Important Church Celebrations: Marriage

Important Church Celebrations: Marriage
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.
Ephesians 5:25 

When Jesus returned to heaven, He left behind one institution to continue His Gospel work—His church. He didn’t establish a university, a hospital, or an orphanage. He just left His church. Other wonderful ministries have sprung out of His church—like universities, missions organizations, and hospitals. But at the core of it all is His special group of people, the local church. This is where life happens. This is where babies are dedicated, where baptisms are witnessed, and where marriages are established.

Many Christians still pledge their wedding vows in the chapels and sanctuaries of our church buildings. Even when the wedding is elsewhere, the local church plays an important role in providing a spiritual foundation for the couple as they begin their marriage. Couples need spiritual underpinning to their homes. They need a local church.
Paul wrote his great passage about marriage to the local church at Ephesus. He knew that was where the teaching would take root—within the context of a church. To be stronger in your marriage, get involved in a God-honoring and Bible-teaching church in your community.
The Bible begins with a wedding and it ends with a wedding . . . . Christ performed his first miracle at a wedding, thereby sanctifying it.

Food For Thought

Food for thought for married couples

A great marriage isn’t something that just happens; it’s something that must be created based on love. Love is the greatest gift when given. It is the highest honor when received.

Something Marriage couples Should Think of

Something married couples should think of

God created marriage as a blessing but many people seem to be like they are in prison because they have not known the meaning of marriage and why the loving God created it.

In Marriage Love is the reason. Lifelong friendship is the gift. Kindness is the cause. Til’ death do us part is the length. A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Being in a long marriage is a little bit like that nice cup of coffee every morning – I might have it every day, but I still enjoy it. Always remember A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. The difference between an ordinary marriage and an extraordinary marriage is in giving just a little ‘extra’ every day, as often as possible, for as long as we both shall live.

MARRIAGE TIP

Practice forgiveness

The unwillingness to forgive leads to bitterness, isolation, a burning anger and deterioration of the marriage. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. So make the choice (repeatedly if necessary) to not hold past transgressions against your spouse.

WHAT MAKES MARRIAGE A SUCCESS.

Marriage: Love is the reason. Lifelong friendship is the gift. Kindness is the cause. Til’ death do us part is the length. Always remember that A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. You must always know that being in a long marriage is a little bit like that nice cup of coffee every morning – I might have it every day, but I still enjoy it.

LOVE IS HARD WORK

Friends, let us learn to love our spouses. But remember this that  “Love is hard work. It is the hardest work I know of, work from which you are never entitled to take a vacation.”

The epidemic we are seeing in our society and increasing around the world is the unwillingness to work at love. Life can be hard. Two sinful people in the most intimate of unions can experience a stretch and strain in their relationship as life hits from unexpected directions. Instead of enduring and growing through the challenges, couples choose to leave and start over.

We believe the best, ripest and most fruitful love is the love that weathers the storms. Love that is hard work shows grace through each other’s failures and chooses to work at love because it is a commitment made to one’s spouse.

Here are three love areas described in the Bible that have direct application to our marriages:

Love like Jesus

Jesus himself said to his followers, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) To love like Jesus means being proactive and choosing to sacrifice to meet the deepest needs of another.

In the context of marriage, what would it look like for you to be proactive in showing love to your spouse? Put another way, what would they really enjoy—that is a sacrifice for you—that only you can provide? A foot rub? A back rub? Prolonged conversation? Going on errands together when you’d rather stay home? You get the idea.

Love deeply

The apostle Peter wrote, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) The idea in the original language for loving “deeply” means to love earnestly, or without ceasing.

Your love for your spouse should be like a heat-seeking missile, locked on target and focused on your mate. There should be no distraction, no wavering, no deterrent.

To love like this means to reject conflicting emotions and thoughts. To take each thought captive and commit one’s self to one’s spouse regardless of conflicting emotions or circumstances.

It is this kind of love that can forgive and not hold your spouse’s sins of the past against them. To love deeply is to choose to show grace and move forward in life together. It is choosing to keep short accounts.

Love actively

The apostle John wrote: “…let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) To put it in today’s vernacular, “talk is cheap.”

Your love for your spouse is to be lived out in the dailiness of life. A powerful key to expressing love to your spouse is to show love based on their “love language.”

The five love languages are: Quality Time, Gifts, Acts of Service, Touch, and Words of Affirmation. If you don’t already know how your spouse likes to be loved—ask them which of these five resonates with their heart. Then respond accordingly!

