Did God made Marriage union as one flesh or Multiple Flesh?

By: Shaila Touchton | March 25, 2017 Bible says that Gods original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman. Marriage was instituted by God as a lifelong commitment (Genesis 2:18-24, Matthew 19:3-61, 1 Timothy 4:1-5). Marriage means first that we must LEAVE our families of origin, then we must CLEAVE to one another in a commitment to the permanence of the relationship. Experiential marriage by its obvious numbers doing it has become quite accepted now which are ignoring Gods laws. They just do not realize that this situation does not at all serve as a good 'trial' marriage. Divorce is a genuine tragedy. It often leaves the marriage partners embittered and disillusioned. It robs the children of the love and security of a healthy family and denies them a good role model for their own future marriages. A real marriage is secure while experimental marriage is defined by its temporariness. 1.One man to be married to only one woman: The Bible says that Gods original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife [not wives], and they will become one flesh [not fleshes] (Genesis 2:24). Ephesians 5:22-33 speaks of the relationship between husbands and wives. When referring to a husband (singular), it always also refers to a wife (singular). For the husband is the head of the wife [singular] He who loves his wife [singular] loves himself. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife [singular], and the two will become one flesh....Each one of you also must love his wife [singular] as he loves himself, and the wife [singular] must respect her husband [singular]. If polygamy were allowable, the entire illustration of Christs relationship with His body (the church) and the husband-wife relationship falls apart. Divorce laws in America are so lax that almost anyone can dissolve a marriage and remarry at any time for any reason. od made one man for one woman, indicating He did not intend for either to marry anyone else. He said they should cleave to one another and the two become one. God joins the man and woman, no human has the right to break that bond. Divine law opposes divorce and remarriage. 2.God hates divorc: we see many marriages of today are filled with serial adulterers. In Gods eyes, divorce is violence directed against our own family; it is violence against our own flesh and blood, violence against our husband or wife, violence against our children. God hates the suffering of the children involved in divorces. God hates it when a home is broken and a family shattered. God hates it when children are deprived of father or mother by divorce. God loathes the heartbreak of the children, and the loneliness experienced by the divorced husband and wife. It is not good for man to be alone and divorce results in loneliness. It is not good for children to be deserted by their parents, and divorce results in deserted children. It is unthinkable that God could have any other attitude to divorce. The message of Malachi is that God hates divorce. 3. Reconcillation: Although divorce is permitted for marital unfaithfulness, the Bible teaches that we should do all we can to achieve reconciliation. The unfaithful partner bears a terrible responsibility for they have sinned against God, against their marriage partner, against their children and against their family. They should repent of their foolish action, change their behaviour and ask for forgiveness from all concerned. Adultery is not the unforgivable sin, and God is able to restore the relationship if there is a true change of heart. True reconciliation requires a change of behaviour on the part of the unfaithful partner, and that the one who has been sinned against should be willing to forgive and be reconciled. Although this may take a long time to achieve, and sometimes is not possible because of the unrepentant heart of the unfaithful partner, the faithful partner should aim at this rather than allowing their marriage to be broken by divorce. Even after divorce, the possibility of reconciliation should be left open, and, if at all possible, it should be sought actively and encouraged. Gods guidance for those who face the possibility of a divorce because of marital unfaithfulness is that they should do all in their power to save their marriage. They should be like Hosea and again show their love to their unfaithful partner, doing everything possible to achieve reconciliation. 4.Divine law opposes divorce and remarriage: .Jesus has spoken about divorce because it is sometimes allowed because of adultery. It is not encouraged. God says, "I hate divorce!" Divorce is a genuine tragedy. It often leaves the marriage partners embittered and disillusioned. It robs the children of the love and security of a healthy family and denies them a good role model for their own future marriages. 5.Our society: In America, over 90% of single-parents are single-moms. Women and children are more adversely affected by the erosion of the marriage bond. The American family is falling apart. Consider the following statistics. In 1950, about one out of every 20 children born in this country was born to an unmarried woman -- and there were very few abortions. By 1990, more than one out of every 4 children was born to an unmarried woman -- and hundreds of thousands more were aborted. Approximately half of all marriages that take place this year in the U.S. will end in divorce. The downfall of the family unit in society is one of the most tragic things facing mankind. The destruction of the family unit all begins with the destruction of what starts a family - the marriage of a man and a woman. It is hard to find people who have not been divorced and remarried at least once these days. Why? Because, the institution of marriage and family is generally not held in the esteem that God meant for it to be. The family was God's first institution, but today man seems to think it is the worst institution. In the beginning, God created man and woman and joined them together for life. He said in Genesis 3:24, "Therefore man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." In these words God, instituted the marriage relationship and ordained the