IN the beginning,
Genesis 2.21-24:
“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; and the
rib, which the LORD
God had taken from
man, made he a
woman, and brought
her unto the man.
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.
Therefore shall a
man leave his father
and his mother, and
shall cleave unto
his wife: and they
shall be one flesh.”
The marriage
covenant between one
man and one woman is
under all out
assault in this
country and around
the world. No longer
is the covenant God
instituted regarded
as sacred with men
and women jumping
from one
relationship to
another in a hop
scotch of
perversions─male
with female same sex
perversions, and ...
well, you name it.
Liberal society has
abandoned the God
ordained institution
as the building
block of a healthy
society to its
eventual demise and
destruction.
As noted in the
previous verse, God
made one woman for
one man, and a man
for one woman, and
blessed the union of
the two being joined
as one flesh. He
made Adam and Eve,
not Adam and Bruce.
If Adam and Eve had
not broken the
commandment of God,
none of the problems
we have today would
be present. But when
Eve saw the
forbidden tree of
the knowledge of
good and evil, the
wily old serpent we
call Satan, lied to
her and tempted her
to fulfill her human
desire of being
“enlightened” to the
ways of humanist
desires to rule
one’s self and “do
their own thing.”
When God questioned
Adam and Eve and
their sin was out in
the open, God
pronounced curses
upon them. One of
them is found in the
following verse:
Genesis 3.16: “Unto
the woman he said, I
will greatly
multiply thy sorrow
and thy conception;
in sorrow thou shalt
bring forth
children; and thy
desire shall be to
thy husband, and he
shall rule over
thee.”
Thus, God is saying
that a woman’s
desire would be to
gain the upper hand
over her husband,
but because she is
the weaker vessel,
her husband would
put her down by
force, if need be.
The curse is that,
in the annals of
history, women had
lost the battle of
the sexes. History
bears this out.
Until the advent of
women’s rights
movements, women
were virtually their
husband’s property
treated as
heir-producing
machines, given
little freedom and
forced to serve
their husband's
every whim. In many
cultures men bought
and sold women like
cattle. Some
cultures maintain
this custom even
today.
Only when true
Christianity
flourishes is there
any real easing of
this curse.
Ephesians 5:22-33
teaches how we can
decrease its effects
within our
marriages, by
emulating the
virtues of Christ’s
relationship with
the church. Thus,
wives are told to
submit rather than
contend, and
husbands are
commanded to love
rather than
dominate. Men and
women have
misunderstood for
thousands of years
what the
relationship between
a man and women
actually
encompasses, and it
takes God’s Holy
Spirit to reveal it
and at the same time
it takes a conscious
effort to overcome
the evil ingrained
habits that 6,000
years of misguided
thinking has
produced.
Ephesians 5.22-3,
emphasis mine:
“Wives, submit
yourselves unto your
own husbands, as
unto the Lord. 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. Therefore as
the church is
subject unto Christ,
so let the wives
be to their own
husbands in every
thing.
Husbands, love your
wives, even as
Christ also loved
the church, and gave
himself for it;
that he might
sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing
of water by the
word, 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.
So ought men to love
their wives as their
own bodies. He that
loveth his wife
loveth himself. For
no man ever yet
hated his own flesh;
but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even
as the Lord the
church: for we are
members of his body,
of his flesh, and of
his bones.
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. This is a
great mystery: but I
speak concerning
Christ and the
church. Nevertheless
let every one of you
in particular so
love his wife even
as himself; and the
wife see that she
reverence her
husband.”
See the two-way act
of giving pointed
out by God’s Holy
Spirit through the
apostle Paul in the
Scripture quote
above? Both husband
and wife put each
other first, right
behind their
relationship to God
Almighty─who must be
pre-eminent in your
mind and your heart.
The father is to be
the priest of his
family, teaching and
supporting his
family in godly
conduct and pointing
his children to
Jesus Christ.
Our desires, whether
it is husband and
wife in marriage or
in business or in
politics among
nations─keep
crashing into one
another─because we
don’t put God first
in all relationships
or with our
relationship to Him
as our Master.
