From the Pulpit ................................................................Pages

Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Now that we are in August, we are starting to get closer to the fall season. What do you think of when you think of Fall? I think of cooler weather, beautiful colours in the changing of the leaves. This summer sure has been a hot one, not only here, but all around the world. Forest fires are ablaze in the United States as well as here at home in Canada. It sure has been a crazy summer so far.

What is your marriage like right now? Is it hot or is it cold? Marriage is a beautiful thing that

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God's plan for Marriage, it's the same today as it was from the beginning

was ordained by God and that is why we must take it seriously.

There was a married couple who packed everything up and moved to a new apartment. The next morning, the wife woke up and with a cup of coffee looked out her window. She watched the neighboring woman as she was putting her laundry on the clothesline to dry. The wife said to her husband, "Look at her dirty laundry!" But her husband didn't say anything and continued to read his newspaper and paid no attention to what his wife was saying. His wife then said, "Perhaps her soap is bad or she just does not know how to wash. Maybe we should teach her."

Every time she hung out her clothes, the husband's wife was surprised at just how dirty her laundry was getting. The next morning the neighbor hung out her laundry, the wife screamed, "Oh my! Look at her laundry; it's pure and clean! I guess she finally learned how to wash her clothes at last. "No," said her husband, "I just woke up early this morning and decided to clean our window."

I guess, in a way, that is how we look at things; we don't see things like God sees them. It's like we see things not so clear when we see things within the flesh, but when we see things as we are supposed to, in the spirit, things suddenly become so much clearer. Romans 8:5 says, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

The same goes for marriage. God made it perfect, but we complicate everything to do with marriage these days. Mark 10:6-9 says, "But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Donna and I are celebrating our 3rd Anniversary today; I can't believe it's been 3 years already. Time sure has gone so fast. I first met my wife in 2017 at a Tim Horton's in Cambridge, Ontario. We spent three hours there, just talking and getting to know each other. It was so hard to leave her, but I knew we would see each other again, because I knew I would marry her, as God had told me that she was to be my wife. During 2018, we met again

in Ontario during the summer for three days. It was really hard having to let her go back home, but we kept in contact through phone calls everyday and texting. In February of 2019, I took my first trip by plane to see her; it was an amazing three days, but again was so hard to leave her. Then came August of 2019, when I left my family and drove to Newfoundland to start my new life. Three days later, Donna and I were married. Now this day is extra special to us; not only is it the day we first met, but it is also the day we married. Today, August 20, 2022 is our third anniversary.

I have loved every minute of being married and I wouldn't change a thing at all. I love being Donna's husband, not because I like the title or because I like saying I'm married; it's simply because I love her, and that is one thing that we are told by God to do. Scripture says in Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your

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wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her." This is not a suggestion by God; as He commands us to do this, guys. As for us husbands, we are to love our wives, it is a high standard put on the husband as he should always express his love for his wife. Jesus left us an example: the husband's love should always involve a profound, lifelong, enduring commitment and a desire to make sacrifices for her always. Husbands are called to a high level of commitment; this includes love unto death. Not only are we to love our wives, but we are to dedicate our lives to staying with our wives. As scripture states in Ephesians 5:1, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."

As for wives, they too are given instructions by God on how they are to be as our wives. Scripture says in Ephesians 5:2224, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." Unfortunately, this part of scripture is often taken out of context and misinterpreted. First of all, wives are to submit to their husbands; women are not commanded to submit to all men. This includes dates, friends; they are to submit to their husbands only; it's a form of humbling ourselves to the Lord. When wives submit to their husbands, it illustrates their humbling to the Lord Jesus; this shows not only love to their husbands, but also to God.

Marriage is not easy, but it sure is rewarding. Not really knowing the person can present challenges; I mean, you can date, but until you are married and living with your spouse, you really don't know their habits and quirks that makes them unique. I know this, because I have a few quirks myself. One thing that really helped Donna and I grow as a couple was knowing that God brought us together. Because of the distance involved, we were able to connect spiritually; we connected by really getting to know each other better through talking, reading the Bible together every day and praying over the phone. Always have the Holy Trinity in the centre of your marriage. What is the difference in a secular and a Christian marriage? It's the fact that we have the Holy Trinity in the middle of our marriages. We, as Christians, are adopted by the Holy One, God Himself, and we are a part of His family. So when a married Christian couple become closer to each other, they become closer to God.

