How and When Should a Man Apologize to His Wife?

Posted on 16 December 2025 by Seth Meyers

A godly man confesses and forsakes his sin, especially when in the home where he has the highest obligations to stand as a representative of the One who washed the feet of His bride, held His tongue for His bride, prays constantly for His bride, and like Hosea remains faithful to His commitment even when she is unfaithful.

3 Scenarios Where a Man Should Apologize to His Wife

Though it is not easy to apologize, men must do many hard things. Perhaps this is the hardest.

  1. Obvious sin: A man should apologize when he has spoken or acted crudely, cruelly, or selfishly to his wife.
  2. Kindness: A man should apologize when he lacked the kindness or humility he should have had before the particular situation began.
  3. Habit: A man should apologize when he has preserved a habit that he knows is tempting to his wife.

3 Wrong Scenarios for Apologizing

But some situations might tempt a man to apologize so that his wife will just calm down and go back to life as normal. I recently saw a video urging men not to apologize to their wives, and I think the pastors were referring to scenarios in the following three categories.

  1. Manipulation: A man should not apologize to his wife to get something from her other than the answer of a good conscience.
  2. Release: A man should not apologize to his wife simply to get out of the situation though his wife was the one who did wrong.
  3. Self-righteousness: A man should not apologize to his wife to prove to himself that he is superior and store up for later use a deposit of virtue.

3 Ways to Speak Humbly When you Can’t Apologize

When there is tension with your wife, but you don’t see your sin, you have the duty to speak humbly to her. Regarding the great truths of our faith, we ought to be unshakably certain, but about our own actions, we should be appropriately uncertain.

Who can perfectly know or remember all his motives, facial expressions, and omissions from the past 2 weeks? How can you be so certain that you were walking in the Spirit, and she was not? Are you completely free from self-deception? Can you go into the inner springs of your heart and justify all the complex coils of your soul? Though you are not yet glorified, can you be so sure that there was not the taint of the flesh in your voice?

The Apostle Paul could not: “In fact, I do not examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”

  1. Blindspots: A man should tell his wife that he will pray that God will show him what he does not see. Job 34:32
  2. Remaining corruption: A man should confess to his wife that he does see that he is a sinner and has a propensity to sin even if he does not see any guilt at this time. Rom. 7:14ff
  3. Moving forward: A man should ask his wife how she would like him to pray or for what she would like him to examine himself or what verse of Scripture he can meditate on. Matt. 7:12

Men must take the lead in making peace. Men should model our Savior’s humility. Men should not expect their wives to take the first step in something so heavy and difficult as digging down deep and getting so low. But at the same time, we must not take the “easy way out”—if it is that—by lying through an apology so that we get her to stop talking or win the argument. We cannot follow Jesus in apologizing because He never did. But as long as we are in the flesh, we can go lower because He is low in heart.

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41 Ideas for Confessing Sin

Posted on 9 December 2025 by Seth Meyers

Let the memory of all your sins grieve you, and especially lament and bewail your daily transgressions. Then if time permits, confess to God in the secret depths of your heart all the miseries your passions have caused. Lament and grieve because you are still:

  1. so worldly,
  2. so carnal,
  3. so passionate and unmortified,
  4. so full of roving lust,
  5. so careless in guarding the external senses,
  6. so often occupied in many vain fancies,
  7. so inclined to exterior things,
  8. so heedless of what lies within,
  9. so prone to laughter and dissipation,
  10. so indisposed to sorrow and tears,
  11. so inclined to ease and the pleasures of the flesh,
  12. so cool to austerity and zeal,
  13. so curious to hear what is new and to see the beautiful,
  14. so slow to embrace humiliation and dejection,
  15. so covetous of abundance,
  16. so niggardly in giving,
  17. so tenacious in keeping,
  18. so inconsiderate in speech,
  19. so reluctant in silence,
  20. so undisciplined in character,
  21. so disordered in action,
  22. so greedy at meals,
  23. so deaf to the Word of God,
  24. so prompt to rest,
  25. so slow to labor,
  26. so awake to empty conversation,
  27. so sleepy in sacred services,
  28. so eager to end them,
  29. so wandering in your attention,
  30. so careless in praying,
  31. so lukewarm in communion,
  32. so heartless in receiving,
  33. so quickly distracted,
  34. so seldom fully recollected,
  35. so quickly moved to anger,
  36. so apt to take offense at others,
  37. so prone to judge,
  38. so severe in condemning,
  39. so happy in prosperity,
  40. so weak in adversity,
  41. so often making good resolutions and carrying so few of them into action.

