Marriage - What's the Secret of Success?

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. Genesis 1:22

My mother always told me never date anyone you wouldn’t want to marry. I wondered if she thought she had married the wrong man or had she made a good choice? When Rick and I were dating, my brother told me I shouldn’t date him because he wasn’t a Christian. I told my brother to mind his own business. In a way we were both right.

Rick wanted to date a Christian girl. He liked the idea that my dad was a deacon and we were regular church goers. He wasn’t that big on going to church but he wanted me to go. I should have seen that with the right witness, he was ripe for the gospel. But, I was allowing him to pull me away from God and the church. I wanted to go where he went and do “fun things”. I was drifting from God when I should have been drawing both of us closer.

God brought Adam and Eve together but Eve allowed Satan to deceive her. Adam allowed Eve to pull him away from the Lord. They both were in a lot of trouble. (Genesis 3:6)

Jesus, the Creator of the world, already had a plan for the time we would turn to our own way. He and the Father had already agreed before the foundation of the world for Jesus to come and be the sacrifice for our sin. (Revelation 13:8) The time was not right yet for Jesus to come. Adam and Eve needed a picture of God’s plan of salvation. The Lord God sacrificed an animal and made clothes for them with the skins. (Genesis 3:21) I wonder if the Lord God washed the blood off the skins. I think maybe He let the blood remain so Adam and Eve would get the full picture that we have to have the Blood to cover our sin. If either Adam or Eve had rejected the sacrifice and the clothing, their marriage would have been torn apart. They needed to be one in their spirit and in their service to the Lord God and their family.

My grandmother met a lost man at church. He pursued her, but she would not consent to marry until he became a Christian. They entered into marriage truly one, serving God together all the days of their lives. He was 62 when he passed. She was 102. Even on her deathbed, she refused to allow anyone to remove the rings he had given her so long ago.

Blessings for a Spirit-filled marriage,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Adam and Eve needed a picture of the sacrifice for salvation. We all understand better with pictures. 

Jesus gave us pictures of Himself in His creation. (Romans 1:20)

They are kind of like the hidden picture games.

What pictures can you find in creation? Maybe you could make a drawing to share with us.

Just take a picture of your drawing and upload it to our comments section.

Need a hint as to what to look for?

The sun is a perfect example. 

Sun ball in the sky (Father)

Light all around (Jesus, the Son)

Warmth from the sun we feel but cannot see (the Holy Spirit)

The Gift of "Frozen"

 

I've been considering adding a new dimension to the blog. I'd like to start posting a series on gifts because the Lord gives us so many every day. Since the usual blog I post disappeared after 2 hours of work this afternoon, I thought this might be a good time to begin with a gift. Have you ever thought of a Disney movie as a gift? After reading this you may have a new perspective on viewing Disney.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. I Peter 2:24

There in the dusky light of the classroom, on a day of frozen recess, my little students spend their time watching as the computer reflects the light of Frozen onto a screen dropped from the wipe board. Children are entranced by yet another story from Disney. The innocent young girl, Anna, struggles to survive because her heart has been frozen by her sister, Elsa. Now the daggers of ice are claiming her body and soon she will be as still and frozen as the landscape around her. Only an act of true love can reclaim her heart. Anna’s wicked fiancé makes an attempt to slay Elsa but with Anna’s last strength she wards off the blade of her fiancé’s sword. Anna is left frozen; or so it seems. Everyone was led to believe that like Snow White, Anna would revive with the kiss of true love from her prince charming, Kristof. It was not to be. Anna was the one who would show the act of true love by neglecting herself for the sake of her sister’s life. As the children watched, the ice began to disappear from Anna. She awakened in the arms of her sister, weeping over her. And they all lived happily ever after.

Just as Elsa’s life was cursed with the magic of frozen, so have our lives been cursed by sin. Just as Anna bore Elsa’s sin in her body, so Jesus took our sin and bore it on the cross. Anna knew the cost to save Elsa, just as Jesus knew the cost to save me and you. The cost - Jesus death on the cross – an act of true love. Anna’s life was restored. Jesus rose from the dead. Anna and Elsa and the town lived happily ever after. So we who put or faith in Jesus, repenting of our sins, will live happily for eternity with Him in heaven.

Elsa’s heart was broken that she had caused the death of her sister. Has your heart been broken over the sin in your life that caused Jesus’ death? Have you sought the forgiveness that Jesus offers to each of us? May you live happily ever after in Christ Jesus.

Blessings on your week,

Gail

In The Beginning

Last week we looked at the first chapter of Genesis. I hope you enjoyed your time in God’s creation. I hope He revealed to you that the creation is so complex that it could in no way have just happened any more than a watch you found ticking on the sidewalk or a car in the parking lot could have just happened. Anything and everything has been created either by God or by man created in God’s image.

This week I’d like to dig deeper looking at the next few chapters. Using our SOAP idea of choosing one or two Scriptures from each chapter that God has impressed on your heart. Make an Observation and an Application. Then offer a Prayer concerning God’s will for you through this study. Let’s begin.

Genesis 2 – The Seventh Day – a day of rest, not made for God but made for man. A day for man to consider the “excellency of His works and God’s goodness toward him” (Geneva reference 2:3).

-          Creation of marriage. I noticed the change in wording from woman when she is created to wife as Adam declares the cleaving to his wife.

Genesis 3 – The original sin -   James 1:15 The grandkids and I were picking berries the other day and one said why do they have to have thorns?

 

 

 I replied because Adam and Eve sinned. We talked about the sin being disobedience.  She remembered the story and I think she must have done some pondering because later she said. “What about dinosaurs? Some people say Adam didn’t see the dinosaurs.” We logically reasoned that if sin caused death, when did the dinosaurs die? In a world so full of itself do we not still try to be gods, relying on our own ideas rather than on God’s Truth?

-          References to Adam and Eve as man and woman until it speaks of their relationship as husband and wife. Mark 10:6-9

Hope this helps to get you started digging deeper and seeking God. What God impresses on your heart from these chapters may not be the same thing He impressed upon me. That’s why it is so neat to share our discoveries. As we share we all grow.

Lord Jesus help us desire to know You better through Your word. Give us unity through Your word that we might be better servants of Thee. In Your name we pray. Amen.