'Trump should read his bible before enacting discriminatory policies' says Christian Aid

Christian Aid has slammed Donald Trump's immigration policies, saying that a rejection of refugees is a rejection of biblical values.

The charity's comments come just days after the US president signed an executive order suspending all refugees arriving from seven mainly Muslim countries, including Syria, for 120 days.

Christian Aid joins voices speaking out against favoring

specific religious minorities, saying that to do so would contradict the teachings of Christ.

Donald Trump has said the policy is to protect Americans from terrorism and that the ban is temporary while the US introduces stricter visa checks.

Tom Viita, Head of Advocacy at Christian Aid, said: "President Trump is now effectively ripping up the principle that every person, irrespective of their faith or nationality, has the right to seek protection and sanctuary.

"I think that all politicians should be turning to their bible or whatever their source of faith is before they're making such alarmist and extraordinary claims. I would say also he should really be reading his factual briefings, because he seems to have disconnected from the reality of refugees' lives around the world.

"If Donald Trump is going to put any credibility behind his claim to be a Christian... he needs to both change his policies but more importantly demonstrate in action and in words that he takes his faith seriously as a world leader."

Christian Aid takes this very seriously:
Matthew 25:31-46
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Pope suggests Trump 'is not Christian'

(CNN)Thrusting himself into the combative 2016 presidential campaign, Pope Francis said Thursday that GOP front-runner Donald Trump "is not Christian" if he calls for the deportation of undocumented immigrants and pledges to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.

The Pope, who was traveling back to Rome from Mexico, where he urged the United States to address the "humanitarian crisis" on its southern border, did not tell American Catholics not to vote for Trump.

But Francis left little doubt where he stood on the polarizing issue of immigration reform.

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel," the Pope told journalists who asked his opinion on Trump's proposals to halt illegal immigration.

Trump immediately fired back, calling Francis' comments "disgraceful."

"No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man's religion or faith," he said in statement. Trump added that the government in Mexico, where Francis spent the past five days, has "made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope."

"If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS's ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president," Trump said.

By Thursday evening, the GOP candidate had softened his tone.

"I don't like fighting with the Pope," Trump said at a GOP town hall debate in South Carolina hosted by CNN. "I like his personality; I like what he represents."

He added that he thinks Francis' remarks were "much nicer" than the media reported and that the Pope had been misled by Mexican officials.

Trump also said that the Pope has an "awfully big wall" himself at the Vatican.

That may be true, Catholic priests said, but Vatican City also has an awfully big door.

About those Vatican walls ...

The tussle between Trump and Francis -- two outsized personalities who seldom shy from speaking their minds -- seems to have been building for some time. Before the Pope traveled to Mexico, Trump cast the pontiff as a political naif who "doesn't understand the dangers" at the U.S.-Mexican border.

The Pope, 'The Donald' and the wall between them

Trump social media director Dan Scavino suggested the pontiff's comments were hypocritical. "Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls," he tweeted.

During the wide-ranging press conference aboard the papal plane, Francis also seemed to suggest that contraception may be used to prevent the transmission of the Zika virus and praised Saint John Paul II's "holy friendship" with a Polish woman.

But it was his comments on Trump that seem sure to dominate the political conversation, perhaps handing a gift to Trump's GOP opponents and opening Francis to criticism that his papacy is too partisan and his policies too liberal. Polls indicate that while Democrats adore the Pope, Republicans view him a little less favorably.

Asked whether American Catholics should vote for Trump, Francis demurred.

"As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that."

The Pope appeared somewhat unaware of Trump's exact stance on illegal immigration, though, saying that he would give him "the benefit of the doubt" until he had heard exactly what the billionaire businessman had said.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said Tuesday that the Pope knows "Trump expresses himself in an expressive way," but "is not always up to date on the latest statements."

Trump has pledged to build an $8 billion wall along the United States' southern border and says he will force Mexico to pay the tab. Trump has also said that, if elected president, he would eject some 11 million undocumented immigrants from the country.

