OUR VULNERABILITY

Luke 22:31, 32 

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail

It is critical that Christians understand their vulnerability to demonic influence. Those who say a demon cannot influence a believer's life have left us with only two possible culprits for the problems we face: ourselves or God. If we blame ourselves, we feel hopeless because we can't do anything to stop what we're doing. If we blame God, our confidence in Him as our benevolent Father is shattered. Either way, we have no chance to gain the victory which the Bible promises us. In reality we are in a winnable war against the defeated kingdom of darkness. But the lies of Satan can gain a measure of control if we believe them.

 What right did Satan have to sift Simon (Peter) like wheat? The context reveals that Peter and the other disciples were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God. In other words, they were exercising pride. Sinful pride affords Satan a huge opportunity. Peter protested that he was willing to die or go to prison for the sake of Christ. But Jesus told him that, before the day was over, Peter would deny Him three times, and he did.

God Wants His Job Back

By Karen Ehman


"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
I have a confession to make: I crave control. You know—as in I like to be in charge; the shot-caller; the boss.

I'm pretty sure I was born ready to be in charge. As a toddler, I lined my frilly dolls and any willing playmates or siblings up in a way that suited my preferences. In elementary school, I couldn't wait to be selected for special duties, like heading up a game or putting on a play.

Yes, from birth I instinctively ordered and organized anything within my reach—objects, circumstances, and later in life, even living, breathing human beings. I didn't need a boardroom to prove that I was a natural born boss.

WHY MOMS DON’T ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW BEST

By Sheila

Each Friday my syndicated column appears in several newspapers. Here’s this week’s!

I’ve been giving advice to men about relationships lately, and I thought I’d continue the trend today, since I like telling men what to do.

Let’s start with a misconception men often have. Many men think that if they have mastered the sentence, “Whatever you want is fine with me, Honey,” they have hit the relationship bullseye.

Unfortunately, if that’s you, you’re likely in for a rude awakening. Imagine this: your wife asks you whether little Johnny should take soccer this year. You smile and utter those magic words, and then incomprehensibly she storms off! Something got lost in translation.

Does Your Husband Demand Certain Sex Acts?

Recently I received an email from a concerned wife whose husband was demanding she swallow his semen during oral sex.

This is just one of a variety of sexual demands that can show up in the marriage bed.

One person is insisting and the other person is resisting and this dynamic is causing horrendous discord, not just in bed, but in the marriage in general.

For this post, I’m referring to demands that could fall into the broad camp of “sexual variety.”

Certainly there are several spouses out there who are receiving no (or very little) sexual intimacy, and some have wondered if they can be more stern (or demanding?) in expressing their need for sexual attention.

What to keep in mind when you start online dating.

New to Online Dating: 11 Tips

By Winnie Yu                                                                                              Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
WebMD Feature

You're ready to meet someone new. Heading to the local bar doesn't appeal. Friends have no one to suggest. So you're thinking about trying online dating.

For many people these days, the better option is online dating, says Fran Walfish, PhD, a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Online is the faster, most accessible place," she says. "Many couples have found each other through online dating sites."

Online dating offers a large pool of candidates that you can "meet" from the comfort of your home, notes Terri Orbuch, PhD, a relationship therapist in West Bloomfield, Mich. "It's really convenient, and it opens you up to a wide-open world of potential matches," Orbuch tells WebMD.