God

We are to be holy and that is because God is holy, as 1 Peter 1:1516 says, 'but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."' As we do this more and more, we will start to become more like Christ everyday.

As couples show more submission and do the things that God is asking them to do, they will find that they will become less selfish and start to become more humble and do things for each other, which will show more fruits of the Holy Spirit. As couples become more holy, they will begin to practice spiritual discipline, both separately and also when they're together. This will not only strengthen their marriage, but it will also please God.

We should always be careful of the things we let into our lives, such as movies we watch, books we read or even the music we listen to. They tend to distort God's very design for marriage by having some characters in the movies sleep around or have affairs, making it look like an acceptable thing to do.

This is why we must remember scripture and place it in our hearts, so that in times such as these, we can use it to push satan's lies away from us. Remember, we are what we watch, read and listen to. If we are not careful, before long we will start to live the way of the world instead of in the spirit. We must watch, as satan moves in when we least expect it. He will try to bring in pornography, cybersex, soft porn, which can be pictures or even in writing. He will try to bring in lust instead of love.

We can prevent this by simply reading our Bibles, praying, talking with our spouse and having God right beside us.

Remember, we serve our spouses well by not humiliating them with gossip or even with jokes that may be on the crude side.

We are to watch what we say, as Ephesians 5:4 says, "neither

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filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." Marriages should be testimonies of faithfulness, wisdom and all of the goodness of God.

So let's love our spouses with all our hearts and souls; show them every minute of every day. We need to show the world a clear view of the way that God intended marriage to be, just as 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

God created marriage, and He initiated the very first marriage which was in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. This illustrates God's ideal for marriage: one man and one woman joined together in a life long commitment to each other, working together to create a strong and godly family.

Unfortunately, humans have not always followed that ideal marriage, but have changed it to fit their own lifestyles; but no matter what, God's marriage is not only the way we should follow, but it is the best way. Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."

Now a lot of people say to me, 'but Jesus never mentioned or talked about it being wrong for a man to be with a man and a woman to be with a woman sexually.' But if you read in Matthew, He does outline it just as God ordained it to be. Matthew 19:4-6 says, "And He answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?'" We really need to stop changing God's Word to suit our situations and we need to start letting God's Word change us and our lifestyle. And when we start doing this in

our lives, our marriages will be so much better, because when we obey Him and don't sin, He is with us. But when we do what we want to do, He has no choice but to turn His back on us as He can't look upon us, because we have sinned.

When God married Adam and Eve, He blessed the new couple. Genesis 1:27-28 says, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Marriage is one of the blessings that God had given to us from the very beginning.

Now once you are married, you become one flesh. God brought Eve to the man. Genesis 2:23-

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24 says, "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 a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Have you ever thought of how couples who have been happily married for many years often seem to be one on many levels? They know what the other person is thinking and how their spouse will react to a given situation. They can even finish each other's sentences. They have been through so much together that they feel they are an extension of themselves. That is what the Bible is talking about when it says a husband and wife, "become one flesh."

Marriage mirrors God's relationship with us. Throughout the Bible, God has presented Himself as the husband of His people. His church is His bride whom He loves and cherishes. Marriage is the closest, most intimate relationship we can ever experience here on earth, and God uses it to illustrate the intimate relationship He wants to have with you and me! Isaiah 62:5 says, "For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you, And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you." Marriage is so precious to God at all times. Proverbs 31:10-11 says, "who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth

is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain." Proverbs 31 has been called a description of "The Ideal Wife." And it's true that the chapter, as written, focuses on the wife. But in all reality, the ideal qualities given in this chapter apply also to a husband.

What does the Bible say about marriage? It says that marriage is a blessing given to us by God to make our lives richer and more fulfilled. It says that a good marriage not only draws us closer to our spouse, it also draws us closer to God.

WOOD Ministries

Publisher/Sales/Graphic Designer/Writer: Rob Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com Editor/Writer: Donna Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com Writer: Lynne Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com