Before the Pope left for Mexico, Trump called Francis "a very political person" and suggested that the pontiff, who celebrated Mass Wednesday near the U.S.-Mexican border, was a pawn of the Mexican government.

The Pope made light of Trump's accusations.

"Thank God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as 'animal politicus.' So at least I am a human person," he said. "As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people."

The White House weighs in

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, asked about Pope Francis' comments on Donald Trump, referred back to President Barack Obama's remarks last month at the National Prayer Breakfast.

He said Obama "talked about how his own personal Christian faith informed his view of the values and priorities that he has chosen to champion in the White House."

"A number of those values and priorities are not shared by Mr. Trump," Earnest said, before taking a jab at Trump's questioning of Obama's Christian faith.

"I will however extend to Mr. Trump the courtesy he has not extended to the President and not use this opportunity to call into question the kind of private personal conversations he is having with his God," Earnest said."You have people coming in, and I'm not just saying Mexicans -- I'm talking about people that are from all over that are killers and rapists, and they're coming into this country," Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper last June.

image on Twitter

The White House weighs in

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, asked about Pope Francis' comments on Donald Trump, referred back to President Barack Obama's remarks last month at the National Prayer Breakfast.

He said Obama "talked about how his own personal Christian faith informed his view of the values and priorities that he has chosen to champion in the White House."

"A number of those values and priorities are not shared by Mr. Trump," Earnest said, before taking a jab at Trump's questioning of Obama's Christian faith.

"I will however extend to Mr. Trump the courtesy he has not extended to the President and not use this opportunity to call into question the kind of private personal conversations he is having with his God," Earnest said.

Daughter to judge: God, not doctors, should decide when my Dad dies

Jan 2017

By Aaron James

The daughter of an elderly Christian man with brain damage has told a judge that God, not doctors, should decide when he dies.

Health authority bosses have asked Mr Justice Hayden to consider whether continuing ''active'' treatment is in best interests of the retired steel worker - who is in his 80s.

The judge is analysing the case at a public hearing in the Court of Protection (a part of the High Court, above) - where issues relating to people who lack the mental capacity to take decisions are heard - in London, which is expected to end later this week.

Medical experts said the pensioner has suffered ''catastrophic'' brain damage and has a life expectancy measured in months.

Treating doctors fear that he is experiencing pain but no pleasure.

But the man's daughter told Mr Justice Hayden on Tuesday how she thought that he was improving and would want to carry on living.

She said: "He loves life. It is important to him - the sanctity of life.

"We have to leave it up to God.

"We know dad is not going to get back like he was but I firmly believe that his remaining days will be happy.

"He knows that we are with him and he gets pleasure from our company."

5 Lies From The Enemy When Infidelity Attacks Your Marriage

Infidelity is absolutely devastating to a marriage. Making it even worse are the lies Satan uses to deceive during an already difficult time. But you can have victory with God's truth!

5 Lies the Enemy Wants You to Believe When Infidelity Attacks Your Marriage

“We have to talk,” my husband said as he opened the car door for me to get in.

He had no red roses or sweet chocolates for me. Instead, I tasted the bitterness of infidelity in that car ride.

Our marriage had been happy, strong and filled with exciting plans. But like shattering glass on concrete, his unexpected announcement crushed me. “I’m not happy and…” he took a long breath. “I have someone else in my life.”

Nausea attacked my stomach. This had to be a joke, a temporary thing for him. There was no way this could mean the end of our eight years of happiness. My security and sense of fulfillment as his wife were about to be yanked from me.

Yet, his announcement was firm. All seemed to be ending so abruptly, so painfully. And even worse, that nightmare was compounded by the physical blindness that barged into my life only months prior.

How can this be happening to me? To our three small sons? Why is God punishing me this way?

