The Prophetic Messenger
A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
March/April 2006 - Volume 8/Issue 2
Marriage God's Way - Part I
"4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matthew 19:4-6
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss "marriage God's way" to help those who will possibly marry in the future and to help those who are already married.
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss "marriage God's way" to help those who will possibly marry in the future and to help those who are already married.
1. Let Jesus Christ Choose Your Mate
The church of Jesus Christ has an alarming problem with divorce. There are many reasons why this is so, but one that I have seen too many times is how people choose a mate. Just to show you how bad it is, a recent article from the Barna Research Group (which is Christian based) printed an article titled "Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians - More Than One-Third Call It Quits." The article states
"Among all adults 18 and older, three out of four (73%) have been married and half (51%) are currently married........ Among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce. That figure is identical to the outcome among married adults who are not born again: 35%.....Multiple divorces are also unexpectedly common among born again Christians. Barna's figures show that nearly one-quarter of the married born agains (23%) get divorced two or more times." And most surveyed also did not believe divorce was a sin when adultery was not involved. There are two examples for re-marriage in the word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 19:9 it says "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." Also, in I Corinthians 7:39 it says "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord."
The first thing we as Christians must do is give this to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the second most important decision that a Christian will make, and we need to let Jesus Christ bring this together. In Matthew 6:33 it says "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Secondly, God is the one who created marriage between a man and a woman who love Jesus Christ and are saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. In II Corinthians 6:14-18 it says "14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Many Christians think it is okay to marry a non-believer, and this false belief usually causes them to fall into fornication. I have seen this happen too many times and the people who fall into sin and fornication before marriage sometimes never marry, and those who do get married have a bad marriage because it is based on lust and not love which only can come from Jesus Christ. If they do not repent, they will lose their soul. How can Christians forget the story of Samson? Samson fell away into sin, and lost not only his strength but also his sight. This is a perfect example of how quickly a Christian can fall into sin by seeking a mate through dating, etc. and not letting Jesus Christ bring it together. In Judges 16:1-3, 18-21 it says "1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.....18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shown me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house."
"Among all adults 18 and older, three out of four (73%) have been married and half (51%) are currently married........ Among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce. That figure is identical to the outcome among married adults who are not born again: 35%.....Multiple divorces are also unexpectedly common among born again Christians. Barna's figures show that nearly one-quarter of the married born agains (23%) get divorced two or more times." And most surveyed also did not believe divorce was a sin when adultery was not involved. There are two examples for re-marriage in the word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 19:9 it says "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." Also, in I Corinthians 7:39 it says "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord."
The first thing we as Christians must do is give this to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the second most important decision that a Christian will make, and we need to let Jesus Christ bring this together. In Matthew 6:33 it says "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Secondly, God is the one who created marriage between a man and a woman who love Jesus Christ and are saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. In II Corinthians 6:14-18 it says "14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Many Christians think it is okay to marry a non-believer, and this false belief usually causes them to fall into fornication. I have seen this happen too many times and the people who fall into sin and fornication before marriage sometimes never marry, and those who do get married have a bad marriage because it is based on lust and not love which only can come from Jesus Christ. If they do not repent, they will lose their soul. How can Christians forget the story of Samson? Samson fell away into sin, and lost not only his strength but also his sight. This is a perfect example of how quickly a Christian can fall into sin by seeking a mate through dating, etc. and not letting Jesus Christ bring it together. In Judges 16:1-3, 18-21 it says "1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.....18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shown me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house."
2. God Created Marriage In The Beginning
We see how God saw Adam alone and said He would make him an help meet. In Genesis 2:18-24 it says "18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." God made woman from man and in marriage they became one flesh. Jesus Christ shared this truth with the Pharisees or religious people of that day.
In Matthew 19:4-6 it says "4 And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." We know that everyone is not going to be married but for those who do it's a blessing for both the husband and wife. In Proverbs 18:22 it says "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." Also, in Proverbs 31:10-12 it says "10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."
In Matthew 19:4-6 it says "4 And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." We know that everyone is not going to be married but for those who do it's a blessing for both the husband and wife. In Proverbs 18:22 it says "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." Also, in Proverbs 31:10-12 it says "10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."
3. How A Husband And Wife Should Treat Each Other In the Lord
The apostle Paul gives us a clear example how a husband and wife should treat each other in the Lord. In I Corinthians 7:3-4 it says "3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." Notice from Webster's Dictionary the word benevolence means " a wanting to do good; kindliness how God wants us to show that kindness to each other as testimony to Him. Also, in Ephesians 5:21-33 it says "21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." The apostle Paul shows us through these scriptures how your personal relationship with Jesus Christ will help your marriage. Paul shows the wife how to relate to her husband "22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." The word of God is clearly saying that if you are able to submit yourself to Jesus Christ, you will be able to submit to your husband. Paul shows the husband how to treat his wife "25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;...... 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:" We see how a husband is not to relate to his wife as a dictator but to love her as Christ loves the church. If a husband would treat his wife like the word of God says the wife will have no problem in letting the husband lead his household under Jesus Christ.
Notes:
Note 1: http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=170
Note 1: http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=170
Coming Up In The Next Issue
Marriage God's Way - Part II. Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.
Memory Verses
As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: II Corinthians 5:10, Ezekiel 33:12, I John 3:1-2, Matthew 18:3-4, Jeremiah 3:18, II Corinthians 12:2, Psalm 150:1-5, Isaiah 42:8-9, Joel 2:25-26, Luke 8:16. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)
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