slation

²⁷  God created human beings^[a] in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.

Marriage, Home and Family. Today I want to preach on those words, which make for such happiness for all who fully and truly apply them in their lives..

These three subjects have a massive influence on life, and can have an important effect on society.  This is why activists from a left-wing basis, seek to discredit and destroy them in order to further their cause; such was the practice in Communist countries.

The first marriage was performed by God. It was the first institution established -before the church, before the schools, before the government. The first miracle of Jesus was performed at a wedding.  Marriage is a holy sacrament.

The first home was instituted by God before Church, schools, or government.  It was meant to be more than just a place to shelter from the weather. God made man, and then woman to be his wife, to live together and have children. It was meant to be where father, mother and children lived as a family, where you first heard about God, most often I suspect from the mother.  Home was a place where joy and sorrow were shared, where you go for comfort and help

There are indeed powerful forces within the government and liberal establishment, who are determined to destroy the traditional and biblical image of the home, marriage, and family.  God has laid down clearly what He expects, and we ignore to our peril

To so many people, the idea of two people being married as the ideal, is old fashioned and rather stupid.  .  Marriage was built on the foundations of the Bible.  It has been said that in 100 years from now, marriage will have ceased to exist, and if some members of the government had their way, it would be in a lot less time.

Those who claim that just living together without a piece of paper to prove, is just as good. The decision is one people are free to make if they wish, but they are fooling themselves to think it is as good as marriage.  There are numerous legal issues which give protection, especially to the women.

There are many husbands and wives for whom love has gone dead for each other, Where there was true once true affection and care, there is now jealousy in the home, irritation, anger, even bitterness. Some people hold grudges, not realizing that before God can forgive you, you must forgive too. That is the reason we pray, "Forgive us our wrongs  as we forgive others’

God never meant that we were to break up. Only death can part us. It is for life, It is for keeps.   So often today couples marry without truly knowing each other, and have no reluctance, as divorce carries no stigma and is easy to access.  Until death do us part, in the marriage vow, has been supplanted by till we get fed up with each other. Apart from breaking vows, I can’t imagine or understand how anyone could cast off the one you loved, and had children with. Love and devotion just doesn’t happen on its own and last for ever, you have to work for it and never give up. Remember how you felt when first met.

The Bible teaches absolute fidelity on the part of both husband and wife, and the Bible recognizes no lower standards.

The Bible teaches that marriage is holy and sacred in the sight of God. I'm afraid that some enter into it like it's all a big joke. Some go into marriage for spite. Others go into marriage for excitement , then they break up, and there's trouble and there's disappointment, There is sin.  Marriage should be preceded by the most careful thought, by the most careful searching of the Scriptures, and  prayer.

Marriage too often ends in disillusionment, because during the courtship each puts the best foot forward; but after the honeymoon the true personality comes to light, virtues are minimised and defects are magnified. If the marriage is based on physical attractiveness only, “love” dissolves away.

Every man and woman should remember that in most cases children are involved, and they are the main losers. Survey after survey reveals children of divorced parents are invariably less successful in schools, as their whole life has been affected. Children do not like to see and hear their mothers and fathers fighting, often accompanied by bad language.  And it is a wicked betrayal of the child(ren) to have to grow up unnecessarily without both a father and a mother, unless caused by illness. Children reflect what they see parents doing.

The Bible says only adultery is a reason for divorce,  which only justifies the innocent party.  One of the nation’s favourite television programmes has been featuring two people, who are neighbours, conniving at having an affair as a major story line.  People who are so fickle these days and unable to separate reality from fiction,  are so captivated by television stories they think they have to emulate them in real life.  I dread seeing weddings or funerals on television, as I know some of the ridiculous actions will be asked for in the following weeks.

The Courts favour those who challenge Christian expression in every case taken before them, and it reflects no credit on the judiciary, who seem determined to eradicate Christian faith from public life.   

An indication of how our judiciary thinks and views the Christian faith, was displayed in the High Court when it was said, ‘marriage is not generally regarded as a sacrament and divorce is a statistical commonplace’.

You can’t have a relationship with God and be in an adulterous relationship. In the Old Testament it was considered so serious it was a capital offence punishable by death.  God wanted to show the world how serious was the marriage vow.

Marriage was built on the foundations of the Bible, but our government forced through the legislation which re-defined marriage to include people of the same sex.  As time has progressed, so has further departure from the order of God’s creation, and we have ‘so-called’ transgenderisms, where people can claim to define themselves of either gender to suit themselves, and engage in marriage contrary to their biological gender.

The Bible teaches that God performed the first marriage in the garden of Eden. Before the church, before the government, before the school, the home was founded. It is the basic unit of society.

The home was instituted by God. Home should mean everything to us, but  now doesn’t mean as much today as it used to do. What is a home? A roof to keep out the rain, four walls to keep out the wind, floors to keep out the cold? Yes, but home is more than that, it is where people live together, hopefully in love with family where possible.  

We have so much unhappiness and trouble in the home today because we've got away from God's laws, rules, and regulations governing marriage, When God performed the first marriage, He laid down the rules, and He said if you want to have a happy home, obey these rules. If you want to have trouble, disobey them.