Conflict will never
end until everyone
is keeping the
traditions of God.
That is why we are
in the process of
being sanctified. It
is our
responsibility to
convert over to
God’s way so that we
stop crashing into
one another. We have
to overcome this
error in education
and this attitude to
gratify the self and
look to God, the
Author and Finisher
of our faith.
Satan is ultimately
the source of both
of these errors. We
have to recognize
that we are still
influenced by him
and that we pick up
on his broadcasts.
It makes submitting
so difficult. The
adversary is still
working and bringing
about conflict.
Anywhere Satan goes,
conflict erupts. He
is a master at
producing it.
GOD’S RECIPE FOR
SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE
God gave us a recipe
of successful living
in a relationship
with God the Creator
and with His fellow
Man when He gave
mankind the Ten
Commandments. Of
those commandments,
the fifth
commandment speaks
directly to parents
and children. It
lays the foundation
of responsibility
that each has to the
other. When children
submit to their
parents, and parents
provide a loving
environment to
nurture their
children in living
according the to
Word of God, the
children and society
directly benefit
from being obedient
to its precepts. The
family is the
cornerstone of
national government,
and when the home is
right, the social
structure follows.
When marriage and
family unity are
held in high esteem
and a fear of
violating God’s
standards is
instilled, sin can
be held in check.
When we follow God’s
commands, we reap
blessings and when
we violate His
commands, each of us
receives discipline
for breaking God’s
Word.
For in
discipline, Hebrews
12:11 declares:
“Now no chastening
seems to be joyful
for the present, but
painful;
nevertheless,
afterward it yields
the peaceable fruit
of righteousness to
those who have been
trained by it.”
When chastened and
we repent then we
are a better man or
woman because of it.
Those of us, who
have recovered what
we lost, can relate
to the pain of the
trial endured by
breaking God’s
commands, and those
who do not learn
continue to struggle
from relationship to
relationship. Can
you say Kim
Kardashian and other
Hollywood starlets?
MARRIAGE COVENANT
DESIGNED FOR THE
CHILDREN
God wants godly
children raised by
godly parents.
2 Timothy 3.1-5:
“This know also,
that in the last
days perilous times
shall come. For men
shall be lovers of
their own selves,
covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to
parents, unthankful,
unholy, without
natural affection,
trucebreakers, false
accusers,
incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those
that are good,
traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers
of pleasures more
than lovers of God;
having a form of
godliness, but
denying the power
thereof: from such
turn away.
Family problems
predicted for the
end-times in 2
Timothy stem from
misguided or faulty
childrearing
practices. While
researching for this
message I found
seven benefits to
proper child
rearing. Because
marriage is focused
on the children of
the next generation,
we need to realize
that:
1) God established
the institutions of
marriage and the
family for the
purpose of producing
godly offspring.
2) We must learn to
love and respect our
children, realizing
that despite their
relatively
diminutive size and
comparative
inexperience, they
are far from
unimportant.
3) We must have
vision from God’s
revelation in our
childrearing
practices, enabling
them to fulfill
their awesome
potential.
4) We must guard
against Satan’s
attempts to thwart
or destroy them.
5) We must realize
that our children
have access to God
through us.
6) We must see God
as the model parent
and emulate His
practices.
7) We must see
ourselves as the
primary teachers
preparing them to
become responsible
and productive
members of God’s
coming kingdom,
which is fast
approaching.
When you study the
commandments of God,
no less than three
of the Ten
Commandments—the
fifth, seventh, and
tenth—directly
involve
strengthening
marriages and
families and
preserving their
unity and
sacredness. They are
given to protect the
institution of
marriage from
assaults from
without and within.
Of course, all of
God’s commands, if
followed, will work
to strengthen Man’s
relationship with
God and fellow Man,
but these three are
aimed directly at
securing these
sacred bonds. When
considering any of
God’s commands, we
find that they are
broad in scope and
ordained, not just
to regulate our
physical
relationships, but
also our spiritual
one with Jesus
Christ.
DIVORCE AND THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE
FAMILY
Matthew 19.3-9:
“The Pharisees also
came unto him,
tempting him, and
saying unto him, ‘Is
it lawful for a man
to put away his wife
for every cause?’