family unit. Later, after their transgression, Adam and Eve had children which completed the family unit in its simplest sense. The problem today is that many want marriage and even children, but when things get difficult (even barely difficult) - they want out. This is why divorce rates have skyrocketed over the last 30 years. Irreconcilable differences, money, children, infidelity, and "not what they expected" are all justifications men and women use to end marriages. Ultimately, they amount to a long list of excuses and center around one person, "me." Selfishness is the biggest destroyer of marriages. In turn, the family unit has for the most part come to mean nothing. Children in turmoil and confusion are the consequences of such thinking. They get wrapped up in a vicious cycle of broken homes that only they can choose to break. That is, the average child of a divorced couple will inevitably divorce unless they consciously and determinably choose not to fall prey to the same thing their parents did. This is shameful. Today, if a Christian wants a divorce, they twist the scriptures to fit their desire or they hear a prophecy, or a voice that says, "God doesn't want you to suffer anymore." They try to justify their decision to others because they KNOW they're guilty. These fine Christian people, ministers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists come up with all sorts of wild ideas why it's okay to divorce. But, there truly are few good reasons to divorce. We marry "until death us do part" - binding our bodies, our flesh, together while those bodies live. The commitment then, is generally envisaged to end on death, and not until then. There is no marriage in heaven. The "one flesh" that the Bible describes is figurative of the union between Christ and the Church, and shows that a husband must love his wife as Christ loves the Church, and that a wife must submit to her husband as the Church must submit to Christ 6. The "One Flesh" scriptures and the duty of marriage: Every sexual liaison, whether within marriage or not, carries with it that mysterious deep bonding process of becoming "one flesh" with the other person. (Divorce is terribly painful partly because of the violent ripping apart of this "one flesh" bond-- a tearing apart which goes to the core of one's being). Genesis 2 vv 21-24 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. Matthew 19 : 4-6 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. Mark 10 6-9 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 1 Corinthians 6 : 15-17 15 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. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1 Corinthians 7 : 2-5 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 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. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. Ephesians 5 : 22-33 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. But being one flesh can include more than sex, the physical act of intercourse. It means the sharing of life, not just bodies and material possessions, but thoughts and dreams, joys and sufferings, hopes and fears, successes and failures. In short, it's being one soul as well as one body. The husband who loves his wife loves himself, nourishing and cherishing her as he would his own flesh. This is what it means to be one flesh. 7.The Biblical concept of "one fleshness" comes up again in the New Testament.:In 1 Corinthians Paul writes, Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 5:13-20) The New Testament's several warnings about this are all equally strong--these are matters of life and death as far as Christians are concerned: Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, must not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:1-17) Societies are built around stable family structures--it's how God designed things. (1) When young people lack role models for manhood and womanhood and marriage, how can they be expected to build a stable next-generation? God's Word warns us not to fall for these man-made standards of living. 8. Gods Word has not changed: God is today and has always been against His children participating in pre-marital sex! God wants us to have sexual relations with our husband or wife only. 1 Corinthians 7:2 reads "To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." God's commands are not always easy to follow. Being an obedient child of God in this area requires you to see this sin the way God sees it. You cannot think of sex as just something exciting and fun to do. You must learn to treasure and respect your body as something that is beautiful and special, a work of art that is only to be shared with one person under God's conditions. You must go to God in prayer and ask for the strength you need to not give in to the temptations of the flesh. You will need to make it a point to not put yourself in situations where you are likely to stumble. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to resist the temptation to take part in pre-marital sex. 2 Peter 2:9 tells us, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." So if you truly are a born-again follower of Christ, do as we read in Colossians 3:1-3,5: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Mortify (restrain) your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." When you are intimate with someone in a sexual way, you are actually becoming one with that person on a deep spiritual level that goes far beyond just temporary thrills. Corinthians 6:15-16 reads, "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 a harlot? God forbid. What! Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh." So, again, every time you casually have sexual relations with someone who you are not married to, a little bit of your soul dies in a way. You have given to a stranger something that is valuable and precious. You have allowed this person to steal your wealth, to take away your honor. And Romans 13:12b-14, "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." These commands are important and we should live according to them because God commanded us to, and because we show our love to Christ by being obedient. In John 14:15 Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." And 1 John 2:3-5 reads, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. " If you say that you are a follower of Christ, yet you are out in the world fornicating and carrying on like all of the lost people of the world, than just maybe you are fooling yourself and you are not really a child of God's! 9: God never desired these things for the family: Malachi 2:13-16 says... And this is the second thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and crying; so He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14 Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16 "For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garment with violence," says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." It is easy to see why God despises divorce. He stands on high looking down on the destruction of His first institution! He sees children suffering greatly and shedding many tears at the hands of selfish adults who cannot fulfill vows and work out problems! He sees His children break His commands and His children's children learn to do the same! He sees treachery! It is both a wonder and wonderful, that God sent His Son to die for such a sinful and rebellious people. Now look at what the Lord said of marriage in Matthew 5:31-32. Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say unto you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality (fornication, jlp) causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." That's right! The Lord said that we are not to give our wives (spouses, for that matter - God holds no double standard between man and woman - see Mark 10:12) a certificate of divorce! If we do, we cause them to commit adultery. In other words, we cause them to sin and will be personally held accountable (Matthew 18:6-8). Furthermore, anyone who marries someone who is unscripturally divorced, commits adultery. There is only one exception given to this rule, and that is when one is sexually unfaithful (commits fornication outside the marriage relationship) to their spouse. The innocent party who has put their spouse away can remarry, but the guilty party cannot. Notice Matthew 19:3-10. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" 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'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." The Lord said it very plainly and simply. What is tolerated today was not so from the beginning and will not be tolerated in the judgment. If we divorce our spouse for any reason except sexual immortality (fornication), and then remarry - we commit adultery! If we marry one who has been divorced and remarried for any reason save sexual immorality - we commit adultery! We know from Galatians 5:19-21, that no adulterer will inherit the kingdom of God! It is that simple! Marriage, while not existing in eternity (Mark 12:25), has eternal consequences. Notice the statement made by those who heard this teaching. They said, "...it was better not to marry." The Lord did not disagree, but knew that some could not keep this saying - so marriage, when properly esteemed is left honorable in the sight of God and man (Hebrews 13:4). Overall, what this says is that the marital commitment is a serious one and is never to be taken lightly. It is a life-long commitment (Romans 7:1-3)! When two people are lawfully married, God recognizes that union and joins them together (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31). In Matthew 19:6, the Lord said, "Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man put asunder." This is a command of the Lord given in regards to marriage. Nevertheless, God joins two together in the marital relationship and they stay bound until death do them part (Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:39) or until they lawfully end the marriage (because of sexual immorality - fornication - Matthew 19:9), in which case only the innocent party can remarry. Consider what John the Baptist said to Herod, who was, in the sight of God, unlawfully married to his brother's wife, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife" (Mark 6:17). Why did he say this? Because she was still bound to Philip, and could not lawfully be married to Herod. These words were as unpopular then as they are today. Then, it cost John the Baptist his head. Today, many a soul will despise another for teaching the truth. Nevertheless, this is clearly what scripture says we must do if we are in an unlawful relationship. Consider also the example of the woman of Samaria whom Jesus spoke with at Jacob's well (read John 4:15-18). She had been married five times, yet according to the Lord, had no husband. Why is this? Because our ways are not God's ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Because what we sometimes recognize as a marriage, God recognizes as unlawful. Notice, the Samaritan women knew the error of her way without the Lord's prompting. Once again, what does the scripture say? 10. Those today who are committing adultery: Those today who are committing adultery by living in an unlawful relationship - that is, a marital relationship that God considers adulterous? What must they do to make it right with God? Put simply - repent (Acts 3:19; Acts 8:22; Acts 17:30)! How does one repent of an unlawful marriage? Two ways are revealed in scripture. The first, and ultimately best way, whenever it is possible, is to end the unlawful marriage in the sight of men, and be reconciled to the one whom God knows you are still joined to in His sight (your first lawful marriage - 1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Whenever the first way becomes impossible, because the first spouse does not want to be reconciled, we are left only one choice. We must become a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven's sake (remain unmarried and do not commit fornication - Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7:11). What if children are involved? This is where things get very emotional and messy, but do not change the law of God. Read the following passages and consider who must come first - God or man: Luke 14:26, Mark 10:29-30 and Matthew 10:37-39. Obviously the children cannot and should not be abandoned, but