 

Abraham Lincoln once stated  state a nation is only as strong as its homes. But there's something wrong in the home today. When people lived in an adult age with adult characters, they realized the value of a home, which for many had meant denying themselves of many pleasures of life, in order to acquire the money to buy, or even rent.

In this modern age, when self-denial has so often been  beyond acceptance, and everything has to be instant, money has been more obtainable from societies which advance funds.  When you have to strive to get something, it immediately becomes more precious.

In the spirit of the times, the home doesn't mean quite today what it once meant.

Christian standards have gone from many homes, Everywhere, people search for happiness from the wrong things and wrong places.  Many criminals have come from homes where there has been no peace, no discipline nor Christian values or teaching. The biggest cause of young criminals is due to marital breakdown and separation.

The Bible says we have to have discipline in the home. It is a sign of the times that discipline has become non-existent in many homes, schools, and society in general. Children have a natural bias to do wrong; you never have to teach a child to say no. it finds the word for self.  

If any country is to defend its values successfully, it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted.  Marriage and the home are firmly part of those roots. When the founding principles are eroded, and the morality and biblical fundamentals are taken away, there is no foundation for society, which is a dangerous thing and we are seeing some of the consequences developing.

The Bible says ‘when the foundations are destroyed what shall the righteous do’. Homes are the foundation and bedrock of society, and they are being destroyed.  If evil forces win the battle for the home, there is nothing left worth fighting for.  We have to restore the home as the basic unit of society..

If the home is lost, all is lost.” Thoughtful people the world over agree that if society’s health in the world is to be maintained, the home must be preserved.

When will we learn that houses are not homes, money is not security, gadgets cannot bring happiness, and there are no substitutes in our home life for faith, hope and love?

The average person sees the Church as out of date and the Christian message as irrelevant, even though they never go near a Church to establish that, which is why they live as they do without reference to God or eternity. This is just sardonic self-

 justification. Our message then needs to be positive with no uncertain sound. 

God speaks to us from the past, to show us the sins His people committed in order to help us decide.  God is still speaking.  We can either listen or ignore. 

It is a matter of great regret that government is forcing councils, some of which don’t need that much encouragement, to foster and send for adoption children to two people of the same sex.  A child needs a father and a mother, both of whom are essential to a child’s moral and social development and welfare.  It is therefore irresponsible to make such enactment and reveals contempt for God’s decree.

Is it not ironic that an equality Minister stated two men cannot be trusted to run anything and need a woman, yet she considers two men are capable of bringing up children.

Making a promise to God is a serious matter. Each year a Covenant is re-made by Methodists, which many other Churches have adopted. In this covenant members pledge to yield themselves freely and wholeheartedly to God and declare themselves not their own, but His. How faithfully is it kept?  It means obeying, fearing and faithfully following His Word.  God is a jealous God who wants a complete loyalty.  We have to take away from our lives all that is unworthy and against His teaching.  He gave us guidance in Holy Scripture. 

Each generation claims things are worse than in their time, but I can never recall a time when children were allowed to terrorise whole neighbourhoods and cause such fear vandalising, abusing and stealing knowing they are virtually immune from any punishment.  They are fully aware of the law which protects them, and little help is offered in most cases by police.  It is hard to comprehend how the police allow such behaviour to develop, they certainly wouldn’t when it was known as ‘the Police Force’ rather than what is now little more than a social service.   Society must decide what sort of a future we want as far as children are concerned.

Some feminist thinkers have said that motherhood will have to go in a new social order, and find a new way of raising children.  You may have seen women being asked on television what their occupation was, and sometimes you hear the reply, ‘just a housewife’   No apology is needed .  A housewife and mother is as great a calling as any in the world.  Like God they are a very present help in times of trouble.  My sons have all held their mother in the highest esteem, and my son who died called Mum as his last word.

Children take up home values. When a father dodges working, a son will invariably copy.  God ordered us to work and there would be less poverty if more people were working.

God said, ‘O that thou wouldst keep my commandments that all may be well with them and their children and have happy homes for ever’.

Having children means more than conceiving and bearing them. Raising children is a vitally responsible and important task.  It is more than being a novelty for some celebrity, or as a passport to the top of the housing list for a young woman.  A whole future life is in the hands of parents, yet we hear of multiple children of a woman from multiple fathers who have no interest in the poor children.

It is reckoned that in the majority of homes no biblical knowledge or teaching is being given to children, probably as much due to the fact the parents have none.  Children brought up in a Christian home have a solid foundation to build upon. Read from a modern language version of the Bible, such as Living Bible, Good News Bible, New Living Translation. Guidance for life is so clearly put in these versions, children can easily follow.

The word discipline means “to teach.” The job of teaching has been too long left to the schoolteacher .As a parent, your job is to teach your children by precept and example to be good members of the household, good citizens of the community, good members of the church and followers of Jesus Christ. It takes time, patience, resourcefulness and skill to set your house in order, but God has said that it is an essential we cannot shun.

The Bible says that we are to teach our children to be good citizens as well as good members of the family. The responsibility for teaching them lies with the parents, usually the mother.  In a Jewish family the father teaches the children the Ten Commandments using the ten fingers.

