became a different species.  That is just one reason why evolution is not believable. 

            Even skeletal remains (supposed missing links or Neanderthals) have turned out to be either animal, OR human, OR manufactured hoaxes such as an orangutan jawbone attached to a human skull.  But none has proven to be a half man, half ape creature.  Those are facts the textbooks and museums probably don’t divulge.

            According to science’s own standards, the Big Bang Theory can’t even be true, since something cannot come from nothing. Therefore, something had to have always existed.  Obviously, a Christian believes that the “something” is God.

            As for the speed of light… we don’t know how fast it goes in deep space. In fact, recently, lab experiments have shown that the speed of light is NOT constant.  And thanks to the 1988 discovery of a WW2 plane buried under 250 feet of ice in Greenland, the freeze and thaw scientific measurements used to determine glacier age have melted!  Seems they didn’t take into consideration what Oklahomans already knew, that old man winter can snow and thaw multiple times in the same year.

            Bottom line, the Big Bang Theory and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and the Bible’s account of creation each require faith.  It is true that by scientific measurements, the universe might be billions of years old.  But for me, I am going to side with the Bible’s account of creation, that it took six days to create everything fully mature, and that by the Bible’s timeline, about six-thousand years has passed since then.  Have a great week!

 

Most doubt the importance of church attendance

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 18, 2014

            Hebrews 10:24-27 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

            51-percent of people in America don’t think it’s important to attend church.  40-percent of Americans have not attended any church function in the last six months.  That number is up from 33-percent just ten years ago (May 2013 Barna Group survey of 1086 adults over age 18).

            According to the Hebrew writer, this is not a new problem.  As human beings, Christians have always struggled with being faithful to Christ and the institution He died for (Eph 5:25).

            We all know that people are going to find acceptance somewhere.  If it’s not with a church family, it is often with groups or individuals that are not necessarily thinking about the soul.  In fact, the marginalized of society who feel rejected by the mainstream are often targeted by individuals or groups that only want to use them for what they can get out of them. Acceptance is offered, but it often comes at a higher price than the seeker ever knew they would be expected to pay.  The church is to be Jesus to everyone, especially the outcasts.

            The survey also says that 59-percent of 18-29 year olds with a Christian upbringing have either dropped out of church temporarily or altogether.

            When that same group, the millennial generation, was asked the question, “What made your faith grow?”  Church did not even make the top ten.   The top spot was 1) prayer,  2) Family or friends, 3) Reading the Bible, 4) Having children, 5) Relationship with Jesus, 6) Death or illness of a loved one, 7) My own beliefs, 8) Marriage or significant other, 9) God provided during hard times, 10) I have not grown spiritually.

            So what can Christians (who make up the church) do to slow the trend of church unpopularity?  After all, if people (churched or unchurched) want to hear a good sermon or lesson, they can go online and listen to whomever they please.  If they want socialization, they can visit with people through electronic media using Facebook or online video gaming groups.

            There are some things that can only be experienced by face to face human interaction.  The early church came together on the first day of the week to remember the Lord’s death while eating the unleavened bread and drinking the fruit of the vine representing the body and the blood (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17-26).  Imagine the stories they exchanged!  They also sang, prayed to God for one another, studied the Bible with each other, and gave of their income for the work of the church.  It was a deliberate, not accidental, effort to make a difference.  All of this, with persecution looming around every corner.

            Paul told the church to “Greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom 16:16).”  You see, when we stop approaching church only from a worship checklist standpoint, and start allowing Jesus to change who we are at the very core of our being, we will see everything in life, including our daily purpose, much differently.  Only then, will people’s opinion of the church change, and the trend of disinterest turn around.  Have a great week!

Marriage God’s way is honorable

by Barrett Vanlandingham
February 11, 2014

            This spring, I will be conducting a wedding ceremony for my niece, Julia and her fiancé Kyle.  So, I had been thinking about what I would say to this young man and young lady.  Then, lo and behold, as I was cleaning out a cabinet in my office, I came across the outline of an old sermon a preacher friend of mine delivered titled “Marriage Is Honorable.”  What timing!  And just in time for Valentine’s Day.  You talk about providence!

            Even though the sermon was nearly 20 years old, the Biblical truths expressed in it are timeless!  So, I thought I would pass along these three points to my readers, especially since many in our society no longer hold marriage as being sacred or honorable.

            1) Marriage is a divine institution, a gift from God, and is for our good. Genesis 2:18-24 leaves no doubt as to what God had in mind for the covenant of marriage.  “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”  It goes on to say that “God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  The man said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

            2)  Marriage means commitment.  It is an accepting covenant, meaning, we all have faults (Romans 3:23), and it sometimes takes a little work to get past the idea that your spouse can be absolutely perfect all the time.  The Old and New Testaments teach that we are to honor marriage as an exclusive commitment (Exodus 20:14, Matthew 5:28), and that both physical adultery and emotional adultery are sin.

            3) Marriage means permanence.  Remember? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part?  That is not a Bible quote, but it is rooted and supported in God’s word.  Paul told the church in Rome that marriage is a lifetime commitment (Romans 7:2). The Old Testament says that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).  In the New Testament Jesus also speaks strongly against it in Matthew 19:4-9, and goes as far as saying that “anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” 

            Paul told the church in Ephesus that wives should submit to their husbands in everything, AND that husbands should love their wives, “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:22-25).”

            The covenant of marriage, as described in the Bible, should be honored by all (Hebrews 13:4).  Yes, a successful marriage must be built on an undying, selfless, and sacrificial love between a man and woman.  But both must also build their marriage on the foundation of Jesus Christ, placing Him as the highest priority in their lives.  Only then will everything else fall into place, and the husband and wife will experience joy and a marriage covenant as God intended, with both looking out for the best interests of the other and looking to God in all things.   Have a great week!