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THE HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST-BONUS /ORIGINAL VERSION · PAMOJA PODCAST | PAMOJA MINISTRY, A LIFE OF CHRIST INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES

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  Welcome to Pomoja Podcast, a ministry of Life
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  of Christ International. Pomoja means together,
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  and that's exactly what this space is about.
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  Walking together in faith, growing together through
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  the Word, and living the life of Christ in our
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  homes, our marriages, and our daily lives. I'm
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  your host, Barry Mwamba, and in this season premiere,
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  we begin our journey with a theme close to my
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  heart, marriage. I believe marriage is one of
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  life's greatest challenges and one of the covenants
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  the enemy fears the most. Today we begin with
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  part one, the house in the middle of the forest.
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  This is how our marriage began, at least from
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  my side. My wife will share her story in one
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  of the coming episodes, after falling deeply
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  in love with this intelligent, beautiful Christian
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  woman from my church who is now my wife. I went
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  to seek my father's counsel. Rather than asking
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  about her, he looked at me, smiled, and began
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  to share a story. A parable I later titled, The
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  House in the Middle of the Forest. He said, Marriage
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  is like a beautiful house discovered deep within
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  a vast forest. A man walking through the woods
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  stumbles upon this magnificent dwelling. Its
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  beauty draws him in. Peeking through a window,
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  he sees a couple laughing and enjoying each other's
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  company, a scene so captivating that he feels
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  an irresistible urge to join them. He enters
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  with enthusiasm, eager to know their secret,
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  how they managed to be so happy. But once inside,
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  my father continued, he discovers three strange
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  things. First, The door only opens from the outside,
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  meaning he cannot leave on his own terms. Second,
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  the windows are sealed. No escape, no fresh air.
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  And third, the house is warm. Even stuffy, he
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  stands there bewildered, wondering how this couple
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  can be so joyful in such a confined and uncomfortable
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  space. Even though my father explained the story's
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  meaning that day, it took me over 20 years to
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  truly understand it. Discovering God's purpose
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  is a journey that unfolds over time. and the
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  daily process of endurance is the most challenging
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  part. It demands faith, patience, and the guidance
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  of the Holy Spirit, because the outcome is determined
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  by the strength of your foundation. As the psalmist
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  said, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders
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  labor in vain. Without God's blessing and presence,
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  all human effort is wasted. If He didn't initiate
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  the journey with you, it's bound to fail. When
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  your path turns rocky, when fear, pain, or or
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  uncertainty weigh you down. That's when God steps
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  in to carry your burden. Jesus said, come to
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  me all you who are weary and burdened and I will
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  give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
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  from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and
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  you will find rest for your souls. Even in your
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  darkest valley, you are not alone. As Psalm 23
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  declares, even though I walk through the valley
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  of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
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  for you are with me. Your rod and your staff,
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  they comfort me. Keep this truth close. Our plans
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  only succeed when God is the foundation. When
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  He is, He will make sure you reach your destination.
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  Proverbs reminds us, commit your works to the
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  Lord and your plans will be established. And
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  Philippians 1 6 assures us, He who began a good
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  work in you will carry it on to completion. If
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  God began it, He will finish it. That's why I
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  sought God first before I pursued marriage. I
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  prayed, I fasted, and I waited until He opened
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  my eyes, just as Adam recognized Eve as bone
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  of my bones and flesh of my flesh. When He opened
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  His eyes, I recognized my wife, not by sight,
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  but by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gently convinced
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  my heart that She was the one. Isaiah says, Your
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  ears will hear a word behind you saying, this
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  is the way, walk in it. I believe God is a good
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  father. He gives what is right because He knows
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  us better than we know ourselves. Jesus said,
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  If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts
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  to your children, how much more will your Father
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  in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?
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  Not only did God place her love in my heart,
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  He revealed that she was the best match for me
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  with strengths I didn't even know I would need
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  until the hard times came. My pastor Lawson Whitson
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  often says, We even need the Holy Spirit to go
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  to Walmart. It sounds simple, but it's profound
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  and true. The Holy Spirit is our daily companion.
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  So when I say my wife and I are filled with the
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  Holy Spirit, it isn't a slogan. It's a declaration
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  of dependence, because I started with God, because
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  I built on his foundation, because I followed
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  his direction. When the storms came, when the
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  winds blew, the floods rose, and the rains beat
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  against our marriage, our house did not fall.
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  It stood, because it was built on the rock. Looking
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  back now, years later, I realize my father wasn't
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  just describing marriage. He was describing faith
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  itself. A marriage built by God, not by hands.
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  And I can see it clearly now. It was God all
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  along. I will not leave you as orphans. I will
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  send you another Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
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  And you promised, in the last days I will pour
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  out my Spirit on all flesh. So pour out your
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  spirit on us, Lord. Fill us with your power.
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  Teach us to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every
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  decision we make, because one thing is certain.
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  The blessing of the Lord enriches and adds no
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  painful toil with it. Next time on Pomoja, we'll
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  explore the deeper secrets of the house in the
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  middle of the forest, where sealed windows, locked
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  doors, and warm air reveal the true meaning of
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  covenant and commitment. Thank you for joining
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  Pomoja Podcast, where we live the life of Christ
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  together. Be sure to subscribe, share, and stay
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  connected for more weekly encouragement and stories
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  of faith, family, and purpose. Until next time,
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  walk in grace and live in purpose.