The Bible says listen to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.   We can learn so much from Jewish parenthood.  Father’s teaching to his children of the Ten Commandments, one for each of the ten fingers, and the history of the Jewish people from the Old Testament, and the mother controlling behaviour.  I have never known nor heard of a Jewish child being involved in violent disorder or crime.  When I have sought an answer, I have been told it is because of the Jewish Mama in the home.

If a child is to grow into a responsible person, he or she must learn to obey rules. Whether we like it or not, life is filled with rules and laws. Mostly for our benefit and protection. Children need to be taught how to behave, and once upon a time schools  maintained a code of discipline. Children were made to respect teachers, and we were made to stand up when a teacher entered the room. From what teachers tell me now, they have to obey the children.  I can just imagine telling one of my masters I insisted on having my mobile phone on my desk.  I would hurt for a week, yet a teacher was recently badly hurt by a boy in his class who objected to the teacher taking his phone away during class.

You do your children a great injustice when you do not discipline them, and when you fail to teach them to discipline themselves.

Of course, in disciplinary action, whatever sort it may be, you must always let the child know that you love him or her, that you are only doing things for their good. Never show favouritism to one child above another, it hurts children terribly.  If you promise to do something for them, do it.

Another thing, as a parent you ought to praise your children for the good things they do. Admiration and approval are very important elements in good discipline, and if we fail to recognise them, our children may get discouraged and not try as hard next time.

If your children love you and admire you, they will try to be like you. Girls have always seemed to me to try and copy their mothers ways, but some mothers are reluctant to have their daughters get to be a little better at things than them.  The young boy wants to be as good as his dad, if his dad is willing to each him. Whether son or daughter, both need to be taught good manners.

On so many occasions, broken homes have been a cause of such behaviour, with a mother unable to control or showing an utterly irresponsible line.  One 12 years old boy terrified an estate and his mother said he was ‘her little satan, but wasn’t really evil’. An unwitting contradiction in terms, but added he just needs understanding.  He certainly needs something, but more severe than understanding. Yet again an absent father.

We constantly read and hear reports of young people between the ages of 7 and teenage years terrifying whole neighbourhoods.  They abuse, assault, vandalise and rob at will, and if anyone should remonstrate with them that person runs the risk of stabbing or serious injury. On several occasions men with families have been killed whilst defending their property.  Whole gangs roam the streets seeking confrontation with other gangs and their members, which have cost the lives of substantial number of young men, sometimes innocent victims. 

Far too many children are left to their own devices.  How can teenagers roam the streets, drunk and threatening people, stabbing other teenagers, and forming life threatening to other gangs, without the parents knowing of it.  So why don’t they do something about it.

If any country is to defend its values successfully, it must rediscover the Christian faith in which those values are ultimately rooted.  Marriage and the home are firmly part of those roots. When the founding principles are eroded, and the morality and biblical fundamentals are taken away, there is no foundation for society, which is a dangerous thing and we are seeing some of the consequences developing.

  Joshua was a great military leader who had served under Moses for forty years, and when Moses died he became leader for a further twenty five years. As peoples throughout time have behaved, once the hard times were over, they began to fall away from and forget God.  Joshua was nearing the end of his life, so one day he called the leaders of the people together at Shechem to deliver a final message.  ‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’.                      (Joshua 24 v.15)

We all have to make a choice in this life.  Joshua was quite clear he had made one, and for Him it was quite definite he and his family would serve the Lord.  The choice we make will decide our eternal future, so we should think deeply.

We are facing a time of ungodliness.  On every front there is an anti-Christian bias. Discord and discouragement is being sown in the lives of Christian people.  We have to resist on every front so as to maintain a Christian faith and presence.

  As Christians, we have a commitment to serve God. Just as Joshua reminded the Jews of all God had done for them, so must we reflect on all that which God has done for us, and respond accordingly. God speaks to us from the past, to show us the sins His people committed in order to help us decide.  God is still speaking.  We can either listen or ignore. 

     P R A Y E R

Father God, we come before You today to ask for your protection over our families. Let no trouble fall on them today. Keep them away from accidents. Allow no evil to influence their hearts. Cover them with the precious blood of Christ.

 

Guide our way, Lord, as we go on with our lives today. May you always preserve the bond that we have as a family. May it be a sanctuary of blessing, comfort, and love for each of us

 

Dear God, we commit to you those in our families who have fallen sick. We believe that you are our Healer, our Great Physician. Touch them with Your Healing Hands, Lord. Send forth your Word and heal their diseases.

 

Loving Father, we also ask that you heal the members of our families who are hurting emotionally. Their affliction is not physical, but we know that they are also in pain. Give them comfort as well, God. Give them the peace that transcends understanding. Heal their hearts, Lord, which may be full of anger, hatred, strife, bitterness, and unforgiveness

 

In our times of trials and troubles, God, we look to You. Life can hand us many different challenges that we know we cannot face on our own. But with You, Father God, we believe that nothing is impossible. We believe that You will always grant us the endurance to overcome any obstacle that may come our way. 

 

In the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we pray