RELATED: Find encouragement in these 20 Psalms when life is miserable

A Time Of Darkness

Those questions vanished in the air of pain. At 30 years of age, neither my husband nor I had been prepared to face my loss of sight. The hereditary retinal disease moved slowly at first, then with rapid advances until it left me completely blind. With no cure, the prognosis sentenced me to a lifetime of physical darkness.

That darkness extended into our relationship. My attempts to care for our sons and deal with my lack of sight robbed the desire to offer affection or warmth to him.

Of course, he found solace in someone else. Of course, he didn’t want to be married to a blind woman. And certainly, I was unworthy of his love.

These lies taunted me at night and drained me during the day.

I dragged my feet through the house. And feeling my way with my fingertips, I did my best to prepare lunches for our sons, pick up toys from the floor and wash dishes. But inside me lived a gloomy sense of hopelessness. The rejection from my husband and the devastation of my blindness threatened to destroy me.

But one day, when about to give up, a beautiful thing happened. I accepted a friend’s offer to visit her Christian church. Hope filled me. If should I regain my sight my husband would come back to me. He would love me again. And life would go on as before.

But that didn’t happen. My sight never changed. But my heart did.

RELATED: 5 Bible passages to soothe an overwhelmed woman's heart

A Changed Heart

I received Christ as my Lord. And I made Him lord of my blindness, of my marriage, of my mothering and of my destiny.

And He responded with his Words that whispered to my soul. With headset on, while sweeping the kitchen floor and folding laundry, I heard the Bible on audio. Day after day, I soaked in His promises and His reassurance that He would be with me, near me. Close enough to hear my sobs and dab my tears.

Weeks passed by. And the emotional distance between my husband and me grew quickly. But what also grew was my understanding of who God is. What He provides. What He offers and what He instructs.

All saturated my soul. And I changed. I wasn’t that pitiful, discarded gal I was before. I was the daughter of the King, loved, strengthened, and empowered by His grace.

God's Restoration

I sipped tea at the kitchen counter one evening and my husband walked in. “We need to talk,” I said, “I didn’t force you to marry me and I won’t force you to stay with me either. You’re free to go.” I said in a calm voice that surprised even me. “I have someone else in my life too,” I continued, “His name is Jesus.”

He was silent. But days later, he gave me his decision. “I decided to leave everything behind and be totally devoted to you and our sons.”

My reaction reflected the new person I had become—secure in Christ. “Not yet,” I said. “You and I will never make it together. We need Jesus in our marriage. And we need to pray together.” He agreed.

Praying together was awkward, but we persevered. We drew closer. He became my best friend. We fell in love all over again. Forgiveness filled my heart and renewed commitment filled his.

We embraced our new life. Reassigned tasks, and adjusted to a different way of parenting.

The adjustments became routine. Even the hardships that followed years later made us stronger. And that strength was mentioned as he read the card he handed me for our 40th anniversary celebration. I grin with gratitude for a man, wonderfully restored by God.

RELATED: 10 Bible verses you need to know about hope

5 Lies From The Enemy After Infidelity

That restoration was not unique to our marriage. Whether your spouse stays or leaves, you’ll find triumph when you silence these five lies of the enemy:

Lie 1: Our spouse makes us whole, brings security, provision, or fulfills our every desire.

Wrong. That role belongs to God and God alone. He says he fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him. “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 145:19-20 and 37:4)

When we exchange bitterness for a sense of delight in God, the veil of confusion lifts and reveals a new horizon.

Lie 2: In the midst of heartache, we must try to figure out what happened, how and what to do.

But this misconception results in anger, leading us down the crooked path of destruction. Instead, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Rather than try to understand our spouse’s behavior, we rely on God’s power to right the wrong and heal the pain.

RELATED: How to overcome heartache and pray when someone hurts you

Lie 3: We can give up when no change is in sight, no hope seems to appear, and we declare we’re too weak to go on.

But we discard this notion when we cling on to this truth: “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:8)

When we’re weak, His strength is enough.

Lie 4: Resort to action with slander, vengeance, or manipulation.