How have you had to work hard on love in your marriage?  Love IS hard work. And love is REWARDING work. So work hard on love—as you build your marriage!

Marriage Tip

Marriage Tip

Together may you live fully, laugh often, and love life’s simplest joys. Together, may you find in one another your best and dearest friend,

Food For Thought

Food for thought to the broken hearted couples.

God can heal a broken heart, but he has to have all the pieces.
My son, give me thine heart (Proverbs 23:26 a)

Success

Success in marriage is more than finding the right person. It’s becoming the right person.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness (1 Timothy 6:11)

In Marriage

In marriage, the measure of a man is not how great his faith is but how great his love is.
And now these three remains: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of this is love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Marriage Tip

Marriage Tip                                                                                                                                                                                                             A marriage may be made in heaven, but the maintenance must be done on earth
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband (Ephesians 5:33

Why Take Time Teaching Marriage.

Many people always ask the marriage restoration network team that with all of the many problems in the world, why should you consider spending your time and talents to help strengthen marriage? Our answer is that before institutions were created, God created marriage. Also the first bond of society is marriage. Marriage is the foundation of the family, and the family is the foundation of society. If we strengthen marriage, we strengthen the family, we strengthen the children and we strengthen the community.

If your goal is to help improve the world, strengthening marriage is one of the best places to start. If you now find former street kids now happily at home, it is because God has used us to help their mom and dad get along better.

And we whole-heartedly agree, because marriage is portrayed throughout the Bible as a living picture of Christ’s love for the church. How much nearer or dearer could you get to pleasing God’s heart than to improve your own marriage so that it reflects the love of Christ, and then reach out to help others to improve theirs as well?

We at M.R.N.U spend most of the time helping married couples for it’s because the love of Christ compels us. To us helping married couples makes it worth every bit of time, energy, and money we’ve spent. We consider it a wonderful privilege to participate with God in this awesome ministry.

there is so much more that needs to be and could be done, if there were more of us working together on this worthy cause.

Marriage Tip

Marriage tip to the married couples

Did you know that if you don't like yourself, you are never going to like anybody else, and you won't be able to help your spouse like himself or herself? You will spend all your time trying to prove your own value. Healing first comes by accepting yourself, knowing that where you are today is not where you will end up, and knowing that God is continually perfecting you, too. We all need to accept the unconditional love of God and acknowledge the fact that God doesn't love us because of what we do - but because of who we are. 

Our decisions should always have our spouse's interests in mind. Even a mediocre marriage requires sacrifice. It is important to understand that true love gives of itself. 

Sacrifice means you are not going to have your way all the time. This means both the husband and wife are called to love each other with unconditional love. There has to be sacrifice of selfish desires if a couple is going to enjoy a triumphant marriage.

Marriage Is All About Giving.

The greatest marriages are built on teamwork. A mutual respect, a healthy dose of admiration, and a never-ending portion of love and grace, Once we figured out that we could not change each other, we became free to celebrate ourselves as we are.  Love is the greatest gift when given. It is the highest honor when received.

Marriage Tip

Marriage tip for those who cherish marriage as a gift from God to us
Being in a long marriage is a little bit like that nice cup of coffee every morning – I might have it every day, but I still enjoy it. Always remember A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

Great Marriage

Marriage is like any other work, like you give in some extra time on every job you want to be done, the same you can do to your marriage. The difference between an ordinary marriage and an extraordinary marriage is in giving just a little ‘extra effort’ every day, as often as possible, for as long as we both shall live.

Will You Join Hands With Us?

Will You Join Hands With Us? Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Revelation 19:7.

These days there is a debate going on around the world about sexuality and where men are allowed to get married.  God designed sexual expression to unite a man and a woman in marriage and to represent the union of Christ and His Bride, The Church.

Now, more than ever, the Church must be clear on understanding and proclaiming that truth, with boldness and grace.

For decades now, we've watched many prominent people and even mainline denominations discuss and argue about what the Bible says about marriage and sexuality, to the point where some now embrace and celebrate same-sex marriage.

Even though some in the Church are faltering, Marriage Restoration Network Uganda remains dedicated to teaching the true word of God and affirming God's design for marriage and sexuality. We're committed to teaching and equipping this generation and the next about God's sacred plan for marriage and family. Yet we can't do it alone, we need all of you who think marriage is between a man and woman to join us in this fight by helping us reach many places. Remember what the bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:12 “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” If you stand with us, we can accomplish much and the name of the Lord will be glorified.

