In Genesis 2:18 God says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Yet we could argue that man was not alone. He had perfect fellowship with God, and He was put into a garden with many different animals, who he had reviewed and named. Yet God still said, “it is not good for man to be alone.” This is the first time in the creation narrative that God said that something that He was looking at was “not good” So what did He do? He put man to sleep, took a rib from the man and created a woman, brought her to the man, and gave him a help meet! This was the foundation for the establishment of marriage. This brought the man a companion (Genesis 2:18) to do the work that he was created to undertake. He would have someone to work in cooperation (Genesis 2:18 “help meet”) to that goal. It also provides a completion to the creation of mankind (Genesis 2:23) which will allow him to fulfill his God given design of being in God’s image and likeness. This union is built upon a commitment (Genesis 2:24 “leave … cleave) that puts the two in … READ MORE

Today marriage and the family is under direct assault by Satan. He knows that if he can destroy these two foundational institutions, he can destroy the foundation of our society. Marriage is a beautiful triangle with God at the apex and the husband and wife at each of the other angles. The closer a husband and wife grow toward God the closer they grow together. One of the ways Satan attacks this relationship is to get the spouse to attempt to focus on the other persons role in the relationship. In marriage, it is important that we each focus on our own responsibility, striving to become more like Christ. We cannot control the actions of other, but we can control the choices that we make. As we grow closer to the Lord, we will find that our spouse (who should be doing the same) will become closer to us. What a great gift God has given to us in marriage, may we choose to honor that institution in our relationships. … READ MORE

1 Corinthains 16:14 says, “Let all that you do be done with love. This command balances unretreating courage with unfailing love. Both need to exist side by side for either one to be effective. If we have too much love and not enough doctrine, we will be washed away by sentimentalism, and if we have to much doctrine and not enough love, we develop a harsh attitude. We need to combine the two, by recognizing that I need to share with others the truth, but recognize that I cannot change anyone’s lifestyle choices. The reality is that I can disagree with a lifestyle, without being disagreeable or overbearing. The Key to making this a reality in our lives is to remain humble in our dealings with others. In Matthew 7:3, Jesus says, “Why do you behold the mote in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam in your own eye. This is not an admonition not to say anything, rather it is a warning to remember I am not perfect either. In our spiritual battle, we must be aware of the importance of prayer, which will enable us to be alert, firm, mature, strong and loving. If we … READ MORE