Episodes
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
They just won’t change!
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
The David Alliance
MingleMateMarry.com podcast youtube and website for the perfect marriage material and swag. They got a great hoodie called its a great day to be married… after today maybe some of you will want to wear purchase it… because many of you are not loving the days you are married…
coming up soon on the podcast - TOMORROW QUIT LIVING BY YOUR FEELINGS!
My spouse will not change… I have tried everything…
Yes I have seen prayer do amazing things in peoples lives… but I have also seen people pray and nothing happens… their spouse still refuses to change. And I have seen many divorce in that situation and move on, and I have seen many stick it out and they learn to find fulfillment outside their marriage… I am not telling you what to do other than, hard times can produce amazing Godly character… But you still must choose.
Questions to ask yourself when a partner is refusing to change
- Is what I am asking for a behavioral change or personality change? - True story about myself, when Kim and I were married the first 20 years, people would often ask her… is he like this at home? Is he like this all the time? My personality is loud, boistrous, sometimes obnoxious, I am a protector, I speak my mind any where, any time… but yes I have mellowed… She was wise enough to not ask me to change my personality, but rather my tactics and my focus in behaving the way I do. Example… if we are in a theater and someone is smoking, on their phone, talking etc… I would just yell at them from where I am at… now she has convinced me it is better I go up to them and talk to them. Is their sense of personal identity in any way at stake here or a job conditioning they are under… many cops act a certain way because they are cops and they cannot turn it off.
- Is their refusal a matter of capacity or willingness?
- Will things be different if I give them some time? How much time can I give? What factors could foster their change?
- How would the ideal scenario of their transformation look like to me? and what would I have to change in order for them to change?
- What is a transformation I would consider “good enough”?
- What is the worst that can happen? What would make me consider divorce?
- If my partner can’t change and provide what I need at the moment, is there a way I can tend to my needs differently? Can I rely on myself or others for support while giving my partner time and space?
- Am I asking them to change so I wouldn’t have to deal with an unwanted change of my own?
- If they remain the same, could I be happy with them?
- Is therapy an option?
At what point do I give them an ultimatum with a pastor or counselor… change or Im leaving. - Not a divorce, but moving out to reassess what my life is about.
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
How to save your marriage Part 2
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
The David Alliance
MingleMateMarry.com podcast youtube and website for the perfect marriage material and swag. They got a great hoodie called its a great day to be married… after today maybe some of you will want to wear purchase it… because many of you are not loving the days you are married…
coming up soon on the podcast - TOMORROW QUIT LIVING BY YOUR FEELINGS!
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Between you and me, one of the biggest comments (and I’m certain it’s true) women tell me their husbands are weak men. Weak in discipline, weak physically, weak spiritually, weak in leadership, weak in communication etc… so the women lead by default and then get blamed for being Jezebels- but it truly is only out of the void of having a manly man of God to lead them.
One woman responded… “Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have a husband that stood his ground, didn’t let me push him around and led our family like a man of God should, however he never has. At first I would push back just to see if he would stand up to me… and he wouldn’t - now its just to late, I have no respect for him. Even if I asked him to lead, I don’t think he would. He has no real walk with God and I suppose we will probably divorce once the kids are older. I however do see myself looking for a future marriage where my husband will take control… and I truly do believe I will let him have control if he is in fact a man of God.
Here is another response: I will just come out and say it. My husband is a selfish fat pig. He is overweight, has no discipline, and I am not sure if he is more selfish or lazy… probably 50/50. But he has no desire to lead himself or our family. My kids love their Dad, but they are getting to the age where they are becoming embarrassed by him.
ok, my first thought is this… if you are a man and you do not want to take control… thats on you and you will stand judgement before God.
If I am talking to the women and you truly do wish your husband took the lead… then here are a few ideas
- 1 make sure you truly want him to take the lead and you are not just saying it with your mouth. It will take time, he will mess up, but if he try’s and you shut him down, become stubborn, discourage him or don’t allow him time to grow in this new role, than he will give up.