the unlawful relationship must end if repentance is to prevail! To despise vows made before God and to fulfill the desire of the flesh by living in an unlawful relationship bears serious consequences - the loss of our salvation. In the end, we'll reap the reward of our lives here. Unfortunately, for many, the choice is to reap their reward now in this life and deny the glory awaiting them in heaven. Hopefully, all who find themselves in an unlawful marriage relationship will repent before the everlasting too late! 11:Living together is for married life not before Marriage:God's plan for a successful marriage is that it should be an exclusive sexual relationship with one person, for life. Genesis 2:18-25 describes marriage as a divine institution. God presented Adam with Eve and established the first marriage. Some of Gods purposes for marriage as stated in the Bible are companionship(Genesis 2:18) ,procreation(Genesis 1:28), mutual and undefiled pleasure ( 1 Corinthians 7:4-5,Proverbs 5:18-19 Song of Solomon; Hebrews 13:4), prevention of immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2,5), the serving of Christ as a whole and properly representing the spiritual relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33), and the raising of godly descendants (Malachi 2:13-16). The bond of marriage when respected leads to the good of not only the couple and their children, but also to the good of the society as a whole, for the family unit is the building block of any society and nation. Many people in our society live together before marriage to see if they are compatible as they don't want to divorce. This is definitely a sin of fornication in Gods eyes but not in worlds view. Living together is wrong: it is against God's law, and is morally indefensible. Living together shows a total lack of trust, faith and obedience in God and a failure to commit to Him the choosing of a life mate. Living together is nothing but trial and error marriage method. Its like experimenting the relationships. The fact is about 60% of marriages in the US end up in a divorce. Most of the western countries live together in relationship and has been accepted and encouraged in their society. That is why they have highest divorce rates, violence, crimes, broken families, life of promiscuity and drugs, loneliness ,sexual sins, high rates of legal abortion, higher rates of sexually transmitted disease, Neurotic disorders, health risks and many people never marry because they can not find Mr. and Ms Right and Perfect. Directly or indirectly it has contributed for single Parents/families with no Man as a spiritual and family leader to protect their families. Many researchers say that Couples who move in together before marriage hare two times more likely to divorce than couples who marry before living together. Couples who lived together before marriage tend to have poorer-quality marriages than couples who did not cohabitate before marriage. Couples who cohabitate before marriage tend to be less committed to their spouse and less likely to remain faithful than couples who did not cohabitate. Men who cohabit are especially less likely to ever commit to marriage. Couples who cohabitate tend to have less traditional views about marriage which, among other things, tends to weaken their faith and belief in God. Children who live with their parents in cohabitation arrangements tend to have more emotional and/or academic problems than children who live with two married parents. Children whose parents modeled cohabitation are more likely to do the same than children whose parents modeled marriage first. 12.Sex before marriage: is just as wrong as adultery and other forms of sexual immorality, because they all involve having sex with someone you are not married to. Premarital sex is repeatedly condemned in Scripture, along with all other forms of sexual immorality (Acts 15:20; Romans 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 7:2; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Jude 7). The Bible promotes complete abstinence outside of (and before) marriage. The Bible tells us over and over again to avoid, flee from, run from temptation - especially sexual immorality. By living with someone of the opposite sex you set yourself up for temptation The Bible tells us to avoid the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22; Ephesians 5:3), to flee from immorality, and not to cause anyone to stumble or be offended. "Observe and obey all this words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 12:28) We need to delight in the Lord by finding pleasure in knowing Him and trusting that He will delight us in return. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). We need to pray to God day and night with praise and Thanks giving and with supplication and prayers to find a suitable life mate for us. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Marriage, in a Christian's life, should be based on a decision directed by the Holy Spirit. If we will totally commit to do His will we will never be disappointed in the one He sends into our lives. God will bring him/her into our lives as we are in the process of looking, according to His perfect will and timing. If we pray, God will lead us to the person He has for us. If we wait for His timing, we will be given the person who fits best with our background, personality, and desires. We have to trust in Him and His timing (Proverbs 3:5), even when His timing is not our timing. God's timing is perfect, and with faith and patience, we will receive His promises (Hebrews 6:12). If we maintain close fellowship with God, He will lead us and guide us. If a person is walking with the Lord and truly seeking His will, God will lead that person to the spouse He intends. God will lead us to our soul mate if we submit to Him and follow Him. Final word we have to be Godly examples in everything. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). May God give us the grace and strength to serve him by serving our families. Category: General Christian Articles Tags: Marriage one flesh union or multiple Flesh

Danger of Isolation in the Marriage

