Our marriages are not private matters.
~~ Our
children, gain emotional security and a myriad of benefits from our marriage,
our love and union. Our marriages matter to our extended family. They matter to
our employers. They matter to society. They are the fabric that holds families
together.
Welcome from my family my
Name is Rev Brian Richards, my people call me Rev as I don’t mind, so the last
month I decided I would not promote the sales of my books I would just give a
free download and let people know how to get a hard copy if they want one.
http://trafficbuilder2.com is the website for all the hard copy books to
be sent to your door step of any address around the world.
We have been recording our
video’s each week and put them on youtube and facebook and with the free
downloads people can follow the teaching or recording that we do each week.
“Are You In Christ” is the book we have been reading on line. So if there be
any questions or any prayer requests then you can send to this email address to
get my attention put
your name and Revbrian together in subject line and this I know is important.
We remember and
celebrate our marriages this 2nd Sunday of September through to 2nd
Sunday of October.
In the spring of 2007, Dennis
believes that he was given a vision for the ministry of 'Marriage Week' was
'visioned' in 2007 and then clarity on the dates after a season of prayer came
in early August 2009. Through this period of prayer I was made conscious by the
Lord of "My festivals" and the figure "9" and then taken
back to the "Vision/Strategy" statement that I recorded the previous
year and that was very clear showing the month of September. Interestingly the
Lords Festival of Trumpets etc (Lev. 23) in the month of Tishrei in the Hebrew
calendar, this equates to September/October in our calendar.
We were "distracted" from the original vision and come back to that
and set Marriage Week to start on the second Sunday of September each year.
Quickly, we were surrounded
by a coalition of Christian broadcasters and other ministries/organisations
that held the same biblical values for marriage. All working to forge a network
of Christian churches and other Christian individuals and organisations across Australia who
will work together to offer positive resources during Marriage Week and through
the year that will help couples re-affirm the value of and commitment to their
marriage.
We welcome and support all who have the same underlying values see https://marriageweek.org.au
"The importance of
Christian marriage as a symbol of God's covenantal faithfulness to his
people-and a witness to the future union of Christ and his bride-will only grow
in significance as the wider Western culture diminishes both the meaning and
actual practice of marriage. Marriage itself will become a witness to the
gospel..." [Mark Regnerus, Ph.D., is the author of Forbidden Fruit]
Our marriages are not private
matters. Our children, gain emotional security and a myriad of benefits from
our marriage, our love and union. Our marriages matter to our extended family.
They matter to our employers. They matter to society. They are the fabric that
holds families together. On average married people live longer and have good
relationships with their children; families enjoy better physical health,
married men earn more money.
Marriage Week is a great time to reassess and invest in our own marriages and
to encourage others. A time to see that it is more than a piece of paper, a
word, or a contract. Marriage is a relational institution, between a man and a
woman, that makes them one entity - a great team with God as the team leader.
"Then
God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over
the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps
on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he
created him; male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and
multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant
yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in
its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to
every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth,
everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for
food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it
was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth
day." Genesis 1:26-31 [ESV]
"And
the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and
brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is 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 his mother and hold
fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife
were both naked and were not ashamed." Genesis 2:22-24 [ESV]
"He
(Jesus) answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the
beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his
father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined
together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19:4-6 [ESV]
"All
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [ESV]
Your Areas of Strength in a Marriage:
Commitment
Marriage was created by God and is to be honored by everyone (Hebrews 13:4).
Healthy couples believe marriage is permanent and that divorce is not an
option. They look forward to their future together and see their marriage as
one of the most important parts of their lives. They love each other and invest
in their relationship. In a strong marriage, couples expect to face challenges
together and are willing to do whatever it takes to make their marriage work.
Cherish
Couples who cherish each other recognize that each spouse is created in
God’s image and is, therefore, of infinite worth and value. They understand
that God created everyone different, and they treasure the unique
characteristics in their spouse. Thriving couples work to keep an attitude of
respect and appreciation for each other (Philippians 2:3). They remember what
they value about their marriage, keep reminders of good memories and celebrate
milestones together.
Healthy Individuals
A marriage can only be as strong as the two people in it, and a healthy
marriage is made of two healthy individuals. Thriving couples focus on how they
can each be a better spouse (Ephesians 4:15) while continuing to grow
spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally as individuals. A healthy
marriage makes room for self-care and self-improvement, and spouses know they
can’t be everything to each other so each relies on God to meet their deepest
needs.
Your Growth Opportunities
Time
Finding ways to sustain love involves spending enjoyable together
(Ecclesiastes 9:9). Thriving couples build a strong friendship by continuing to
date. They develop meaningful traditions, spend time with each other, laugh
together and look for adventure. They work together to find hobbies they can both
enjoy. A healthy marriage has a good mixture of independence and togetherness,
and couples are intentional about building their lives on a foundation of
common values, interests and goals.
Community
It takes a community to sustain a marriage. Thriving couples spend time with
people who want to see their marriage succeed (Hebrews 10:24-25), and they have
positive examples of marriage in their lives. They have people they can count
on in times of need and are careful not to isolate themselves. They choose to
interact with those around them for their own good and for the good of others.
Intimacy
Mutually satisfying physical intimacy involves recognizing that sex is God's
gift to a married couple as a way to experience the most profound intimacy
possible—two becoming one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Thriving couples are willing to
discuss what they like and dislike and make adjustments to meet each other’s
needs. Their intimacy is marked by affection and warmth, and they understand
that developing a healthy sexual relationship is a lifelong process that
requires adaptability and communication.
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