- 2 if you do want him to lead and he wants to lead. Then by all means meet with some Godly men and women (pastors, or men and women who have Godly marriages) and ask them to mentor you both on how he can lead and how you can follow. Marriage like anything else takes practice.
- 3 If he does not want to lead, and you will not get a divorce you can do two things: one pray that God radically knocks his world upside down…where he is forced to seek God. Look, I believe the man should be the head of the household, but if he is not, then by default the woman is… so now ladies, pray and give God permission to lay out your husband in such a way that he calls on you and on God to learn how to be a manly man of God.
If he never changes… you can still pray for Gods grace and have an amazing life. you can come to a point where you realize that you are becoming more like Jesus by having to deal with a poor husband. and God will carry you, bless you and strengthen you in this time.
- 4 my final thought. If you are willing to go through deliverance (and you can contact me for more information) it can radically set the husband free from the spirit of Ahab, and set the women free from Jezebel. And neither both have to be working to find freedom. But Delieverance is the key to a great deal of marriages that are in need of what seems to be an unsolvable problem.
There is still more to follow up on tomorrow, but this should give you plenty to think about today.
GArth Heckman, TDA - keep slaying giants.
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Everything must bow!
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
8-2-23 TOMORROW QUIT LIVING BY YOUR FEELINGS!
1 Peter 3:10 But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
OR 1 Cor. 3:13
13 his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
But did you know that not only will everything burn, but everything will bow…
Every tongue confess every knee will bow
Phil. 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 Samuel 5:1-12
The Philistines capture the ark of the covenant and bring it into their temple of Dagon… the next morning the idol of Dagon had fallen over appearing to be bowing down to the Ark of the covenant… and the Philistines said “Dagon it” JK
The picked the idol up and set him in place again. The next morning the idol had fallen over and its head and hands had broken off.
“HAVING DISARMED THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES”
Col. 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Why always all the talk about the supernatural, the demonic, the deliverance ministry, the invisible world…
Because our battle is not with flesh and blood
AND BECAUSE OUR BATTLE WAS WON - IS WON - must be won IN THE SUPERNATURAL SPIRITUAL WORLD.
Christ stripped the powers off of this world and the underworld and the evil with what he performed at the cross… he now gives us the same power to fight in the spiritual realm. Does this mean we idon’thave to fight? Oh no, we have to fight, Eph. 6 we are at war… but having disarmed the powers, having stripped the powers, we now move in authority and in power with an assured Victory…
Now when the mind wanders to “I have seen people pray and war over areas in their life and things did not turn out the way they wanted. People died, businesses lost, relationships still unmended -
Well here are 3 thoughts…
- we are called to war even if every battle is not won… the war has still been won… everyone will bow
- we may not see a win on earth, but we always win in eternity - everyone in eternity will Bow
- We do not war until we win, we war until we die.
Go to WAR… you were created for war… Go to war.
War, knowing everything will bow!
Finally, everything will bow to the Lordship of Christ… just like the philistines who put The presence of God in the vicinity of Dagon… Keep God in your presence, Keep him alive and moving in your life… and all things - every problem will bow.
Monday Jul 31, 2023
You are called to humiliate them!
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Wake the faith up
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Disarmed (spoiled) - surprise! Aorist tense - now and forever.
This verse is loaded with mental imagery of a Roman tradition of humiliating the Romans enemies. They would take the highest ranking officers, generals etc… strip them naked and march them through the city streets to their execution.
Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.
1 Samuel 5:1-12
The Philistines capture the ark of the covenant and bring it into their temple of Dagon… the next morning the idol of Dagon had fallen over appearing to be bowing down to the Ark of the covenant… and the Philistines said “Dagon it” JK
The picked the idol up and set him in place again. The next morning the idol had fallen over and its head and hands had broken off.
“HAVING DISARMED THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES”
Why always all the talk about the supernatural, the demonic, the deliverance ministry, the invisible world…
Because our battle is not with flesh and blood
AND BECAUSE OUR BATTLE WAS WON IN THE SUPERNATURAL SPIRITUAL WORLD.