When you have confessed and deplored these and other faults with sorrow and great displeasure because of your weakness, be firmly determined to amend your life day by day and to advance in goodness. Then, with complete resignation and with your entire will offer yourself upon the altar of your heart as an everlasting sacrifice to the honor of My name, by entrusting with faith both body and soul to My care…

Thomas á Kempis, Book 4, Chapter 7

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Can Man See God?

Posted on 3 December 2025 by Seth Meyers

No one has ever seen God nor can see God.

But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Exodus 33:20

The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 1 Kings 8:12

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1:18

And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. John 5:37

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. John 6:46

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see… 1 Timothy 6:16

God is invisible.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Colossians 1:15

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17

…as seeing Him who is unseen. Hebrews 11:27

God is spirit…  John 4:24

And yet, Jacob thought that he had seen God as did Gideon and Manoah.

So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” Genesis 32:30; Judge 6:22; 13:22

Moses saw God face to face.

Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend… Exodus 33:11

…And he [Moses] beholds the form of the Lord… Numbers 12:8

The elders of Israel saw God.

And they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 10 …and they saw God, and they ate and drank. Exodus 24:11

Isaiah saw God.

…I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Isaiah 6:1

Ezekiel saw God.

…I saw visions of God. 1 … Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. Ezekiel 1:1, 27

Daniel saw God.

I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. Daniel 7:9

John saw God.

After these things I looked, and behold… a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 2 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Revelation 4:3

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it… Revelation 20:11

All who saw Christ on earth had seen God.

Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9

All true believers will see God.

Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Job 19:26

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face… 1 Corinthians 13:12

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

…We know that when He appears… we will see Him just as He is. 1 John 3:2

They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4

Looking is another word for believing.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” 8 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9

“O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12

Some sights are more glorious, more direct, more compelling, more comforting, or more terrifying.

Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen. Exodus 33:23

Christ is the Light because He affects men’s sight.

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23

Satan uses men’s eyes to draw them to sin.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; Matthew 4:8

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20

Men are lost because they have not seen what they need to see.

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained… Proverbs 29:18

The problem with men is their sight.

In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

Men can draw near to God by using their eyes well.

Watch over your heart with all diligence… 23 Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Proverbs 4:23, 25

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, Titus 2:13, Also 2 Peter 3:12-13

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

If Christians use their eyes correctly, they will be inspired toward missions.

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36, also 14:14

…Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. John 4:35

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Acts 17:16

My eyes bring pain to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. Lamentations 3:51

The job of missionaries is to correct the vision of those who have been blinded.

To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:18

Even believers must ask God for sight.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18

Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. Psalm 119:18

Christians should see invisible things.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen… 2 Corinthians 4:18

In this life, all the senses are used to know God.

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” Matthew 17:5

He who has an ear, let him hear… Revelation 2:7 (Only Jesus says this, and he says it 11 times.)