And pulling out these weapons, we hope to win the emotional battle. But God says: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)

In the stillness of His presence His path is revealed. In the quiet of the moment, His comfort soothes the soul.

Lie 5: We cannot forgive such violation of our trust.

We cannot overcome the searing betrayal. That’s true, we cannot on our own. But Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

With God’s help, forgiveness sets us free from the prison of suspicion. And releases us from the cage of resentment.

Free from the trap of these lies, we can receive the red roses of God’s love. They carry the fragrance of His truth and we can savor the sweetness of a new tomorrow.

Janet Perez Eckles is an international speaker and author of four books. 

What does the Bible say about same sex marriages?

Today’s Question: What does the Bible say about same sex marriages?

Bible Answer: This is a topic of great debate, especially now since The Supreme Court is forcing the states to accept same-sex marriages. The owner of Chick-fil-A was under fire for stating his religious views that same-sex marriage is unbiblical, and so the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, has tried to use his mayoral powers to keep Chick-fil-A from opening a second restaurant in Chicago. Make no mistake about it: the gay right's activists will discriminate against anyone who will not sanction homosexuality or same-sex marriage. This issue appears to be the defining subject to determine who will stand up for the Bible or come against it. 

People will ask me, "Bishop where directly in the Bible does it speak against same sex marriage?" I’m not aware of any ancient society allowing same sex marriages, so you won’t find any direct reference to this in your Bible. The issue just did not come up. It hasn’t even come up in our country until recently. The best we can derive from the Bible about same sex marriages is by seeing how the Bible speaks about homosexuality.

Most people know about the Old Testament prohibition against homosexuality.

"Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable" (Lev 18:22).

This scripture is rather clear. No deep interpretation needed here. In fact, this statement describes homosexuality as "detestable" sometimes translated as abomination. It means "disgusting." This word is carefully used in conjunction with serious sins. Make no mistake about it: homosexuality is a serious sin under the Old Testament.

Gay people should not think God is singling out their sins, however. This sin is simply part of a list of twenty other sexual unions forbidden. Other sins include adultery, incest and bestiality. People will argue that eating shell fish according to the Old Testament is also an abomination, so they are quick to discount this prohibition by appealing to Israel's dietary laws, and saying that Christians are inconsistent in using Leviticus concerning homosexuality but not using it concerning eating shrimp. What they don't tell you is that the Lord Jesus "declared all foods clean" (Mark 7:19). Yet He never changed the Law of Marriage--it still is a lifetime commitment between one man and one woman. Also, of the list of forbidden sexual practices mentioned in Leviticus chapter 18, which one would be acceptable? Incest, adultery, bestiality? I have yet to find anyone willing to sanction any of the sexual prohibitions, except homosexuality. Why is homosexuality okay, but not the others? The truth is, all the sexual prohibitions in Leviticus are wrong and sinful. 

Concerning the New Testament, Jesus does not directly address same sex marriages, since it did not exist, although, He does talk about marriage. He said,

"'Haven't you read,' he replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matt 19:4-6)

Jesus taught that marriage is between "male and female". There is no point in trying to get Jesus to sanction same sex marriages. He doesn’t. According to Jesus, there is no such thing as marriage between the same-sex. It doesn't exist in God's sight. According to Genesis chapter one and three, marriage is a lifetime commitment made between one man and one woman for the purpose of "being fruitful and multiplying" (Gen 1:27). Same sex partners can never multiply together. They are by nature unable to fulfill the command given to the entire married race. 

There is a direct reference to homosexuality in the New Testament. It comes from the pen of Paul.

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10).

Homosexual offenders are placed in the same category as adulterers, prostitutes and thieves. They are all wrong. I couldn’t imagine the apostle approving of homosexual marriages, can you?