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Thursday Jul 27, 2023
Contend to the End!
Thursday Jul 27, 2023
Thursday Jul 27, 2023
Wake the faith up
v1… I want you to know how hard I am contending for you
GK = Ag-own A spectacle in THEE arena. THE ROMAN ARENA… YOU KNEW ONLY ONE WOULD WALK OUT ALIVE… IT MIGHT BE A GLADIATOR, A LION, ANOTHER PERSON…
This word carries 5 motifs behind it:
- 1 It is a fight that demands the expenditure of all of our energies
- 2 GK = Ag-own The struggle means denial
- 3 GK - The word understands an antagonist
an enemy, a struggle, a fight, dangers, catastrophes, obstacles…
REMEMBER THE GK WORD IS AG-OWN… as in
AGONY.
Have you ever been told or heard the lie “if you accept Jesus all your problems go away and he makes everything better”.
No he does not take away all your problems and life does not get better in the sense that there are no more battles to be fought in your life!
If you contend for someone… you are understanding that you are choosing to take on an antagonist, a well known enemy called satan.
However you are not on your own when you contend.
Col. 2: 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
He makes a public spectacle of them… to expose and disgrace. Ever stand up to give a speech and your zipper is down… well its this times 10K.
We will contend and in fact when taking on the enemy we will expose him and what Christ has done on the cross… in order to humiliate satan and the forces of evil.
- 4 AG OWN - MARTYRDOM
Faithful to commit it all… I will choose to lay down my life for someone else as I contend for them.
You know many times gladiators fought for their freedom, rare they would also fight for someone else’s freedom. Much like today, rare for those of us who call ourselves Christ followers do we contend or fight for others…
on a side note, back in the days of Rome, women fantasized about marrying a gladiator… they were proven. And if they were willing to fight for someone else’s freedom… they were the most revered, wanted and sexy men alive to women…. just a side note. But again, I have always said “the most sexy man alive is the one who can hear Gods voice, obey it and lead his family in the present evil age.”
I have good news and bad news…
BAD NEWS: supreme resistance is not fighting until you win… its fighting until you die.
GOOD NEWS: When we die in Christ, we live and we win.
So today, take time to contend for a brother or a sister in Christ who is in need… or for your pastor - life as a pastor in todays world is harder than ever.
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
I could have been a contender
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wake the faith up
Why not another follow up to the marriage series… I will tell you why - it has been the number 1 downloaded series in our history. Lots of comments and questions coming is- so i thought I would wait a week or two and come back to it so i can tackle the whole kit and kaboodle all at once. But for today… Im going to teach you how to hate your mother, brother, father and anybody else you know.
v1… 2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you
GK = Ag-own A spectacle in THEE arena. THE ROMAN ARENA… YOU KNEW ONLY ONE WOULD WALK OUT ALIVE… IT MIGHT BE A GLADIATOR, A LION, ANOTHER PERSON…
This word carries 5 motifs behind it:
- 1 It is a fight that demands the expenditure of all of our energies
- 2 GK = Ag-own The struggle means denial
Not asceticism… no food, drink, pleasure, no money, no position.
It means denial of your will and accepting Gods will.
So it might mean not taking that job with the huge raise… not because God is against money or the job, but because he has a different plan for you.
In the natural you get a job offer, better company, better money, better state to live in, better perks, better retirement… and it is a no brainer… accept to contend means you will deny what seems good or even great for what is right. See, behind the scenes God might know that your witness is crucial to having your CEO come to Christ or even the woman in the cafeteria… God knows that when that person comes to Christ their influence alone will win thousands to Christ… and it all hinges on you staying at your job to finalize the testimony to this person.
The average person calls you nuts! But God calls you faithful and he will reward you beyond any job the world offers you.
It might be good, morally right and selfless… but not be what God wants.
In the arena it is understood that you made this decision before you ever took on the battle. YOU COUNTED THE COST. You didn’t just hop the fence and say “give me a shot… I like swords and lions”. NO NO NO, you contend because you counted the cost.