O taste and see that the Lord is good… Psalm 34:8

If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:3

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body. 26 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; Matthew 26:27

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life… John 6:54

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 1 John 1:1

All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia… Psalm 45:8

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Conclusions

  1. Vision and eyes are a tremendous blessing, but they are very dangerous because with them we commonly focus only on the visible things of this world (Pro. 23:5).
  2. In the future, we will see God and walk by sight, not by faith.
  3. In the next life, our views of the divine glory will be new every morning.
  4. It is our duty now to improve our skill in looking and our ability to see so that we behold His glory and beauty more and more.
  5. One way to improve our spiritual sight is to sanctify our imagination.
  6. It is very profitable to wonder and hope about our future lives using the pictures the Spirit has given us such as a better country, a wedding feast, life with no night, a river of fire, a home being prepared, uncountable saints and angels, perfect music, the Lion, and the Father.
  7. At the same time, we must see and increase our sight of the final judgment, the Rider on the White Horse, the Great White Throne, the lake of fire, and the book of life.
  8. Books, conversations, and prayers that tend to give us a clearer sight of these things are very valuable.
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The Sinfulness of the Regenerate Heart

Posted on 27 November 2025 by Seth Meyers

Are men’s hearts deceitful and desperately wicked after salvation? Having been converted for over 30 years, is my wife married to a man who has an untrustworthy, tricky heart? Scripture teaches that we should be self-doubtful.

“A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth.” G. K. Chesterton

Confessing our sin is like sweeping the floor: there is probably more dust down there, but I can’t see it clearly. And even though there is still some dirt left on the floor, it is still important to sweep up what we can see.

  1. David could not see that he was the man who had taken the poor man’s sheep (2 Sam. 12:5). Even after years of walking with God, the best believers can “understand” Biblical teachings, but still not see their own sin.
  2. Solomon said, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool” (Pro. 28:26). If you have searched your heart and found no sin, don’t trust your heart’s view of yourself.
  3. Jesus describes the regenerate heart as one that is poor in spirit and weeping over sin (Matt. 5:3-4). A man with the blessing of salvation always sees himself as a spiritual beggar in need of weeping over his sin.
  4. Peter thought he was at a certain level spiritually, but he was wrong about his own self-evaluation (John 13:37-38).
  5. Jesus called the believers on the road to Emmaus fools for their spiritual blindness (Luke 24:25, 31). True Christians are in danger of spiritual blindness.
  6. Paul could not be confident that he had found all his sin even after examining himself (1 Cor. 4:3-4). Even after we have searched our hearts, there is still sin there.
  7. After 25 years of conversion and planting 14 churches Paul called himself the least of the apostles (1 Cor. 15:9). After 30 years of salvation he called himself the least of all the saints (Eph. 3:8). And at the end of his life, he believed himself to be the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). A godly man will see more of his sin as his spiritual experience increases.
  8. Paul prays that God would open the eyes of believers to see spiritual things they could not see (Eph. 1:18). We commonly miss obvious spiritual realities.
  9. Thomas a Kempis: “I deserve nothing but to be scourged and punished, in that I have grievously and often offended thee, and in many things have sinned greatly. … I remember not that I have done any good, but have been always prone to sin, and slow to amendment.”
  10. John Bunyan in The Holy War: “I see dirt in mine own tears [of repentance], and filthiness in the bottom of my prayers.”

We are safe when we assume that there are in our own hearts, hidden from our view, sinful motives, hidden agendas, and stains of sin even on our best works. This is why Paul’s voice seems to shout from Romans 7, “Oh wretched man that I am!”

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How to Speak, How to Listen

Posted on 24 November 2025 by Seth Meyers

In the home, communication is a vital skill. We all do it, but few are excellent; few try to study or improve themselves in speaking and listening. Since men are the leaders, they must be skilled in speaking and listening in the home.

Why must men talk at home? 4 Reasons Men Must Talk at Home

  1. They must lead their families to Christ (Eph. 5:26; 6:4).
  2. They must answer questions for their wives (1 Cor. 14:34-35).
  3. They must live happily with their families (Ecc. 9:9; Pro. 17:22).
  4. They must solve problems with their wives, children, and relatives (Matt. 5:9). 
  • None of these 4 things can be done without talking.