By: Shaila Touchton | March 25, 2017 When the marriage turns sour, unhappy and painful most people will try to have a extramarital affairs by being unfaithful to the marriage vows which leads to emotional adultery, and then later into physical adultery. Emotional adultery is unfaithfulness to the spouse in thoughts or heart or cheating on their spouses emotionally. When the spouse of unfaithful person knows the truth he will get hurt and his agony of betrayal is immeasurable and the marriage rips apart. His whole world would have collapsed. To avoid such kind of adultery the spouses need to be affectionate, accountable, understanding and should able to pay attention to their needs. Temptations are opportunities that either it will strengthen us or corrupt us morally which lead us in bad path. When they come along, we are given a choice to either turn away with God's help or surrender to the temptation. We must be spiritually minded to resist temptation, realizing that eternal spiritual values are more important that temporary earthly pleasure or gain. We should never fantasize about sinful thoughts. We can overcome temptation through Prayer, scripture reading, by resisting or avoiding it. If you put your trust in man or woman outside the marriage you are guaranteed to get hurt at some point, someone is going to let you down and deeply disappoint you. "Paul said believers put "no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Much of the hurting and the hopelessness you experience is a result of being let down by someone you trusted or someone close to you. You are trusting in someone or something other than God to bring you happiness and hope. A family with a stable marriage supports healthy socialization, healthy relationships,, healthy society and healthy nation and there by contributing a good morals. I hope the spouses understand each other needs and make God as the centre of marriage and work out their issues by not giving rooms for the devil to destroy their marriage. Category: General Christian Articles Tags: Danger of Isolation of Marriage

Christmas is not Pagan but Biblical

By: Shaila Touchton | March 25, 2017 1. Celebration of Jesus' birth on the 25th of December is not idolatry: There are many Christians who do not celebrate Christmas even opposed to such celebrations just like those religious crowd during Jesus days. When Jesus was born, Babylonian wise men came from the East to worship the Savior. You would have thought that the religious leaders would have gone to see Jesus, but instead they informed Herod of the whereabouts of the little Baby Jesus so Jesus could be murdered. The religious leaders knew where Christ was to be born yet they did not go to see him. Isn't this just like the religious world today who oppose celebration of Christmas and who have declared war on Christmas? They claim the name of Christ, but their hearts are so far away from God. Phil. 1:10 says that "For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives." There is clear instruction to Christians to stay away from those that distort the truth of the gospel resulting in splitting the unity of the church (Romans 16:17). You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. (Exodus 23:2). Peter the Apostle states: But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies... (2 Peter 2:1). And of course, Jude4 also states: For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness. However Jesus also never told us not to celebrate His birth. Paul specifically prohibits getting involved with the pagan festivals .Paganism is a worship or sacrifice offered to an idol to demons or false Gods. But Christmas is worshipping true God because Jesus Christ is a true God. 1 Timothy 3:16 says: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. God tells us not to adopt the practices and lies of false religions (Jeremiah 10:2-3) like Halloween etc Satan is at constant work stealing the true meaning of Christmas and has been replaced as a Happy Holidays or calling chrismas as paganism. If we say that our Christmas has originated from pagan then what about the technology we have today all the modern facilities we have today. Is it all biblical or Are we following each and everything biblically in every area of our life in everything? We don't even question whether they are biblical or pagan and why do we have to question about the day reserved to praise, rejoicing and worship our Lord Jesus Christ? Every society in which ever country they live have many man made holidays like Mother's Day, Father s day, labor day, black Friday , Martin Luther king, Columbus day, Valentine's Day etc etc to remember the event . They are all not biblical either and not mentioned in the scriptures either and we all have do not have any problem with that but we have a problem if there is a day set to worship our God our savior Jesus Christ? Christ is the mighty God, a Great God and Savoir, As King of kings and Lord of lords which says in scriptures. 2.Confusions of Christmas: 25th of December has been set aside to honor And glorify Jesus Christ .Satan has deceived and created many confusions among people regarding Christmas has perverted Christmas day as a pagan day . We do not need to compare everything with dates and question about each and every dates and timings such as when the 10 commandments was given? When Christ was conceived? when God spoke to people which day which time? Nowhere in the Bible has given dates for early events like Creation, the flood and the exodus from Egypt. It is not necessary that we must and ought to know all dates in order to celebrate Christ. It's irrelevant. If God wanted us to know the exact date and time I am sure He could have told us plainly. Jesus says that Satan "was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44). We must remember what Gods says: You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you. (Deuteronomy 6:14). That means we are not to worship false Gods but there is nothing wrong in worshipping Jesus Christ. Is there any verse for not worshiping for our Lord Jesus Christ ? Jesus Christ was God's Christmas Gift. Romans 8:32 states, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, With deep gratitude for this Gift, the apostle wrote, " Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift" (2 Cor. 9:15). 