Jesus said in Luke 14:25-34 be willing to hate your mother, brother, father, brothers, sisters, your own children… and yes even your own life - or you can’t be his disciple.
LET ME CLARIFY - I believe you can be a Christian in todays world, but not be a disciple/Christ follower A CONTENDER.
Jesus goes on in these verses: Count the cost: Would you build a building… would you go to war - without counting the cost? These are not just two random examples…
We are Gods temple! A building… count the cost
Eph. 6 we are in a spiritual war… would you go to war without counting the cost.
I count the cost, I will contend for those in the faith. I will contend for those who do not yet know God. SAY IT WITH ME… I AM A CONTENDER!
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Will you Contend?
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Wake the faith up
v1… 2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you
Paul states here how he has been praying for the church in Colosse… he does’t know them personally, he himself is in prison awaiting execution but he is contending for them… Unless you don’t understand the meaning of this word “contending” you don’t realize how strange it is
GK = Ag-own A spectacle in THEE arena. THE ROMAN ARENA… YOU KNEW ONLY ONE WOULD WALK OUT ALIVE… IT MIGHT BE A GLADIATOR, A LION, ANOTHER PERSON…
This word carries 5 motifs behind it:
- 1 It is a fight that demands the expenditure of all of our energies
*The struggle allows for no indolence, no relaxation, no meandering, no indecision, no procrastination,
NO ONE GOES INTO WAR AND HAS THE MINDSET… I HOPE TO ONLY GET SHOT A FEW TIMES!
The spiritual walk (Paul calls it a race)
One of the mindsets behind this word is its a passionate struggle for life… but again not your life, but for someone else’s life.
**and Paul is in this context meaning a struggle over someone else’s life. You might be thinking… I have enough struggles over my life…
A GREAT QUESTION: Have you ever struggled over someone else’s life? MY SON REESE!
Kids in my youth group.
And yes some of you and your family members.
Contend!!! to the end!!!
Monday Jul 24, 2023
The Marriage Mess and the Jezebel Spirit
Monday Jul 24, 2023
Monday Jul 24, 2023
Wake the faith up
5 Things a Godly woman does for her husband.
Respect - CHECK
Love - Check
Honor - Check
Serve - Check
Submit - Next Up
*and what’s their problem if they can’t do these 5 things.
*A mans responsibility to make it easier
The Jezebel spirit… now this is a hot topic right now in Christian circles. It is being covered by Mark Driscoll, Isaiah Salvador, Vlad Svchuk, Robert Morris, Jimmy Evans and many many others…
To identify a Jezebel spirit in woman (and it can be a man - but today I will talk to men) one must ask if your wife wants to Respect you, love you, honor you, serve you and submit to you….
NOW she may have a hard time doing it, she may struggle, but at her core she should say “I truly want to be that woman for my husband”. But there are many women who would rather have their arms cut off than to say Yes I want to be that type of wife to my husband. If you feel like your wife is in the latter case she definitely has a Jezebel spirit… and again, men can have them to.
What are the key characteristics of the JEZ spirit?
Manipulation REV. 2:18
Control
Selfishness
Authoritative
The word Jezebel actually means Unhinged or unmarried. The woman who is under the control of the Jezebel spirit has no regard for marriage, because marriage is about being under authority. She has no regard for things that are holy, like her vows, because she is demonic and is anti holy.
What does a Jezebel spirit do to get her way?
Whine, pout, demand, withdraw, Self righteous, use sex or the lack of it, name call, seduce, intimidate, Gossip about you to others including family members,
And she will not talk about it… you will have conversations like this with her…. “oh, its me,Im the problem, its always me, your perfect… you know what- Im don’t talking about this”. That is all four characteristics: Manipulation, Control, Selfishness, Taking on the authority in the relationship.
And guess what?
The spouse has allowed it… Now I will speak to men for the most part. You have the spirit of Ahab… Ahab allowed Jezebel to be in control. That is a topic for a whole other podcast… but look into it.
So once you determine that your spouse is operating under the spirit of Jezebel what do you do?