Why is talking hard? 2 Reasons Talking is Hard

  1. Talking is a performance.

When a word comes out of the mouth, it cannot be changed. Men very easily make mistakes in performances, especially when they have not practiced. For this reason David said: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 And the brother of our Lord said, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, … the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity … no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.” James 3:2, 6, 8

2. Talking is stressful.

If you say the wrong thing, you might have a big problem. We can ruin our lives with our foolish words, or we can make great things happen with our wise words. This was Solomon’s meaning in Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Further, we are forced to perform this stressful task every single day. Thus, many men are quiet because it is a stressful performance.

How do you know if you are talking too much? 10 Tests for Too Much Talk

  1. Are you over-confident so that you talk about things you know nothing about?
  2. Do you give too much information when asked a simple question?
  3. Do you talk about things that have nothing to do with the topic?
  4. Do you gossip?
  5. Do you like talking about yourself?
  6. Do you nit-pick so that you always have to correct the detail of other people’s stories?
  7. Do you interrupt people?
  8. Do you take over the conversation?
  9. Do you finish other people’s sentences and stories for them?
  10. Do you always want to give advice to everyone you talk to?

How do you know if you are not talking enough? 9 Tests for Too Much Silence

  • You are sinfully quiet if you are not speaking when the Bible commands you to speak.
  1. Bringing the lost to salvation—your family, neighbors, visitors at church (Jude 23)
  2. Leading your wife into truth and godliness (Eph. 5:26)
  3. Encouragement of other Christians (Heb. 10:24)
  4. Saying what God has done for your soul—giving your testimony (Ps. 66:16; 107:2)
  5. Praying at church or home (1 Thess. 5:17)
  6. Standing for truth when sinners speak foolishly (2 Tim. 2:25)
  7. Singing and praising God (Co. 3:16)
  8. Confessing your sin (James 5:16)
  9. Asking questions (Titus 2:6-8)

How can I talk well with my wife? 5 Ways to Talk Like a Christian Husband

  1. Don’t speak before you understand.

    He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him. Pro. 18:13 You don’t want others to speak to you before they understand (Matt. 7:12). In the book of Esther the king gave Haman permission to kill the Jews (3:10), but then he changes his mind (8:5). King Darius signed a law foolishly. Then he changed his mind (Dan. 6:9, 14).

    2. Ask good questions.

      Even though He was the Son of God, Jesus Christ heard the leaders of the synagogue and asked them questions (Luke 2:46). A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out (Proverbs 20:5). Live with your wives in an understanding way… (1 Peter 3:7).

      3. Speak kindly with love and energy.

        Smile, laugh, wait your turn, agree with your wife, look at her when she speaks.

        Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

        Romans 12:10-11 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

        Romans 12:14-15 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

        Romans 15:2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.

        4. Control your passions.

        Isn’t it hard to answer gently when someone starts a fire? What is harder to control than our passions? Once they have been aroused, it is like stopping a house fire. “There is no ruling the tongue if you cannot rule the passions.” Richrd Baxter

        Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

        Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly.

        Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

        Proverbs 22:24-25 Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.

        5. Educate yourself; Improve yourself; Raise yourself.

        Proverbs 1:5-7 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

        Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.

        Why must men listen at home? 3 Reasons Men Must Listen at Home

        1. Listening is love to your wife (Eph. 5:25, 28, 33). Your wife will know that you love her if you listen to her. Listening gives the microphone to my wife or child. It puts her first, and me second.
        2. Listening opens your children’s hearts (Mal. 4:6; Eph. 6:4).
        3. Listening will reveal to you your own problems that you cannot see (Job 34:32).

        How do you know if you are listening badly? 8 Tests of Bad Listening

        • Being quiet is not listening. Many men are quiet, but they are still bad listeners.
        1. Do you give no answer and just keep quiet?
        2. Do you answer on a different topic without speaking to her problem?
        3. Do you think of a problem with her while your wife is speaking?
        4. Do you follow the rule to understand your wife before you judge your wife?
        5. Do you interrupt your wife?
        6. Do you show anger on your face while she is talking?
        7. Do you walk away when she wants to talk?
        8. Do you laugh when she is not laughing?