Not only does the Bible, by default, forbid same sex marriages, but tradition and nature prohibits it also. The concept is against every tradition known to the human race and is obviously against nature. Allowing same sex marriages will devalue real marriages, open a Pandora box of other issues such as polygamy, incest marriages, child marriages, and even foolish marriages between men and animals. Same sex partners will demand equal rights to adopt children, so we would be forced to put children in harms way to learn this lifestyle. As Pope Francis properly said that children adopted by gay partners would amount to "discrimination against children."  

Where will the line be drawn? Let's allow reason, common sense, and our inner sense of right and wrong help us to make the right choices, not withstanding the clear biblical teaching on this subject. 

America is at a crossroad concerning same sex marriages. With the Supreme Court denying the 10th Amendment by forcing states to adopt same-sex marriages, this issue is so fundamental to society that congress and three fourths of the states should settle the issue for our country, and correct the mistake by the five supreme court judges.

In the end, the state has only one reason why they should be involved in marriage laws at all, and that is to seek to promote in its marriage law the best setting to nurture children. The state should recognize that the best setting is between a mother and father. Children have a better chance to turn out well if they are raised by their parents. So if a couple divorces the state tries to make sure that both parents stay involve in the children's lives through visitation rights and through child support. On the other hand, gay couples will never have biological children together. If there is biological children then the children will rightfully belong to the one biological parent, thus the state should stay out of that relationship.

If two men "feel a connection" they can do what they want with that feeling. If they want to move in and buy a house together, fine. If they want to make a commitment to each other, then they are free to do that, but they don't need the government to get involve in their relationship, because that is not in the state's interest. Love and emotional connection is outside the scope of the state's interest. The state should care about the biological children created in the union, and children can only be born with two heterosexual couples.

Finally, someone might ask, "What happens to the Church since same-sex marriage is now legal in the US?" The answer is simple and is the same answer in states and countries that already legalized same-sex marriage: the Church must continue to stand for the truth and affirm the sanctity of marriage. The Church sees marriage as a sacrament, thus we hold that only God can actually join two people in holy matrimony. God does not, and will not, join two homosexuals together in marriage and so the Church cannot perform those marriages. The question remains whether or not the government will fine or punish churches for not agreeing to perform marriages against their religious views. (For example: Will cities tax the property of churches for not performing same sex marriages?)

 Remember also that the Church cannot always perform heterosexual marriages as well, when she knows the two could not be joined together by the Lord. There was a man in my church that divorced his wife so he could marry the woman he wanted, but I could not perform the marriage, because the marriage would be adultery in God's sight. Now, he got married by the court, but he is not married in God's sight. You see, the Church is always confronted with the tension between the laws of man and the laws of God. As the Church, we must stand lovingly, yet firmly, on the side of God's laws.

My great concern is that our society is falling downward in morality, and so it does not surprise me to see society begging the government to endorse their immorality. However, I am also concern for our free speech rights being called "hateful" or maybe even declared "illegal" in the near future. I was in Malta in June of 2015, and already the gay activists were using the government to try to ban certain statements and teachings made by Christians. I was the focal point in the debate. Basically, the gay activists wants the government to ban my free speech including the Christians in Malta that teach the same. The ultimate goal of the homosexual activists is to make their immoral conduct acceptable in society, but that will never happen so long as ministers have free speech and continue to speak the truth in love. So to arrive at their ultimate goal, the homosexual activists will have to find a way to shut the mouths of ministers, and so our freedom of religion and free speech rights may very well be in jeopardy.  

Ecerpted from http://tbm.org/samesexmarriages.htm

Nigeria government demolishes churches

Mon 23 Jan 2017

By Aaron James

News is just emerging of two state-approved church demolitions in Nigeria.

According to Christian news agency World Watch Monitor they happened in Dutse, the capital of the northern state of Jigawa, earlier this month.

World Watch Monitor says bulldozers escorted by police and the area's Executive Secretary of Urban Development, Alhaji Garba Isa, knocked down the Redeem Christian Church of God and the Lord Chosen Church.