And he answered and
said unto them, have
ye not read, that he
which made them at
the beginning made
them male and
female, 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?
Wherefore they are
no more twain, but
one flesh. What
therefore God hath
joined together, let
not man put asunder.
They say unto him,
‘Why did Moses then
command to give a
writing of
divorcement, and to
put her away?’
He saith unto them,
Moses because of the
hardness of your
hearts suffered you
to put away your
wives: but from the
beginning it was not
so. 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.”
Men, as well as
women put away their
spouse because of
convenience, or they
are bored or they
don’t feel completed
or they are blah,
blah, blah, and the
list goes on and
on...just fill in
the blank. Now there
are marriages that
God gives authority
to annul, which
include adultery and
fraud, but not out
of convenience or
it’s just too “hard”
to work on.
Because marriage is
a creation of God,
it possesses a
sacredness that no
Man-devised
institution can ever
have. This world is
trying to exchange
the sanctity of
marriage for its
complete
opposite─the
profane. But this
secular approach
will never produce a
healthy society. See
Romans 1:16-32
concerning
homosexual unions
and God abandoning
them to reprobate
minds. Each of us,
are the temple of
God and to abuse
God’s temple will
result in severe
retribution and
discipline from our
Creator God. As
noted in 1st
Corinthians 6.15-20:
“Know ye not that
your bodies are the
members of Christ?
Shall I then take
the members of
Christ, and make
them the members of
an harlot? God
forbid. What? know
ye not that he which
is joined to an
harlot is one body?
For two, saith he,
shall be one flesh.
But he that is
joined unto the Lord
is one spirit.
Flee fornication.
Every sin that a man
doeth is without the
body; but he that
committeth
fornication sinneth
against his own
body. What? Know ye
not that your body
is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is
in you, which ye
have of God, and ye
are not your own?
For ye are bought
with a price:
therefore glorify
God in your body,
and in your spirit,
which are God’s.”
From God’s
perspective,
marriage is a lesson
in learning balance.
Marriage is
combining the godly
characteristics of a
man with the
complementary godly
characteristics of a
woman to produce one
flesh and one
spirit. It is
combining each
spouse’s efforts
harmoniously, first
between themselves
and later adding
children to the mix.
We can perceive it
as though God has
placed the husband
on one side of the
balance and the wife
on the other, asking
them to balance each
other. Not only
alone but also when
other factors are
added, such as
children. God
desires us to do
this, not just for
the good of the
marriage and each
spouse’s
relationship with
God, but also to
display the proper
example to the
children and others.
1 Peter 3.1-7:
“Likewise, ye wives,
be in subjection to
your own husbands;
that, if any obey
not the word, they
also may without the
word be won by the
conversation of the
wives;
while they behold
your chaste
conversation coupled
with fear.
Whose adorning let
it not be that
outward adorning of
plaiting the hair,
and of wearing of
gold, or of putting
on of apparel; but
let it be the hidden
man of the heart, in
that which is not
corruptible, even
the ornament of a
meek and quiet
spirit, which is in
the sight of God of
great price.
For after this
manner in the old
time the holy women
also, who trusted in
God, adorned
themselves, being in
subjection unto
their own husbands:
Even as Sara obeyed
Abraham, calling him
lord: whose
daughters ye are, as
long as ye do well,
and are not afraid
with any amazement.
Likewise, ye
husbands, dwell with
them according to
knowledge, giving
honour unto the
wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and
as being heirs
together of the
grace of life; that
your prayers be not
hindered.”
I counsel men and
women who have
become disillusioned
with the vows they
took concerning,
“Till death do us
part” and the
sacredness of their
covenant
relationship being
the same as Jesus
Christ who loved His
bride─the church─and
He gave His life’s
blood for her on a
Roman cross. How
many men would die
in the same way for
their own flesh,
namely their spouse?
How many wives would
esteem their
husbands greater
than themselves,
even as we obey and
press onward for the
prize of our Husband
of the church, Jesus
Christ our Savior?