        How can I listen well to my wife? 4 Ways to Listen Well

        1. Let her go first.
        2. Restate her problem so that she knows you understand her.
        3. Agree with anything that you can agree with.
        4. Tell her the things that you can change from what she has said.

        Conclusion

        In the book, Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg shows that the best communicator is first and foremost, kind. He cares very much about the listeners and their thoughts and conditions. Because of this perspective of his heart, he speaks, questions, laughs, and listens in a way that draws in others and promotes their interest in the subject. A supercommunicator simply speaks and listens with the fruit of the Spirit.

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        Soulwinning is a Repeated Part of New Testament Christianity

        Posted on 19 November 2025 by Seth Meyers

        If you want to be more active in winning souls to Christ, these verses will charge your battery. At least memorize the bolded phrases to use in prayer.

        1. Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
        2. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
        3. Mark 5:19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
        4. Luke 14:23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.
        5. Acts 4:20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
        6. Acts 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
        7. Acts 8:4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
        8. 1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
        9. 2 Corinthians 5:11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
        10. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
        11. 2 Timothy 4:5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
        12. James 5:20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
        13. Jude 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
        14. Revelation 20:15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

        Why do we so rarely go out of our houses looking for people to talk to? Where are the churches that have a weekly time of evangelism?

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        The Old Testament Teaches Soulwinning

        Posted on 17 November 2025 by Seth Meyers

        These verses have helped my prayers for evangelism. If you have not memorized them, why not try one per week?

        1. Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
        2. Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.
        3. Ezekiel 3:18 “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
        4. Ezekiel 22:30 “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
        5. Daniel 12:3 “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
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        Expecting Institutions to Decline

        Posted on 8 November 2025 by Seth Meyers

        “The older an organization becomes (age), the larger it grows (size), and the wealthier and more influential it becomes (affluence), the greater is the tendency for people to transfer their loyalty from the founding principles of the organization to the organizational structure itself.” 
        Age + Size + Influence = Trust in the Organization
        Kevin Bauder from his summary of George Houghton’s life

        Does this explain how institutions start good and end bad? And should this give us an inherent distrust of institutions?

        Perhaps it is better to see this as a warning against fame. The more our ideas and actions are honorable, the more attention they receive. But the more eyes we attract, the more our eyes are pulled away from God and the truths He entrusted to us which made our movement or group worthy in the first place.

        In order to keep the organization going, we must have funds, and to keep the funds coming in, we must keep everyone satisfied. Compromise is then called wise planning and loving accommodation.

        Didn’t this happen with the Scottish Presbyterians in the 19th century?
        Didn’t this happen with the American Baptists, then the Conservative Baptists, then the Northern Baptists, then the Southern Baptists?
        Didn’t this happen with Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary, and before them all the Ivy League schools?

        Somehow we must keep our loyalty to truth and our logic laser-focused on vital Scriptural ideas. But this will require spiritual judgment, month-by-month course corrections by degree, humility that searches for our own errors, and a willingness to lose applause.

        There have always been men led by the Spirit like this, but they are rare. Though I did not know him, I am grateful to have read about the strength of character apparently found in George Houghton.

        Posted in Unusual character | Tagged , | Leave a comment

        50 Verses on False Christians

        Posted on 3 November 2025 by Seth Meyers

        Even though 2.6 billion people claim to be Christian, the New Testament predicts false Christians will be many, true Christians will be few, and the world will increase in wickedness.