3.Christmas is not associated with pagan sun worship: Most of them accuse that Christmas has the roots of pagan worship associated with birth of the Sun god, Mirtha and many non Christians and pagans worship the sun God. We do not need to compare and think like pagan. Even though the 25th December also celebrated by pagans and might have pagan roots but we as a Christians also celebrate the same day as birth of our saviour so we have biblical roots of celebration. Let the pagan celebrate in pagan way and we Christians celebrate in Christ's way. We have to make every attempt to Christianize the popular pagan celebrations. There are 2 types of the spirits- the holy spirit which is of God and Evil spirit- which is of demon. The Holy Spirit ALWAYS comes to us in Jesus' name. This is what John 14:26 says," But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" As a Christian believer we should not have split opinions on the same subject which is double minded which God says to avoid and we as believers do not have to think like the heathen. Just because the pagans celebrate their God on the same day its not necessary that we should also think and act like them. Our attitude should be Christian and we can celebrate our God Jesus Christ. And 25th of December is celebrated by the entire world in different ways. Every soul in the universe will ultimately bow on their knees before Jesus and confess Him as Lord (Philippians 2:10) Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." First of all, the birth of Christ is biblical, so one cannot make a case by calling Christmas non-biblical. Jesus Himself celebrated a holiday that corresponds to Christmas. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22)or also called as Feast of Dedication or festival of lights which is not in the Old Testament. As Christians, we can celebrate Hanukkah rededicate our lives to Christ and acknowledge Him as the perfect and true light of this world and to remember God's wonderful miracles. Hanukkah is celebrated even to this day by Jews and some Christians. Christmas affords believers with a great opportunity to exalt Jesus Christ. The shepherds glorified and praised God for the birth of Jesus the Messiah. They rejoiced when the angels proclaimed that in Bethlehem was born a Savior, Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). The babe laid in the manger that day is our Savior, the "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Matthew 1:21; Revelation 17:14). We should take advantage of that openness to witness to them of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. Christmas is chiefly about the promised Messiah who came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Christmas is wonderful opportunity to share this truth. 4.The Sun is a good symbol of Christ: December 25th was a pagan feast for pagans and holy feast for Christians which is called Natalis Invicti, which means "Birth of the Unconquered (Sun)," the Calendar also names the day as that of natus Christus in Betleem Iudeae: "Birth of Christ in Bethlehem Judea. The Nativity Scene calls our attention to the prediction in Micah 5:2-5 of the place of His coming - Bethlehem. The Sun represents the hope of Malachi 3:1 and 4:2 that the Sun of Righteousness would arise both as Judge and with healing in His wings. The Angels represents the fulfillment of the Prophetic hope as Jesus' Birth was announced to Joseph and Mary in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. Sun is not just related to pagan worship infact it is also related to biblical symbol as well. The sun represents Jesus, His gospel, and His righteousness. "The Lord God is a sun." Psalms 84:11. (Malachi 4:2.) Without Jesus there is no salvation (Acts 4:12). More than anything else, Jesus wants His church to overflow with His presence and glory. He created spiritual light. The purpose of the Heavens was to declare the "glory of God", to reveal the person and plan of the Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is described as the light of the world in John 8:12, John 9:5, Matthew 4:16, Matthew 17:2, John 3:19-20, John 12:35-36, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:14. Ironically the light of the world is sun. John 1:3-8 says "through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made". Without the Sun nothing would grow and we'd all be dead. So sun can be compared to Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ our life is dead. Also we know that there is Biblical significance of Sun-day as the Lord's day. Some of them are After Pentecost Christians met on Sunday(Acts 20:7), Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday( Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1,13,21), The Holy Spirit first fell upon the disciples on a Sunday( Acts 2:1-4). We do not have to think like the pagan world but we can think biblically. God did not create sun just for pagans but for everyone. Here I am not saying that we should worship sun but we have to worship Jesus Christ directly. Sun is only the comparison and biblical symbol. We need to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor(Luke 4:19) 5. Reason for celebration of Christmas: Christmas is Honoring of Christ's Birth. a Time to Witness for Christ and Share the Gospel, to remember the prophet's pronouncements of the birth of Jesus Christ. To Fulfillment of prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus Christ, for the salvation of all believers. Christmas is to be celebrated because the Savior of the world was born, walked among us, and showed us the way to salvation and a personal relationship with God. He paid the price for us and set us free from our slavery to sin. Jesus Christ became the author of eternal salvation, Eternal God and Creator, He is the First and last, the Beginning and the End, the alpha and omega, He is same yesterday, today, and forever. 