It also says police refused to let church members go in to collect valuables from the church and chased away people trying to video the demolitions.

Alhaji Garba Isa said authorities knocked down the churches because they'd been built illegally, failing to acquire the correct papers from government. He also said notices had been sent to both churches urging them to apply for the permission papers on three separate occasions.

But Rev Yakubu Musa, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria for Jigawa, said the pastors of both churches applied for the permission papers but were refused.

Both churches had been standing for several years before authorities demolished them: the Lord Chosen Church had been operating for 17 years and the Redeem Christian Church of God was operating for eight years.

Rev Musa told the Monitor: "It was a terrible experience, with so many Christians who witnessed the demolition crying.

"I felt so bitter because we were in a situation where you have been cheated and you cannot talk.

"They only concentrated on the church buildings because we are not many and we don't have anyone in the government to speak for us."

Jigawa adopted Islamic Sharia law in the 2000s.

Six more churches in the state are due to be demolished.

This Celebrity Couple Is Opening Up About Their No-Sex Policy

Celeb Couple Ciara And Russell Wilson Save Sex For Marriage

These days, casual sex is flaunted and almost expected, particularly in Hollywood. And that’s what makes celebrity couple Ciara and Russell Wilson so special. Unafraid to buck the trend, these two publicly announced their plans to save sex for marriage. And now that they have tied the knot, the couple admits to having no regrets about waiting!

A Commitment To Christ

As newlyweds, R&B singer, Ciara, and Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, now share a last name. But before even meeting, they shared something much bigger in common — a commitment to their Christian faith. In fact, Ciara was very specific when praying to God for the right mate, asking Him for “a God-fearing man with a very fun spirit who loves kids and would really, truly care for me.”

So, when Ciara and Russell started dating, they realized they needed to do things Jesus’ way.

“She was on tour, she was traveling, and I was looking at her in the mirror,” Russell explained. “And she was sitting there and God spoke to me and said, ‘I need you to lead her.’ And so I told her right then and there, ‘What would you do if we took all that extra stuff off the table, and did it Jesus’ way?’”

Both Russell and Ciara have been married before. Both suffered heartache, and allowed those experiences to bring them closer to God. So, they were equally committed to allowing God to lead their relationship.

“For me, I knew that God had brought me into her life to bless her, and for her to bless me. And to bless so many people with the impact that she has [and] that I have,” Russell said. “We’re not going to be perfect by any means — you know, life’s not perfect, nobody is perfect. But he’s anointed both of us. I know that he’s calling for us to do something miraculous, something special.”

Ciara completely agreed with Russell, telling him they could “love each other without that.”

Equally Yoked

The couple held firm to their commitment to save sex for marriage. Now wed, the two acknowledge that submitting every part of their relationship to God’s plan is the precise reason for its success.

“I really believe that when you focus on a friendship, you have the opportunity to build a strong foundation for a relationship—and once you know you’re really great friends and you’re what we call ‘equally yoked,’ where you share the same values or the same outlook on life, it kind of sets the tone,” Ciara said. “Knowing that you’ll always have the friendship and that you can always go back to it is very important, and very powerful. . . You shouldn’t feel like you have to give your body away to get someone to like you.”

The happy couple are expecting their first child together — a blessing they announced over Instagram.

Ciara, 31, is expecting her first child with her NFL star husband Russell Wilson. She is already mom to Future Zahir, 2½, her son with ex fiancé Future. The singer opened up about her second pregnancy, from bouts with morning sickness to all her cravings.

“I’m feeling great. I’m feeling awesome, actually,” she told E! News in a pre-show interview. “Finally getting to a place where I feel almost normal. It was a bit of a ‘I don’t want to throw up, but I don’t feel regular.’ I’m in between. That’s almost worse. You’d rather just throw up and get it done!”

What an incredible example Ciara and Russell have set for the younger generation! We pray our youth will be influenced by brave Christian couples like these, rather than by the carefree approach to relationships and sex promoted within our society today.

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30