        1. Matthew 7:13-14 True Christians are few, and sinners are many.
        2. Matthew 7:21-23 False Christians say Jesus is their Lord, lead churches, and are “many.”
        3. Matthew 10:22 True Christians are few when compared to all the world which will hate them.
        4. Matthew 13:3-23 Three soils represent sinners and false believers; one soil represents true believers.
        5. Matthew 13:24-30 False Christians are a tool of Satan.
        6. Matthew 15:8 False Christians speak Christian words, but they do not love Him.
        7. Matthew 18:15-17 False Christians are exposed by church discipline.
        8. Matthew 21:30-31 False Christians are revealed by their disobedience.
        9. Matthew 22:14 Few are chosen to be saved in comparison to the many that we evangelize.
        10. Matthew 23 Jesus exposes false Christians at length with very harsh words just before He died.
        11. Matthew 24:5, 10, 11, and 12 False Christians are called “many” 6 times.
        12. Matthew 24:24 False teachers will be very persuasive with the masses.
        13. Matthew 25:1-12 False Christians are a large number, not just 1 in 10.
        14. Matthew 25:14-30 False Christians are so common that Jesus warned about this in 5 parables (Soils, Tares, Sons, 10 Virgins, Talents) even during the last week of His life.
        15. Luke 12:32 True Christians might be afraid because their group is a little flock in an evil world.
        16. Luke 13:23-24 The disciples think that only a few will be saved, and Jesus confirms that only a few will be able to enter the gate.
        17. Luke 17:17-19 Only 1 of 10 lepers believed.
        18. Luke 17:26-30 True Christians will be few when Jesus comes again, just as the majority were lost in the days of Noah and Lot.
        19. Luke 18:8 True Christians will be rare when Jesus comes back
        20. John 2:23 Many people believed in Jesus, but He did not quickly accept them.
        21. John 6:66 Thousands of His followers left Jesus after one sermon.
        22. John 6:70 There was a fake Christian even in the 12 disciples.
        23. John 15:2-6 The night before He dies, after Judas left, Jesus stills warns the believers about being false Christians.
        24. John 15:18 True Christians are a small proportion of the world.
        25. Acts 15:24 False Christians were in the new churches from the first missionary journey.
        26. Acts 20:30 False Christians were in the new churches from the second missionary journey.
        27. Romans 16:17-18 False Christians were in the new church in Rome that Paul did not plant.
        28. 2 Corinthians 11:13 False apostles are in the church.
        29. 2 Corinthians 11:26 False Christians hinder the missionary.
        30. 2 Corinthians 13:5 Church members should be testing themselves to see if they are false Christians.
        31. Galatians 2:4 False Christians hide their motives, sneak into churches, and spy on believers.
        32. Philippians 3:18-19 Many start out as Christians, but after time they prove to be enemies of the Cross.
        33. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-7; 1:8-9; 2:3-12 Persecution, injustice, deception, and false religion will increase until Christ returns.
        34. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 False Christians will even write or speak words as if they came from God.
        35. 1 Timothy 4:1 New pastors like Timothy need to be warned about false Christians.
        36. 2 Timothy 3:5 In the last days, men will pretend to be Christian without real conversion.
        37. Titus 1:16 False Christians talk about God, but they do not live for God.
        38. Hebrews 2:3; 3:6; 6:4-6; 10:39; 12:15 Five times, the danger of false Christians is raised in this letter.
        39. James 1:22-26 Every Christian needs to see if he is deceiving himself and holding to a worthless religion.
        40. James 2:14 False Christians have words, but no works.
        41. 2 Peter 2:2 The churches of false teachers will attract many false Christians.
        42. 2 Peter 2:20 Some will make a good start and then fall back again.
        43. 1 John 2:4 False Christians give a testimony, but they do not give obedience.
        44. 1 John 2:18 Many false Christians will appear in the last days.
        45. 1 John 2:19 False Christians leave the church because they are not true Christians.
        46. 1 John 4:1 The world has many false prophets.
        47. 1 John 5:19 Satan controls the majority of the world, and he is not bound from working with those who are his children. Also, 1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 4:4
        48. 2 John 7 Many false Christians take the name but are not converted.
        49. Jude 4ff This whole letter is a warning to men who claim to be Christian without being regenerated.
        50. Revelation 2:2, 9, 14, 20; 3:9 Within 5 of the 7 churches there were false Christians.
        51. The NT has 9 examples of false Christians mentioned by name: Judas, Simon, Hymenaeus, Alexander, Phygelus, Hermogenes, Philetus, Demas, and Diotrephes.
        52. 23 of 27 NT books warn about the danger of false teaching which could produce false Christians.