Anyone who feels
defeated in their
marriage has lost
the commitment, the
emotional
connection, the God
given sacredness of
their union and need
to re-examine why
they loved each
other in the first
place. Let me be
frank, there is a
difference in love
and lust. There is a
difference of a
lusty emotional bond
found in sexual
union and the bonds
of the Spirit found
in the marriage
covenant. Not only
are you making a
commitment to love
your spouse as
yourself physically,
but emotionally and
spiritually...as you
LOVE YOURSELF!
How many marriages
would be strong and
secure if each
partner in that
union gave 100% to
the needs of the
other? But we see
marriages failing
because of immature
concepts of, “It’s
all about me.” What
would be the divorce
statistics if you
followed this one
rule? I would
venture it would be
cut in half or
better. So I ask
you, you wouldn’t
stick a needle in
your own eye, would
you? So why would
you do the same
physically,
emotionally, or
spiritually to the
person who is of
your own flesh, your
husband or wife?
Further, understand
one thing my reader,
marriage is a
warm-up for what’s
coming. If you are
faithful in your
covenant here on
earth, it is to
prepare you for a
greater and eternal
covenant found in
Jesus Christ for all
eternity. Blessings
come from learning
here on earth, or
curses if you do not
learn. I see both,
but the curses way
too often. Oh, I
know what you’re
thinking. It takes
two to tango and
right you are. Both
must be doing their
part through God and
their marriage for
any of this to work.
If one of them sits
down on the job,
verbally or
physically abuses
the other, then the
marriage will fail
even if it’s
contrary to God’s
law, because being
mortal, each of are
weak and prone to
depression because
of the stress of a
bad situation. It
takes two to make a
good marriage and it
only takes one to
ruin it. God hates
divorce as His Word
says so, but when
only one is trying
to hold the marriage
together, then the
chances of success
are slim to none.
SOCIETY CRUMBLES AS
THE FAMILY CRUMBLES
I shudder to think
about the direction
this country, or
this world is taking
concerning the
institution of
marriage, which God
ordained from
creation. In Man’s
perverted mind, they
have substituted
whatever
relationship they
envision, contrary
to the Word of God.
The USA and the
world battles with
homosexual unions
and wants to call
them marriages (but
God calls an
abomination). Or
they want polygamy;
they want sexual
deviance on any
level their evil
minds can imagine.
What’s next, sex
with donkeys and
other beasts of the
field?
Reader take note
that any, and I mean
any deviation from
the law of God and
His institution of
marriage, which was
ordained and blessed
from the beginning
of time, is doomed
to failure and ruin.
All you have to do
is look at history
and see what other
ancient
civilizations have
trotted down this
same wide path that
lead to their own
destruction and the
demise of their
society.
Think of it like
this: Each person on
this earth was born
for one purpose, and
one purpose only.
What is that
purpose? To be
introduced and
either accept Jesus
Christ as Savior and
Husband for all of
eternity, or to
reject Him for all
eternity.
Relationships define
how it will all come
about for us in that
next life. Some
learn the lessons of
this life through
much suffering and
pain.
They may finally
find happiness in a
relationship built
around God, but
unless God is dead
center, right in the
middle of your
relationship where
you walk hand in
hand following after
the God of the
Bible─Jesus
Christ─the Lord,
then according to
statistics, you have
as much chance of
success in that
marriage as ice not
thawing on the
beaches of Miami.
Each of us must put
Jesus Christ in the
center of our lives,
our marriages, our
family relationships
and our family unit.
If not then your
marriage and by
extention, this
nation, will go the
way of Rome and for
that matter, the
rest of the world,
because marriage is
the center of any
culture; a godly
couple raising godly
children for the
next generation
coming up.
Everything else is a
perversion and
distortion of God’s
Commandments,
because marriage is
a covenant
relationship, as is
our relationship to
Jesus Christ, God of
creation, either
good or bad. It is a
mirror reflection.
This is Pastor Mike
Taylor, praying God
be centered in your
marriage
relationship. If you
need counseling,
prayer, or just a
listening ear, then
email me at
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,
or visit me online
at:
www.churchofgod-usa.org.
God bless you all,
till we meet at
Jesus’ feet.