Well lets go in the order of importance.
- repent -you allowed it and you did not stand up and be the head of the household.
- Pray over your house, your life, your spouse
- Get your ducks in a row before you take on the spirit and confront your wife. Maybe you caved in and now your spiritual walk is a mess, shallow, mundane or worse yet -phony. Get your walk in order at least a few weeks before moving forward.
- Prepare for battle… she will throw everything in the book at you. Get ready to go without sex for maybe weeks or months - and don’t beg for it, or you yourself try to manipulate her for it. Keep praying and keep seeking Gods grace.
- When you are ready to confront her, do it with grace and start out by confessing you we’re not being the husband you were supposed to be and you are now seeking Gods guidance to be the head of the house.
- Start to gently but firmly put your foot down and explain that when you as the husband now disagree, you will take time to pray about it and then you will let her know your decision.
- explain to your wife that there are 3 types of relationships. There are healthy relationships, unhealthy relationships and No relationships. And you will no longer tolerate unhealthy relationships so if she is going to pout, whine, complain, manipulate, sulk, withdraw, etc… you will choose to back off and have no relationship in that area… explain you will still have a relationship with her and love her… but in that one area you will choose to not talk about it or be moved forward on it.
A line you may use at your own discretion is this… Are you telling me or are you asking me. If you are asking me that that means we can discuss it, but if we can’t discuss it, than it means you are telling me and I don’t take orders. But I will pray about it and get back to you on the matter.
Here are things that will happen in most cases.
When you expose the Jezebel spirit - it will be come weaker even though it will fight back. You will have a greater intimacy with God in your quiet time and devotions. You will begin to notice rewards in your own life… this is biblical as we see in Revelation When Jesus talks about coming against the spirit of Jezebel.
You will actually feel your love rekindled with your spouse because you see how they are being manipulated by this evil spirit.
Finally, most women will at some point begin to move in line and become followers of their husbands as the husband continues to seek God. Some will not… but they will understand that they are in error and sin.
I would recommend that everyone goes through deliverance, but especially those dealing with the Jezebel spirit.
Friday Jul 21, 2023
What’s a mans job in marriage?
Friday Jul 21, 2023
Friday Jul 21, 2023
Wake the faith up
5 Things a Godly woman does for her husband.
Respect - CHECK
Love - Check
Honor - Check
Serve - Check
Submit - Next Up
*and what’s their problem if they can’t do these 5 things.
*A mans responsibility to make it easier
1 Peter 3:1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,
Ladies this again speaks of the power of submission… but lets continue.
2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her
Christ gave up his life… for the church. He did not give it up because she whined… He gave up his life for what is best for the church. Husbands you don’t have to die to every single request you wife makes, unless it is for what is best for your marriage… not just her, but both of you. Which means you may both disagree and need time to pray about it.
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
I don’t know of anyone who hates himself outright. God calls us to love our wives as we love ourselves. That means to love your wife in the way she wants to be loved and not the way you want to be loved. Again, knowing it will benefit the marriage and not just one party.
Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
We are typically pretty forgiving of our mistakes, our sins and our laziness. We let a lot of things slide in our lives with little or no consequence. We are over weight, we are loud, some are lazy, some do not really read and pray, some have not pushed themselves to be the best in certain areas… and we are ok with that…. BUUUUUT, if it’s our wives- sometimes we are unfair in holding their feet to the fire.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Harsh - embitter, exasperate them, wear them out to where they just don’t care anymore and they just don’t love you anymore.
Here is what you need to do.
1 Peter 3:7 Live a life that does not hinder your spiritual walk… There is nothing more sexy than a man who loves God, hears God speak to him, has a proven track record of hearing God and obeying, and with that who is willing to admit his mistakes, and ask for forgiveness when he blows it.
but men do you make it easy for your wives to respect, love, honor, serve and submit to you as a husband? THATS YOUR JOB #1 IN YOUR MARRIAGE.
MONDAY - WHAT IS THE JEZEBEL SPIRIT IN MARRIAGE AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.