        How should a Christian use this information?

        1. Recognize that false Christianity is a tool of Satan. Matt. 13:25
        2. Look into your own heart to see if you are a false Christian. 2 Cor. 13:5
        3. Devote your life to spiritual fruit. Matt. 13:23; John 15:5-6
        4. Confess your sin every day. This is the most effective path to true Christianity. Matt. 5:4; James 4:6
        5. Look to Christ. Count His works. Think of what He does. Imagine seeing Him on the cross, on the White Horse and on the Throne.
        6. Pray the prayers of the Bible.
        7. Prepare to live for Christ as if you would stand alone or with only a few other believers. Matt. 22:14; 18:20; 1 Cor. 2:5
        8. Wake up the sleepers who are false Christians. Jesus did this in the Sermon on the Mount especially in Matthew 7.

        In the present day, Christianity is called the largest religion in the world. But that cannot possibly be true seeing that Catholicism is counted Christian as are theologically liberal denominations, and cults such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. When our Lord spoke, however, he warned men about false conversion. What could be more terrifying than going to Hell? A pastor who took me evangelizing many years ago told me, “More terrifying than going to Hell, is to hear Him say, ‘Depart from me,’ after you had lived a life thinking all the while that you were going to Heaven.”

        Posted in Missions, Pastoral | Tagged | 1 Comment

        A Letter to Someone Who Was Divorced

        Posted on 29 September 2025 by Seth Meyers

        To protect the privacy, names and some details were changed in the following letter sent to a church member.

        Dear Shiluva,

        Oh, our hearts hurt with you as we heard about your situation. Where can you go in this world to find comfort when even marriage turns to poison? You have had months and even years to see the way sin and folly have moved on your husband’s heart, but the pain must still be there. My wife sent me the voice note that she sent to you, so I have both read your letter and heard her reply to it.

        A Word of encouragement

          Do not give up on Christ or His church though you feel betrayed. You would only go from a sickness to permanent intensive care. If one demon is heavy, how could you bear under 10? Our Father is very kind though it may only seen by faith. The Son of God is a good friend even when all others hurt you. And the church of God is filled with others who are hurting though their pains are all somehow different from yours, and somehow the same.

          I do not write this because you have given up on the church, but I am only guessing about the kinds of temptations that Satan could bring to your heart.

          Your letter encouraged me when I read a few lines about your children. These little ones must be your Faith, Hope, and Charity. As you live first for your Lord, then dedicate yourself to these sweet children. Follow Christ, pay the price, walk in wisdom, plant and harvest the fruit of the Spirit so that your children might be spared from the marks of sin.

          Service in the churches

          Should you stop teaching Sunday school because your husband divorced you? It seems to me that you have a reputation among the believers for dedication to the Lord. You are not perfect, but you did not commit the sin of divorce (1 Cor. 7:13). The unbeliever left you (1 Cor. 7:15). It is a sin to force him out by applying for a divorce. It is a sin to leave him by applying for a divorce. It is not YOUR sin for HIM to make his choices. He will answer to God for his sinful choice to divorce you.

          Now, in every situation, we can always be more holy. You should confess your sin, admit your guilt, walking very humbly, and be quick to say, “Oh, if only I had been more like my Savior!” But even while you do that, you must continue to serve the Lord.