6. Christmas has spiritual significance: The nativity stories, forming the basis of the celebration of Christmas, are recorded in the scripture. The date of Christmas was chosen primarily for Christian reasons, as opposed to so-called pagan reasons. The word Christmas comes from the Latin word [cristes maesse] which means, "the Mass of Christ." Christians choose to remember this glorious moment yearly by a special celebration in prayer, commemorative decorations, placing stars and lights on a tree, and indulging in the spirit of giving. It only symbolizes the important birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ and all these decorations etc commemorates certain people and events for the spiritual enhancement of believers. The Christian believers are aware that the decorations like light bulbs , Christmas tree and any other ornaments they use for Christmas are just pictures and idols and they do not worship them either but used only to fix attention on God and their worship is directed to God himself . Rom. 12:2 says "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out..." Bells are played to ring out the joyous news, candles are lit to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world (John 1:4-9), a star is placed on the top of a Christmas tree to remember the Star of Bethlehem, and gifts are exchanged to remind us of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, the greatest gift of God to mankind. There were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given: gold, incense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). The wise men were guided to look for the King of the Jews by a miraculous stellar event, the "Star of Bethlehem," which they called "His star" (Matthew 2:2). They consulted with King Herod in Jerusalem concerning the birth of Christ and were so directed to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:4-8). They followed God's guidance joyfully (Matthew 2:10). Their gifts for Jesus were costly, and they worshiped Him. When we look at Christmas lights, we remember the Light of the world. The believer of Jesus Christ is the reflected light of the Lord Jesus. He is the light of the world and He said His followers are to be "light in the world" ( Eph. 5:8; John 12:35-36). Jesus said , "I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). By claiming to be the Light of the World, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the living Lamp Stand that came down from heaven delivering men from darkness .We need to be a light to others that our good works should be visible to others so that the goodness of God is clearly seen. Jesus is the Light, the only light into the presence of God. You will no longer be walking in spiritual darkness if you will follow Him. The one who does not "follow" or believe in Christ still remains in darkness. In those days men carved wood idols and put faces and jewels in them and worshipped them. But if we can look upon that tree merely as a beacon to all, a symbol to signify to all the present, beauty, and joy in the birth of our Savior. Also I wanted to make a point that Not all images are prohibited. After being given the commandment against idolatry the ancient Israelites were then commanded to create images used in worship services. Those included the cherubim near the mercy seat and the oxen of the sea of the sacrifice.( Exodus 25:18-20). Christmas is an opportunity to witness to the unsaved who might not otherwise attend a gathering of believers. Christmas trees are not worshipped but used as a symbol of Jesus or a picture of the cross to remind us what the true meaning of Christmas is. The gifts are nothing but to remember the greatest gift our lord Jesus Christ . 7. True Christmas should be Christ centered: Christian believers should keep the hearts and minds in Christ to exhort one another in continuous prayer, Encouraging and uplifting those who are standing for truth and righteousness and cease and silence all murmurings against negative preaching of Christmas. Christmas should be approach with joy and thankfulness instead of hidden wrong motives like Herod wild drunken worldly parties, fornication, gamblings etc. Herod was also a person who was seeking after Jesus. He searched the Scriptures and claimed that he wanted to worship Christ but he had hidden motives. Correct worship of God must be done "in spirit and truth," not in the light of humanly devised traditions. Right tradition is an important aspect of a godly life, as the apostle Paul testified: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). But Paul clearly did not mean that every human tradition was appropriate, because he later wrote to the Colossians2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ". But these verses merely condemn erroneous human traditions. He was not condemning all traditions. He condemned only those that made God's word void. Paul says that much Christian teaching is to be found in the tradition which is handed down by word of mouth (2 Tim. 2:2).This oral teaching was accepted by Christians, just as they accepted the written teaching that came to them later. Jesus told his disciples: "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me" (Luke 10:16). The apostle praised those who followed Tradition: "I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2). Jesus came to the world To take away sin (1 John 3:5), to destroy the devil's works (1 John 3:8), to serve (Matt. 20:28)and save the world (John 3:17; Luke 19:10), to preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43)and to testify to the truth (John 18:37), to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17) and to give life (John 10:10,28) 8.Jesus accepted worship: The Bible says that Jesus is God in flesh, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....and the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14); and, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Col. 2:9). Jesus, therefore, has two natures. He is both God and man. When Jesus Christ died on Cross his human nature died but not his divine nature. There are many scriptures to show that Jesus was worshipped: Some of them are Matthew 2:2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." Matthew 2:11 "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him." Matthew 14:33 "Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God." Matthew 28:9 "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, Rejoice! And they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him." Matthew 28:17 "And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted." John 9:38 "Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped Him." Hebrews 1:6 "But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, "Let all the angels of God worship Him." Acts 10:24-26 "On the day after that he entered into Caes* a* re'a. Cornelius, of course, was expecting them and had called together his relatives and intimate friends. As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet and did obeisance to him. But Peter lifted him up, saying: "Rise; I myself am also a man." Hebrews 1:6 "But when he again brings his First-born into the inhabited earth, he says: "And let all God's angels worship him." Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created." Revelation 5:11-14 "And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: 'The Lamb that was slaughtered is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.' And every creature that is in heaven and on earth and underneath the earth and on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying: 'To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever' And the four living creatures went saying: 'Amen!' and the elders fell down and worshiped." Conclusion: God's word says in Titus 3:9 that we need to avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because they are unprofitable and useless. Similarly in 1 Timothy 1:4 says not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than God's ongoing purpose, which involves faith. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'no' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Tit 2:11-14) "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given to you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Pe 1:13). "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3). In a world steeped in mystery cults, the apostle Peter admonished believers to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have with gentleness and respect" (1 Pet. 3:15). Don't be afraid to talk about your faith when the opportunity arises and be proud to celebrate Christmas! Category: General Christian Articles Tags: Christmas not pagan

Salt and Light in the World!

By: Shaila Touchton | April 04, 2017 Jesus calls us to be light of the world revealing gods love and truth bringing light to the darkened hearts of sinful ungodly people. The salt of the World is that we should be living the Spirit-led lifestyle and a reflection of Christ by living Godly on this earth, seasoning with worthiness of heart , truth and good works. We are to be like the salt that penetrates and light that radiates by stopping the moral decay in our sin infected world. We are called to be separate and different from the world.2 Cor. 6:17 says Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. God wants us to produce Christ like character not conforming the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind by being obedient to His Word and following his commandments. By being salt and light we are not going to be conformed to the world’s standard, but rather confronts the world with Gods word. By being a salt and light of the world we create a thirst for Godliness and walk with Christ by being a good witness for Christ around our family, kids, friends and others. Matthew 5:13 states: "But if salt loses its taste, how would its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men". We can lose our saltiness by speaking bad words, being filled with evil spirit by suppressing Holy Spirit and following sinful path and living in sin and violating Gods commandments and being a bad testimony for Christ before others. According to Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit .God says our conversation to be seasoned with grace to build up someone in the Lord .We must Set a guard, over our mouth by praying to God to cleanse our heart ,mind and lips. Now here is my question, Are you salt and light of the world? How many people are influenced by you in a Godly way? If not Will you make a decision now to be the salt and light of the earth? Category: General Christian Articles Tags: Salt and Light in the World

Is Satan in heaven

By: Shaila Touchton | April 04, 2017 Satan was originally one of God’s holy angels became prideful because of the gifts God had created him with and wanted God’s position and authority to replace God at the pinnacle of everything . He rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven .Satan sinned and was cast from heaven. Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan, who is the prince of this world, sinned and the entire human race inherits that sin nature. God had given a free will and freedom of choice to everyone but Satan had the choice to remain loyal to God, or to rebel against Him. His rebellion was not the fault of god, but the result of his own free choice. Satan who is a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth goes up and down in the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Scriptures (Job 1:6-12; Zechariah 3:1,2 )clearly indicate that Satan maintained the access even after his fall .Satan, who is the accuser, appears before the Throne of God ,day and night, rehearsing our sins accusing the brethren and throwing them in the face of God and of Jesus. He is summoned by God for temporary. So Satan has access to Heaven and the City of God. In Acts 7, When Stephen saw heaven opened and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. Jesus was standing as an Advocate for Stephen. The enemy was there to bring accusation against Stephen, but Jesus was there as his Defense. This emphasis Jesus being our advocate, our helper, our lawyer to defend our case. Satan only comes to kill, steal, and destroy .Satan devotes himself in opposing the work of God in every possible way and attempting to destroy all of the good that God has created. Jesus speaks of the eternal fire prepared “for the devil and his angels.(Matthew 25:41). One day Satan will be thrown into Hell permanently (Revelation 20:10 ) . Jude says that God has kept the fallen angels “in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day” (Jude 6). Category: General Christian Articles Tags: Is Satan in heaven