Marriage

Your first love 💕 is like being in a bubble of goodness seeing everything and everyone as lovely as heaven.

No one can take the smile off your face. You always feel warm and can’t keep it to yourself, you have to tell everyone.

After a while, you realise the reality of shared life. The I can’t do more than enough for you to be with you, turns into, do it yourself I need my space. Forgetting the first love was a warning Jesus gave to His church in Ephesus. Revelation 2:4 NKJV Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Paul likens the relationship we have as a church to the same as a marriage. Our love, service, time, giving, and all the goodness that goes with a marriage is similar in many ways. Ephesians 5:24,26-27,29-30,32 NKJV

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. [26] that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, [27] that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. [29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. [30] For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. [32] This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

It’s no wonder people feel disconnected at church sometimes. If you turned up to participate in your marriage 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month you wouldn’t have much of a marriage nor it lasting for too long.

A marriage is for better or worse, sometimes the balances tilt worse for a season then tilt towards better. Yet with a church it seems; just like in the world, too easy to divorce when it gets rough.

Pastor, the Lord has called us to the church down the road. It wasn’t because you felt convicted by the challenge to step up and serve your brothers and sisters on the children church team or maybe plug into a midweek service??

Some marriages require you to at least be with each other consistently to maintain a level of connectedness. Why would church be any different ??

Paul described this marriage we have with Christ Jesus and the church as a mystery. Which is a perfect description of marriage itself !!! It takes work once the first love 💕 has worn off. Reality of becoming one flesh is literally dying to self. As we are called to do.

1 Corinthians 15:31 NKJV

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Luke 9:23 KJV

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The real issue is how do we treat our church??? Do we respect and honour it like our husband / wife… do we give Jesus who is head of the church a place in our heart enough to wash us, Sanctify us, and present us holy and without blemish to the Father?? Or do we commit adultery by giving our time, and love to other things before our time and service to Jesus in His church.

I’m quickly reminded if I’ve been neglecting my marriage by the pain of distance and disconnectedness.. some people are reminded of the neglect of church by the pain and suffering it causes to be disconnected from the body of Christ, His body.

It doesn’t take brain surgery to figure out that intimacy requires time together. No time together no intimacy.. and things birthed in God, answers to prayer, breakthroughs, turnaround, dreams, require intimacy.

A child is not conceived as a rule without intimacy. You could have illegitimate children , just ask Abraham’s wife Sarah. But true promises of God are birthed through intimacy. Time with Him. Jesus said I will build my church..

Church : is defined EKKLESIA.. the called out ones to a public assembly.

You have been called out of the world.. a seperate people the first born assembly registered in heaven Hebrews 12:23 NKJV to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

The bridegroom is coming. The call has gone out, and we are awake to meet Him, let’s trim our lamps, fill them with oil and go out to meet Him..

You cannot seperate Jesus and His Church they are one, bone of bone, flesh of flesh.. and we are members of the body.

What a beautiful marriage.