          Some sins are scandals, and some are not. Do you have any scandals? Your husband’s choice to divorce is his scandal. Did you make any scandalous choices? If your sins were the kinds of sins that you can repent of each day, then you should keep on serving the Lord in your church. The sin in 1 Corinthians 5 was a scandal: A man had his father’s wife. Paul immediately removed him from the church without even waiting to go talk to the people. This was a scandal. If you do not have this, then be honest about it, and keep going with Sunday school, praying at church, or other jobs. The other pastors and I still have sins, but they are not the kinds of sins that would stop us from being pastors.

          Question about divorce and remarriage

          You asked me what the Bible says about divorce and remarriage. My sister, before I say anything, look into your heart and be certain that you are prepared to follow the Lord in whatever He says. Counsel is a waste of time if our hearts are not submitted to Him as the Lord.

          The NT speaks about divorce in 5 books: Matthew 19:3-12, Mark 10:1-12, Luke 16:18, Romans 7:1-4, and 1 Corinthians 7:10-17.

          Mark tells us that we must never divorce, and if someone divorces us, then we must not marry a second time.

          And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” Mark 10:11-12

          Luke tells us the same thing:

          Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery. Luke 16:18

          Romans is very clear. Only death frees a wife from the marriage bond. 

          For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. Romans 7:2-4

          The only way to be saved from the law is just like the only way that a wife can be freed from marriage. Death ends a marriage, but there is no other way to be freed from marriage according to Paul in Romans 7.

          The Corinthians asked Paul questions about marriage, and Paul answered those questions in 1 Corinthians 7. At the end of a long chapter, Paul summarizes his answer to these new Christians.

          A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 1 Cor. 7:39

          In his answer, he actually forbids divorce 4 times in a row!

          10 But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. 12 But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. 1 Cor. 7:10-13

          Remarriage is forbidden in chapter 7:11, “if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband.”

          Chapter 7 verse 15 describes your situation:

          Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 1 Cor. 7:15

          The father of your children has shown that he was not a true Christian. Then he chose to leave you. His sins were outside your power to control. He chose to leave. You are not bound to chase down Ntsusheko. You are not bound to search out what he is doing. You are not bound by his evil choices to keep you from serving your church. You have been called to peace. You may look at him, place the blame on him for leaving the home, and peacefully walk with God. You are not bound to say every day, “What did I do? What was my sin? How did I destroy my marriage?” You are not bound by guilt, but you have been called to peace. God loves you. Your church accepts you. You can be right with God, and have your prayers answered. Your children can be saved. They can see your example and follow your godliness even though another person chose to throw mud on your name. Did this not happen to our Savior?

          Some faithful pastors teach that you are allowed to leave your husband and even to marry another husband. I ask you to look at these verses and make the decision for yourself.

          The last thing Paul says in the discussion on divorce is that God has given each one a different set of circumstances in life.

          Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. 1 Cor. 7:17

          Everyone has a unique set of circumstances in life—some were saved while they were slaves (7:21). They should remain as slaves without worrying about their own personal freedom unless God has given them a clear path to be free.

          Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 1 Cor. 7:27

          This sounds similar to Paul’s words in the next letter.

          For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 2 Cor. 4:17

          When we find ourselves in hard situations such as being a slave, or being divorced, or some other surprising providence, the Holy Spirit would have us focus on serving the Lord and building up the church. In this sinful world, there are a great many hardships: Have you not seen these at your work? Children in wheelchairs, victims of crime, some born in countries without Bibles, and so many other life-changing trials. Yet God is controlling and directing all the circumstances of our lives so that we will be the most like the Son.

          Much more can be said about these things. Please read these passages, or better yet read each of these 5 books, and ask “What was the Lord saying here?” I have posted a number of articles about divorce, and I will forward you a link.

          But we as Christians want to support you. We weep while you are in pain, and we are ready to laugh with you again as God restores the joy of your salvation.

          In Christ,

          Papa Kombi

          Posted in Divorce, Pastoral | Tagged , | Leave a comment