Married Couples Should Always Think About.

Something married couples to think about
GOD DESIGNED MARRIAGE.
That means that He knows best how it should operate. His Word gives us the principles we need for satisfying marriages. Since God designed marriage, it takes three to make a good marriage: God, the man, and the woman. For a Christian to marry an unbeliever is not only to disobey God; it is to enter marriage lacking something essential. Marriage has been described as a triangle with God at the top: the closer each partner moves to God, the closer they move toward each other. The further each moves from God, the further they move from each other. As soon as Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they experienced alienation from each other and Adam began blaming Eve for his problems (3:7, 12). Broken marriages always involve at least one partner moving away from God. So the starting place in having a marriage according to God’s design is genuine conversion and a daily walk with God.

Marriage Was Created For Relationships.

Something married couples should think about as they work about their relationships with their spouses;

When you read Genesis 1 & 2, the words of 2:18 hit abruptly: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Throughout chapter one, God surveys His work and pronounces it good (1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). This is the first time God says that something in His creation is not good: “It is not good for the man to be alone.”

Think about it: Here’s a sinless man, in perfect fellowship with God, in a perfect environment. What more could you want? Isn’t that enough? Not according to God! God’s evaluation was that the man needed a human companion to correspond to him. in this God designed marriage to meet the human need for companionship. So every couple Should respect and honor their relationships knowing it is a divine gift from God.

Breathing Wisdom In Our Families

Breathing wisdom in our families The family is the nursery of every sector of the nation and it needs proper care. If we don’t take care of our families, we would have done a disservice to a nation. It is in a family where we find husbands and wives, Children, doctors, teachers, lawyers, Politicians, business men and women and any person you would think of. In that case we need to breathe wisdom in our families. God is calling upon His servant to breathe wisdom into our families for building better communities. God’s wisdom is for moral regeneration, economic development, civil cohesion, political leadership all of which must conclude in spiritual growth. Let us see what wisdom does. Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4. Wisdom builds. It builds a house as well as morals, economies, politics, and anything in the world. Wisdom is the foundation of everything. It seems ordinary to ask what wisdom means. However, given that there is increasing evidence of confusion and persistent failure in many aspects of the family amidst increased learning, the becomes extra ordinary, So then what is wisdom? The book of Job in the bible records the life of a blameless and upright man amidst troubles. The beginning and end of the story is dramatic and well publicized. There is also a message hidden in between the many words Job spoke as he faced troubles. I will quote one statement, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” {Job 28:28} Go and read the story again. Wisdom is the fear of God. The word fear in this context does not mean being afraid or scared. For instance, it does not mean getting scared to run away from a lion. But the fear of God is about respect, reverence or obedience to Him as creator of heaven and earth as well author of life. Let us see what it means to fear God. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. {Matthew 7:2427}. From this part of scripture we see a wise man as one who hears the words of Jesus Christ and puts them in practice. Many floods, signifying problems and challenges, may come but he is able to withstand because he is strengthened by wisdom. He is able to think out solutions. On the other hand we also learn that a foolish man is one who hears the words of Jesus Christ but does not put them into practice. When the foolish man is faced with the same floods, signifying problems and challenges, he falls with a great crash because he is weak. He is not able to think out solutions and when he does try, he ends up with temporary, unreal or counterfeit solutions. The difference between a wise man and a foolish man is that they both hear the same words but the wise one puts them in practice while the foolish one does not. A wise man hears the words of God and puts in practice. A wise child avoids fornication, a wise husband or wife resists adultery, a wise worker avoids taking bribes but is diligent at his work, a wise economist avoids wastage by collecting even the leftovers and sets plans to create wealth instead of borrowing to chase poverty, a wise politician will speak the truth and be free from unfulfilled promises. A foolish child will fornicate and end up breaking his/her heart, a foolish husband or wife will commit adultery and pick up STDs, an unwise worker will take bribes, build houses and deny them as well as his parents before a commission of enquiry, an unwise economist will be wasteful and always borrow to chase poverty instead of learning to create wealth, an unwise politician will speak deception and lies then find another lie to cover the first lie and extra opportunities to deceive on unfulfilled promises. A wise man, a wise family, a wise people, a wise community, a wise sub-county, a wise district, a wise region and a wise nation will always seek counsel from the word of God, ask for solutions, implement the solutions then the people will prosperous and successful. Let your family be the source of this success. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.